Special Collection Research Articles

Beyond Typologies: Early Modern Italian Town Halls in Comparative Perspective (14th-17th Centuries)

By challenging the traditional, typological, approach to the history of town halls, we aim to place Italian civic architecture at the center of a cross-disciplinary study focused, on one hand, on the uses and functions of these buildings, and on the other, on their cultural and identity meanings. The papers gathered in this special collection do not present a history of architectural models and persistencies, but rather one of continuous transformations, conversions, and adaptations, shaped by the material and symbolic functions that public buildings fulfilled, and often continue to fulfill, in the places where they were built.

Advances in volatile organic compounds detection: From fundamental research to real-world applications

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a crucial role in affecting health, environmental integrity, and industrial operations, from air quality to medical diagnostics. The need for highly sensitive and selective detection of these compounds has spurred innovation in sensor technologies. This editorial introduces a special collection of articles in Applied Physics Reviews, exploring the latest advancements in VOC detection technologies. The featured works cover a range of innovations, including electrostatically formed nanowires, chiral liquid crystals, and graphene-based sensors enhanced by machine learning. Together, these articles highlight the dynamic progress in VOC detection, striving for improved sensitivity, selectivity, and real-world applicability. This special collection not only showcases pioneering research but also provides valuable insights into future trends and potential applications in the field.

The power of people in family firms

ABSTRACT Family business scholars have long sought a comprehensive theory on the family firm. A nascent but still-developing aspect of this theory involves understanding the unique challenges of the people who constitute these firms. Our introduction to the Theories of Family Enterprise special collection discusses the literature on human capital and related issues in family firms and then reviews, integrates, and extends the contributions of the five articles in this special collection. These five papers contribute to a better understanding of the indelible social dynamics that are associated with managing family firms and the uniqueness of the people who inhabit them. By bringing a clearer focus on the people who constitute family businesses, these articles collectively contribute to a more comprehensive theory of the family firm and offer several directions for future research.

A simulation-based bias analysis to assess the impact of unmeasured confounding when designing nonrandomized database studies.

Unmeasured confounding is often raised as a source of potential bias during the design of nonrandomized studies, but quantifying such concerns is challenging. We developed a simulation-based approach to assess the potential impact of unmeasured confounding during the study design stage. The approach involved generation of hypothetical individual-level cohorts using realistic parameters, including a binary treatment (prevalence 25%), a time-to-event outcome (incidence 5%), 13 measured covariates, a binary unmeasured confounder (u1; 10%), and a binary measured "proxy" variable (p1) correlated with u1. Strengths of unmeasured confounding and correlations between u1 and p1 were varied in simulation scenarios. Treatment effects were estimated with (1) no adjustment, (2) adjustment for measured confounders (level 1), and (3) adjustment for measured confounders and their proxy (level 2). We computed absolute standardized mean differences in u1 and p1 and relative bias with each level of adjustment. Across all scenarios, level 2 adjustment led to improvement in the balance of u1, but this improvement was highly dependent on the correlation between u1 and p1. Level 2 adjustments also had lower relative bias than level 1 adjustments (in strong u1 scenarios: relative bias of 9.2%, 12.2%, and 13.5% at correlations of 0.7, 0.5, and 0.3, respectively, vs 16.4%, 15.8%, and 15.0% for level 1). An approach using simulated individual-level data is useful to explicitly convey the potential for bias due to unmeasured confounding while designing nonrandomized studies, and can be helpful in informing design choices. This article is part of a Special Collection on Pharmacoepidemiology.

Homecoming: Returning to Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities after 50 Years

Abstract The articles in this special collection are a tribute to Italo Calvino and a work of fiction that has not lost its power to fascinate readers and scholars for over half a century. This special issue draws attention to how this very short work of fiction continues to serve as a source of inspiration for geographers, as well as for scholars all across the humanities and social sciences.

Special Collection: Non‐Innocent Ligands in Sustainable Catalysis

Special Collection: Non‐Innocent Ligands in Sustainable Catalysis

Causal inference in multi-cohort studies using the target trial framework to identify and minimize sources of bias.

Longitudinal cohort studies, which follow a group of individuals over time, provide the opportunity to examine causal effects of complex exposures on long-term health outcomes. Utilizing data from multiple cohorts has the potential to add further benefit by improving precision of estimates through data pooling and by allowing examination of effect heterogeneity through replication of analyses across cohorts. However, the interpretation of findings can be complicated by biases that may be compounded when pooling data, or, contribute to discrepant findings when analyses are replicated. The "target trial" is a powerful tool for guiding causal inference in single-cohort studies. Here we extend this conceptual framework to address the specific challenges that can arise in the multi-cohort setting. By representing a clear definition of the target estimand, the target trial provides a central point of reference against which biases arising in each cohort and from data pooling can be systematically assessed. Consequently, analyses can be designed to reduce these biases and the resulting findings appropriately interpreted in light of potential remaining biases. We use a case study to demonstrate the framework and its potential to strengthen causal inference in multi-cohort studies through improved analysis design and clarity in the interpretation of findings. Special Collection: N/A.

Vegetation classification in the Neotropics – Novel insights from Latin America and the Caribbean

Our editorial introduces a Special Collection of scientific articles on current vegetation research in the most biodiverse of all biogeographic realms, the Neotropics. It contains nine scientific contributions dedicated to vegetation data, description and classification. Four research papers provide new vegetation classifications of important Neotropical biomes, namely the Arid Chaco in Argentina, Mexican temperate forests, and Andean wetlands in the Argentine Puna and southern Peru. Furthermore, one study provides a novel bioclimatic-vegetation classification approach applied to Mexican vegetation, while another proposes a new synthesis of the South American terrestrial biomes as geocomplexes. Finally, three vegetation databases are presented in the Special Collection: ArgVeg – Database of Central Argentina (GIVD ID: SA-AR-002), CACTUS – Vegetation database of the Dutch Caribbean Islands (GIVD ID: SA-00-004) and VegAndes: the vegetation database for the Latin American highlands (GIVD ID: SA-00-005). The Special Collection provides fundamental data and tools to better understand the diversity and complexity of Neotropical vegetation. Abbreviations: GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases, IAVS = International Association for Vegetation Science, IAVS-LACS = IAVS Regional Section for the Latin America and the Caribbean, VCS = Vegetation Classification and Survey

Preface for the special topic collection celebrating the achievements and life of Joe Greene

Preface for the special topic collection celebrating the achievements and life of Joe Greene

Guest editorial for the special collection of mathematical chemistry papers

Guest editorial for the special collection of mathematical chemistry papers

Chinese Studies: Researches and services in the National Library of China

Background The Chinese Studies Center of the National Library of China is an institution focusing on the collection, research and service of Chinese studies literature. Since the last century, the National Library of China (NLC) has started to collect a wide range of Chinese studies literature, and has now formed a huge special collection covering multiple languages and disciplines. Purpose This article introduces the origin of construction of the Chinese Studies Center (CSC), its service positioning, development status, major achievements and future outlook, with the aim of clarifying ideas for better development of the NLC’s Chinese studies collection and research services, and for the promotion of the development of Chinese studies to a higher level. Research Design The article aims to build a research framework to assess the role and potential of the CSC in promoting Chinese studies by reviewing its history and analyzing its service orientation and development direction. Study Sample: The research sample includes the CSC's resources, services, accomplishments and cooperations. Data Collection and/or Analysis: The article assesses the performance and influence of the CSC by collecting and analyzing information on its resources, services, achievements and academic exchanges. Results The CSC has basically formed a multi-dimensional development pattern integrating reading services, consulting and reference services, literature research, website construction, scientific research cooperation and foreign exchanges. Its service positioning has become clearer, its responsibilities richer, its research capability further enhanced, and it has achieved social benefits and a series of good results, making a great contribution to the development of Chinese studies. Conclusions The CSC has played an important in promoting Chinese studies and it will continue to enrich the collection of Chinese studies literature, promote the construction of Chinese studies catalogue, create a one-stop research and service platform, and carry out exchanges and cooperation in Chinese studies worldwide, so as to promote the further development of Chinese studies.

Special collection devoted to the VIII “metabolomics circle” conference organized by the Polish metabolomics society

Special collection devoted to the VIII “metabolomics circle” conference organized by the Polish metabolomics society

New perspectives on morphosyntactic variation in African youth language practices

Abstract Recent years have seen an increase in scholarly attention paid to youth language practices in Africa, with studies examining a range of linguistic phenomena. A parallel development has seen the emergence of work studying morphosyntactic microvariation in Bantu languages, with a view to better understanding structural variation in closely related languages or varieties. This special collection brings together those working in the fields of youth language practices and morphosyntactic variation in Bantu, with a view to exploring the synergies in these areas, as well as moving this domain of inquiry forward. The contributions are united by the authors’ commitment to addressing specific morphosyntactic phenomena which may have otherwise gone unnoticed, or which are less documented in the existing literature – in particular, in the scholarship on the respective base language or dominant language. We hope that the collection of papers both contributes to this body of work and inspires others to take up some of these issues in future research.

Charged-particle transport in high energy density plasmas

This Special Topic Collection grew out of two gatherings of researchers active in the high energy density (HED) physics community: a mini-conference on charged-particle transport in HED plasma held during the 64th annual meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Plasma Physics (Spokane, WA, November 2022) and a dedicated charged-particle transport coefficient code comparison workshop (Livermore, CA, July 2023). These gatherings provided opportunities for theoretical, computational, and experimental researchers to discuss the state of the field, including current capabilities and methods, needs of hydrodynamic simulations, and frontiers for future research. This special issue collects a total of 13 research and review articles on charged-particle transport in HED plasmas.

Amplifying the Impact of Special Collection Exhibitions

This article seeks to provide an adaptable model for cultural heritage institutions looking to amplify exhibition impact using creative secondary outreach tools. Exhibition creation has become integral to the archival and cultural heritage professions—highlighting collection materials, bringing new audiences into archival spaces, and providing opportunities for advocacy. By identifying targeted outreach stages, archives and special collections staff can build partnerships with related cultural heritage institutions and better utilize internal resources.

Exhaustive Search of Dietary Intake Biomarkers as Objective Tools for Personalized Nutrimetabolomics and Precision Nutrition Implementation.

To conduct an exhaustive scoping search of existing literature, incorporating diverse bibliographic sources to elucidate the relationships between metabolite biomarkers in human fluids and dietary intake. The search for biomarkers linked to specific dietary food intake holds immense significance for precision health and nutrition research. Using objective methods to track food consumption through metabolites offers a more accurate way to provide dietary advice and prescriptions on healthy dietary patterns by healthcare professionals. An extensive investigation was conducted on biomarkers associated with the consumption of several food groups and consumption patterns. Evidence is integrated from observational studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses to achieve precision nutrition and metabolism personalization. Tailored search strategies were applied across databases and gray literature, yielding 158 primary research articles that met strict inclusion criteria. The collected data underwent rigorous analysis using STATA and Python tools. Biomarker-food associations were categorized into 5 groups: cereals and grains, dairy products, protein-rich foods, plant-based foods, and a miscellaneous group. Specific cutoff points (≥3 or ≥4 bibliographic appearances) were established to identify reliable biomarkers indicative of dietary consumption. Key metabolites in plasma, serum, and urine revealed intake from different food groups. For cereals and grains, 3-(3,5-dihydroxyphenyl) propanoic acid glucuronide and 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid were significant. Omega-3 fatty acids and specific amino acids showcased dairy and protein foods consumption. Nuts and seafood were linked to hypaphorine and trimethylamine N-oxide. The miscellaneous group featured compounds like theobromine, 7-methylxanthine, caffeine, quinic acid, paraxanthine, and theophylline associated with coffee intake. Data collected from this research demonstrate potential for incorporating precision nutrition into clinical settings and nutritional advice based on accurate estimation of food intake. By customizing dietary recommendations based on individualized metabolic profiles, this approach could significantly improve personalized food consumption health prescriptions and support integrating multiple nutritional data.This article is part of a Nutrition Reviews special collection on Precision Nutrition.

Social robots: A special collection of articles published in Technology, Mind, and Behavior (2020–2024).

Social robots: A special collection of articles published in Technology, Mind, and Behavior (2020–2024).

Special Collection: Implementation Research Evidence for Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Hemorrhage in High-Burden Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), defined as a blood loss of 500 mL or more within 24 hours after birth, remains the leading cause of maternal mortality globally, accounting for over 20% of all maternal deaths. The burden of mortality from PPH is predominantly in low- and middle-income countries and demands coordinated accelerated efforts from the global maternal health community to meet the Sustainable Development 3 maternal health target by 2030. The International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS and the Concept Foundation are proud to present this Special Collection demonstrating the evidence for introducing heat-stable carbetocin and tranexamic acid, showcasing the feasibility and acceptability of their utilization for PPH prevention and management in resource-limited high-burden settings.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Appropriate Use of Novel and Lesser-Used Medicines for Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Hemorrhage: Evidence from Implementation Research

Maternal mortality remains one of the primary global health challenges of the 21st century, despite major medical advances in the field. Although solutions are available, inequities determine where mothers die, with the majority of maternal deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). More than one-third of maternal deaths are related to obstetric hemorrhage and most commonly postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Effective, quality-assured uterotonics significantly reduce PPH-related morbidity and mortality. Updated World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on uterotonics used for PPH prevention include the addition of heat-stable carbetocin (HSC) to the suite of prophylactic uterotonic agents as well as the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) for PPH treatment. Both medicines are promising interventions in obstetric care. However, the introduction of these medicines faces numerous challenges to end-user access, such as decentralized procurement, time-consuming policy updates, market access barriers, lack of demand for quality-assured products, and inadequate systematic training and information provision, impeding access in many LMICs. Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of implementing these medicines in different resource settings can help bridge the gap between research and development to policy and practice, in an effort to reduce the significant health inequities facing women accessing the public health sector for quality care during labor and delivery. In this Special Collection, we explore the findings from mixed-methods implementation research studies in nine LMICs which support the acceptability and feasibility of HSC and TXA administration by healthcare providers, generating evidence to help inform the introduction and scale-up of these new and lesser-utilized PPH medicines.

Special Collection: Catalysts and Reactors under Dynamic Conditions for Energy Storage and Conversion

Special Collection: Catalysts and Reactors under Dynamic Conditions for Energy Storage and Conversion