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Legislators face a challenge when implementing long‐termist policies that prioritise sustainability and the well‐being of future generations: citizens prefer policies that pay off sooner rather than later. In this research note, I assess the hypothesis that the lifespan structures this temporal discounting effect. Do people show a particular preference for policies that pay off within, rather than beyond, their own lifetime? In a pre‐registered conjoint analysis with age‐group blocking (N = 2405), I find little evidence in support of this explanation. Although they significantly prefer nearer‐term policy benefits, citizens show no sign of especially preferring policies whose benefits will materialise within their own lifetimes. This pattern holds across a range of personal, political and philosophical differences. The temporal discounting effect is also substantially smaller than other policy features, such as how large the payoff of that policy is expected to be. Additionally, people are clearly willing in principle to trade off the timing of benefits for the scale of benefits, preferring larger later payoffs to sooner smaller ones. Across and beyond the lifespan, the sooner a policy pays off, the better. But, whenever they materialise, the bigger the societal benefits of that policy, the better. These findings strongly suggest that temporal policy discounting is not driven by selfish concerns, while also reinforcing that any such effect does not overwhelm citizens’ evaluations of policy proposals in principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Current implementation efforts have failed to achieve equitable HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) provision for transgender and gender‐diverse (trans) populations. We conducted a choice‐based conjoint analysis to measure preferences for key attributes of hypothetical PrEP delivery programmes among a diverse online sample predominantly comprised of transmasculine and nonbinary individuals in the United States. Methods: Between April 2022 and June 2022, a national online survey with an embedded conjoint analysis experiment was conducted among 304 trans individuals aged ≥18 years in the United States to assess five PrEP programme attributes: out‐of‐pocket cost; dispensing venue; frequency of visits for PrEP‐related care; travel time to PrEP provider; and ability to bundle PrEP‐related care with gender‐affirming hormone therapy services. Participants responded to five questions, each of which presented two PrEP programme scenarios and one opt‐out option per question and selected their preferred programme in each question. We used hierarchical Bayes estimation and multinomial logistic regression to measure part‐worth utility scores for the total sample and by respondents' PrEP status. Results: The median age was 24 years (range 18–56); 75% were assigned female sex at birth; 54% identified as transmasculine; 32% as nonbinary; 14% as transfeminine. Out‐of‐pocket cost had the highest attribute importance score (44.3%), followed by the ability to bundle with gender‐affirming hormone therapy services (18.7%). Minimal cost‐sharing ($0 out‐of‐pocket cost) most positively influenced the attribute importance of cost (average conjoint part‐worth utility coefficient of 2.5 [95% CI 2.4−2.6]). PrEP‐experienced respondents preferred PrEP delivery in primary care settings (relative utility score 4.7); however, PrEP‐naïve respondents preferred pharmacies (relative utility score 5.1). Conclusions: Participants preferred programmes that offered PrEP services without cost‐sharing and bundled with gender‐affirming hormone therapy services. Bolstering federal regulations to cover PrEP services and prioritizing programmes to expand low‐barrier PrEP provision are critical to achieving equitable PrEP provision. Community‐engaged implementation research conducted by and in close collaboration with trans community stakeholders and researchers are needed to streamline the design of patient‐centred PrEP programmes and develop implementation strategies that are salient to the diverse sexual health needs of trans patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dianhong Black Tea, a fermented tea containing various bioactive ingredients, has been found to have a significant role in alleviating alcoholic liver injury (ALI). One of its main unique components, Dianhong Black Tea volatile substances (DBTVS), may have potential anti‐ALI effects. However, its effects and underlying molecular mechanisms are still unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of DBTVS as an anti‐ALI agent using alcohol‐fed rats. We assessed the effect of DBTVS on ALI by analyzing serum transaminase and lipid levels, as well as conducting hematoxylin–eosin and oil red O staining. Additionally, GC‐MS was used to detect the components of DBTVS, while transcriptome, proteomics analysis, Western blot, and molecular docking were employed to uncover the underlying mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that DBTVS significantly reduced serum ALT and AST levels and improved lipid metabolism disorders. Moreover, we identified 14 components in DBTVS, with five of them exhibiting strong binding affinity with key proteins. These findings suggested that DBTVS could be a promising agent for the prevention and treatment of ALI. Its potential therapeutic effects may be attributed to its ability to regulate lipid metabolism through the PPAR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The premise of Digital Engineering (DE) – a term coined by the US DoD, is to introduce efficiency and agility into engineering practices based on digital representations of complex systems under development. DE aims to foster early and virtual validations, virtual exploration of solutions and design robustness by automating current document centric engineering processes. As stated by the DoD, DE is expected to result in shortening delivery time, reduced cost of development driving increased quality and trust that the intended system will indeed satisfy the stakeholder needs. The core technological pillars of digital engineering are model based engineering, designation of authoritative sources of truth to avoid ambiguity and inconsistency and establishing technological platforms to facilitate collaboration, security, and IP protection across all stakeholders. "Digital Threads" is an information architecture that aims to establish digital continuity across product lifecycle activities, foster engineering integrity, effective change management, tradeoff analysis, and dissemination of operational data. Digital threads are an essential part of the DoD Digital Engineering strategy. There are technological challenges to implement digital threads, as it requires to establish a digital fabric across various modeling and engineering operational environments. As of today, this topic is still in its infancy and the industry is seeking solutions and standards for it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to recognise plural values and integrate these into policy design has long been of interest in nature conservation. However, we also need to understand whether and how different values are prioritised among diverse stakeholders. This is particularly important when indigenous and traditional cultures play a role in how land is managed and protected.Working in the sacred forests of Nigeria, we applied the principles of biocultural conservation and sociocultural valuation to understand the values that underpin people's relationship with nature and with other users of nature. We operationalised this by employing participatory workshop methods to identify multiple values of sacred forests, and conjoint analysis to elicit local people's value priorities and preferences for conserving sacred forests.We identified multiple values attributed to sacred forests, but the strongest preferences were for improved provision of medicinal values. However, preference heterogeneity analysis showed that sacred forests are valued differently among clusters of people with distinct sociodemographic profiles.Our findings also showed that the current management strategy for the conservation of sacred forests is inadequate to galvanise shared and collective responsibility from diverse stakeholders. Using a value‐based approach, more robust management strategies that will yield high utility to the public were determined and recommended for implementation.Policy implications. Overall, our study demonstrates that sacred forests are valued in multiple ways above and beyond their role in a cultural belief system. New strategies are therefore needed to effectively manage and conserve them. We recommend a plural approach to the conservation of sacred forests that will incorporate multiple values. This can be achieved by integrating biocultural conservation and sociocultural valuation. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What preferences do people have for cross‐country cooperation on irregular migration and refugee protection? Existing research improves our understanding of how voters react to large‐scale inflows of asylum seekers, like those experienced by European countries in 2015–2016, and the type of asylum seekers and policies preferred by European citizens. We know less, however, about people's views concerning a particular European Union (EU) response to the so‐called 'refugee crisis', namely the cooperation with Turkey in March 2016 to stem inflows of asylum seekers and other migrants. To study such views, we build on several strands of the international relations literature exploring key determinants of public preferences for international cooperation on cross‐national issues, namely (a) sociotropic concerns, (b) humanitarian considerations, and (c) perceptions of fairness and reciprocity. Our research design leverages conjoint experiments conducted simultaneously in Germany, Greece and Turkey. We find that the three factors indeed play a role in explaining preferences in the three countries. Moreover, while respondents are favourable to several core features of the current EU–Turkey migration deal (regarding the return of irregular migrants, financial aid to refugees, and border controls), we also find evidence of public support for increased cooperation on resettlement and EU support to Greece to deal with migration, which goes beyond the status quo. In certain aspects of cooperation, public preferences seem to respond to interactions between policy dimensions that capture reciprocity. These findings have important implications for research on public preferences for asylum and migration policies and public support for international cooperation more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Audio/video mobile applications (apps) enable people to engage in leisure activities without time and space restrictions, which gradually changed human leisure behaviours. This study is one of the first to integrate means‐end chain theory, Kano and conjoint analyses to reveal young user preferences for entertainment audio/video mobile apps. A preliminary qualitative survey with 36 young interviewees established the questionnaire items in the subsequent survey of 389 young respondents. Results show that 'subtitle choice', 'resolution selection', 'top ranking list' and 'advertising mode and format' are key attributes that directly influence young user willingness to download apps. In particular, 'flashing banner ads', 'resolution ≤ 480 ppi', '5 seconds to skip ads', providing 'subtitle choice' and without 'top ranking list' is the best combination of attribute levels of audio/video apps that meet young users' desires. That is, young users prefer mobile apps with 'resolution ≤ 480 ppi' and 'subtitle' choices and expect that they can skip flashing banner ads in 5 s. Providing a top audio/video ranking list, however, is unnecessary for young app users. The findings can help marketers and app designers develop effective app designs and advertising strategies for young users to expedite the adoption of entertainment audio/video apps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients with advanced laryngeal cancer are typically presented with divergent treatment options, namely chemoradiation versus total laryngectomy. This study aims to understand general perspectives of the factors involved in this decision‐making process. Methods: Surveys were constructed using specialized conjoint analysis software. Seven attributes integral to the decision‐making process for advanced laryngeal cancer treatment were included. Results: Three hundred one healthy adult volunteers completed the decision‐making program. The relative impact of each treatment attribute on decision making across all participants was scored with an average importance score (standard deviation) as follows: Lifespan 22.2% (±8.5), Voicing 21.4% (±5.9), Swallowing 19.1% (±7.3), Cancer Cure 14.9% (±6.2), Mode of Breathing 11.0% (±3.7), Self‐Image 6.7% (±2.9), and Treatment Type 4.8% (±3.0). Conclusions: General public opinion ranked lifespan, voicing, and swallowing aspects as similarly important, and all were ranked more important than probability of cure. These data demonstrate a variety of priorities among participants and the need for tailored discussions when determining treatment choice for advanced laryngeal cancer. Level of Evidence: Level 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban transportation systems involve thousands of individuals making choices between routes with multiple modes and transfers. For transportation system simulations to produce realistic results, modelers need to incorporate these users and their choices. Choice‐based conjoint surveys provide an attractive solution for obtaining flexible utility models that can be used to predict choices for a wide variety of trips. In this study, we demonstrate an example using conjoint survey data of commuter mode choice in the Washington, D.C. metro area (N = 1651). We sample commuters who primarily drive and those that take transit. We examine preferences for different types of multimodal trips, including those with intramodal and intermodel transfers. We find that trips involving a bus transfer are the least preferred while both drivers and transit users both value metro similarly to driving. We also find that walking during transit trips is an important barrier, with the travel time penalty for walking being 60% higher than that of time in a vehicle. Our findings highlight the significance of accounting for differences in modal transfer types in transportation system simulations. Reducing arrival time uncertainty was not a significant factor in commuter mode choice, and commuters' value of time was similar across all vehicle types, suggesting that increasing the relative speed of transit modes may only have a marginal effect on commuter substitution away from personal vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does the structure of democratic institutions affect citizen engagement? This study employs conjoint analysis to assess the effects of institutional design on political participation in participatory budgeting (PB) programs. We find evidence that PB program design strongly affects citizens' interest in participation. Participation appeals more to citizens when PB programs offer participants meaningful control over decision‐making outcomes, when barriers to participation are low, and when resources allocated through PB are targeted diffusely to communities rather than individual beneficiaries. We also find that focusing PB on issues specific to marginalized communities does not necessarily boost interest in participation among members of those communities. Finally, we observe few systematic differences in preferences for participation between demographic groups traditionally associated with low rates of civic engagement compared to other groups. We then use the results surrounding PB to discuss broad implications for citizen participation in participatory institutions and democratic governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To characterize alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) at the single-cell level and to identify regulatory factors for AFP expression and malignancy. Methods: ScRNA-seq was performed on two tumors collected from patients with AFPGC. InferCNV and sub-clustering were applied to identify typical AFPGC cells, followed by AddModuleScore, pathway enrichment, Pseudo-time, and Scenic analyses. Data from a gastric cancer (GC) cohort were collected for conjoint analysis. The analytical results were verified by cell experiments and immunohistochemistry. Results: AFPGC cells are similar to hepatocytes in transcriptome and transcriptional regulation, with kinetic malignancy-related pathways, compared to the common malignant epithelium. In addition, compared to common GC cells, malignancy-related pathways, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis, were upregulated in AFPGC. Mechanistically, Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) was found to be associated with AFP expression and malignant phenotype upon combining our scRNA-seq data with a public database, which was further verified by a series of in vitro experiments and immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: We demonstrated the single-cell characteristics of AFPGC and that DKK1 facilitates AFP expression and malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding adaptive reservoir management strategies that balance ecological outcomes with other objectives necessitates properly articulated environmental objectives. Aside from flood pulse extent related metrics, residual‐based descriptors provide robust descriptions of fish assemblage structure and harvest.We proposed a model framework based on spectral analysis of hydrologic variation and the Multivariate AutoRegressive State Space (MARSS) model to statistically quantify the effect sizes of hydrologic variation impacts on total fish catch and functional group (migration types) fish harvest and applied it to 17 years of fish harvest data from the Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB).Our findings suggest that duration and timing of hydrologic anomalies matter as much as their magnitude. Anomaly droughts coupled with strong pulse can benefit species if timed correctly. Longitudinal migrators were more sensitive to anomalous floods and droughts than other migratory species. Fish catch projections using effect sizes derived from historical data revealed that a well‐timed and protracted drought followed by a powerful flood pulse would be advantageous to the fishery, but a flood delay could negate such benefits.Synthesis and applications: We designed a spectral analysis framework to quantify hydrological variation and linked it with fishery harvest records. Quantified effect sizes of hydrologic anomalous events demonstrated one designed hydrograph for fishery benefits: properly timed prolong drought followed by a strong flood pulse. Our results add to a growing body of research that suggests ecological flows can be engineered. For most dams, the rule curve describing reservoir releases and resulting downstream hydrograph are designed in an ecological vacuum in which the objectives are to maximize human services—power production, flood control or navigation. Our work demonstrates that hydrograph can be designed to manage aspects of functional biodiversity directly. Though the exact shape of our hydrograph may not apply to other engineered river systems, we suggest that the approach can be applied generally, and globally both to developed and developing river basins. Specifically, a functional biodiversity rule curve could be optimized as an additional objective function in a multi‐objective optimization framework. Our methodology provides a quantitative method for deriving an ecological flow for this larger tradeoff analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several environmental policies strive to restore impaired ecosystems and could benefit from a consistent and transparent process—codeveloped with key stakeholders—to prioritize impaired ecosystems for restoration activities. The Clean Water Act, for example, establishes reallocation mechanisms to transfer ecosystem services from sites of disturbance to compensation sites to offset aquatic resource functions that are unavoidably lost through land development. However, planning for the prioritization of compensatory mitigation areas is often hampered by decision‐making processes that fall into a myopic decision frame because they are not coproduced with stakeholders. In this study, we partnered with domain experts from the North Carolina Division of Mitigation Services to codevelop a real‐world decision framework to prioritize catchments by potential for the development of mitigation projects following principles of a structured decision‐making process and knowledge coproduction. Following an iterative decision analysis cycle, domain experts revised foundational components of the decision framework and progressively added complexity and realism as they gained additional insights or more information became available. Through the course of facilitated in‐person and remote interactions, the codevelopment of a decision framework produced three main "breakthroughs" from the perspective of the stakeholder group: (a) recognition of the problem as a multiobjective decision driven by several values in addition to biogeophysical goals (e.g., functional uplift, restoring or enhancing lost functionality of ecosystems); (b) that the decision comprises a linked and sequential planning‐to‐implementation process; and (c) future risk associated with land‐use and climate change must be considered. We also present an interactive tool for "on‐the‐fly" assessment of alternatives and tradeoff analysis, allowing domain experts to quickly test, react to, and revise prioritization strategies. The decision framework described in this study is not limited to the prioritization of compensatory mitigation activities across North Carolina but rather serves as a framework to prioritize a wide range of restoration, conservation, and resource allocation activities in similar environmental contexts across the nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Overactive bladder (OAB) is often suboptimally addressed by behavioral or pharmacological treatments. Less than 15% of patients choose to pursue advanced OAB therapy (sacral nerve stimulation [SNS], percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation [PTNS], and bladder onabotulinum toxin type‐A [BTX‐A]). We seek to better understand which factors are most important to patients when choosing a third‐line therapy. Methods/Materials: We developed a conjoint analysis survey that included five attributes of the third‐line options for OAB (SNS, PTNS, and BTX‐A). We administered the survey to new patients with urinary incontinence at two institutions. A hierarchical Bayes random effects regression analysis was used to determine the relative importance of the attributes. A choice simulator was used to model which third‐line treatment options patients preferred. We followed patients to see if they pursued their predicted treatment. Results: A total of 108 patients completed the study of whom 89% were women. There was representation from all age groups. The most important attributes of decision‐making were the frequency of future procedures, the risk of catheterization, and the need for a device. On market simulation, SNS was the preferred treatment option (47%), followed by PTNS (29%) and BTX‐A (14%). Only 10% of patients did not find any treatment option acceptable. Conclusions: Frequent follow‐up, risk of catheterization, and the need for a device were the most important attributes when making a decision on third‐line OAB therapy. On market simulation, SNS is the preferred treatment for all age groups though the ultimate choice in third‐line therapy may be affected by external factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western publics show a sizable support for experts' involvement in political decision making, that is, technocratic attitudes. This article analyzes two key aspects of these attitudes: technocratic attitudes' stability and the heterogeneity in the demand for experts depending on the context. We first analyze how technocratic attitudes have been affected by an external event, the COVID‐19 pandemic, that has placed experts' role at the forefront of the public debate; this allows us to analyze the stability or change in these attitudes. Second, given that the pandemic quickly evolved from being a public health issue to becoming a political issue combining economic and public health dimensions, we examine whether framing the COVID‐19 pandemic exclusively as a public health problem or as including a prominent economic dimension as well affects the type of public officials who are preferred to lead the political management of the crisis (independent experts with diverse professional skills or party politicians belonging to different parties and with a specialization in different policy fields). We pursue these two research goals through a panel survey conducted in Spain at two different time points, one before and another during the pandemic, in which we measure technocratic attitudes using an exhaustive battery; and through a survey experiment combining a conjoint design and a framing experiment. Results show that, first, technocratic attitudes have significantly increased as a consequence of the coronavirus outbreak; second, people's preference for experts prevails against any other experimental treatment such as party affiliation; and, finally, preferences for the type of experts vary depending on the problem to be solved. In this way, this paper significantly increases our knowledge of the factors that affect variation in public attitudes towards experts' involvement in political decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although governments frequently contract nonprofit organizations (NPOs) to provide public services, little is known about why civil servants are more willing to direct funding to some NPOs than to others. Based on previous research on government funding for NPOs, this study proposes a theoretical framework that combines NPOs' internal and external management strategies to explain civil servants' preferences for funding specific NPOs. On the basis of an original conjoint experiment of 1206 civil servants from China between 2020 and 2021, the analysis found that civil servants generally value the characteristics of rationalization, professionalization, collaboration, cooptation, and a prior history of receiving funding from the government in NPOs. A series of robustness checks were used to validate the theorized relationships. These findings have important implications for both future research and efforts to promote government–NPO contracting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adult nocturnal enuresis (NE) is an understudied and bothersome condition. Our objective was to conduct a conjoint analysis experiment to better understand the relative importance of NE consequences in older women. Methods: We developed a conjoint analysis survey that included four attributes related to NE (awakening at night, feeling rested in the morning, restricting fluid before bed, and wet perineal skin). We performed a prospective cross‐sectional online study of women >62 years of age with NE using Sawtooth Software. Patients completed baseline questions, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire‐nocturia Quality of Life (ICIQ‐NqoL), and the conjoint analysis experiment. Hierarchical Bayes random effects regression analysis was used to determine the relative importance of the four attributes. Results: A total of 200 women with a mean age of 71 years completed the study. The most common management of NE was diapers/pads (132/200). Approximately half of the participants experienced NE several times a week or nightly (101/200). The most important attribute was the frequency of being awakened at night (34, standard deviation [SD]: 16) and the frequency of feeling rested in the morning (32, SD: 15). Limiting drinking before bed (18, SD: 12) and wet groin skin (16, SD: 10) had significantly lower importance scores (p < 0.05). Age, sleeping with a partner in bed, body mass index, NE severity score, and the ICIQ‐NqOL score were not significantly associated with any of the importance scores. Conclusions: Older women with NE place significantly more importance on the frequency of awakening at night, and feeling rested in the morning and lesser importance on associated lifestyle or physical manifestations of NE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the influence of product lifetime labelling on purchase decisions. Based on consumer theory of Lancaster, experimental survey data are collected from a population representative sample of 499 German consumers, using choice‐based conjoint analysis. Hierarchical Bayes utility modelling suggests a substantial positive effect of product lifetime labelling on purchase decisions. However, the effect is not linear but decreasing with higher levels of product lifetime. The relative importance of the product lifetime label is found to be higher than that of the product's energy consumption or brand. Additionally, we show that the introduction of product lifetime labelling renders the positive influence of existing brands on purchase decisions less impactful. Therefore, strategic implications for companies differ substantially, depending on companies' current brand‐building. Besides implications for business strategy, the study informs marketers and policymakers about the potential of product lifetime labelling to stimulate the supply of, and demand for, more durable products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding programs are increasing efforts towards demand‐led breeding approaches to ensure that cultivars released meet the needs of end users including processors, traders, and consumers, and that they are adopted by farmers. To effectively deploy these approaches, new tools are required to better understand and quantify the degree of preference differences among alternative trait changes competing for measurement and selection effort. The purpose of this study was to present a method of quantifying preferences and developing typologies according to breeding priorities by applying an online trait preference survey approach to cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). This paper presents a conjoint analysis based on Potentially All Pairwise RanKings of all possible Alternatives (PAPRIKA) to help guide breeding programs in understanding trait preferences across value chain roles and social contexts and set breeding priorities that represent diverse interests. Trait preferences were assessed using a comprehensive survey and analysis package incorporating a core adaptive conjoint method (1000minds, 2020). Trait selection was based on a trade‐off of 11 cassava traits carried out with 792 cassava value chain actors in four geopolitical regions in Nigeria. Principal component and cluster analyses revealed three clusters (typologies) of respondents according to their trait preferences. The results demonstrate the usefulness of this methodology that innovates on previous trait preference approaches to address the expanding needs of plant breeding programs within smallholder contexts. Core Ideas: Preference surveys can reflect economic importance of traits.Typologies of trait preferences give insights to understand heterogeneity of trait preferences.Typologies can guide breeding programs in exploring the needs of different market segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research suggests that family firms are more likely to engage in environment‐friendly practices. However, the source of this difference is less clear. This study investigates how environmental innovations and stakeholder pressure tradeoffs (specifically from competitors and government) are simultaneously evaluated within family and nonfamily firms. An experimental rating‐based conjoint methodology was used to capture and analyze 1936 firm environmental innovation investment decisions. The results indicate that firms were significantly more likely to invest in an environmental innovation that helped reduce regulatory oversight, and less likely to do so when it leads to a negative reputation among their industry peers. The findings also suggest that while firms will make an environmental innovation investment decisions to keep the government close, they are much more likely to avoid these investments if doing so will negatively impact their reputation among their peers—thus keeping their competitors closer. However, the results also demonstrated that family firms who were highly engaged with their peers were significantly less influenced by the possibility of negative peer reputation repercussions when making investment decisions compared with other firms. This research contributes to the development of a more comprehensive theoretical synthesis among the fields of corporate social responsibility (CSR), family business, and stakeholder theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐performance countercurrent membrane purification (HPCMP) has recently been presented as a new approach for protein separations, exploiting differences in diffusive transport across a semipermeable membrane to achieve high selectivity for protein separations. This study presents a set of design equations and diagrams that describe the tradeoff between the yield and purification factor in HPCMP processes in terms of two parametric variables: the diffusive membrane selectivity and the ratio of the draw to bulk solution flow rates. Conditions are identified that provide the high yields and purification factors of interest in bioprocessing. In addition, hydrodynamic models for solute transport were used to evaluate the selectivity as a function of the membrane pore size distribution for purely size‐based separations. Model calculations demonstrate that diffusive transport provides significantly greater selectivity than traditional pressure‐driven membrane separations for the same pore size distribution due to differences in hindered transport rates for diffusion and convection. These results provide a framework that can be used for the development of HPCMP processes for highly selective protein separations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience acute and unexpected pain episodes over and above chronic background symptoms, and there are emerging medications designed to treat such pain. We aimed to use conjoint analysis—a technique that elucidates how people make complex decisions—to examine patient preferences for emerging medicines for breakthrough IBS pain. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional conjoint analysis survey among patients with Rome IV IBS and recurrent episodes of acute pain to assess the relative importance of medication attributes in their decision‐making. We also assessed what respondents would require of subcutaneous (SQ) therapies to consider their use. Key Results: Among 629 patients with Rome IV IBS, 606 (96.3%) reported ≥1 acute pain episodes in the past month. For the 461 participants with multiple attacks who completed the conjoint analysis, they prioritized medication efficacy (importance score 34.9%), avoidance of nausea (24.3%), and avoidance of constipation (12.2%) as most important in their decision‐making. These were followed by route of administration (10.3%), avoidance of headache (9.3%), and avoidance of drowsiness (8.9%). Moreover, 431 (93.5%) participants would consider SQ therapies for their acute pain; they had varying expectations on the minimum pain decrease and onset and duration of pain relief needed for considering their use. Conclusions and Inferences: The vast majority of patients with IBS experience breakthrough pain, and when selecting among therapies, they prioritize efficacy and most are willing to use a rapid‐acting SQ treatment. These results support development of novel, effective medications—oral or SQ—for management of acute pain attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in developing a standing timber insurance market because of natural catastrophes and climate change, yet private forests are rarely insured worldwide. Landowner preferences for standing timber insurance's multiple attributes are essential to study the insurance demand. We use conjoint analysis to elicit the preferences and to measure the importance and value of attribute levels. We find that insurance premium is the most relevant and important attribute, followed by insurance coverage and deductible. The willingness‐to‐pay for the broadest insurance coverage and the lowest deductible can be as high as $2.54 per $1000 and $1.89 per $1000, respectively. We identify four market segments corresponding to landowner preferences: (a) premium desirers who are price sensitive; (b) provider pickers who prefer government providing insurance; (c) coverage seekers who concern perils; and (d) balanced buyers who consider price, deductible and coverage equally. This study provides useful information on the demand for standing timber insurance which allows the market to design policies to better meet landowners' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are not clear evidence to date evaluating patients' and caregivers' preferences for the recombinant‐human growth hormone (r‐hGH) injection in children in Japan. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluated the factors driving preferences for daily r‐hGH injections among Japanese children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) or their caregivers and to determine the relative importance of treatment delivery factors. Methods: This study was performed among Japanese children with GHD or their caregivers who visited a specialized clinic in Japan as part of their routine care. The participants were asked to complete a web‐based discrete choice experiment (DCE) questionnaire. Results: Choice‐based conjoint analysis was used to evaluate the relative importance of the attributes of the choice predictors and determine utility scores for each attribute. Of the 47 respondents who participated in this study, 41 were caregivers who responded on behalf of the patients, the remaining six were patients who completed the DCE themselves. The injection schedule was found to be the most important factor for both patients and caregivers; a once‐weekly injection schedule was preferred over a daily injection schedule. Storage and preparation was deemed more important to patients than it was to caregivers, with patients preferring storage at room temperature even if it required additional mixing (reconstitution). Both patients and caregivers showed a clear preference for devices that offered a dose‐setting memory. Conclusions: A less frequent injection schedule may enhance adherence to r‐hGH treatment and expected improve quality of life for GHD patients over the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licensed standard software can be replicated millions of times at near zero cost for the supplier and poses immense challenges for purchasing and cost managers. A model is introduced to evaluate the appropriateness of software prices and thus to support the negotiation and decision process regarding suppliers. The model determines the "value to customer" of a software product using conjoint analysis and converts that value into a theoretical license price. In a case study coming from a large Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) it is shown that the developed conjoint model can successfully be used in practice and suggests realistic purchase prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access‐based product‐service systems (AB‐PSS) are business models that can potentially decouple the satisfaction of consumer needs from environmental impacts. Hence, they have been promoted for the circular economy. Their sustainability potential has not yet been realised because consumer adoption is lagging. Although this challenge has been studied for two decades, knowledge to identify and address AB‐PSS adoption barriers that matter to consumers is lacking. We hypothesise that the duration of use, the time a consumer obtains exclusive access to a specific product (short‐term vs. long‐term) and the type of product (bicycles vs. clothing) moderate the importance of AB‐PSS adoption barriers to consumers. We compared several adoption barriers across four AB‐PSS and found that the duration of use and the type of product significantly moderated the importance of some AB‐PSS adoption barriers. More specifically, the Effort to access has a higher influence on consumer preference for short‐term AB‐PSS, whereas Product quality has a higher influence on consumer preference for long‐term AB‐PSS. We also found that Effort to access and Product characteristics were more important for bicycle AB‐PSS, whereas Contamination and Product quality were more important for clothing AB‐PSS. These insights help companies to identify and design out key AB‐PSS consumer adoption barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two‐hop parallel N‐relay networks are considered and the diversity‐multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) is derived over Gamma‐Gamma free‐space optical (FSO) channels with identical average received signal to noise rations in all links. In the derivations, both local and global channel state information (CSI) are investigated. In the local CSI case, the node only knows its incoming link conditions, while in the global CSI case, the nodes are aware of all the CSIs in the network. The listening and transmitting times at the relays as variables in the DMT derivation are further considered which are later used to optimize the performance of the network. It is demonstrated that the optimal DMT is obtained with the static quantize map and forward (SQMF) and dynamic quantize map and forward (DQMF) strategies for different ranges of the multiplexing gain. In addition, the optimal schedule of relays in the DQMF strategy is determined as a function of the local channel conditions in the relays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a conjoint analysis experiment to better understand the psychosocial priorities related to bladder management in individuals after spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: We developed a conjoint analysis survey that included 11 psychosocial attributes phrased in the context of bladder management (including attributes for urinary infections, and incontinence). We then performed a multi‐center prospective cross‐sectional study of adults with existing SCI which consisted of a baseline interview, followed by the online conjoint analysis survey (delivered through Sawtooth software). Hierarchical Bayes random effects regression analysis was used to determine the relative importance of the attributes. Results: A total of 345 people complete the study. There was good representation of both men and women, and individuals with cervical and thoracic or lower lesions. The most important attribute was the frequency of urinary infections. Age, sex, and level of SCI were generally not related to the attributes measured in the study. In the subgroup of 256 patients who used a catheter for bladder management, significantly more importance was placed on urinary tract infections, time, fluid intake, and social life among indwelling catheter users compared to intermittent catheter users. Conclusions: Most bladder‐related psychosocial priorities are not impacted by a patient's age, sex or level of SCI. Differences in psychosocial priorities between indwelling and intermittent catheter users may represent factors that should be focused on to optimize bladder management after SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern technology products are often covered by thousands of patents. Yet awards for a single component have averaged a surprisingly high 9.98% of the infringing product's price. To curb such disproportionate awards, the law insists that damages reflect the contribution made by the patent. But determining how to apportion damages in this way has proved to be elusive. One emerging technique that appears to offer rigor is conjoint analysis, a type of survey borrowed from the marketing world. This article explores the validity of the conjoint analysis technique by running two conjoint analysis surveys. Unfortunately, we found serious problems. First, the results of our surveys yielded irrationally high numbers. Most survey features suffered from bizarrely high valuations. Second, we demonstrate how experts can manipulate the results by selecting among a number of different ostensibly reasonable statistical choices and picking the one that yields the most desirable outcome. Based on these findings, we provide several recommendations. First, we argue that courts should not allow evidence of conjoint analysis to show the monetary value of specific features. However, we recognize that there is support for using conjoint analysis to provide relative valuations (i.e., feature A is worth significantly more than feature B). To the extent that courts permit this use, we suggest ways to ensure that experts employ the best science available. These recommendations include assuring that experts accurately depict variability in their results and requiring experts to "preregister" the approach they intend to use with the court. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deceased organ donor intervention research aims to increase organ quality and quantity for transplantation. We assessed the proportion of kidney transplant candidates who would accept "intervention organs," participate in organ intervention research, and factors influencing acceptance. Kidney transplant candidates were presented 12 hypothetical scenarios, which varied three attributes, donor age, predicted waiting time to receive another organ offer, and research risk to the organ. Candidates were also randomly assigned to one of two conditions varying recipient risk. For each scenario, candidates agreed to accept the intervention organ or remain waitlisted. We fit a multivariable logit model to determine the association between scenario attributes and the acceptance decision. Of 249 participants, most (96%) accepted intervention organs under some or all conditions. Factors independently associated with candidates' greater likelihood of accepting an intervention organ included: low risk to the kidney from the intervention (OR 20.53 [95% Confidence Interval (CI), 13.91‐30.29]); younger donor age (OR 3.72 [95% CI, 2.83‐4.89]), longer time until the next organ offer (OR 3.48 [95% CI, 2.65‐4.57]), and greater trust in their transplant physician (OR 1.03 [95% CI, 1.00‐1.06]). Candidates with a lower likelihood of acceptance had been waitlisted longer (OR 0.97 per month [95% CI, 0.96‐0.99]) and were Black (OR 0.21 [95% CI, 0.08‐0.55]). Most candidates would accept an intervention organ, which should encourage transplant leaders to conduct deceased donor organ intervention trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To quantify the individual influences of antimicrobial cost, method of administration and drug importance in human medicine on dog‐owner antimicrobial preference, and determine knowledge, attitudes and influencers of dog‐owners surrounding antimicrobials and antimicrobial stewardship. Materials and Methods: Data were collected through an online survey targeting three dog‐owner participant groups. These consisted of individuals residing in: (1) Canada, (2) USA and (3) any country recruited through an educational social media site. USA and Canadian participants were financially compensated. Conjoint analysis was used to quantify the influence of antimicrobial cost, method of administration and drug importance in human medicine. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used for data evaluation. Results: A total of 809 surveys were completed. Antimicrobial cost accounted for 47% of dog‐owner preferences, followed by method of administration (31%) and drug importance in human medicine (22%). All groups preferred lower cost drugs that were administered once by injection. Participants were more likely to prefer drugs considered "very important" in human medicine, except for the social media participants, who preferred drugs that were "not at all important." Most respondents (86%) reported antimicrobial resistance as important in human medicine and 29% believed antimicrobial use in pets posed a risk for antimicrobial resistance in humans. Participants recruited through social media, and those in the highest education category, were significantly more likely to report antimicrobial use in pets as a risk to people. Clinical Significance: Cost was the most important factor in dog‐owner antimicrobial preferences. There is a need for dog‐owner antimicrobial stewardship education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Angus Association recently developed genetic evaluations for teat and udder structure, which impact efficiencies, and animal health and welfare. Genetic selection tools are most effective incorporated into economic selection indexes. An important factor in the development of economic indexes is the estimation of the economic value and discounted gene expression coefficients, and thereby the economic weight, of each trait. Traditional estimation methods, interrogation of previous studies quantifying the impact of the traits and bioeconomic modelling, were reinforced using producer surveys that employed pairwise ranking methods. Estimates of discounted genetic expression coefficients, economic value and economic weight for teat and udder score in Canadian Angus cattle were 0.31 per sire, $52.47, and $16.91 per score change on a per calf born basis, respectively, indicating that functional traits such as teat and udder structure have a significant impact on profitability and should be included in genetic selection programmes. Limitations in previous studies illustrate the need for longitudinal studies on traits that impact efficiencies and animal health and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain is a decentralized transaction and data management solution, the technological leap behind the success of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. As the variety of existing blockchains and distributed ledgers continues to increase, adopters should focus on selecting the solution that best fits their needs and the requirements of their decentralized applications, rather than developing yet another blockchain from scratch. In this article we present a conceptual framework to aid software architects, developers, and decision makers to adopt the right blockchain technology. The framework exposes the interrelation between technological decisions and architectural features, capturing the knowledge from existing academic literature, industrial products, technical forums/blogs, and experts' feedback. We empirically show the applicability of our framework by dissecting the platforms behind Bitcoin and other top 10 cryptocurrencies, aided by a focus group with researchers and industry practitioners. Then, we leverage the framework together with key notions of the architectural tradeoff analysis method to analyze four real‐world blockchain case studies from industry and academia. Results shown that applying our framework leads to a deeper understanding of the architectural tradeoffs, allowing to assess technologies more objectively and select the one that best fit developers' needs, ultimately cutting costs, reducing time‐to‐market and accelerating return on investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compatibility between luxury and sustainable development has been increasingly examined in recent literature, but a number of ethical issues remain unexplored. One such concern is animal welfare, a recurrent question in the luxury goods sector. This is one of the first research articles to shed light on this subject, utilising two studies, one qualitative and the other quantitative with conjoint analysis, conducted among 12 and 253 French consumers, respectively. The results reveal that consumers are sensitive to the challenge of animal welfare in luxury, but fall into two different groups. Some have a preference for animal‐based raw materials sourced from livestock farms that respect animal welfare, whilst others are more favourable to the use of synthetic raw materials. In particular, the results show that the use of synthetic raw materials is accepted by some consumers but can lead to a reduction in the perceived value of luxury products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in the United States suggests that teachers view Black students' misbehavior as more likely to reoccur, but such research has not disentangled the effect of race from related factors. We used conjoint analysis to experimentally test the effect of multiple student characteristics on the chances of being referred for a behavior intervention program. Although preservice teacher participants were not more likely to refer Black students, they were more likely to refer students who had lower grades, lived in poverty, lived with a single mother, and had been retained. We interpret these results and highlight directions for future research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent technology advances (e.g., tracking and "AI") have led to claims and concerns regarding the ability of marketers to anticipate and predict consumer preferences with great accuracy. Here, we consider the capabilities of both traditional techniques (e.g., conjoint analysis) and more recent tools (e.g., advanced machine learning methods) for predicting consumer choices. Our main conclusion is that for most of the more interesting consumer decisions, those that are "new" and non‐habitual, prediction remains hard. In fact, in many cases, prediction has become harder due to the increasing influence of just‐in‐time information (user reviews, online recommendations, new options, etc.) at the point of decision that can neither be measured nor anticipated ex ante. Sophisticated methods and "big data" can in certain contexts improve predictions, but usually only slightly, and prediction remains very imprecise—so much so that it is often a waste of effort. We suggest marketers focus less on trying to predict consumer choices with great accuracy and more on how the information environment affects the choice of their products. We also discuss implications for consumers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern democracies, policy stocks pile up over time. In many ways policy accumulation reflects societal modernization and progress. However, if policy accumulation is not matched by corresponding expansions in administrative capacities necessary for policy implementation, a negative trade‐off between responsiveness and policy effectiveness evolves. We argue that aligning policy formulation and implementation activities through vertical policy‐process integration (VPI) may curb policy accumulation towards a more sustainable level. Our conceptualization of VPI builds upon the distinction of two dimensions: (1) bottom‐up integration affecting policy design and improving policies' effectiveness and (2) top‐down integration concerning the allocation of implementation costs and, hence, constraining responsiveness incentives. It is the central aim of this viewpoint to raise awareness about the importance of VPI as a potential way out of the responsiveness trap that threatens modern democracies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify factors influencing dentists' willingness to treat Medicaid‐enrolled adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Washington state. Data sources: Primary data were collected by a survey instrument administered in 2017 to general and pediatric dentists who were Medicaid providers (N = 512). Methods: We administered a 40‐item survey, which included 20 hypothetical scenarios involving a 12‐year‐old Medicaid‐enrolled adolescent. Based on the characteristics of the potential patient, dentists were asked to rate their willingness to treat (1 = very likely; 5 = very unlikely). We used conjoint analytic techniques to examine the relative importance of six adolescent‐ and family‐level factors (e.g., severity of intellectual and/or developmental disability [IDD], sugar intake, toothbrushing, caregiver beliefs about fluoride, restorative needs, appointment keeping) and state Medicaid reimbursement level (35 percent, 55 percent, 85 percent of usual, customary, and reasonable amount). Analyses focused on data from 178 dentists with complete and varied responses to the scenarios. Results: The mean age of participants was 53.8 ± 10.5 years and 10.7 percent were pediatric dentists. The holdouts correlation statistics indicated excellent fit for the conjoint model (Pearson's R = 0.99, P < 0.0001; Kendall's tau = 0.89, P < 0.0001). Reimbursement level and appointment keeping were the most important factors in dentists' willingness to treat Medicaid‐enrolled adolescents (importance scores of 26.7 and 25.7, respectively). Restorative needs, caregiver beliefs about fluoride, and IDD severity were the next most important (importance scores of 15.4, 10.6, and 8.1, respectively). Sugar intake and toothbrushing behaviors were the least important. Conclusions: Reimbursement and appointment keeping were the most important determinants of dentists' willingness to treat Medicaid‐enrolled adolescents with IDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Members of Parliament (MPs) disagree publicly with their party, this provides a signal to voters regarding both their political views and their character valence. We argue that the strength of this signal to voters depends on the personal career costs an MP incurs by dissenting. The greater the perceived costs of dissent to the MP, the more positively voters should react to dissent. In line with this theory, we use a series of conjoint analysis experiments in Britain, Germany, and Austria to show that: (1) dissent has a more positive effect on voter evaluations in systems where the costs of dissent are higher, and (2) more costly types of dissent have a greater impact on voter evaluations. These findings have important implications for understanding how voter evaluations of MPs depend on beliefs about parliamentary systems and how parliamentary institutions condition the link between voters and MPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Psoriasis is an immunodeficient skin disorder, and its exact pathogenesis is unclear. Monozygotic twins are presumed to be genetically identical, and their phenotypic differences may be due to transcriptional regulation or epigenome factors. To explain the inconsistency between twins, we have collected 3 pairs of monozygotic twins who are discordant for psoriasis. Methods: Reduced representation of bisulfite sequencing and RNA sequencing was conducted using the peripheral blood of the twins to find the genes playing important roles in psoriasis pathogenesis. Results: As a result, we found methylation diversity in four genes (MAST3, MTOR, PM20D1 and ZNF99), and we also found 9 differentially expressed genes (PPAN‐P2RY11, PIGV, RPS18, TMEM121, KIF21A, KCNH2, WNT10B, PRX and CDH24) by RNA sequencing. According to the conjoint analysis of methylation and the mRNA results, PTPN6, CCL5, NFATC1 and PRF1 were found to be closely related to psoriasis. We then annotated the genes to explore the associations between these genes and psoriasis. Conclusions: These findings provide a better understanding of psoriasis that can improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A supplier's interorganizational ties can be a source of novelty as well as information leakage risk when a buyer involves suppliers in a new product development project. We use signaling theory to explain how supplier ties affect a purchasing manager's perception of suppliers. Three types of supplier ties are considered: ties with external innovation partners, with customers outside the buying firm's industry, and with the buying firm's competitors. We posit that managers use supplier ties as signals to indicate a supplier's potential in contributing to innovation novelty or information protection. Results from two scenario‐based experiments with practicing managers support most of our hypotheses. When innovation novelty is the goal, managers perceive other‐industry customer ties and external innovation ties as positive signals, while competitor ties as a negative signal. When information protection is the goal, all three types of ties are perceived negatively. When both goals are considered, information protection has a greater influence than innovation novelty on the final supplier selection likelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multi‐criteria value modelling (MCVM), uncertainty clouds decision making by complicating choices that inevitably must be made among an offering of competing alternatives. In stochastic MCVM settings involving value versus cost (risk) tradeoffs, exposing and communicating ramifications that choice instigates becomes increasingly difficult directly in response to the increased sophistication of mathematical methods needed to distinguish between alternatives, leaving the decision maker potentially unprepared for eventual opportunity or disaster. This article introduces an approach called realization analysis that leverages stochastic simulation, probability theory and tradespace geometry to estimate full spectrum outcome probabilities in an effort to enrich decision making and reduce the potential for surprise or regret, demonstrating its effectiveness when competing alternatives are tightly co‐mingled in their potential realizations causing issues for traditional stochastic dominance methods. The approach is surprisingly straightforward to implement, with results easily communicated to technical and non‐technical decision makers. A brief acquisition case study involving competing alternatives is presented to illustrate how this approach offers advantages for multi‐criteria decision analysis practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental and social challenges require new sustainable business models, like sharing platforms. However, sharing platforms differ widely in their contribution to a more sustainable society. Whereas idealistic sharing platforms have dominant social goals, other sharing platforms are, or became, commercial. We explore the attractiveness of the typical organizational characteristics of idealistic sharing platforms in the fashion industry context, an industry with negative environmental and social impacts. Based on a literature review and exploratory focus groups, we conduct an online survey using conjoint analysis, completed by 1,512 respondents. Our results reveal that potential users prefer clothes sharing platforms to be small, to not partner with large clothing retailers, to have the possibility to participate in decision‐making, but to not require shareholding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of the discourse about the democratic deficit and declining public support for the European Union (EU), institutionalist scholars have examined the roles of institutions in EU decision making and in particular the implications of the empowered European Parliament. Almost in isolation from this literature, prior research on public attitudes toward the EU has largely adopted utilitarian, identity and informational accounts that focus on individual‐level attributes. By combining the insights from the institutional and behavioural literature, this article reports on a novel cross‐national conjoint experiment designed to investigate multidimensionality of public attitudes by taking into account the specific roles of institutions and distinct stages in EU decision making. Analysing data from a large‐scale experimental survey in 13 EU member states, the findings demonstrate how and to what extent the institutional design of EU decision making shapes public support. In particular, the study finds a general pattern of public consensus about preferred institutional reform regarding powers of proposal, adoption and voting among European citizens in different countries, but notable dissent about sanctioning powers. The results show that utilitarian and partisan considerations matter primarily for the sanctioning dimension in which many respondents in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Sweden prefer national courts to the Court of Justice of the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Natura 2000 network (N2K) was designed using species and habitats annexed in the European Union's (EU) Directives of Birds (BD) and Habitats (HD). The selection of such species receives increasing criticism, as does the frequent use of design methods not based on Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP). As a result, a proportion of the EU's biodiversity may remain uncovered by the network, irrespective of the degree of coverage of the annex species. Data limitations currently prevent rigorous EU‐wide gap analysis for multiple biodiversity components simultaneously (i.e., taxonomic groups, conservation attributes and organizational levels), but regional data at finer resolutions may add evidence of the breadth of the umbrella effect to be expected. We tested the hypothesis that an objectively designed N2K may confer the EU´s annex species an umbrella effect over multiple biodiversity components. This conjoint analysis of multiple taxa, attributes and levels is rarely done. We used distribution data of terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates in one of the richest regions in the EU (Extremadura, Spain), whose reserves and biodiversity surpass many EU countries, and where the N2K was designed through SCP. We implemented a gap analysis explicitly including annex species status, conservation‐relevant attributes (rarity, endemicity and vulnerability) and organizational levels (species, richness and hotspots). The annexed species acted as an umbrella group at the species, richness and hotspot levels, successfully covering rarity, endemicity and vulnerability. Our results show that the set of species that currently forms the EU's directives annexes has a wide umbrella potential, at least where objective SCP methods were used for reserve design. We suggest that, under such conditions, N2K design could essentially remain constant within a context of changing threat status, the challenge of conservation resting more on management measures than on redesigns of the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The number of therapies for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is increasing. Thus, it has become more challenging for patients and physicians to navigate the risk‐benefit profiles of the various treatment options. In this study, we used conjoint analysis—a form of trade‐off analysis that elucidates how people make complex decisions by balancing competing factors—to examine patient decision‐making surrounding medication options for axSpA. Methods: We conducted an adaptive choice‐based conjoint analysis survey for patients with axSpA to assess the relative importance of medication attributes (eg, chance of symptom improvement, risk of side effects, route of administration, etc) in their decision‐making. We also performed logistic regression to explore whether patient demographics and disease characteristics predicted decision‐making. Results: Overall, 397 patients with axSpA completed the conjoint analysis survey. Patients prioritized medication efficacy (importance score 26.8%), cost (26.3%), and route of administration (13.9%) as most important in their decision‐making. These were followed by risk of lymphoma (9.5%), dosing frequency (7.2%), risk of serious infection (6.0%), tolerability of side effects (5.3%), and clinic visit and laboratory test frequency (4.8%). In regression analyses, there were few significant associations between patients' treatment preferences and sociodemographic and axSpA characteristics. Conclusions: Treatment decision‐making in axSpA is highly individualized, and demographics and baseline disease characteristics are poor predictors of individual preferences. This calls for the development of online shared decision‐making tools for patients and providers, with the goal of selecting a treatment that is consistent with patients' preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, several countries worldwide are implementing policies to promote electric vehicles (EVs). However, contrary to expectations, the diffusion speed of EVs has been rather slow in South Korea. This study analyzes consumer preferences for the technological and environmental attributes of EVs and derives policy and environmental implications to promote market diffusion of EVs in South Korea. We conduct a choice‐based conjoint survey of 1,008 consumers in South Korea and estimate the consumer utility function using a mixed logit model considering consumer heterogeneity. Based on the consumer utility function, we analyze consumers' willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) for EV attributes such as driving range, charging method, charging time, autonomous driving function, carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction rate, and purchase price. The results indicate that the current low acceptance of EVs is due to their relatively high price and lack of a battery charging technology that satisfies consumers' expectations of the charging method and time. One interesting finding is that Korean consumers have a relatively higher WTP for the CO2 reduction rate of EVs than consumers in other countries; however, they do not consider CO2 reduction over other technological attributes when choosing EVs. This implies that the rate of CO2 reduction of EVs is not an important factor for South Korean consumers when buying EVs. We also calculate the effect of CO2 reduction with the market penetration of EVs and find that CO2 reduction through the diffusion of EVs depends on the country's electricity generation mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive forest insects can induce tree mortality in two ways: (a) by directly harming trees; or (b) by influencing forest owners to pre‐emptively harvest threatened trees. This study investigates forest owners' intentions to harvest trees threatened by invasive insects.Our first objective is to identify and characterize agent functional types (AFTs) of family forest owners in the northeastern United States using a set of contingent behaviour questions contained in a mail survey. We establish AFTs as a form of dimension reduction, effectively casting landowners into a typology in which each type (AFT) has distinct probabilities of tree harvesting in response to forest insects. Our analysis identifies three functional types of landowners: 'Cutters' (46% of respondents; high intent to harvest trees impacted by invasive forest insects), 'Responsive Cutters' (42% of respondents; intent sensitive to insect impact severity), and 'Non‐cutters' (12% of respondents; low intent to cut).Our second objective is to model AFT membership to predict the distribution of AFTs across the landscape. Predictors are chosen from a set of survey, geographic and demographic features. Our best AFT‐prediction model has three predictor variables: parcel size (hectares of forest), geographical region, and town‐level forested fraction. Application of the model provides a high‐resolution probability distribution of AFTs across the landscape.By coupling human and insect behaviour, our results allow for holistic assessments of how invasive forest insects disturb forests, inclusive of the management response to these pests. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A degree of collective identity is often perceived to be a requirement for integration of core state powers, and even more so when redistributive measures are at stake. Existing research has shown that European identity is an important correlate of support for European social policy in general. This article explores the ways in which collective identities relate to the multidimensional nature of social policy at the European level. We explore in particular the features of European social policy that receive the most support from European publics, and how local, national and European identity moderates these preferences. We expect that people who have primarily sub‐national or national attachments are less supportive of generous schemes and schemes that involve greater cross‐country redistribution, and are more in favour of decentralized schemes administered by the member states than those with stronger European identities. We find support for these expectations in a conjoint survey experiment fielded in autumn 2018 in 13 EU member states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' adoption and implementation of evidence‐based programs is often limited. Program characteristics may be important facilitators or barriers of use, yet little is known about which attributes influence teacher decisions. Using a discrete choice experiment with a sample of general education elementary teachers (N = 230), we examined (a) preference for attributes of school‐based interventions, (b) relative preference for three intervention packages with experimentally manipulated characteristics, and (c) teacher characteristics related to the above preference profiles. Intervention outcomes were the most important characteristics in teachers' intervention decisions. Most teachers' responses suggested preference for a social and emotional learning program (57.9%) or school‐based consultation for behavioral interventions (35.8%); a small group of teachers preferred a general support intervention (5.8%). Teachers preferring the general support intervention reported greater mental health symptoms, lower mental health literacy and lower confidence in program effectiveness than peers preferring other interventions. Implications for intervention development and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]