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How do technology resources such as computer ownership help create opportunity equality and facilitate income mobility? This is an important question because opportunity constraint, or the lack of opportunity equality, often manifests in low income mobility in many countries. This study addresses this question by examining the spillover effects of computer ownership of households in terms of household income mobility considering spatial proximity and social proximity. Drawing on knowledge spillovers theory, we hypothesize that households experience upward income mobility due to increased computer ownership among households in spatial proximity. Further, drawing on social capital theory, we hypothesize that households experience higher upward mobility due to increased computer ownership among households in the region that are socially proximate or in the same caste. Our empirical analysis of data from over 32,000 households across all states in India from two waves (2005 and 2011) of the Indian Human Development Survey supports our hypotheses. Our exploratory analyses suggest that households in regions with high social harmony experience higher upward income mobility from increased computer ownership among households in the region. We also found that increased computer ownership among households in the region helps households belonging to disadvantaged castes overcome low income mobility. Overall, the study shows how the returns to computer ownership in terms of household upward income mobility go beyond private returns, and spill over to other households in spatial proximity, particularly to those belonging to the same caste. A key implication for policymakers is to use twin levers of social harmony and technology resources to create opportunity equality to facilitate income mobility, instead of focusing solely on technology resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe current study examined the migration decision-making process of refugees from Ukraine who arrived in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Israel following the Russian-Ukraine war. Sixty semi-structured interviews with refugees from Ukraine were conducted, with 20 interviews in each country. The findings revealed that the war was perceived as a surprise and led to unplanned waves of departure and decisions based on coincidence. By analyzing different dimensions of proximity―geographical, cultural, and social―we present the complexity of the process in its various stages and the factors that led to the decision to immigrate to each of the countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In post-genocide Cambodia and Rwanda, low-level perpetrators often identify as victims of the genocidal regimes alongside those they tortured and killed. However, state and societal responses to these claims appear to have varied dramatically. In Cambodia, the government and civil society organizations seem to view former Khmer Rouge cadres’ claims to victim status as socially acceptable and politically useful, while in Rwanda, the government and civil society organizations have firmly rejected perpetrators’ efforts to claim space as victims. What accounts for these different societal responses in Cambodia and Rwanda? At present, there is ample literature on how authoritarian government actors in both contexts have shaped their nation’s post-genocide transitional justice responses to prevent future bloodshed, while simultaneously reinforcing their regimes’ sometimes tenuous political legitimacy. However, this article offers complementary insights by exploring two otherwise under-researched factors that we argue further inform these polar-opposite reactions to perpetrators’ claims to victim status: (1). post-genocide governments’ offers of inclusivity in defining who is part of each nation’s ideal post-genocide ingroup; and (2). the social proximity of perpetrators and their victims during and after the genocides. Our focus on inclusivity and social proximity related to the Cambodian and Rwandan genocide advances scholarly understandings of the various factors that shape government and social responses to perpetration in the aftermath of genocide internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the influence of different types of economic proximity (geographical, organisational, technological and social) of business units of multidisciplinary organisations on the effectiveness of their innovative activities. The conducted research is based on a survey of a sample of 83 holdings belonging to 27 MCOs (a total of 189 respondents). The analysis confirmed that most of the companies surveyed associate increased efficiency of innovation activities with organisational and technological proximity, while geographical and social proximity are significantly underestimated by respondents. It was also possible to identify separate profiles of different types of economic proximity of the business units in the sample. Thus, the net profit from the sale of new products is more influenced by technological and social proximity, the introduction of new products to the market is influenced by technological and geographical proximity, and the growth in the number of patents registered is influenced by organisational, technological and social proximity.Based on econometric estimates, our results suggest that while all types of proximity have a positive effect on the introduction of new products to the market, only organisational and technological proximity have a direct effect on net profits from the sale of new products.

Each suicide affects a wide circle of individuals and increases in suicide rate imply that a larger share of the population would be exposed to suicidality. This exposure may alter individuals' tendency to seek help when they face distress and is influenced by social proximity. However, limited evidence has clarified the direct and moderating effect of social proximity to suicidality on help-seeking behavior. Data were collected from a population-representative survey conducted in 2021. We recruited 1501 individuals aged 11–35 years with random sampling through mobile phone numbers. Exposure and social proximity to suicidality were measured as independent variables and help-seeking behaviors were outcomes, along with sociodemographics, psychological distress, and mental health risks as covariates. We employed latent class analysis to identify help-seeking behavior patterns and conducted multinomial logistic regressions with a three-way interaction to investigate the direct and moderating effects of social proximity to suicide ideation (SI), self-harm (SH), and suicide attempt (SA) on each help-seeking behavior pattern separately. Each unit increase in social proximity to SH was associated with a 30.9% higher likelihood of seeking help from family, friends, and partners even after controlling for distress and mental health risks. Furthermore, the three-way interaction (β123 = 0.041, 95% CI [0.014, 0.069]) suggested joint moderating effects of social proximity among people who did not rely on family. The effect of social proximity to any single stage of suicidality was amplified only when people were not exposed to the other two stages. Closer social proximity to suicidality could heighten the probability of individuals seeking help from family, friends, and partners regardless of distress level, with SH exposure's effects being stronger than SI's and SA's. Initial exposure to any single stage of suicidality could have a stronger effect than subsequent exposures among individuals who did not rely on family.

Abstract Sociopositive interactions with conspecifics are essential for equine welfare and quality of life. This study aimed to validate the use of wearable ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to quantify the spatial relationships and dynamics of social behaviour in horses by continuous (1/s) measurement of interindividual distances. After testing the UWB devices’ spatiotemporal accuracy in a static environment, the UWB measurement validity, feasibility and utility under dynamic field conditions was assessed in a group of 8 horses. Comparison of the proximity measurements with video surveillance data established the measurement accuracy and validity (r = 0.83, p

Green technological innovation (GTI) has the dual externalities of promoting technological advancements and facilitating environmental protection. GTI assists manufacturing clusters respond to emission reduction and environmental protection challenges. Non-geographic proximity is vital in promoting knowledge sharing among organizations, facilitating GTI's effective implementation; in this regard, a gap exists in the current literature. Using data from 330 cluster firms in China's fine chemical industry and drawing on the knowledge-based view, this study explores how cognitive and social proximities affect GTI in cluster firms. The key findings are as follows: First, cognitive and social proximities are crucial factors driving GTI. Second, knowledge sharing mediates the relationship between proximity and GTI. Third, technological distance positively moderates the relationship between social proximity and green product innovation, and that between social proximity and end-of-pipe technological innovation. These findings have critical implications for cluster firms looking to cultivate network relationships based on distinct types of GTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant research exists on the restructuring operations of large, publicly listed firms. However, little is known about the antecedents of layoffs in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Building on the stakeholder salience theory and arguments on social proximity, this study posits that SMEs are less likely to dismiss employees than large firms. We argue that the existence of strong interpersonal ties between employees and managers makes it hard for SME owners and managers to dismiss employees. Empirically analyzing a large sample of European Union firms, the results confirm that the likelihood of layoffs is lower in SMEs than in large firms, even when performance declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the challenges and opportunities of collaboration between Algerian universities and industrial enterprises, emphasizing the influence of social and cognitive proximity on successful partnerships, irrespective of geographical proximity.

This study explores the challenges and opportunities of collaboration between Algerian universities and industrial enterprises, emphasizing the influence of social and cognitive proximity on successful partnerships, irrespective of geographical proximity. : Utilizing qualitative methods, the study includes semi-structured interviews with 16 directors of university research laboratories across the nation. Its aim is to analyze whether cultural or cognitive disparities play a role in collaboration challenges. : The study revealed that cognitive proximity stands out as a pivotal factor, as shared or complementary skills and knowledge foster synergies, enhance mutual understanding, and facilitate effective communication. This, in turn, leads to successful research collaborations and tailored training initiatives aligned with market needs. Additionally, social and cultural proximity is highlighted as a significant element, simplifying exchanges and strengthening trust among stakeholders. The study underscores the importance of close social relationships in improving communication and facilitating the exchange of ideas, ultimately reinforcing collaborative efforts between universities and industry. This shows that geographical proximity is not truly a crucial element for successful collaboration. : This study proposes several measures to enhance collaboration. It sets the groundwork for future investigations by exploring the perspectives of industrial stakeholders, thereby enriching the discourse on collaborative initiatives between academia and industry in Algeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atypical gaze coupled with impairments in communication skills in varying social situations are some of the core deficits of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Certain aspects of social situations e.g., communicator's Proximity and Eye-gaze are important for nurturing effective two-way social communication. Additionally, limited explicit expression of cognitive states for ASD, necessitates picking up of implicit measures e.g., gaze and physiology (not affected by communication vulnerabilities). Thus, it is important to explore variations in gaze (quantified by fixation duration) and physiology (e.g., pupil diameter, blink rate) in response to social situations embedded with variations in Proximity and Eye-gaze. In our present study, we have investigated the implication of systematically manipulated Proximity and Eye-gaze of a social communicator on one's gaze and gaze-related physiological indices, when exposed to virtual reality based social situations. For this, we designed a usability study with 14 age-matched pairs of individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) group. The results indicated that both Proximity and Eye-gaze can cause variations in one's task performance, gaze pattern and gaze-related physiology for both ASD and TD groups, though by varying amounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is limited research into informal support processes amongst young people supporting a peer through a traumatic event and how this process occurs specifically within a rural setting. Objective: The aim of this research was to understand how the contextual environment impacts on the personal and interpersonal processes of rural‐based young people supporting a peer who experienced a traumatic event. Design: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 young people (aged 14–19), who resided in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. A substantive theory was developed using Charmaz's (1) Constructivist grounded theory methodology. Findings: Young people who shared responsibility for supporting their peer went back to life as normal and felt connected to their community, whereas young people who maintained sole responsibility, experienced mental health problems, disconnected from their community and felt like an outsider. The contextual environmental factors (i.e., service accessibility, limited transport, and internet blackspots) impacted both negatively and positively on young people's ability to provide support as well as influenced whether they felt safe share responsibility. Discussion: This theory implies that providing pathways to reconnecting with place and community, are essential in guiding young people back to their foundations of support. Conclusion: Integrating these insights can create new service models in rural areas, whilst also creating opportunities to form healthy foundations of support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rooted in self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan), our study focuses on students' perceived teacher support (TS) in different disciplines and on variables related to TS in PE. Data was collected through a questionnaire completed by 640 secondary school students. Results reveald an academic discipline effect and links between TS in PE and need of competence, grade level, enrolment in school sports association (SA). These results highlight the ability of PE teachers to create social links with their students and confirm the positive impact on the satisfaction of students' need for competence. Furthermore, the impact of the SA on perceived teacher support in PE suggests that school sport associations and other school clubs may have a positive impact on the social bond between students and their teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vital ingredient for the success of interorganizational collaboration projects is strong personal relationships among the partners. Their formation is structured by geographical distances between partners. In the corresponding research, it is assumed that geographic distance inhibits face-to-face interactions, which are highly effective for tie-formation. However, findings from adjacent fields of research suggest that greater distances can also be conducive to the development of personal relations. In this paper, we unravel these contradictions. Empirically, we examine the development of 2132 personal ties between individuals from 20 government-funded interorganizational innovation projects using a mixed-method design. Statistical analysis of the data reveals a U-shaped correlation between geographical and social proximity. Contrary to common assumptions, large geographical distances are found to be particularly conducive to forming relationships. The qualitative data explains this finding by identifying and systematically relating five practices which are associated with specific distances and which are (differently) effective for tie-formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on a relationship marketing approach, this paper aims to study the influence of social media use on salesperson performance and its underlying mechanisms from the perspective of salespeople in B2B settings. Design/methodology/approach: To test the proposed model, the authors used structural equation modeling with a sample of 196 French B2B salespeople. Moreover, to explore the moderating effect of emotional management between social media use and relationship quality, the authors used the Hayes macro PROCESS for SPSS and the Johnson–Newman's floodlight method. Findings: The authors confirm the direct role of social media use on salesperson performance, and its indirect role through the parallel mediation of social proximity and relationship quality. The empirical study provides evidence for the moderating effect of emotional management on the relationship between social media use and relationship quality. Practical implications: Companies should promote the use of social media to increase both the sales and creative performance of salespeople. Moreover, salespeople with low to moderate abilities to manage other people's emotions benefit strongly from the use of social media, as this directly increases their relationship with their customers. Originality/value: The research complements the conceptualization of salesperson performance as a combination of sales performance and sales creativity and shows that emotional management is an asset for social media users to develop valuable business relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much prior research has focused on understanding how host nationals' negative opinions of the impact of migration and arriving communities affect their attitudes towards newcomers. Yet, the role of host nationals' positive opinions has remained largely underinvestigated. The present study aims to move beyond the negative intergroup paradigm and contribute to the literature by examining whether positive opinions of refugees' impact on the host society are related to host nationals' positive behavioural intentions towards them. Specifically, the study investigated (1) the mediating role of social proximity in the relationship between positive opinions of refugees' impact and readiness to assist them and (2) symbolic and realistic threats as potential moderators that might influence this direct/indirect relationship. The results provide initial evidence of the important role of positive opinions of refugees' impact on the host community in promoting positive behavioural intentions towards newcomers via indirect association with closer social proximity. Moreover, our findings suggest that this relationship might be particularly beneficial for host nationals who perceive immigrants as imposing a realistic threat to their lives and to society as a whole—individuals who tend to be amongst the most prejudice-prone and resistant to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the loan sources used by rural solar home system adopters to meet their everyday needs, as well as the motivations for using these sources. The findings show that people in rural areas take into account social and economic factors when making a decision regarding where to seek a loan. People borrowed money from individuals with whom they had strong ties, which could be parents, siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts, friends, or neighbours, and there was heterogeneity regarding where people situate family members along the weak/strong tie continuum. The results show that people preferred borrowing money from individuals with whom they had relationships based on the principle of reciprocity, suggesting their preference to avoid dependency in favour of equality. The findings also show that spatial and social proximity are intimately interconnected, and that both play an important role in determining where people turn to when in need of a loan. In several cases, the provision of a loan was based on a combination of both dimensions of proximity. Our findings have implications for energy policies that increasingly require households to bear the financial demands of access to basic energy services. • We examine the socio-economic landscape in which SHS adoption is entangled. • Social and economic factors matter when deciding where to seek a loan. • Relationships based on reciprocity are preferred over those based on dependency. • Spatial and social proximity play an important and complementary role in loan provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent work on alliance partner selection focuses on the relationship between partner features and alliance performance, while ignoring the influence mechanism of alliance partner features on different innovation types of firms. In this paper, based on proximity perspective, the influence mechanism model of alliance partner features on firms’ dual innovation is constructed. Analyzing questionnaires and patent data of high-tech firms, it is found that (1) Technological proximity (TP) has a positive impact on focal firms’ exploratory innovation (EXR) and exploitative innovation (EXI); (2) Knowledge coupling (KC) mediates the relationship between TP and dual innovation; (3) Social proximity (SP) positively moderates the relationship between TP and dual innovation, and positively moderates the relationship between TP and KC; Meanwhile, (4) there is a moderating effect of different levels of SP on the magnitude of the mediating effect of KC. By constructing a theoretical framework based on “proximity – knowledge coupling – dual innovation”, this paper is helpful to draw scholars’ attention to the relationship between proximity and dual innovation, and provide theoretical reference for firms to select alliance partners reasonably and efficiently.

The destructive effects of industries on the environment are the most crucial reason for the need for firms' proximity to developing innovative activities such as corporate sustainability. However, most prior efforts have focused on the role of different types of proximity in cluster performances, not the relationship among them. Therefore, this study intends to go one step back, discuss the inter-relationships between different types of proximity, and propose them in a conceptual model as the antecedents of corporate sustainability. These factors are known as the non-specific dimensions of proximity within local clusters: cognitive, organisational, institutional, and social, which received less attention as a theoretical model. To this end, this study invited all members of the European Cluster Cooperation Platform (ECCP) to participate. Among some 1080 European cluster organisations, 113 organisations participated, of which 99 of them were usable for this research. Contrary to existing conceptual theories, the results revealed no strong evidence for significant interrelations among all dimensions of non-specific proximity. Moreover, organisational proximity does not strongly relate to cognitive and social proximities, and there is no meaningful relationship between institutional and social proximities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the contribution of the personal ties of former graduate students to university-firm collaboration. Using the proximity framework and the underlying assumptions of social proximity, we argue that the academic relations these students developed through graduate education can reduce the social distance between universities and firms, thus favoring collaborative research and technology transfer. Based on this argument, two hypotheses are presented to explain how the hiring of a former graduate student is associated with firms' collaboration decisions, constituting a driver of technology transfer. We empirically test these hypotheses with a new empirical strategy and use a novel and comprehensive dataset on university-industry linkages in Brazil. We find that approximately 40% of the collaborations were developed by firms with 'socially proximate' research groups, i.e., those hosted by universities where one or more firm employees attended graduate education. The estimates suggest that if a research group is socially proximate to a firm, the latter is more likely to choose this research group to partner with (relative odds approximately 2.5 times higher) and to engage in collaboration with (odds ratio more than 8 times higher). These results suggest new approaches for policy support to these partnerships, using academic relations as a lever to new collaborative projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines an intervention using experiential learning and simulations in a virtual world that can promote social proximity, tolerance, and cooperation in diverse societies. The participants in the study were 125 Jewish and Arab students living in Israel. A mixed linear model for repeated measures analysis that included time of measurement (pre and post), ethnicity, and students' age as independent variables revealed a main effect for time for most social groups included in this study; that is, the participants reported more social proximity to other groups after the course, including groups not studied in the course (the LGBTQ community and people of colour). The results of the study suggest that experiential learning has considerable potential in the field of education to help students question their prejudices, experience being someone else, and ultimately feel social proximity for the other, thus reducing stigmas and racism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most previous empirical studies just addressed the influence of geographical proximity on interactive learning regarding the collaboration between knowledge-intensive business service (KIBS) and manufacturing industries. Drawing upon the social cognitive and knowledge-based perspective, this study bridged the research gaps by investigating the joint effects of geographical proximity and two representative non-geographic-proximities (i.e., cognitive proximity and social proximity) in fostering manufacturing firms' innovation performance. In terms of the empirical analysis, we applied a research sample that involves the data of various manufacturing industries in 260 cities of China from 2003 to 2014 to test the corresponding hypotheses. Additionally, the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) was adopted and the research findings showed that: (i) the geographic and social proximity significantly promote the knowledge transfer from KIBS to manufacturing firms, which further improves the innovation performance of the latter. However, the effect of cognitive proximity presents insignificant; (ii) the interactive effect of geographic and social proximity was positively associated with the innovation collaboration between KIBS and manufacturing firms; (iii) although the individual effect of cognitive proximity was insignificant, when it interacted with geographic or social proximity, the joint effects were proved to promote the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. This study extends our understanding pertaining to the influencing mechanism of proximity for KIBS and the innovation process. The findings proved that geographic and social proximity are two imperative facilitators of knowledge-creating collaboration, highlighting their indispensable role in moderating and mediating the knowledge transfer of KIBS as well as the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. Notably, cognitive proximity is contingent upon geographic and social proximity on its positive effects on the innovation performance for KIBS and their clients' collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between sociodemographic factors and fear of COVID-19 in a Cuban population. A web-based study with a cross-sectional design was conducted. The sample comprised 1,145 participants. To explore fear, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was used. Our results suggest that women were more likely to experience medium to high levels fear compared to men. Additionally, knowing a person positive for COVID-19 significantly increases fear levels in Cuban participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose that perceptions of auditory loudness and interpersonal closeness are bidirectionally related. Across 12 experiments (total N = 2,219; 10 preregistered; with Singaporean, British, U.S. American, and Australian participants), we demonstrated that louder audio made people feel physically (Study 1a) and socially (Study 1b) closer to others, presumably because loudness activates interpersonal closeness-related concepts implicitly (Studies 1c and 1d). This loudness–interpersonal closeness effect was observed across diverse samples (Studies 2a, 3a, and S1), for longer listening intervals (Study 2b), and in natural settings (Studies 3a and 3b). Conversely, individuals made to feel socially excluded rated their surroundings as quieter (Study 4). Furthermore, following social exclusion, individuals showed a preference for louder volume (Study 5). Finally, exposure to loud stimuli mitigated detrimental psychological effects of social exclusion (Study 6). Theoretical implications for the social cognition of loudness, social exclusion and compensatory strategies, and practical implications for ameliorating loneliness are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most previous empirical studies just addressed the influence of geographical proximity on interactive learning regarding the collaboration between knowledge-intensive business service (KIBS) and manufacturing industries. Drawing upon the social cognitive and knowledge-based perspective, this study bridged the research gaps by investigating the joint effects of geographical proximity and two representative non-geographic-proximities (i.e., cognitive proximity and social proximity) in fostering manufacturing firms’ innovation performance. In terms of the empirical analysis, we applied a research sample that involves the data of various manufacturing industries in 260 cities of China from 2003 to 2014 to test the corresponding hypotheses. Additionally, the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) was adopted and the research findings showed that: (i) the geographic and social proximity significantly promote the knowledge transfer from KIBS to manufacturing firms, which further improves the innovation performance of the latter. However, the effect of cognitive proximity presents insignificant; (ii) the interactive effect of geographic and social proximity was positively associated with the innovation collaboration between KIBS and manufacturing firms; (iii) although the individual effect of cognitive proximity was insignificant, when it interacted with geographic or social proximity, the joint effects were proved to promote the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. This study extends our understanding pertaining to the influencing mechanism of proximity for KIBS and the innovation process. The findings proved that geographic and social proximity are two imperative facilitators of knowledge-creating collaboration, highlighting their indispensable role in moderating and mediating the knowledge transfer of KIBS as well as the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. Notably, cognitive proximity is contingent upon geographic and social proximity on its positive effects on the innovation performance for KIBS and their clients’ collaboration.

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) struggle to develop appropriate social skills, which can lead to later social rejection, isolation, and mental health concerns. Educators play an important role in supporting and monitoring social skills development for children with ASD, but the tools used by educators are often tedious, lack suitable sensitivity, provide limited information to plan interventions, and are time-consuming. Therefore, we conducted a study to evaluate the use of a sensor system to measure social proximity between three children with ASD and their peers in an inclusive preschool setting. We compared video-coded data with sensor data using point-by-point agreement to measure the accuracy of the sensor system. Results suggest that the sensor system can adequately measure social proximity between children with ASD and their peers. The next steps for sensor system validation are discussed along with clinical and educational implications, limitations, and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study how compliance with norms of pro-social behavior is influenced by peers' compliance in a dynamic and non-strategic experimental setting. We show that social proximity among peers is a crucial determinant of the effect. Without social proximity, norm compliance erodes swiftly because participants only conform to observed norm violations while ignoring norm compliance. With social proximity, participants conform to both types of observed behaviors, thus halting the erosion of compliance. Our findings stress the importance of the broader social context for norm compliance and show that, even in the absence of social sanctions, norm compliance can be sustained in repeated interactions, provided there is group identification, as is the case in many natural and online environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease that spreads around the world. The lack of effective antiviral drugs and vaccines, along with the relatively high mortality rate and high contagiousness, has raised strong public concerns over COVID-19, especially for people living in the most severely affected areas. This study aimed to clarify the influencing factors for the anxiety level among the Chinese people during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on the media exposure to different COVID-19 information. Methods A total of 4991 respondents were randomly recruited from a national online panel from February 12th, 2020 to February 14th, 2020, a period when the number of COVID-19 cases surpassed 10,000 in a single day, with the total cases in China reaching up to 90,000. The relationships between media exposure of COVID-19 information, social and geographical proximity to COVID-19, risk perceptions were assessed using hierarchical ordinary least squares regression analysis. Results The media exposure to COVID-19 information was differently associated with anxiety. Meanwhile, the anxiety level was found to be high in respondents who personally knew someone infected with COVID-19 or those who living in an area with reported cases. Respondents who perceived more risks also reported a higher level of anxiety. Conclusions This study highlights the role of media exposure in affecting individuals’ anxiety level during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, it is recommended that government and health professionals are recommended to adopt effective risk communication strategies to protect citizens’ mental health during the pandemic.

The article shows how regional smart specializations that are currently considered as the most essential tool of European innovation policy may be assessed if they form innovative ecosystems based on social, cognitive, and geographical proximity. The article presents the concepts of smart specializations and innovative ecosystems, as well as the concept of proximity and its aspects being of reference to smart specialization ideas. The concept of innovative ecosystems is presented from the perspective of its foundations and relations to other concepts and theories. Cooperation in the innovation process by varied actors is considered a significant feature of innovative ecosystems and the manifestation of social proximity. Related diversity of smart specialization areas indicates their cognitive proximity, and embeddedness in a particular administrative region shows their geographical proximity. The results of research carried out in the Subcarpathian region prove that firms in smart specializations are more Research & Development and innovation-intensive and more prone to cooperation than other companies, which determines their social proximity. The research also shows that smart specializations have positive effects on regional development, which indicates the efficiency of their innovative ecosystems. Related diversity of Subcarpathian Regional Smart Specializations (RSS) is also measured to show their cognitive proximity. Analysis of the locations of RSS companies indicates that they are characterized not only by regional but often even by local geographical proximity. The applied methods are desk research, web site queries, a literature review, statistical data analysis, as well as direct research based on a survey and econometric analysis of the results of the survey. The article responds to the lack of studies on smart specializations in the context of proximity.

Bearing in mind the important role of trust in the creation and development of networks, including clusters, the main purpose of the paper was to assess the level of trust of the surveyed enterprises to competitors and cooperators, as well as to identify factors, which have an impact on the trust level. The text presents the results of the research collected in 317 Polish enterprises operating in four industries: construction, food, metal, and machinery, as well as wood and furniture. The basic method of data collection was a survey. The respondents in the study were only representatives of the management or owners of enterprises qualified for the study, possessing knowledge about inter-organizational cooperation, the so-called key informants. The results presented in the text indicated low trust among both competitive and cooperating enterprises. The presented results do not inspire optimism in the scope of possibilities of creating and developing other network connections beside clusters. The deficit of Polish enterprises in terms of trust in other companies that are not even their competitors will limit not only their ability to establish cooperation with domestic but also foreign companies. The considerations carried out in the text contribute to better recognition of inter-organizational trust issues in the context of networking, including clusters. Still, they are not free from certain restrictions, which result, in particular, from the methodological approach used and, primarily, from the inability to generalize the results. Therefore, an additional direction of further scientific research may be to undertake replication studies carried out on a representative sample. Interesting research topics also include conducting similar research not only in Poland but also in other countries, both similar and completely different from Poland. They would allow a better recognition and understanding of the impact of culture and context on building trust. It may also be interesting to identify universal contextual factors affecting trust and their impact on changes in the meaning and intensity of trust.

An often overlooked strategy for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is group testing. Its main advantage is that it can scale, enabling the regular testing of the whole population. We argue that another advantage is that it can induce social distancing. Using a simple model, we show that if a group tests positive and its members are in close social proximity, then they will rationally choose not to meet. The driving force is the uncertainty about who has the virus and the fact that the group cares about its collective welfare. We therefore propose identifying socially connected groups, such as colleagues, friends and neighbours, and testing them regularly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the intensity of social interaction of residents of municipalities in the Russian Federation. To assess this interaction, data on users of electronic social networks are used, an information source that is gaining popularity in population geography research. As a quantitative indicator of such interaction, data on the friendship of users living in various municipalities, obtained from the open user profiles of the social network VKontakte are used. It is shown that social interaction intensity on average increases when municipalities have a common border. Interaction intensity data are then used to characterize the permeability of municipality borders. Among all segments of the borders of municipalities in the Russian Federation, the least permeable were selected—those for which the intensity of cross-border social interaction is the lowest. The social barriers identified in this way and their various configurations in the Russian Federation are described. Hypotheses about the reasons for the occurrence (and nonoccurrence) of such barriers are proposed. For several socially isolated groups of districts in the Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrugs, possible reasons for isolation have been analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the suitability of affiliative behaviours for inclusion in a horse welfare assessment protocol has not been thoroughly studied. This is surprising, given the growing focus on demonstrating the presence of positive welfare rather than just the absence of poor welfare. This shift is driven by the recognition that simply avoiding negative experiences does not necessarily equate to a positive welfare state, and that there is more to good welfare than just the absence of disease, injury or stress. Thus, we critically reviewed the current scientific literature to propose quantitatively assessed animal-based indicators that indicate positive welfare and could therefore be incorporated in a welfare assessment protocol for horses. Amongst the candidate indicators that have previously been associated with positive welfare in horses are socio-positive interactions between horses, such as affiliative activities consisting of social proximity, social play and social grooming. These activities must meet the scientific quality criteria regarding validity, reliability and feasibility to enable an objective assessment of positive animal welfare. However, the current review showed that social play and social grooming amongst adult horses under husbandry conditions are not sufficiently valid indicators. These two affiliative behaviours would meet the requirement for validity only in combination with a differential diagnosis considering the absence of, for example, the stress caused by space restriction. Furthermore, social play and social grooming amongst adult horses may not fulfil the requirement for feasibility, because these behaviours occur rarely and unpredictably throughout the day, hindering their assessment within a limited observation time. As a result of this literature review, we suggest that social proximity may be the only suitable affiliative behaviour indicating positive welfare in adult horses. It best reflects the social bond with preferred partners - a key element for experiencing positive welfare. This affiliative behaviour has been investigated thoroughly in various sport and leisure horse housing systems regarding all three scientific quality criteria. It satisfies the validity criterion because to be counted as a socio-positive interaction, social proximity must be achieved voluntarily whereby the term 'voluntary social proximity' may best fit this requirement. Notably, it also fulfils the reliability and feasibility criteria in terms of good inter-observer agreement given a standardised assessment method including parameters such as distance between horses, duration and context. Thus, social proximity seems to be a promising indicator of positive welfare in horses. [Display omitted] • Social proximity is a reliable and feasible animal-based positive welfare indicator. • Sufficient validity of social proximity can only be achieved by considering environmental factors. • Social play and social grooming are not sufficiently valid as positive welfare indicators. • In a welfare assessment protocol, social play and social grooming are not sufficiently feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When experiencing negative emotions, individuals often reach out for social support to help regulate their emotions. In times of an acute crisis, however, close friends might not be available, and physical closeness might be impossible. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated the effect of social proximity on the effectiveness of social support for regulating emotions and the underlying neural mechanisms. Participants regulated their emotions in response to negative images either alone (intrapersonal regulation), or with help of a picture and supporting sentence provided by the best friend, or by a stranger (interpersonal regulation). Regulation success was enhanced for the support of friends compared to regulating alone or with the support of strangers. This effect was accompanied by the interplay of large-scale brain networks involved in processing emotions, social cognition, and cognitive control. Interpersonal regulation appeared to be implemented by lateral prefrontal regions. The amygdala showed increased activation for strangers. The activation profile of the social cognition network suggests a role in supporting empathic and mentalizing processes. The results highlight the power of social connectedness for boosting emotion regulation ability and the different neural networks that contribute to this effect.

Objectives: Our goal is to understand the social dynamics affecting domestic and sexual violence in urban areas by investigating the role of connections between area nodes, or communities. We use innovative methods adapted from spatial statistics to investigate the importance of social proximity measured based on connectedness pathways between area nodes. In doing so, we seek to extend the standard treatment in the neighborhoods and crime literature of areas like census blocks as independent analytical units or as interdependent primarily due to geographic proximity. Methods: In this paper, we develop techniques to incorporate two types of proximity, geographic proximity and commuting proximity in spatial generalized linear mixed models (SGLMM) in order to estimate domestic and sexual violence in Detroit, Michigan and Arlington County, Virginia. Analyses are based on three types of CAR models (the Besag, York, and Mollié (BYM), Leroux, and the sparse SGLMM models) and two types of SAR models (the spatial lag and spatial error models) to examine how results vary with different model assumptions. We use data from local and federal sources such as the Police Data Initiative and American Community Survey. Results: Analyses show that incorporating information on commuting ties, a non-spatially bounded form of social proximity, to spatial models contributes to better deviance information criteria scores (a metric which explicitly accounts for model fit and complexity) in Arlington for sexual and domestic crime as well as overall crime. In Detroit, the fit is improved only for overall crime. The distinctions in model fit are less pronounced when using cross-validated mean absolute error as a comparison criteria. Conclusion: Overall, the results indicate variations across crime type, urban contexts, and modeling approaches. Nonetheless, in important contexts, commuting ties among neighborhoods are observed to greatly improve our understanding of urban crime. If such ties contribute to the transfer of norms, social support, resources, and behaviors between places, they may then transfer also the effects of crime prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Approximately 15 years ago, four youth access clinics (YACs) were established in the Gippsland region to improve mental and general healthcare for young people living in the region. The aim of the study was to examine the barriers and enablers for young people accessing the YACs in Gippsland. Methods: Using qualitative methodology, nine female YAC staff members and seven youth YAC consumers were interviewed. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify important and consistent themes in the data derived through the consultation process. Results: Barriers under four themes were identified: environmental (eg, limited transport); service (ie, limited opening hours); client (eg, parent permission) and staff (ie, retention of staff). Enablers were identified as environmental (ie, high social proximity), service (eg, funding), client (ie, awareness of service) and staff (eg, champion staff). Conclusion: The success of new rural service models will likely depend on learning from what has already worked in some of the many small communities in this region. Beyond learning, further success and uptake of new service offerings will be enhanced through understanding community needs, obtaining community support and enhancing high social proximity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease that spreads around the world. The lack of effective antiviral drugs and vaccines, along with the relatively high mortality rate and high contagiousness, has raised strong public concerns over COVID-19, especially for people living in the most severely affected areas. This study aimed to clarify the influencing factors for the anxiety level among the Chinese people during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on the media exposure to different COVID-19 information.Methods: A total of 4991 respondents were randomly recruited from a national online panel from February 12th, 2020 to February 14th, 2020, a period when the number of COVID-19 cases surpassed 10,000 in a single day, with the total cases in China reaching up to 90,000. The relationships between media exposure of COVID-19 information, social and geographical proximity to COVID-19, risk perceptions were assessed using hierarchical ordinary least squares regression analysis.Results: The media exposure to COVID-19 information was differently associated with anxiety. Meanwhile, the anxiety level was found to be high in respondents who personally knew someone infected with COVID-19 or those who living in an area with reported cases. Respondents who perceived more risks also reported a higher level of anxiety.Conclusions: This study highlights the role of media exposure in affecting individuals' anxiety level during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, it is recommended that government and health professionals are recommended to adopt effective risk communication strategies to protect citizens' mental health during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management & Innovation is the property of Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu-National Louis University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management & Innovation is the property of Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu-National Louis University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)