Wittberg, E., Tavares, A. F., & Szmigiel-Rawska, K. (2025). Local politics and land take: Using remote sensing data to analyse land-use changes in Sweden. Journal of Environmental Management, 384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125387

This study examines how local politics and employment structures shape land take in Sweden, using remote-sensing data from 2006 to 2018. Drawing on a political market framework, it conceptualizes local politicians as suppliers of land-use policies who balance pro-growth and pro-conservation interests. Sweden provides a distinctive context due to its stable, consensus-oriented democratic institutions. Empirically, mining emerges as the main driver of intensive land-use change, reflecting its economic importance and political salience, particularly in areas affecting Sami communities. Electoral support for the Green Party plays a key moderating role, significantly constraining land-intensive development in mining municipalities. Unlike findings for more polarized systems, greater political stability—measured by wider electoral victory margins—is associated with less intensive land take, consistent with coalition-based governance dampening extreme outcomes. Interestingly, left-wing coalitions are linked to higher land take, reflecting Social Democratic support for mining-led employment. The analysis also reveals path dependency and spatial spillovers. Overall, the findings highlight how consensus governance can balance economic and environmental pressures.

Amado, C. (2025). Outlier Robust Specification of Multiplicative Time-Varying Volatility Models. Computational Economics, 66(5), 4107–4135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10614-024-10838-4

This article proposes a robust specification procedure for time-varying multiplicative volatility models that is resilient to the presence of outliers. It addresses a key problem in financial time series, namely the difficulty of distinguishing smooth changes in unconditional variance from isolated extreme observations, which often generate spurious non-stationarity and inflated volatility persistence in standard GARCH models. The study builds on the MTV-GARCH framework, which decomposes volatility into a short-run stochastic GARCH component and a smoothly evolving deterministic component. To reduce the influence of additive outliers, the author introduces bounded M-estimators for the GARCH dynamics and develops a robust Lagrange Multiplier test for detecting variance changes. Monte Carlo simulations show that the proposed procedure substantially improves size and power relative to conventional tests under outlier contamination. Applications to daily commodity returns (corn and sugar) illustrate its practical relevance, revealing cases of false variance shifts under standard methods. The approach offers important implications for risk management and portfolio allocation.

Lopes, J. V., & Casais, B. (2025). Longitudinal perceptions of gamified loyalty programs (GLPs): a mix of slot machines and entertainment toys. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 19(2), 268–286. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-10-2023-0383

This study examines users’ perceptions of gamified loyalty programs (GLPs) in mobile applications, focusing on Vodafone’s “Yorn Shake It” app. Using a longitudinal qualitative approach, the authors followed five Portuguese users over one month to understand how motivations evolve with repeated interaction. The findings show that initial engagement is largely driven by extrinsic motivation, such as winning physical prizes or bonus data, although some users are intrinsically motivated by fun and collecting elements. Over time, motivations shift: some users begin to value the playful mechanics and enjoyment of the game, while others become disengaged due to repetitive challenges or unattractive rewards, interacting in an automatic or indifferent manner. Rewards play a dual role, acting not only as extrinsic incentives but also as feedback that satisfies intrinsic needs for autonomy and competence. Sustained engagement depends on a balanced relationship between challenge and reward. Strong brand engagement emerges mainly when users value the hedonic experience, whereas reward-driven loyalty tends to be fragile and easily replaced by better offers.

Antonio, M., Paschoalotto, C., Lazzari, E. A., Rocha, R., Massuda, A., & Castro, M. C. (2025). Building a health system resilience framework: national, state, regional, and local perspectives. www.thelancet.com

This study proposes a Health System Resilience (HSR) framework specifically designed for the decentralized context of Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS). Resilience is defined as the system’s ability to absorb, adapt, and transform its essential functions in order to preserve equity under acute shocks and chronic stressors. The framework was developed and validated through a three-phase qualitative process involving 48 national and international experts, resulting in nine dimensions, 18 subdimensions, and 65 indicators applicable at federal, state, regional, and municipal levels. A key contribution is the clear distinction between routine system performance and resilience capacity, emphasizing dynamic capabilities such as workforce adaptability, real-time monitoring, emergency regulation, and multilevel governance. The model is designed as a practical management tool, proposing a six-step implementation cycle that includes scoping, mapping, scoring, prioritization, planning, and continuous monitoring. Although tailored to the SUS, the framework’s logic is transferable to other decentralized health systems worldwide.

Cirulli, V., Marini, G., Marini, M. A., & Straume, O. R. (2025). Do hospital mergers reduce waiting times? Theory and evidence from the English NHS. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107196

The study examines both theoretically and empirically the impact of hospital mergers on waiting times in health care markets with regulated prices, using the English National Health Service (NHS) as a case study. The theoretical model adopts a spatial framework in which patients choose hospitals based on travel distance and waiting times, while hospitals maximize a weighted objective combining profits and patient welfare. The model predicts an ambiguous overall effect of mergers, as they internalize opposing competitive forces: altruistic competition, which may increase waiting times by attracting more patients, and profit-oriented competition, which may reduce waiting times by discouraging the treatment of unprofitable patients. Cost synergies can further lower waiting times when hospitals are sufficiently profit-oriented. Empirically, using 19 years of NHS panel data and a difference-in-differences approach, the study finds that mergers increase waiting times on average by 41%. However, effects are heterogeneous: mergers involving Foundation Trusts reduce waiting times substantially, while mergers among more altruistic hospitals increase them.

Jacob, D., Casais, B., & Azevedo, A. (2025). Storytelling in Sensual Products Marketing: A Content Analysis of Archetypes and Endorsers on Instagram. Journal of Creative Communications. https://doi.org/10.1177/09732586251334853

This study analyzes how Brazilian sensual product brands use storytelling on Instagram to market taboo-related products. Through a content analysis of 22 posts from the five largest brands in the sector, the research examines the prevalence of storytelling archetypes and endorser typologies. The findings show that brands mainly rely on the caregiver, jester, and, to a lesser extent, the innocent archetypes. The caregiver archetype dominates by emphasizing guidance, safety, and product education, helping consumers overcome discomfort associated with taboos. The jester archetype uses humor and playfulness to reduce shame and normalize consumption. In contrast, traditionally dominant archetypes such as the hero are largely absent. Regarding endorsers, expert figures—such as sexologists and consultants—are most frequently used, highlighting the importance of credibility and trust. Celebrity and consumer endorsers appear less often. The study also reveals a strong predominance of female endorsers. Overall, the article shows how storytelling and credible female expertise help brands mitigate stigma and facilitate consumer acceptance of taboo products.

Jalali, C., Silva, P., & Costa, E. (2025). They (don’t) really care about us: youth representation in Portuguese political parties. European Political Science, 24(4), 862–877. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41304-025-00548-2

This article examines the role of youth wings within Portuguese political parties and how young party elites perceive their capacity to enhance youth representation. Based on 58 semi-structured interviews with senior young members from parties with and without autonomous youth wings, the study shows that youth wings function as a double-edged sword. While they guarantee formal representation in party organs, they often result in the informal segregation and marginalization of young members. Substantive influence over policy and candidate selection depends largely on informal networks, negotiations, and proximity to party leaders rather than on statutory rights. Youth wings are consulted in candidate selection, but their real impact is limited, with young candidates frequently placed in non-eligible positions. Although most respondents joined parties driven by policy-seeking motivations, personal career ambitions grow over time. Finally, youth wings are seen as largely ineffective in mobilizing young people, due to limited resources and weak financial autonomy.

Agnello, L., Castro, V., & Sousa, R. M. (2025). Speculative-Grade sovereign rating Cycles: Sovereign debt Defaults, restructurings and resolution. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2025.102197

The study examines how sovereign defaults, debt restructurings, and resolution strategies affect the duration of periods in which countries remain rated at speculative grade. Using a change-point Weibull duration model applied to a large panel of sovereign credit ratings from Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P, the analysis shows that certain policy choices significantly prolong low-rating spells. Governments that implement nominal debt relief during defaults, rely on multilateral-supported restructurings, or experience prolonged exclusion from international capital markets tend to remain trapped in speculative-grade status for longer periods. Although the probability of exiting speculative grade initially increases over time, this effect fades after a critical threshold of roughly 15 years. Beyond this point, macroeconomic and institutional fundamentals become decisive. Higher GDP growth, improved institutional quality, lower public debt, and stronger external balances shorten speculative episodes, while banking and debt crises lengthen them. Overall, the findings highlight the long-lasting reputational and economic consequences of sovereign debt distress.

Casais, B., & Cardoso, C. (2025). Cosmopolitan tourists in P2P accommodation: An exploratory study of online reviews on airbnb. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 25(3), 375–386. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584231218105

This article explores how cultural background shapes (or fails to shape) online reviews in peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation, focusing on 775 Airbnb reviews from guests of 32 countries staying in two properties in Lisbon and Porto. Using Hofstede’s dimensions of Individualism–Collectivism and Masculinity–Femininity, the study compares review content across 12 culturally representative countries. The findings reveal a striking homogeneity: cultural values do not significantly influence what guests write about. Across all groups, Location, Amenities, and Host interaction were the most frequently mentioned aspects. Some stylistic differences emerged—individualistic guests tended to write longer, more detailed negative comments, while collectivist guests wrote shorter and more socially cautious reviews—but overall patterns remained similar. Likewise, masculine and feminine cultures showed no meaningful divergence in content. The authors argue that the dominance of cosmopolitan tourists in P2P accommodation helps explain this uniformity, as experienced global travelers adopt a shared “Airbnb reviewing culture” that overrides national cultural norms.

da Silva, F. B., & Duarte, P. A. B. (2025). Brazil and China’s Digital Silk Road: Opportunities, Risks, and Strategic Implications. Global Policy, 16(4), 655–668. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.70027

This article examines Brazil’s engagement with China’s Digital Silk Road (DSR), arguing that it is best understood through the lens of Digitalpolitik, where digital infrastructures serve as instruments of geopolitical power. Using qualitative analysis, expert interviews, and an online survey, the study finds that the DSR strengthens Brazil’s digital ecosystem while simultaneously creating risks for its digital sovereignty.

The DSR—an extension of China’s Belt and Road Initiative—focuses on advanced technology fields such as 5G, AI, big data, cloud computing, and smart-city systems. China’s digital footprint in Brazil is already substantial, including Huawei-led 5G networks, submarine cables, data centers, surveillance technologies, and deepening participation in e-commerce and fintech through firms like Alibaba and Tencent.

Survey results show mixed perceptions: respondents largely view the DSR’s influence as positive, but many also identify security risks tied to dependence on Chinese digital infrastructure. The article concludes that Brazil’s growing integration into the DSR offers opportunities for digital modernization but increases vulnerability to foreign control of data, making it essential for Brazil to diversify partners and safeguard digital sovereignty.