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Existing research on stock price manipulation driven by equity incentives has mainly focused on earnings management, without considering other potential manipulation methods. Therefore, we examine whether management engages in tone management during earnings communication conference following equity incentives.

Using Chinese A-share listed companies from 2006 to June 2023 as the sample, we explore the impact mechanism of equity incentives on the tone of earnings communication conference.

Equity incentives are found to increase abnormal tone in earnings communication conferences. The characteristics of equity incentives themselves affect tone management. For instance, equity incentives based on stock options, as well as those within the exercise feasibility year, have a more pronounced effect on facilitating tone management. The mechanisms through which equity incentives affect different tones vary: the increase in positive tone is associated with improved financial performance, while the increase in abnormal tone is linked to executives reducing their holdings to obtain cash. Further discussions reveal that the impact of equity incentives on abnormal tone is weaker when there is a higher degree of real or accrual-based earnings management, suggesting a possible substitution relationship between earnings management and abnormal tone. Additionally, when a company experiences low investment efficiency, high executive compensation and a lower proportion of negative news coverage in the external information environment, the impact of equity incentives on abnormal tone becomes more pronounced.

Our study primarily focuses on conducting exploratory research into the mechanism, purpose, timing and alternative selection of tone management in the year following the grant of equity incentives. We have not provided a detailed theoretical explanation regarding the transmission channels or mechanisms through which tone management affects investor sentiment and trading behavior.

We provide valuable insights for identifying the quality of information disclosure in earnings communication conference.

We clarify the mechanism of equity incentives on management’s tone, reveals the timing preferences of tone management during the earnings communication conference.

The purpose of this paper is to present a method that addresses the data sparsity problem in points of interest (POI) recommendation by introducing spatiotemporal context features based on location-based social network (LBSN) data. The objective is to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of POI recommendations by considering both spatial and temporal aspects.

To achieve this, the paper introduces a model that integrates the spatiotemporal context of POI records and spatiotemporal transition learning. The model uses graph convolutional embedding to embed spatiotemporal context information into feature vectors. Additionally, a recurrent neural network is used to represent the transitions of spatiotemporal context, effectively capturing the user’s spatiotemporal context and its changing trends. The proposed method combines long-term user preferences modeling with spatiotemporal context modeling to achieve POI recommendations based on a joint representation and transition of spatiotemporal context.

Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms existing methods. By incorporating spatiotemporal context features, the approach addresses the issue of incomplete modeling of spatiotemporal context features in POI recommendations. This leads to improved recommendation accuracy and alleviation of the data sparsity problem.

The research has practical implications for enhancing the recommendation systems used in various location-based applications. By incorporating spatiotemporal context, the proposed method can provide more relevant and personalized recommendations, improving the user experience and satisfaction.

The paper’s contribution lies in the incorporation of spatiotemporal context features into POI records, considering the joint representation and transition of spatiotemporal context. This novel approach fills the gap left by existing methods that typically separate spatial and temporal modeling. The research provides valuable insights into improving the effectiveness of POI recommendation systems by leveraging spatiotemporal information.

This paper aims to prepare an oil-impregnated porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite with advanced tribological properties using citric acid as a novel pore-forming agent.

Citric acid (CA) was used to form pores in PTFE, and then oil-impregnated PTFE composites were prepared. The pore-forming efficiency of CA was evaluated. The possible mechanism of lubrication was proposed according to the tribological properties.

The results show CA is an efficient pore-forming agent and completely removed, and the porosity of the PTFE increases with the increase of the CA content. The oil-impregnated porous PTFE exhibits an excellent tribological performance, an increased wear resistance of 77.29% was realized in comparison with neat PTFE.

This study enhances understanding of the lubrication mechanism of oil-impregnated porous polymers and guides for their tribological applications.

Bio-digester toilet handling in Ghana has become a modern trend, shadowing the traditional septic tank approach and other sewage methods. This practice raises environmental concerns that could affect human ageing. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of bio-digester toilet facilities and their environmental effect on ageing in Accra, Ghana.

The study adopts quantitative and qualitative strategies. A purposive sampling technique was used to select households with bio-digester toilet facilities across the study area through a field survey questionnaire during Phase 1. A semi-structured interview was adopted for an in-depth perspective of the respondents, and laboratory analysis was performed on bio-digester effluent samples to validate phase one as a third stage. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and laboratory analysis using standard methods for Escherichia coli, total coliform, dissolved oxygen, potential of hydrogen and temperature. The qualitative data was analysed using content analysis.

Laboratory analyses of effluent samples revealed that the bio-digester toilet facility could harm human health when its effluent is discharged into public drains. The study further discovered that only district and municipal assembly-certified technicians must construct the bio-digester toilet facilities, and households need regular education on the proper use and maintenance of the facility.

The revelation of this research means that it is essential for the country at large to make appropriate bylaws to regulate toilet waste handling and their environmental effect on ageing regarding households that discharge bio-digester toilet effluents into public drains for the betterment of the global agenda of sustainable development.