bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector: a qualitative method approach
Authors: Sharma Archana , Sagar Mahim
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The study aims to identify salespeople’s challenges while selling newly launched products in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector by examining the holistic environment in which they perform their selling tasks. Furthermore, it develops a hierarchical model mapping the interrelationships between identified challenges to explore their dependence and driving power through qualitative research techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study is exploratory and inductive in its research design. It used focus-group discussion (FGD), semistructured interviews and thematic content analysis (TCA) to identify new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector. The identified factors were then worked into a hierarchical model using total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) to analyze their relationship. The factors were further classified into clusters based on their driving and dependence power, with the help of the Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) technique

Findings

The TISM and MICMAC results identified salespeople’s most critical new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector: product innovation, product differentiation, customer perception and market turbulence. An enhanced organizational focus on these factors will ensure that salespeople get adequate input to tackle the challenges they face while selling newly launched FMCG products.

Research limitations/implications

The study was confined to identifying challenges in the FMCG sector alone but offered scope for application in other sectors.

Practical implications

This study will help organizations to identify and close gaps in the new-product selling process, thereby improving the performance of salespeople and contributing to a new product’s success. The study findings have a bearing on various stages of product development, management and life cycle. They also highlight the need for greater synergy between an organization’s sales force and other departments.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is unique in identifying new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector. It also delineates the complex Web of interrelationships between them and classifies the identified factors based on their driving and dependence on power. The research results can help in organizational decision-making and sales practices, empowering salespeople in their new-product selling tasks.
A Community in Competition: The Barons of Leinster in Thirteenth‐Century Ireland
Authors: MARSHALL JOHN
Published: June 2023

Over the last number of decades, the relationship between king and magnate in medieval Ireland has been prominent in scholarship, but less attention has been given to the tenantry below. Drawing on a range of sources from chancery material to chronicle evidence, this article analyses one such tenantry community, the ‘barons of Leinster’. During the first half of the thirteenth century, the Marshal lords of Leinster clashed with royal authorities in Ireland on three occasions, and in these circumstances, the tenants of Leinster had to choose between their king and their lord. For the lords of Leinster, the support of their tenantry was not to be presumed, and hence they had to relentlessly compete for the allegiance of their tenantry with the other lords in Ireland and the king of England. This essay argues that status and marital ties influenced tenantry allegiance in Ireland, in particular that assimilation into a new lord's household was more important for the lesser tenantry who held land in both Ireland and Wales than for the great landed barons who also benefited from royal patronage. Hence, this study contributes to the rich ongoing discussion on the importance and role of tenantry communities in the Plantagenet dominions.
Accuracy of infection reporting in US nursing home ratings
Authors: Chen Zihan , Gleason Lauren J. , Konetzka R. Tamara , Sanghavi Prachi
Published: June 2023

Objective

To assess the accuracy of nursing home‐reported data on urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are publicly reported on Nursing Home Care Compare, and pneumonia, which are not publicly reported.

Data Sources and Study Setting

We used secondary data for 100% of Medicare fee‐for‐service beneficiaries in the United States between 2011 and 2017.

Study Design

We identified Medicare fee‐for‐service beneficiaries who were nursing home residents between 2011 and 2017 and admitted to a hospital with a primary diagnosis of UTI or pneumonia. After linking these hospital claims to resident‐level nursing home‐reported assessment data in the Minimum Data Set, we calculated the percentages of infections that were appropriately reported and assessed variation by resident‐ and nursing home‐level characteristics. We developed a claims‐based nursing home‐level measure of hospitalized infections and estimated correlations between this and publicly reported ratings.

Data Extraction Methods

Medicare fee‐for‐service beneficiaries who were nursing home residents and hospitalized for UTI or pneumonia during the study period were included.

Principal Findings

Reporting rates were low for both infections (UTI: short‐stay residents 29.1% and long‐stay residents 19.2%; pneumonia: short‐stay residents 66.0% and long‐stay residents 70.6%). UTI reporting rates increased when counting additional assessments, but it is unclear whether these reports are for the same versus a newly developed UTI. Black residents had slightly lower reporting rates, as did nursing homes with more Black residents. Correlations between our claims‐based measure and publicly reported ratings were poor.

Conclusions

UTI and pneumonia were substantially underreported in data used for national public reporting. Alternative approaches are needed to improve surveillance of nursing home quality.
Methotrexate vs expectant management for treatment of tubal ectopic pregnancy: An individual participant data meta‐analysis
Authors: Solangon Sarah Annie , Van Wely Madelon , Van Mello Norah , Mol Ben W. , Ross Jackie A. , Jurkovic Davor
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Ectopic pregnancy is an important health condition which affects up to 1 in 100 women. Women who present with mild symptoms and low serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) are often treated with methotrexate (MTX), but expectant management with close monitoring is a feasible alternative. Studies comparing the two treatments have not shown a statistically significant difference in uneventful resolution of ectopic pregnancy, but these studies were too small to define whether certain subgroups could benefit more from either treatment.

Material and methods

We performed a systematic review and individual participant data meta‐analysis (IPD‐MA) of randomized controlled trials comparing systemic MTX and expectant management in women with tubal ectopic pregnancy and low hCG (<2000 IU/L). A one‐stage IPD‐MA was performed to assess overall treatment effects of MTX and expectant management to generate a pooled intervention effect. Subgroup analyses and exploratory multivariable analyses were undertaken according to baseline serum hCG and progesterone levels. Primary outcome was treatment success, defined as resolution of clinical symptoms and decline in level of serum hCG to <20 IU/L, or a negative urine pregnancy test by the initial intervention strategy, without any additional treatment. Secondary outcomes were need for blood transfusion, surgical intervention, additional MTX side‐effects and hCG resolution times. Trial registration number: PROSPERO: CRD42021214093.

Results

1547 studies reviewed and 821 remained after duplicates removed. Five studies screened for eligibility and three IPD requested. Two randomized controlled trials supplied IPD, leading to 153 participants for analysis. Treatment success rate was 65/82 (79.3%) after MTX and 48/70 (68.6%) after expectant management (IPD risk ratio [RR] 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95–1.40). Surgical intervention rates were not significantly different: 8/82 (9.8%) vs 13/70 (18.6%) (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.23–1.14). Mean time to success was 19.7 days (95% CI 17.4–22.3) after MTX and 21.2 days (95% CI 17.8–25.2) after expectant management (P = 0.25). MTX specific side‐effects were reported in 33 MTX compared to four in the expectant group.

Conclusions

Our IPD‐MA showed no statistically significant difference in treatment efficacy between MTX and expectant management in women with tubal ectopic pregnancy with low hCG. Initial expectant management could be the preferred strategy due to fewer side‐effects.
Isoflurane impairs olfaction by increasing neuronal activity in the olfactory bulb
Authors: Fu Hanyu , Zhou Jingwei , Li Shan , Zhang Ying , Chen Zhiyun , Yang Yingying , Li Anan , Wang Dejuan
Published: June 2023

Aim

General anesthesia can induce cognitive deficits in both humans and rodents, correlating with pathological alterations in the hippocampus. However, whether general anesthesia affects olfactory behaviors remains controversial as clinical studies have produced inconsistent results. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how olfactory behaviors and neuronal activity are affected by isoflurane exposure in adult mice.

Methods

The olfactory detection test, olfactory sensitivity test, and olfactory preference/avoidance test were used to examine olfactory function. In vivo electrophysiology was performed in awake, head‐fixed mice to record single‐unit spiking and local field potentials in the olfactory bulb (OB). We also performed patch‐clamp recordings of mitral cell activity. For morphological studies, immunofluorescence and Golgi–Cox staining were applied.

Results

Repeated exposure to isoflurane impaired olfactory detection in adult mice. The main olfactory epithelium, the first region exposed to anesthetics, displayed increased proliferation of basal stem cells. In the OB, a crucial hub for olfactory processing, repeated isoflurane exposure increased the odor responses of mitral/tufted cells. Furthermore, the odor‐evoked high gamma response was decreased after isoflurane exposure. Whole‐cell recordings further indicated that repeated isoflurane exposure increased the excitability of mitral cells, which may be due to weakened inhibitory input in isoflurane‐exposed mice. In addition, elevated astrocyte activation and glutamate transporter‐1 expression in the OB were observed in isoflurane‐exposed mice.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that repeated isoflurane exposure impairs olfactory detection by increasing neuronal activity in the OB in adult mice.
Woody plant encroachment in granite barrens on the Frontenac Arch, eastern Ontario, Canada
Authors: Cohen Michelle , Danby Ryan K.
Published: June 2023

Aims

Woody plant encroachment is a widespread phenomenon affecting treeless or sparsely treed habitats. We aimed to determine the extent and timing of tree and shrub encroachment into rock barrens of eastern Ontario over the last century, and to assess implications for their ongoing management.

Location

Queen's University Biological Station in the Frontenac Arch ecoregion.

Methods

We quantified the extent of change in woody vegetation in 290 rock barrens using aerial photography from 1925, 1965, and 2008. Composition and structure of woody plant communities in 10 barrens was subsequently quantified in the field using plot‐based sampling. Cores or cross‐sections were obtained from individuals >1.5 m height and dendrochronological techniques were used to determine their age and identify temporal patterns of any woody encroachment.

Results

Aerial photography indicated that the mean proportion of woody plant cover in barrens increased 22.5% from 1925 to 2008. Dendroecological analysis supported this. Few trees were present prior to 1900 and most established since 1960.Fraxinus americana,Juniperus virginiana, andJuniperus communiswere the most common woody species colonizing the barrens. Remnants of largePinus strobusstumps with extensive charring were found in 90% of the sampled barrens at a mean density of 22.6 stumps ha−1.

Conclusions

Rock barrens on the Frontenac Arch have changed substantially over the past century; gradually being colonized by trees and shrubs and losing their distinctly open character. Active management — including prescribed fire and mechanical thinning — may be necessary if there is a desire to maintain these barrens and the rare species they support as components of the region's biodiversity. However, identification of a reference state for restoration is complicated by the fact that the structure and composition of these habitats were undoubtedly altered by European land clearance in the 19th century, and that some of these areas likely existed as pine woodlands before that.
Human amygdala involvement in Alzheimer's disease revealed by stereological and dia‐PASEF analysis
Authors: Gonzalez‐Rodriguez Melania , Villar‐Conde Sandra , Astillero‐Lopez Veronica , Villanueva‐Anguita Patricia , Ubeda‐Banon Isabel , Flores‐Cuadrado Alicia , Martinez‐Marcos Alino , Saiz‐Sanchez Daniel
Published: June 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of pathological amyloid‐β (Aβ) and Tau proteins. According to the prion‐like hypothesis, both proteins can seed and disseminate through brain regions through neural connections and glial cells. The amygdaloid complex (AC) is involved early in the disease, and its widespread connections with other brain regions indicate that it is a hub for propagating pathology. To characterize changes in the AC as well as the involvement of neuronal and glial cells in AD, a combined stereological and proteomic analysis was performed in non‐Alzheimer's disease and AD human samples. The synaptic alterations identified by proteomic data analysis could be related to the volume reduction observed in AD by the Cavalieri probe without neuronal loss. The pathological markers appeared in a gradient pattern with the medial region (cortical nucleus, Co) being more affected than lateral regions, suggesting the relevance of connections in the distribution of the pathology among different brain regions. Generalized astrogliosis was observed in every AC nucleus, likely related to deposits of pathological proteins. Astrocytes might mediate phagocytic microglial activation, whereas microglia might play a dual role since protective and toxic phenotypes have been described. These results highlight the potential participation of the amygdala in the disease spreading from/to olfactory areas, the temporal lobe and beyond. Proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD038322.
Social identities in conflict: Israeli Palestinians and Israeli Jews
Authors: Ersoy‐Ceylan Tuğçe
Published: June 2023

The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is generally referred as a territorial conflict, but it is also a conflict over the preservation of identity. This study analyzes the relations of Jews and Palestinians in Israel from an identity security perspective. It sheds light on how the communities perceive actions, discourses, and symbols as a mutual threat to their own identity. Adapting the concept of societal security dilemma (SSD), this study seeks to reveal the patterns of feeling insecure between the groups and to put forth the measures and countermeasures taken to secure identity. This approach contends that the measures and countermeasures taken to reduce the perception of threat do not lead to a feeling of security; on the contrary, it creates a cycle of constant threat perception, making the groups feel more insecure in terms of identity. I argue that this is the case for the Jews and Palestinians in Israel. The analytical dimensions of SSD are applied to the case via process tracing and historical analysis. However, I identify a gap unaddressed by these dimensions of the concept. The present study proposes an additional dimension—confrontation—to fill this gap.
Are women more financially vulnerable than men? A tale of missed economic opportunities from Latin America
Authors: Roa Maria Jose , Di Giannatale Sonia , Villegas Alejandra , Barboza Jonathan
Published: June 2023

Motivation

Women are especially vulnerable to not being able to cover the costs of living or meet sudden demands for funds to pay for emergencies (financial vulnerability). The COVID‐19 pandemic put additional stress on household incomes and the ability to meet emergency expenses, thus bringing into sharp relief the lack of inclusion of women in formal financial systems and the gender gaps between them and men.

Purpose

How financially vulnerable are women in Latin America? What causes vulnerability? How do financial inclusion, personality traits, cognitive characteristics, and financial literacy affect financial vulnerability?

Methods and approach

Using Financial Capabilities Surveys, we use regression to model the determinants of an index of financial vulnerability for eight countries in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. We use Oaxaca‐Blinder decomposition to establish the extent to which the gender arises from the different characteristics of men and women, or from the way in which such characteristics affect groups.

Findings

We find a gender gap in financial vulnerability in most of the eight countries. Individual characteristics that often explain this gap are socioeconomic, such as belonging to a low socioeconomic class and not having a regular income. In addition to gender and socioeconomic characteristics, the use of savings products, some personality traits (ability to plan, self‐control), economic preferences, and numeracy skills also drive financial vulnerability.

Policy implications

Interventions to reduce financial vulnerability need, first and foremost, to address socioeconomic conditions. People on low incomes will always be financially vulnerable. In addition, programmes to expand financial inclusion and educate people on finances can help. Given the significant gender gaps, more effort must be made to reduce such gaps in education, employment, and social norms.
Adverse selection in the group life insurance market
Authors: Harris Timothy F. , Yelowitz Aaron , Talbert Jeffery , Davis Alison
Published: June 2023

The employer‐sponsored life insurance (ESLI) market is susceptible to adverse selection due to community‐rated premiums, guaranteed issue coverage, and the existence of an individual market. Using payroll and healthcare claims data from a large university, we find that employees with worse health are more likely to elect coverage causing adverse selection in supplemental ESLI. Nonetheless, we find employees typically do not increase coverage following a severe illness even when they can without providing evidence of insurability. Furthermore, demand estimation shows employees are not price‐sensitive and estimated increases in premiums from adverse selection are unlikely to cause significant welfare loss.
Symbiotic status alters fungal eco‐evolutionary offspring trajectories
Authors: Aguilar‐Trigueros Carlos A. , Krah Franz‐Sebastian , Cornwell William K. , Zanne Amy E. , Abrego Nerea , Anderson Ian C. , Andrew Carrie J. , Baldrian Petr , Bässler Claus , Bissett Andrew , Chaudhary V. Bala , Chen Baodong , Chen Yongliang , Delgado‐Baquerizo Manuel , Deveautour Coline , Egidi Eleonora , Flores‐Moreno Habacuc , Golan Jacob , Heilmann‐Clausen Jacob , Hempel Stefan , Hu Yajun , Kauserud Håvard , Kivlin Stephanie N. , Kohout Petr , Lammel Daniel R. , Maestre Fernando T. , Pringle Anne , Purhonen Jenna , Singh Brajesh K. , Veresoglou Stavros D. , Větrovský Tomáš , Zhang Haiyang , Rillig Matthias C. , Powell Jeff R.
Published: June 2023

Despite host‐fungal symbiotic interactions being ubiquitous in all ecosystems, understanding how symbiosis has shaped the ecology and evolution of fungal spores that are involved in dispersal and colonization of their hosts has been ignored in life‐history studies. We assembled a spore morphology database covering over 26,000 species of free‐living to symbiotic fungi of plants, insects and humans and found more than eight orders of variation in spore size. Evolutionary transitions in symbiotic status correlated with shifts in spore size, but the strength of this effect varied widely among phyla. Symbiotic status explained more variation than climatic variables in the current distribution of spore sizes of plant‐associated fungi at a global scale while the dispersal potential of their spores is more restricted compared to free‐living fungi. Our work advances life‐history theory by highlighting how the interaction between symbiosis and offspring morphology shapes the reproductive and dispersal strategies among living forms.
Sub‐zero temperatures and large‐scale weather patterns induce tooth damage in Icelandic arctic foxes
Authors: Geffen Eli , Roemer Gary W. , Unnsteinsdóttir Ester Rut , Van Valkenburgh Blaire
Published: June 2023

Tooth damage in carnivores can reflect shifts in both diet and feeding habits, and in large carnivores, it is associated with increased bone consumption. Variation in tooth condition in Icelandic arctic foxes, a mesocarnivore, was recorded from 854 individual foxes spanning 29 years. We hypothesized that annual climatic variations, which can influence food abundance and accessibility, will influence tooth condition by causing dietary shifts toward less edible prey. We examined tooth condition in relation to four climatic predictors: mean annual winter temperature, indices of both the El Niño anomaly and North Atlantic subpolar gyre (SPG), and the number of rain‐on‐snow days (ROS). We found unequivocal evidence for a strong effect of annual climate on tooth condition. Teeth of Icelandic foxes were in better condition when winter temperatures were higher, when the SPG was more positive, and when the number of ROS was low. We also found a substantial subregional effect with foxes from northeastern Iceland having lower tooth damage than those from two western sites. Contradicting our original hypothesis that foxes from northeastern Iceland, where foxes are known to scavenge on large mammal remains (e.g., sheep and horses), would show the highest tooth damage, we suggest that western coastal sites exhibited greater tooth damage because cold winter temperatures lowered the availability of seabirds, causing a shift in diet toward abrasive marine subsidies (e.g., bivalves) and frozen beach wrack. Our study shows that monitoring tooth breakage and wear can be a useful tool for evaluating the impact of climate on carnivore populations and that climate change may influence the condition and fitness of carnivores in complex and potentially conflicting ways.
Agile 3+ and Agile 4, noninvasive tests for liver fibrosis, are excellent formulae to predict liver‐related events in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Miura Kouichi , Hayashi Hideki , Kamada Yoshihiro , Fujii Hideki , Takahashi Hirokazu , Oeda Satoshi , Iwaki Michihiro , Kawaguchi Takumi , Tomita Eiichi , Yoneda Masato , Tokushige Akihiro , Ueda Shinichiro , Aishima Shinichi , Sumida Yoshio , Nakajima Atsushi , Okanoue Takeshi ,   Japan Study Group of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Published: June 2023

Aim

The noninvasive tests (NITs) Agile 3+ and Agile 4 effectively identify patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) complicated with advanced fibrosis (F3–4) and cirrhosis (F4), respectively. Little information is available on associations between Agile scores and intra‐/extrahepatic events. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive performance of Agile scores for intra‐/extrahepatic events in Asian patients with biopsy‐proven NAFLD.

Methods

We undertook a retrospective multicenter cohort study to investigate associations between intra‐/extrahepatic events and two Agile scores, Agile 3+ and Agile 4. The scores were obtained by combining clinical parameters and liver stiffness measurement using transient elastography.

Results

Among 403 enrolled patients, 11 had liver‐related events (LREs), including seven with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The incidence of LREs and HCC showed a stepwise increase in the advanced fibrosis group (F3–4), Agile 3+ rule‐in (F3–4, highly suspected), and Agile 4 rule‐in (F4, highly suspected) groups, compared to their counterparts. Hazard ratios for LREs in the advanced fibrosis group, Agile 3+ rule‐in, and Agile 4 rule‐in groups were 4.05 (p = 0.03), 23.5 (p = 0.003), and 45.5 (p < 0.001), respectively. The predictive performance results for Agile 3+ and Agile 4 were 0.780 and 0.866, respectively, which were higher than for fibrosis (0.595). Unlike for LREs, Agile scores failed to identify patients with extrahepatic events, including cardiovascular events and extrahepatic cancer.

Conclusions

Agile 3+ and Agile 4 scores are excellent NITs for predicting LREs in patients with NAFLD, possibly without histological assessment.
Effects of annealing on the structural and magnetic properties of flame spray pyrolyzed MnFe2O4 nanoparticles
Authors: Ozdemir Erdem Tevfik , Yildirim Serdar , Ozler Berk , Dikici Tuncay , Erol Mustafa , Yurddaskal Metin
Published: June 2023

In this study, manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles were produced through flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). To investigate the effects of heat treatment, the nanoparticles were annealed between 400 and 650°C for 4 h in air in a comparative manner. The structural, chemical, morphological, and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were evaluated using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), respectively. The XRD results showed that the nanoparticles synthesized by the FSP method exhibited the MnFe2O4 spinel ferrite structure. The annealing process led to the decomposition of MnFe2O4 into various phases. According to the morphological analysis, the as‐synthesized particles were hemispherical–cubic in shape and had an average particle size of less than 100 nm. In addition, the chemical bond structures of the nanoparticles were confirmed in detail by XPS elemental analysis. The highest saturation magnetization was recorded as 33.50 emu/g for the as‐produced nanoparticles. The saturation magnetization of the nanoparticles decreased with increasing annealing temperature, while coercivity increased.
Structural and thermodynamic analysis of metal filler incorporations in SiaOb(M)cCd polymer derived ceramics: Ta, Hf, Nb
Authors: Leonel Gerson J. , Scharrer Manuel , Singh Gurpreet , Navrotsky Alexandra
Published: June 2023

This work systematically investigates the thermodynamic stability of SiaOb(M)cCd structures derived from polymeric precursors incorporating metal fillers: Ta, Nb, and Hf, at 1200 and 1500°C. Structural characterization of the polymer derived ceramics (PDCs) employs X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Enthalpies of formation relative to crystalline components (metal oxide, silica, silicon carbide, and graphite) are obtained from thermodynamic measurements by high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry. The enthalpies of formation (∆H°f, comp) of Ta‐1200, Hf‐1200, Nb‐1200, Ta‐1500, Hf‐1500, and Nb‐1500 specimens are −137.82 ± 9.72, −256.31 ± 8.97, −82.80 ± 9.82, −182.80 ± 7.85, −292.54 ± 9.38, −224.98 ± 9.60 kJ/mol, respectively. Overall incorporation of Hf results in most thermodynamically stable structures at all synthesis temperatures. SiaOb(M)cCd specimens employing Nb fillers undergo the most stable structural evolution in this temperature range. The results indicate strong thermodynamic drive for carbothermal reduction of metal oxide domains. Incorporation of Ta provides the greatest stabilization of SiO3C mixed bonding environments. Ultimately, the choice of metal filler influences composition, structural evolution, and thermodynamic stability in PDCs.
Disciples and Pilgrims, Arusha, and Karlsruhe
Authors: Ross Kenneth R.
Published: June 2023

A striking feature of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), held at Karlsruhe in Germany in 2022, was its lack of attention to the “Arusha Call to Discipleship” issued by the WCC World Mission Conference held in Tanzania four years earlier. Further ecumenical amnesia was evident in the Assembly's neglect of the centenary of the formation of the International Missionary Council (IMC) in 1921. It is therefore timely to recall the purpose of the integration of the IMC and the WCC in 1961. This was driven, above all, by the theological imperative that mission and unity can never be separated from one another in the ecumenical movement. On the contrary, these two essential evangelical impulses must continuously inform and energize one another. It was in expectation of such synergy that the integration of the IMC and WCC was enacted. Today, a new opportunity to fulfil this ecumenical hope presents itself. Currently, the “unity strand” in the WCC has a preference for the language of pilgrimage when it comes to expressing the nature of the ecumenical journey, while the “mission strand” has opted for the language of discipleship. The opportunity missed at Karlsruhe was to draw the two into conversation with one another. Enabling the two motifs of disciple and pilgrim to inform and enrich one another could prove to be a vital source of renewal for the ecumenical movement in the next phase of its journey.
A Call to Act Together
Authors: Jamir Tiakala
Published: June 2023

This article offers a discussion of the Assembly Message, ‘A Call to Act Together', which unpacks, reframes, critiques and amplifies some key texts and concepts and explores their missiological relevance from an Indian and indigeneous perspective. The Assembly Message highlights love as the moving force for mission, but the article questions if the Ecumenical movement has the boldness and inclusiveness required by love rooted in Christ. The call for reconcilitation is unpacked through reflections on the Ao Naga practice of Aksü, which is a tradition and custom for enabling reconciliation and peacemaking. The article offers Aksü as an illustration of the practices that could ground the Message's claim for reconciliation and names dimensions of the spirituality needed to sustain the Ecumenical movement's future direction. Love and reconciliation point to interrelationship, which the article insists must be inclusive of commonality and difference, but also move forward against the systems of marginalisation.
Pushing against Gender Barriers
Authors: Ece Kristina
Published: June 2023

This article presents the case study of Lilija Otīlija Grīviņa's calling to China. Her ministry is one example of how the practice of mission facilitates self‐identification, as a person responds to the call of God regardless of their gender. The major sources of the study are archive materials from the Liebenzell Mission and the Latvian Lutheran Church, as well as Grīviņa's newsletters published in Chinas Millionen. To provide theological background for the missionary service of women, the study also looks at the work of German missiologists Gustav Warneck and Theodore Christlieb. The research uses a main historical comparative methodology to uncover the development of thought of women missionaries in the specific historical context.
First outdoor records in the Old World of the invasive drywood termite, Cryptotermes brevis (Walker, 1853) (Kalotermitidae)
Authors: Najjari Aya , Taheri Ahmed , Hernández‐Teixidor David , Wetterer James K.
Published: June 2023

Cryptotermes brevis (Walker, 1853) (Kalotermitidae), commonly called the West Indian drywood termite, is an important structural pest in many parts of the world. Almost all records of C. brevis come from timber or furniture inside human structures. Although originally described for Jamaica, this species appears to be native to the coastal desert area of Peru and Chile, where it commonly occurs outdoors in the dead wood of both living and dead trees in riparian habitats and irrigated agricultural areas. Here, we report outdoor records of C. brevis from an agricultural habitat at the western edge of the Sahara Desert, an area climatically similar to their native range in South America. This constitutes the first outdoor report of the invasive termite in the Old World. In Dakhla, Moroccan Sahara, we found these termites living in the dead wood of a Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi) and the hollow stems of giant reeds (Arundo donax L.). In North Africa, C. brevis is otherwise known only from structural timbers in northern Egypt. Whether this termite become a significant pest in North Africa remains to be seen.
Ukraine's tenurial tangle: Housing, land and property restitution in the Russian war
Authors: Unruh Jon D.
Published: June 2023

The severity of the population dislocation and destruction of housing, land and property (HLP) in the Ukraine war has driven efforts for starting reconstruction planning prior to the war's end. This comes with the realization that recovery will entail considerable preparation, including efforts at using seized Russian assets to finance it. Engaging in HLP restitution and compensation will be a primary recovery challenge, with the Ukrainian government moving forward with legislation for facilitating this. However, the government's current approach to processing what will be millions of HLP claims for restitution and compensation faces a daunting challenge. Housing, land and property rights prior to the war comprised a dense tangle of confusion, corruption, and inadequate documentation; such that attempting to untangle each claim on a case‐by‐case basis as currently planned is highly problematic and risks instability. This article describes this tangle as five categories of problems: (1) the post‐Soviet transition, (2) rule of law problems, (3) administrative tangles, (4) corruption, and (5) war‐related issues. The article then recommends that the government and international community pursue a ‘mass claims and transitional justice’ approach to large‐scale HLP restitution which is aligned with international best practice and able to supersede the tenurial tangle.
Overbooking: Permissible when and only when scaled up
Authors: Sorensen Roy
Published: June 2023

Bumped from a flight? Relax with this defense of the big business practice of deliberately promising more services than one will provide. On a small scale, over‐promising yields a toxic moral dilemma and a lie. At a large scale, the dilemma becomes dilute, and the lie completely disappears. Overbooking is honest because there is a sufficiently high probability of fulfilling each promise. Overbooking is socially beneficial because the promised resources are used more efficiently. There are fewer wasted seats on jumbo jets and hence cheaper tickets with less pollution. Widespread disapproval of overbooking is a fallacious scaling error. Instead of there being too much overbooking, there is too little.
Comparative productive performance of cows born through embryo transfer, artificial insemination and natural mating in dairy and dual‐purpose herds raised in tropical conditions
Authors: Martínez J. F. , Galina C. S. , Rojas J. , Vargas B. , Romero‐Zúñiga J. J.
Published: June 2023

A populational, observational and longitudinal‐retrospective study with records of 28 dairy‐specialized and dual‐purpose farms was carried out to compare the productive performance of cows born by embryo transfer (ET), artificial insemination (AI) and natural mating (NM), using the database of Centro Regional de Investigación para la Producción Animal Sostenible (CRIPAS) of cattle herds in Costa Rica. Herds (system × altitude), conception method (ET, AI and NM), genetic background (DSpB: specialized dairy breeds [Bos taurus] and crosses, GYR × HOL: Gyr × Holstein Crossbred and DSpB × BI: crosses between dairy breeds and Bos indicus), year of birth (or at calving), lactation number and days in milk were evaluated for the productive parameters age at first calving (AFC), calving to conception interval (CCI) and lactation milk yield (LMY) using a GLIMMIX procedure on SAS. The AFC, CCI and LMY were affected (p < .0001) by all factors considered in each parameter. ET has lower (p < .0001) AFC in months (33.1) than AI (35.2) and NM (36.44). NM had lower (p = .004) CCI (110 days) than AI or ET (121 days) values which were similar (p > .05). The higher LMY (p < .0001) was observed in ET (4140 kg), compared to AI (3706 kg) and NM (3595 kg). There was no difference between AI and NM. In conclusion, the method of conception in calves affected their future reproduction and production during puberty, postpartum and lactation. The effects on management decisions will require a rigorous economical study to discern whether ET would be a cost‐effective alternative to AI or NM.
How Does Community Leadership Contribute to Rural Environmental Governance? Evidence from Shanghai Villages*
Authors: Liu Pingyang , Han Aixi
Published: June 2023

Rural environmental governance in developing countries is often challenged by problems of insufficient investments, lack of incentives of stakeholders, and unsustainable practices. Whilst the dysfunction of rural community is regarded as one of the major reasons and has attracted much attention, the role of community leadership and its contributions to rural environmental governance under the dynamic changing context has been rarely explored. Drawing upon case studies of villages in Shanghai, China, this study posits that rural community leadership could be categorized into three dimensions: leading and demonstrating, mobilization and organization, and reputation and credibility. Results show that all three dimensions contribute positively to rural environmental governance, while mobilizing and organizing contributes more significantly in the short term, and reputation and credibility promotes rural environmental governance more effectively in the long term. Community leadership also presents significant moderating effects on the function of stakeholders and the implementation of top‐down policies and village rules and norms. Therefore, cultivating community leadership should be prioritized in the process of improving rural environmental governance.
COHUMAIN: Building the Socio‐Cognitive Architecture of Collective Human–Machine Intelligence
Authors: Gonzalez Cleotilde , Admoni Henny , Brown Scott , Woolley Anita Williams
Published: June 2023

In recent years, we have experienced rapid development of advanced technology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI), intended to interact with and augment the abilities of humans in practically every area of life. With the rapid growth of new capabilities, such as those enabled by generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT), AI is increasingly at the center of human communication and collaboration, resulting in a growing recognition of the need to understand how humans and AI can integrate their inputs in collaborative teams. However, there are many unanswered questions regarding how human–AI collective intelligence will emerge and what the barriers might be. Truly integrated collaboration between humans and intelligent agents may result in a different way of working that looks nothing like what we know now, and it is important to keep the essential goal of human societal well‐being and prosperity a priority. In this special issue, we begin to scope out the underpinnings of a socio‐cognitive architecture for Collective HUman‐MAchine INtelligence (COHUMAIN), which is the study of the capability of an integrated human and machine (i.e., intelligent technology) system to achieve goals in a wide range of environments. This topic consists of nine papers including a description of the conceptual foundation for a socio‐cognitive architecture for COHUMAIN, empirical tests of some aspects of this architecture, research on proposed representations of intelligent agents that can jointly interact with humans, empirical tests of human–human and human–machine interactions, and philosophical and ethical issues to consider as we develop these systems.
Género y poder: exploraciones situadas en el sistema colonial-moderno
Authors: Albertín-Carbó Pilar , Amigot Leache Patricia , Carretero García Carlota , Castelao-Huerta Isaura , Curiel Pichardo Ochy , Foradada-Villar Mireia , García-Dauder Dau , Garzón Martínez María Teresa , Giusti Minotre Fannella , Guzmán Martínez Grecia , Palermo Hernán M. , Pujal i Llombart Margot , Rifà Valls Montserrat , Suárez Castro Edilma Marlén , Vargas-Monroy Liliana
Published: June 2023

En un proyecto de descolonización del género plural y de largo alcance dentro de los feminismos, este libro es una conversación entre América del Sur (Abya Yala) y el sur de Europa (territorio español) que busca contribuir, en un contexto revuelto, al continuo camino de reconstrucción de la resistencia y política feministas frente a una matriz colonial-moderna gobernada para ser “sana, competente y feliz”. Aquí, esta matriz se vincula con la regulación y fabricación de alterizaciones y minorizaciones naturalizadas —sometidas a violencias estructurales— a partir de un ideal blanco de género, nación y raza. Género y poder: exploraciones situadas en el sistema colonial-moderno es un ejercicio parcial y plural, en términos de lugares de enunciación, que abre el diálogo y presenta fragmentos de insurrección de nuevas prácticas feministas de vulnerabilidad y resistencia, de transformación subjetiva y social y de agenciamientos y libertad.
Does Location Matter? An Econometric Analysis of Stadium Location and Attendance at National Women’s Soccer League Matches
Authors: Chahardovali Tarlan , Watanabe Nicholas M. , Dastrup Ryan W.
Published: June 2023

This study examines the impact of stadium locations on attendance in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). We develop a match-level attendance model incorporating control variables such as market factors and consumer preferences to assess attendance for NWSL games. Our results indicate that attendance drops the further an NWSL stadium is from the city center. Specifically, the coefficients suggest an inverse relationship between attendance at NWSL matches and the distance to the city center, indicating that for every mile further an NWSL team was from the city center, attendance declined by about 6.6%. Our findings show that some of the perceived differences in demand for women’s soccer may be due to infrastructural inequalities such as stadium locations. Therefore, one way to boost demand and attendance in professional women’s sport, specifically soccer, is to move away from suburban stadiums and toward downtown locations.
Simulation of the Antineutrino Detector for the Second Neutrino Laboratory at the SM-3 Reactor
Authors: Fomin A. K. , Serebrov A. P.
Published: June 2023

Abstract

An experiment aimed at searching for a sterile neutrino using a new detector of the second neutrino laboratory at the SM-3 reactor (Dimitrovgrad, Russia) has been simulated. This detector is a scintillation detector of reactor antineutrinos with a multisection structure and horizontal arrangement of sections. Distributions of counts from prompt and delayed signals, as well as the dependence of detector efficiency on the selected thresholds, have been obtained by simulation. The antineutrino flux has been simulated with an allowance for the dimensions of the reactor core and its spatial location with respect to the detector. This simulation has been used as a basis to calculate the effect that should be obtained by measurements for the specified parameters of oscillations and energy resolution of the detector.
Application of Biogenic Mineral Formation for the Preservation of Limestone Masonry at the Eski-Kermen Archeological Site
Authors: Rudenko A. P. , Namsaraev Z. B. , Komova A. V. , Loboda A. Yu. , Mandrykina A. V. , Krasheninnikov S. V. , Sharikov R. V. , Gurieva P. V. , Kovalenko E. S. , Khairedinova E. A. , Tereschenko E. Yu. , Aibabin A. I. , Yatsishina E. B.
Published: June 2023

Minimal interference with historical material and maximum preservation is one of the basic principles of the scientific restoration and conservation of monuments of historical and cultural heritage. The creation of nanoscale and microscale inorganic coatings is a promising way to protect limestone and marble cultural heritage objects. We conducted a laboratory testing of a method for stimulating biogenic mineral formation on the surface of limestone-masonry samples from the medieval cave town on the Eski-Kermen plateau (Crimea, Russia). The results showed the formation of a layer of crystallites of 0.4 to 1.3 µm on the surface of the limestone, an increase in the average strength values of the samples by 28% from 12.3 ± 2.8 to 15.8 ± 2.6 MPa, a 42% increase in the specific surface area of limestone, an 86% increase in salt attack resistance, and preservation of the capillary water-absorption level. The obtained results show the potential of using biogenic mineral formation for the conservation and restoration of limestone.
Is multimodal occupational therapy in addition to usual care cost-effective in people with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis? A cost-utility analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Tveter Anne Therese , Kleven Linn , Osteras Nina , Nossum Randi , Eide Ruth Else Mehl , Klokkeide Åse , Matre Karin Hoegh , Olsen Monika , Kjeken Ingvild
Published: June 2023

Objective

The aim was to evaluate the cost-utility of a 3-month multimodal occupational therapy intervention in addition to usual care in patients with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC1 OA).

Methods

A cost-utility analysis was performed alongside a multicentre randomised controlled trial including three rheumatology departments in Norway. A total of 180 patients referred to surgical consultation due to CMC1 OA were randomised to either multimodal occupational therapy including patient education, hand exercises, assistive devices and orthoses (n=90), or usual care receiving only information on OA (n=90). The outcome measure was quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) derived from the generic questionnaire EQ-5D-5L over a 2-year period. Resource use and health-related quality of life of the patients were prospectively collected at baseline, 4, 18 and 24 months. Costs were estimated by taking a healthcare and societal perspective. The results were expressed as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, and a probabilistic sensitivity analysis with 1000 replications following intention-to-treat principle was done to account for uncertainty in the analysis.

Results

During the 2-year follow-up period, patients receiving multimodal occupational therapy gained 0.06 more QALYs than patients receiving usual care. The mean (SD) direct costs were €3227 (3546) in the intervention group and €4378 (5487) in the usual care group, mean difference €−1151 (95% CI −2564, 262). The intervention was the dominant treatment with a probability of 94.5% being cost-effective given the willingness-to-pay threshold of €27 500.

Conclusions

The within-trial analysis demonstrated that the multimodal occupational therapy in addition to usual care was cost-effective at 2 years in patients with CMC1 OA.

Trial registration number

NCT01794754.