Country Of Origin Research Articles

Ethnic identity as a challenge to antidiscrimination law: protection, positionality and liminality

ABSTRACT Constitutions and antidiscrimination provisions tend to compartmentalise and operationalise ethnicity through religion, ethnic origin or country of origin, nationality, language and race. The growing focus on religion and race contributes to the entrenchment of ethnicity in religion and race, and this is not always fruitful. This article argues that antidiscrimination law should explicitly and robustly integrate ethnic identity as a protected (personal) characteristic in domestic law, independent of any other descriptors that may be recognised, and independent of existing group-based protections. Furthermore, this article argues that anti-discrimination infrastructure needs a provision of positionality and liminality. The concept of positionality facilitates the recognition of power dynamics present in the ascription of otherness, as well as the potential incongruences between identity ascription and actual self-identification. The concept of liminality enables the consideration of fluid and more flexible forms of self-identification across multiple public and private spaces.

Analyzing Brand Strategy on an International Scale: The Sponsorship Performance Cycle in Formula One Racing

Firms from a variety of industries regularly partner with Formula One racing teams to achieve marketing objectives on an international scale. The sponsored properties offer signals of brand foreignness/localness, country of origin, and the potential for highly visible achievements. Firms enter and exit brand partnerships with some of the world's most famous athletes and iconic teams, yet the partnership decision-making process remains opaque, particularly concerning the impact of geographic origin and team performance among other criteria, including macroeconomic conditions and brand-related factors. This study contributes a quantitative model that analyzes 53 years of data encompassing more than 3,000 sponsorships across six continents. The findings improve understanding of brand partnership continuity/dissolution by explicating a shared nationality effect and a link with sponsored organizational performance that is robust across three distinct eras of Formula One. In doing so, the study contributes to theory by completing the sponsorship performance cycle and distilling partnership limits with regard to brand foreignness. The theory and quantitative analyses are buttressed by interviews with brand decision-makers, excerpts from which also shape the discussion of managerial applications. Implications include efficiencies in partner prospecting that enhance the likelihood of enduring brand relationships in sponsorship-linked international marketing.

How does cultural strategy drive the global expansion of edu-business? The case of a Japanese company in private supplementary education

PurposeThis study aims to understand the mechanisms driving individuals to utilise and engage in edu-business and contribute to the industry’s development, even when they face criticism. To that end, this paper, focussing on corporate stories, explores the cultural strategies education companies employ to expand their businesses overseas.Design/methodology/approachThis paper examines the case study of Kumon Institute of Education, a key player in the Japanese edu-business sector. The analysis is based on interviews conducted between 2019 and 2021 with four public relations officers who possess extensive knowledge of the company’s history. Additionally, it draws on government and company documents, as well as newspaper articles. The analysis focusses on the narrative isomorphism between the company and the government from the provider’s perspective.FindingsKumon’s corporate stories and narratives have been shaped by the history, culture and policies of Japan, its country of origin, rather than adopting a bottom-up approach or embracing neoliberal values. As the company expanded its international reach, its Japanese identity became a cornerstone of its narrative, heightening the appeal of its stories through the use of expert discourse and historic cultural resources. Recently, a synergy has developed between the public and private sectors in the realm of education export, reinforcing the distinctly Japanese nature of the company, which is particularly appealing to both users and employees.Originality/valueThis paper focusses on the edu-business itself, analysing cultural strategies that go beyond the functional aspects of management or services to understand how edu-businesses have attracted people.

Gender inclusivity of ophthalmology journal submission guidelines and associated research metrics.

This cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of inclusive author submission guidelines across ophthalmology journals. Journals were identified from the 2021 Journal Citations Report (Clarivate Analytics). Independent reviewers rated each author submission guideline as "inclusive" for satisfying at-least one of six criteria: i) included examples of gender inclusive language; ii) recommended the use of gender-inclusive language; iii) distinguished between sex and gender; iv) provided educational resources on gender-inclusive language; v) provided a policy permitting name changes (e.g., in case of gender and name transition); and/or vi) provided a statement of commitment to inclusivity. The primary objective was to investigate the proportion of journals with "gender-inclusive" author submission guidelines and the elements of the gender-inclusive content within these guidelines. A secondary objective was to review the association between "gender-inclusivity" in author submission guidelines with publisher, origin country, and journal/source/influence metrics (Clarivate Analytics). Across 94 journals, 29.8% journals were rated as inclusive. Inclusive journals had significantly higher relative impact factor, citations, and article influence scores compared to non-inclusive journals. Of the 29.8% of inclusive journals, the three most common domains were inclusion of an inclusivity statement (71.4% of inclusive journals), distinguishing between sex and gender (67.9%), and provision of additional educational resources on gender reporting for authors (60.7%). A minority of ophthalmology journals have gender-inclusive author submission guidelines. Ophthalmology journals should update their submission guidelines to advance gender equity of both authors and study participants and promote the inclusion of gender-diverse communities.

Religious labels and food preferences, but not country of origin, support opposing face aftereffects

Face templates can be experimentally manipulated, and category-contingent aftereffects suggest discrete templates across social groups. We tested whether 1) explicit religious labels, 2) food preferences, and 3) country of origin would support religion-contingent aftereffects across Christians and Muslims face sets. While viewing face images, ninety-three participants heard audio that stated either 1) a character's religious identity, 2) preferred food, or 3) country of origin. Participants viewed contracted Christian faces and expanded Muslim faces during the training phase. To measure adaptation, before and after the training phases, participants selected the face out of a pair of expanded and contracted Christian or Muslim faces that they found more attractive. Contingent aftereffects were found in the religious explicit (t(30) = 2.49, p = 0.02, Cohen's d = 0.58) and food conditions (t(30) = −3.77, p < 0.01, Cohen's d = −0.82), but not the country condition (t(30) = 1.64, p = 0.11, Cohen's d = 0.31). This suggests that religious labels and food preferences create socially meaningful groups, but country of origin does not. This is evidence of an impact of social categorization on visual processing.

RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 and rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease in European ancestry

Abstract Objective Recently, a genome-wide association identified an association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) and RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 in the Japanese population, especially for patients with a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern. We aimed to replicate this association in a European population and test for interaction with MUC5B rs35705950. Methods In this genetic case-control association study, cases with RA with ILD and controls with RA and no ILD were included from France, the US, and the Netherlands. Only cases and controls from European genetic ancestries determined by principal component analysis were included in the analyses. RA was defined by 1987 ACR or 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria and ILD by chest high-resolution CT scan, except in the control dataset from The Netherlands where the absence of ILD was determined by chart review. Patients were genotyped for RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 and MUC5B rs35705950. Associations were tested using logistic regression adjusted for sex, age at RA onset, age at ILD onset or at certified absence of ILD, tobacco smoking status, and country of origin. Results Among the 883 patients included, 322 were RA-ILD cases (36.5%). MUC5B rs35705950 was strongly associated with RA-ILD in all datasets: combined adjusted OR = 2.9, 95%CI [2.1–3.9], P = 1.1x1 0 −11. No association between RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 and RA-ILD was observed: combined OR = 1.2 95%CI [0.8–1.6], p = 0.31. No interaction was found between RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 and MUC5B rs35705950 (p = 0.70). Conclusion Our findings did not support a contribution of RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 to the overall RA-ILD susceptibility in the European population.

Ethical Challenges for Plastic Surgery in Treating Internationally Adopted Children With Cleft Lip and Palate.

A large number of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) were adopted to Sweden in the last decade, mainly from China. Most of the children arrived with unoperated palates and at later ages than earlier years. This article aims to present an overview of ethical challenges within the practice of international adoption of children with CLP from the perspective of plastic surgery in a welfare health care system. An overview of CLP treatment is presented, followed by a normative discussion and ethical analysis using the 4 principles of Beauchamp and Childress: non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, and justice. The following themes and subthemes were analyzed: the search for normality and the potential challenge of being adopted and having CLP-treatment autonomy of the child and future preferences, adoptive parents' expectations of plastic surgery, the journey of the adoptee and the adoptive parents; and general issues-reconstructive possibilities and consequences of CLP in the country of origin, information to the adoptive parents, health care needs, and reconstructive possibilities for children with CLP in the receiving country. Clinical implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.

Falsified and problematic methandienone products available online: active pharmaceutical ingredient identification by portable Raman spectrometers and quantification by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–Fourier transform mass spectrometry

This study aimed on the one hand to clarify the quality, authenticity, safety, and other issues related to products of the anabolic-androgenic steroid methandienone advertised on the Internet and personally imported to Japan and on the other hand to evaluate the use of two portable Raman spectrometers in identifying the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The study found that all n = 15 samples purchased from 14 websites were problematic regarding their package, labeling, and/or content. Specifically, one sample (6.7%) was confirmed falsified, twelve samples (80%) were found either to be falsified or unlicensed as pharmaceutical product, and two samples (13.3%) were received without information on the manufacturers’ physical address or country of origin, with one sample (6.7%) having no labeling or other accompanying information at all. Both Raman spectrometers were able to identify the API in all samples as confirmed and quantified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–Fourier transform mass spectrometry. Twelve samples contained on average less than 90% of the declared API content. By contacting national regulatory authorities in 44 countries, methandienone products were found to be approved in 1 country and not approved in 21 countries. To prevent health hazards and abuse, measures against the acquisition of anabolic-androgenic steroids from unknown sources are required. Portable Raman spectrometers may be suitable for the non-destructive and quick identification of methandienone in tablets.Graphical

Advances and trends in research on mathematical working spaces: A systematic review

This study addresses the research developed around the theory of mathematical working spaces (MWS). To this end, factors such as researchers’ country of origin are considered, as well as methodological characteristics, proposed objectives in each study, specific theoretical factors, and the links between MWS and other theoretical perspectives. This systematic review follows the guidelines stated by reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses for documenting each stage of the review. In total, 102 studies were considered from databases including Dialnet, SciElo, Scopus, and Web of Science. The results help to illustrate research trends in MWS theory, as well as the possibility of fertile ideas for new studies and future lines of research for those interested in this theoretical approach.

Disparities in stage at presentation for disaggregated Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) groups with breast cancer.

1119 Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death for AANHPI populations, who represent one of the most diverse and fastest-growing racial/ethnic groups in the US. Prior research has shown that AANHPI patients in aggregate have a lower risk of breast cancer than Non-Hispanic White (NHW) peers. However, within-group disparities in stage at presentation remain largely unexplored and are important given disparate access to primary care and cancer screening in certain populations. Methods: Data from 2004 to 2020 were extracted from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Patients were disaggregated into AANHPI subgroups based on indigenous history or country of origin. Ordinal logistic regression, adjusting for clinical and sociodemographic factors, was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs), with higher AORs signifying more advanced stage diagnoses, from Stage 0 to IV. Results: Out of 2,563,180 patients with breast cancer, 83,315 (3.25%) identified as AANHPI. Compared to NHW patients, AANHPI patients were younger (median age, NHW: 63 years vs. AANHPI: 58 years, χ2 P&lt;0.001) and more likely to be uninsured or on Medicaid (NHW: 51% vs. AANHPI: 58%, χ2 P&lt;0.001). The largest AANHPI subgroups were Chinese (n=18,708), Filipino (n=18,429), Indian/Pakistani (n=16,424), Korean (n=6,548), and Vietnamese (n=5,345). Stage 3 or 4 disease was more common among NHW than AANHPI patients (11.3% vs 10.7%, χ2 p&lt;0.001). In aggregate, AANHPI patients were less likely to present with later-stage disease (AOR: 0.88, 95% CI 0.87-0.90, p &lt; 0.001). AANHPI disaggregation revealed that Hawaiian (AOR 1.13, 95% CI 1.07–1.21, p &lt; 0.001), Hmong (AOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.34–2.60, p &lt; 0.001), Laotian (AOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.23–1.74, p &lt; 0.001), and Pacific Islander patients (AOR 1.25, 95% CI 1.16–1.34, p &lt; 0.001) were more likely to present at a more advanced stage relative to NHW patients. Relative to Chinese Americans (the largest AANHPI subgroup), all AANHPI patients were significantly more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage of disease. The largest odds were observed in Hmong (AOR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.87–3.62, p &lt; 0.001), Laotian (AOR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.68–2.39, p &lt; 0.001), Pacific Islander (AOR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.59–1.84, p &lt; 0.001), Hawaiian (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.44–1.65, p &lt; 0.001), and Kampuchean (AOR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.20–1.68, p &lt; 0.001) patients. Conclusions: This disaggregation study finds disparities in the stage of breast cancer at presentation across AANHPI groups, with patients of Hawaiian, Hmong, Laotian, and Pacific Islander descent more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages when treatments are more intense and cure less likely. Research which considers AANHPI patients as a monolith masks poor outcomes from disparate subgroups that could benefit from targeted, culturally tailored interventions that involve community leaders and leverage cultural norms.

A narrative review and update on drain related outbreaks.

Outbreaks linked to hospital drainage systems are well reported and continue to present challenges to incident management teams. Such outbreaks can be protracted and complex, with multi-modal strategies being required for remediation. The aim was to summarise recent drain related outbreaks, investigate whether multimodal control measures are being implemented and determine any antecedent factors. Databases were searched for drain related outbreaks over a five-year period. Search terms employed included healthcare drainage outbreaks; drain outbreaks;drainage system outbreaks; sink outbreaks; shower outbreaks . Information was collected on country of origin, pathogens involved, unit affected, drain types, patient numbers, drainage system interventions, type of drain disinfectant, infection control interventions, typing method, outcomes and any antecedent factors. Nineteen drain related outbreak papers were reviewed. The majority of incidents were due to Carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales (CPE) and were from critical care settings. Most (16/19) recognised the need for a multi-modal approach. Information on the success of interventions was not documented for all but 13/19 reported no further cases after control measures. Variation in the choice of agent and frequency of application exists with regards to drain disinfection. Seven studies discussed antecedent factors. Despite drain related outbreaks being reported for the last 24 years and review articles on the subject, outbreaks continue to pose significant challenges. There is currently no UK guidance on the management of drain related outbreaks or the design of new buildings to mitigate the risk. Addressing the challenges from hospital drainage systems should be considered a priority by agencies and guidance developers.

Socio-demographic and cross-country differences in attention to sustainable certifications and changes in food consumption

Food labeling can influence, sometimes facilitate, changes in consumer diets to support environmental sustainability and in response to climate change. However, a significant impediment to this dietary shift may arise from the consumers’ tendency to underestimate the environmental impact of their food choices and from their limited knowledge about sustainable certifications. These aspects are influenced by the characteristics and geographical affiliations of individuals. In such a context, the aim of this research has been to identify the main factors that drive the food purchasing frequency and the changes in food consumption associated with consumers’ concerns about climate change and interest in sustainable food certifications by comparing different food products and countries (Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, the USA, and China). A cross-country survey was conducted on 6500 consumers of various food products. The obtained mean scores were then compared, using generalized linear mixed-effect models, to evaluate the associations between the consumers’ food purchasing frequency, the importance of sustainable certifications, and changes in food consumption due to climate change concerns. Much of the variation in food consumption, purchasing behaviors, and interest in sustainable certifications was found to depend on such factors as age, gender, and country of origin. Indeed, Chinese consumers exhibited a heightened interest in sustainable food certifications, yet their consumption scores for all food products overall were higher. Conversely, adult and elderly Danish consumers demonstrated a decrease in the consumption of cheeses, meat, fruits, and vegetables, and their interest scores in all sustainable food certifications were lower. Despite the challenges posed by various consumers’ interests and minimal changes in food consumption patterns, our findings suggest that sustainable certifications present a promising avenue for straightforward interventions to promote the adoption of sustainable diets and to address climate change.

Origin associated with heterogeneity amongst Hispanic patients with breast cancer in the United States.

e23077 Background: There are over 50 million self-identifying Hispanics in the United States. This, however, represents a heterogenous population variably affected by an array of determinants of health, including race and insurance status. We used a national registry to investigate for significant differences in outcomes of Hispanic patients with breast cancer in the United States by country of origin. Methods: We identified a cohort of Hispanic patients in the United States with breast cancer for which origin was documented using the 2004-2019 National Cancer Database (NCDB) dataset. The NCDB delineates the following specific origins: Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, South or Central America (excluding Brazil), or the Dominican Republic. We performed multivariate logistic regression modeling to identify whether origin was a significant predictor of advanced cancer staging at diagnosis (AJCC stage III or IV), adjusting for age, race, receptor subtype, histology, grade, insurance status, and facility type. Consequently, we used Cox Regression survival modeling to investigate whether overall survival (OS) differed by Hispanic origin after adjusting for stage at diagnosis and other confounders of survival: age, race, stage at diagnosis, receptor subtype, and systemic therapy received. Results: Of the identified n = 60,438 Hispanic patients with breast cancer in the United States: n = 26,800 (44.3%) had Mexican, n = 9,792 (16.2%) had Puerto Rican, n = 5,283 (8.8%) had Cuban, n = 14,381 (23.8%) had South/Central American, and n = 4,172 (6.9%) had Dominican Republic origins. After adjusting for the aforementioned covariates, we found that origin was a significant predictor of staging at diagnosis (p &lt; 0.001). Patients originally from Mexico were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages compared to patients from Puerto Rico (OR 1.31; 95% CI, 1.18-1.46; p &lt; 0.001). We also identified that origin was a significant predictor of overall survival in this cohort even when controlling for various confounders, including stage at diagnosis. Compared to patients from Puerto Rico, patients from Central/South America (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.70-0.88, p &lt; 0.001) and patients from the Dominican Republic (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.65-0.92, p = 0.003) exhibited significantly improved overall survival. There was no statistically-significant survival difference between patients from Mexico and patients from Puerto Rico. Conclusions: This real-world analysis showed that, for Hispanic individuals living in the US with breast cancer, origin is significantly associated with outcomes even after accounting for other known determinants of health. We suggest that region of origin should be studied further as a potential determinant of outcomes in patients with cancer.

Diversifying analytical categories for studying youth with and without migration background: an example of mobility-based categories

This article develops mobility-based categories for studying young people with and without a migration background. Most research on migrant youth uses the category of ethnicity, defined by a young person’s country of origin or that of their parents, or the category of generation, with migrants defined as first, second or 1.5 generation. But these categories hide the mobility that young people engage in, both for those youth who have migration in their biographies and those who do not. Mobility can entail migration, but also other kinds of trips such as study abroad, vacations, gap years, and family visits. In a globalising world the ability of young people to move is increasingly a marker of difference and therefore needs to be considered when studying young people’s lives. Using insights from the transnational and mobilities turns in the social sciences, this article argues that we need to develop new analytical categories that capture the various ways in which young people are mobile. Such mobility-based categories promise to shed light on young people’s lives in three ways. First such categories allow investigation of various elements of commonality and difference between youth, irrespective of where they or their parents come from. They allow us to go beyond the nation-state lens that still guides most large-scale migration research and to explore within-group differences. Second, mobility-based categories take young people’s past and present mobilities into account, allowing a temporal understanding of how mobility affects their lives. Finally, mobility-based categories are a way to operationalize the notion that mobility entails a process rather than a one-time move. The article explores what mobility-based categories could look like, based on a recent, large-N, primary data collection project on secondary-school student’s mobility in three European countries and one African one.

Hard-to-reach schools? Discrimination experienced by parents with a migrant background. A participatory research approach

ABSTRACT This study investigated the discrimination experienced by parents with a migrant background in German schools. For this, we shifted the perspective from speaking about to speaking with parents using the critical incident technique as a participatory research approach. The sample included 40 parents from 20 countries of origin, with different languages of origin who had lived in Germany for between two and ten years. The most frequently reported experiences were of low expectations of competence, stereotypical attributions and the deliberate withholding of information. Parents described the pathologising of behaviours due to their family backgrounds that was equated with problem behaviour and the need for treatment. Additionally, school staff alleged that parents were unable or unwilling to support their children in academic matters, giving their ‘migrant status’ as justification. Schools did not offer opportunities for clarification or made it a requirement to seek expert opinion on a child’s mental health before providing opportunities for clarification. Further discriminatory effects, such as the outcomes of self-fulfilling prophecies; feelings of humiliation, helplessness and exclusion; and the fear of being disadvantaged, became evident, which exhausted families mentally and physically. The discussed implications aim at establishing concepts that raise awareness of discrimination and the consequences.

Re-imagining African millennials’ brand buying and distribution channel selection behaviour in a technologically disrupted world

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the factors that influence millennial purchase behaviour, brand choice and distribution channel selection in an evolving technology-driven environment. Design/methodology/approach The study was exploratory, using qualitative methods of personal interviews and some ethnographic observations to collect data from 585 millennials from ten cities in nine African countries. Findings Findings from the study confirm and support the critical role of e-commerce in facilitating millennials engagement with brands, highlighting how brand purchases are integral to their lifestyle choices. There is an overwhelming confirmation of the importance of influencer marketing and social media in shaping purchase decisions, with new insights into the role of local micro-influencers and social networks. The findings from the study highlight the pivotal role of a brand’s country of origin in influencing millennials’ brand preferences. The study supports and advances insights into the importance of online shopping and diverse factors influencing millennials’ selection of distribution channels. Practical implications There is an opportunity to leverage the growing mobile telephone penetration and social media usage to develop innovative integrated marketing communications strategies. There are opportunities for co-creating marketing communication campaigns with millennials in different settings. These are outlined in the practical implications section. Originality/value The paper is based on original empirical data collected from ten countries and explores the behaviour of a growing but under-researched segment of millennials in Africa.

Unauthentic Information About Celiac Disease on Social Networking Pages: Is It a Matter of Concern in Celiac Disease Management?

Facebook (FB) is the most popular online networking platform. Many celiac disease Facebook (CD-FB) pages spread awareness about celiac disease (CD). To get the latest information, patients with CD frequently follow such pages. However, little is known about whether such pages provide authentic and reliable information. This study aims to investigate whether CD-FB pages spread misleading information to patients with CD. On the Facebook social networking platform, CD-FB pages created in three celiac-prevalent countries (Italy, the USA, and India) were explored using different combinations of keywords. The type/category of the CD-FB page, country of origin, purpose, page web link, and number of followers/members were documented in a Microsoft spreadsheet. All posts distributed on selected CD-FB pages in the last 3 years were thoroughly screened. From August 2022 to March 2023, a total of 200 CD-FB pages from Italy, the USA, and India were explored. Out of these 200 pages, 155 CD-FB (Italy 70; the USA 46; India 39) were found eligible. Of them, 20 (13%) CD-FB pages (Italy 4; the USA 5; India 11) shared misleading information about CD. Surprisingly, 11 (8%) of these 20 pages (Italy 0; the USA 2; India 9) supported alternative treatment options for CD. CD-FB pages are useful for disseminating celiac-disease-related information. While most such pages provide useful information, 13% of CD-FB pages allow misleading information. Patients with CD should consult their treating unit before following any uncertain information posted on CD-FB pages.

Data driven food fraud vulnerability assessment using Bayesian Network: Spices supply chain

Recognizing the vulnerabilities that arise in the spices' supply chain for food fraud, determining which products and food fraud types to assess is crucial for ensuring food quality and food safety. In this study, we developed a data driven food fraud vulnerability assessment approach based on a Bayesian Network (BN) and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to predict the food fraud vulnerability level for products entering Europe including the food fraud types and potential adulterants for each step in the supply chain. The BN model was developed using a dataset based on spice-related fraud cases reported in the European Union (EU) Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) over the period 2005–2020. Three use cases were explored in the study: chilli, black pepper, and turmeric. The model showed a prediction accuracy higher than 95%. The vulnerability factors in the spices’ supply chain having the highest prediction accuracy for fraud are closely associated with the product concerned, the site of intervention and the country of origin of the product. A food fraud vulnerability assessment approach developed in this study could support the food industry and authorities to be more efficient in resource allocation for monitoring and verification whilst maximising their opportunity in detecting a fraudulent product.

Binational Identities and Experiences of Discrimination in the Context of Migration: The Role of Transnational Family Ties and Practices

ABSTRACT Previous research suggests that migrants develop binational identities – a sense of belonging to both their country of origin and of settlement. These identities, in turn, are determined by the way they are treated by the majority population of the receiving society. This article aims to contribute nuance to these understandings of binational identities and experiences of origin-based discrimination in migrants by bringing in a further perspective: transnationalism. In particular, we suggest that transnational family ties and practices increase migrants’ sense of belonging to their country of origin and additionally moderate the impact of origin-based discrimination on the sense of belonging to the country of origin and settlement. We test these hypotheses based on a representative survey among the migrant population in Germany. While findings confirm the hypothesis regarding a direct relationship between transnational family ties and practices and sense of belonging, the moderation hypothesis was not confirmed. Instead, by tendency the relationship is more pronounced among participants without transnational family ties and practices. Findings highlight the importance of the transnational perspective to further contextualize the relationship of origin-based discrimination to binational identities among migrants, thus to investigate the role of social context in binational identity formation.

Playing Kioku Reduces Loneliness in Older Adults: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: Playing together increases social connectedness, and it may be a tool to reduce loneliness. Research into the mental health benefits of board games is underdeveloped. Objectives: The study aims to examine the effects of the Kioku board game on well-being outcomes. The Kioku board game was developed in order to enable small group interactions with a focus on encouraging participants to create stories through mutual attention and interaction. We hypothesized that following a weekly intervention for 12 weeks, players would report a decrease in loneliness and an increase in well-being, compared with nonplayers. Methods: During the summer of 2022, participants in groups of 4-5 players, chose a cube word and narrated a story. A sample of 151 older adults (Mean age = 75.05 ± 6.46 years) recruited from seven community activity centers in Israel was assigned by block randomization to an intervention (n = 72) or a control group (n = 79), awaiting 4-6 weeks for future participation. Loneliness (UCLA loneliness scale) and well-being (World Health Organization 5-item scale) were evaluated at baseline and at 12 weeks. Results: A two-way repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (Group × Time) controlling for age, country of origin, and marital status revealed significant interaction effects for loneliness [F(1, 146) = 178.04, n2 = 0.549, P < 0.001] and well-being [F(1, 146) = 69.14, n2 = 0.321, P < 0.001]. Loneliness decreased in the intervention group (mean difference: 0.62 points, P < 0.001), and increased in the control group (mean difference: 0.18 points, P = 0.001). Well-being increased in the intervention group (mean difference: 0.79 points, P < 0.001) and decreased in the control group (mean difference: 0.20 points, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings support the effectiveness of the Kioku board game intervention for decreasing loneliness and promoting well-being in older adults, who might still be coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.