Three new species of Eurystethus from Brazil (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

The Heteroptera (true bugs) and its fourth-largest family Pentatomidae (stink bugs) are worldwide distributed groups with higher diversity in the tropics. The pentatomid subfamily Discocephalinae is almost restricted to the Neotropical Region, and it is divided into the tribes Discocephalini and Ochlerini. Eurystethus Mayr, 1864 is placed within Discocephalini and comprises 18 species, 16 out of them classified into two subgenera. Here we describe Eurystethus jo sp. nov., Eurystethus multipunctatus sp. nov., and Eurystethus rufodorsatus sp. nov., all occurring in Brazil, compare them to other species and provide a distribution map.

Predicative possession across Western Iranian languages

This paper offers a first systematic investigation of predicative possessive constructions across Western Iranian languages. The notion of possession is conceived as a prototypical domain. It is shown that investigated languages are classified into two major areally distributed groups with respect to predicative possessive constructions: (i) “be”-verb languages, (ii) “have”-verb languages. “Have”-possessives, which originated from “action schema”, are argued to have superseded the archaic “be”-possessives, which trigger a non-canonical marking of the possessor argument. However, “have”-verb languages have preserved relics of the older “be”-possessive in some neighbouring domains to possession. In addition, two languages exhibit possession split and are in transition from “be”-possession to “have”-possession: these languages demonstrate the effect of alienability/inalienability in such a split.

An exploratory study of cohesion among co-located and virtual members of virtual, partially distributed groups

This study provides insight into the factors of cohesion and its development in virtual, partially distributed groups. This qualitative exploratory research design examined how co-located and virtual group participants experienced cohesion. Participants were part of a doctoral cohort. Data was gathered using a demographic survey and individual interviews. Data analysis was accomplished through open, focused, and axial coding using constant comparison and inductive reasoning to identify categories. Findings indicate virtual and co-located participants expressed a sense of cohesion in both task and social areas. Factors of task cohesion include having a shared goal, a commitment to goal achievement and overcoming challenges. Factors of social cohesion include identification with group members, open communication, sharing personal life information and informal socializing which were all components of relationship building. Virtual participants were more focused on factors affecting individual task cohesion (commitment to goal) and individual social cohesion (identification with other members) than those impacting group cohesion. Practitioners should consider using a strengths assessment when forming a new group. They should also provide group dynamics resources and clearly defined group objectives.

Colobops : a juvenile rhynchocephalian reptile (Lepidosauromorpha), not a diminutive archosauromorph with an unusually strong bite

Correctly identifying taxa at the root of major clades or the oldest clade-representatives is critical for meaningful interpretations of evolution. A small, partially crushed skull from the Late Triassic (Norian) of Connecticut, USA, originally described as an indeterminate rhynchocephalian saurian, was recently named Colobops noviportensis and reinterpreted as sister to all remaining Rhynchosauria, one of the earliest and globally distributed groups of herbivorous reptiles. It was also interpreted as having an exceptionally reinforced snout and powerful bite based on an especially large supratemporal fenestra. Here, after a re-analysis of the original scan data, we show that the skull was strongly dorsoventrally compressed post-mortem, with most bones out of life position. The cranial anatomy is consistent with that of other rhynchocephalian lepidosauromorphs, not rhynchosaurs. The ‘reinforced snout' region and the ‘exceptionally enlarged temporal region’ are preservational artefacts and not exceptional among clevosaurid rhynchocephalians. Colobops is thus not a key taxon for understanding diapsid feeding apparatus evolution.

A Framework for Assessing Democratic Qualities in Collaborative Economy Platforms: Analysis of 10 Cases in Barcelona

The term “collaborative economy” or “collaborative economy platforms” refers to exchange, sharing, and collaboration in the consumption and production of capital and labor among distributed groups, supported by a digital platform. Collaborative economies’ use is growing rapidly and exponentially, creating high expectations of sustainability and their potential to contribute to the democratization of the economy. However, collaborative economy platforms lack a holistic framework to assess their sustainability and pro-democratization qualities. In addition, there is confusion about platforms which present themselves as collaborative when they actually are not, and similar uncertainties and ambiguities are associated with diverse models. To address this confusion, this article provides a framework for assessing the pro-democratic qualities of collaborative economy initiatives. It was applied to 10 cases in the context of the city of Barcelona. The methods used in this study include mapping and typifying 10 collaborative economy cases in the city, structured and in-depth interviews, and a co-creation session. The results indicate the presence of several modalities for favoring democratic values in a collaborative economy.