The product life cycle revisited: an integrative review and research agenda

Purpose This paper aims to respond to calls in academia for an update of the product lifecycle (PLC). Through a systematic literature review, the authors provide an updated agenda, which aims to advance the PLC concept in research, teaching and practice. Design/methodology/approach The authors started by surveying 101 marketing academics globally to ascertain whether a PLC update was viewed necessary and beneficial in the marketing community and thereafter conducted citation analysis of marketing research papers and textbooks to ascertain PLC usage. The subsequent literature review methodology was split into two sections. First, 97 empirical articles were reviewed based on an evaluative framework. Second, research pertaining to the PLC determinants were assessed and discussed. Findings From the results of this review and primary data from marketing academics, the authors find that the method of predicting the PLC based on past sales has been largely unsuccessful and perceived as somewhat outdated. However, a new stream of PLC literature is emerging, which takes a consumer-centric perspective to the PLC and has seen more success at modeling lifecycles in various industries. Research limitations/implications First, the study outlines the most contemporary and successful methodological approaches to modeling the PLC. Namely, the use of artificial intelligence, big data, demand modeling and consumer psychological mechanisms. Second, it provides several future research avenues using modern market trends such as sustainability, globalization, digitization and Covid-19 to push the PLC into the 21st century. Originality/value The PLC has shown to be resolutely popular in management application and education. However, without a continued effort in academic PLC research to update the knowledge around the concept, its use as a productive management tool will likely become outdated. This study provides a necessary and comprehensive literature update resulting in actionable future research and teaching agendas intended to advance the PLC concept into the modern market context.

High Prevalence of Pre-Existing Liver Abnormalities Identified Via Autopsies in COVID-19: Identification of a New Silent Risk Factor?

A high prevalence of hepatic pathology (in 17 of 19 cases) was reported in post-mortem (PM) examinations of COVID-19 patients, undertaken between March 2020 and February 2021 by a single autopsy pathologist in two English Coronial jurisdictions. The patients in our cohort demonstrated high levels of recognised COVID-19 risk factors, including hypertension (8/16, 50%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (8/16, 50%) and evidence of arteriopathy 6/16 (38%). Hepatic abnormalities included steatosis (12/19; 63%), moderate to severe venous congestion (5/19; 26%) and cirrhosis (4/19; 21%). A subsequent literature review indicated a significantly increased prevalence of steatosis (49%), venous congestion (34%) and cirrhosis (9.3%) in COVID-19 PM cases, compared with a pre-pandemic PM cohort (33%, 16%, and 2.6%, respectively), likely reflecting an increased mortality risk in SARS-CoV-2 infection for patients with pre-existing liver disease. To corroborate this observation, we retrospectively analysed the admission liver function test (LFT) results of 276 consecutive, anonymised COVID-19 hospital patients in our centre, for whom outcome data were available. Of these patients, 236 (85.5%) had significantly reduced albumin levels at the time of admission to hospital, which was likely indicative of pre-existing chronic liver or renal disease. There was a strong correlation between patient outcome (length of hospital admission or death) and abnormal albumin at the time of hospital admission (p = 0.000012). We discuss potential mechanisms by which our observations of hepatic dysfunction are linked to a risk of COVID-19 mortality, speculating on the importance of recently identified anti-interferon antibodies.

The Letter to Nebetitef on her First Intermediate Period Stela in the Michael C. Carlos Museum

This paper offers a publication of the stela of Nebetitef with a letter to the deceased owner of the stela on the back. The letter was first published by Edward Wente more than four decades ago after he had seen it briefly in the Cairo Museum, and this publication has formed the basis for all subsequent discussions of the letter, in which the writer notably refers to wishing to see the deceased in a dream. A study of the front of the stela along with a re-examination of the hieratic letter, under more favourable circumstances than those available to Wente, yields new insights into the letter, its writers and its recipient. In particular, the re-examination calls into question Wente’s original identification, followed almost unanimously in the subsequent literature, of the main writer of the letter as the husband of the deceased, altering the social backdrop for the interpretation of the letter.

Citation Patterns Following a Strongly Contradictory Replication Result: Four Case Studies From Psychology

Replication studies that contradict prior findings may facilitate scientific self-correction by triggering a reappraisal of the original studies; however, the research community’s response to replication results has not been studied systematically. One approach for gauging responses to replication results is to examine how they affect citations to original studies. In this study, we explored postreplication citation patterns in the context of four prominent multilaboratory replication attempts published in the field of psychology that strongly contradicted and outweighed prior findings. Generally, we observed a small postreplication decline in the number of favorable citations and a small increase in unfavorable citations. This indicates only modest corrective effects and implies considerable perpetuation of belief in the original findings. Replication results that strongly contradict an original finding do not necessarily nullify its credibility; however, one might at least expect the replication results to be acknowledged and explicitly debated in subsequent literature. By contrast, we found substantial citation bias: The majority of articles citing the original studies neglected to cite relevant replication results. Of those articles that did cite the replication but continued to cite the original study favorably, approximately half offered an explicit defense of the original study. Our findings suggest that even replication results that strongly contradict original findings do not necessarily prompt a corrective response from the research community.

Predictive Factors for Hypertrophy of the Future Liver Remnant After Portal Vein Embolization: A Systematic Review

This systematic review was conducted to determine factors that are associated with the degree of hypertrophy of the future liver remnant following portal vein embolization. An extensive search on September 15, 2020, and subsequent literature screening resulted in the inclusion of forty-eight articles with 3368 patients in qualitative analysis, of which 18 studies were included in quantitative synthesis. Meta-analyses based on a limited number of studies showed an increase in hypertrophy response when additional embolization of segment 4 was performed (pooled difference of medians = − 3.47, 95% CI − 5.51 to − 1.43) and the use of N-butyl cyanoacrylate for portal vein embolization induced more hypertrophy than polyvinyl alcohol (pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.60, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.91). There was no indication of a difference in degree of hypertrophy between patients who received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and those who did not receive pre-procedural systemic therapy(pooled SMD = − 0.37, 95% CI − 1.35 to 0.61), or between male and female patients (pooled SMD = 0.19, 95% CI − 0.12 to 0.50).The study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews on April 28, 2020 (CRD42020175708).

Using market mechanism to stimulate sustainable use of the non-renewable environmental resource (groundwater) in Barind Tract of Bangladesh

Agriculture, the main economic driver of Barind Tract, is highly dependent on groundwater for surface water paucity in the area. Notwithstanding, farmers use water capriciously due to its low price that makes a substantial drop in the water table. In this context, the research attempts to determine a market-based water pricing mechanism to encourage an optimal use of the scarce non-renewable resource. Required data was collected by questionnaire survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Contingent Valuation Method, expert-opinion survey and subsequent literature works. The results reveal that depletion level has arrived at 20, 11, 7.5 feet in high, mid and low tract respectively over the last 22 years, which results in a number of economic-environmental externalities in the area. The research monetarily evaluated the cost of externalities and incorporated it with the marginal cost of extraction to increase efficiency of an existing pricing system. Regarding human reaction to price elasticity, the new price can be a reliable attempt to reduce an overconsumption pattern of water. Quantity of consumed water can be reduced to 14190.4 m3, 17759.59 m3 and 38510.6 m3 in a year in high, mid and low tract area respectively with its implementation. The research will serve as an initiative to conserve the valuable groundwater resource for future generations by managing consumer practice.

Post-replication citation patterns in psychology: Four case studies

Replication studies that contradict prior findings may facilitate scientific self-correction by triggering a reappraisal of the original studies; however, the research community's response to replication results has not been studied systematically. One approach for gauging responses to replication results is to examine how they impact citations to original studies. In this study, we explored post-replication citation patterns in the context of four prominent multi-laboratory replication attempts published in the field of psychology that strongly contradicted and outweighed prior findings. Generally, we observed a small post-replication decline in the number of favourable citations and a small increase in unfavourable citations. This indicates only modest corrective effects and implies considerable perpetuation of belief in the original findings. Replication results that strongly contradict an original finding do not necessarily nullify its credibility; however, one might at least expect the replication results to be acknowledged and explicitly debated in subsequent literature. By contrast, we found substantial citation bias: the majority of articles citing the original studies neglected to cite relevant replication results. Of those articles that did cite the replication, but continued to cite the original study favourably, approximately half offered an explicit defence of the original study. Our findings suggest that even replication results that strongly contradict original findings do not necessarily prompt a corrective response from the research community.

Nature of the Universe: Astrophysical Paradigm Shifts

Over my lifetime I have witnessed the decline of scientific capability and integrity in the physical sciences. When a new idea arises, it should be discussed and debated. Attempts should be made to refute the new idea; otherwise, it should be cited in subsequent literature. That is the way science progresses, not by attempting to suppress a new idea or failing that, to ignore it. But all too often, in instances of discoveries or insights that might cause major paradigm shifts, suppression or non-recognition is what happens. Here, I describe, from a first-person perspective, several paradigm shifts in astrophysics that have been systematically ignored, including the thermonuclear ignition of stars, the nature of dark matter, why vast numbers of galaxies have just a few prominent patterns of luminous stars, the origin of chemical elements, and a new speculation about the nature of the Universe.

Virtual Reality Support for Dental Treatment Premedication

The objective is to short review the current state of the art of virtual reality medical application in term of minimal invasive dentistry. An outline of the most important aspects of virtual reality has been created, and a subsequent literature search for articles related was conducted. The current state of the art of virtual reality includes a variety of applications, among others premedication, analgesics, anaesthetics plays an important role in informatics medicine. There is a growing consensus regarding the need to develop knowledge and possible introduce virtual reality as a non-pharmacological support for dental treatment.

Piety, Pietism, and German Pietism: Sefer Ḥasidim I and the Influence of Ḥasidei Ashkenaz

This chapter investigates the the differences between Sefer Ḥasidim I (sections 1–152) and Sefer Ḥasidim. No less striking than the absence of retson ha-Borè (the Will of the Creator), asceticism, and other defining themes of the Pietist movement is the parallel absence in SH I of exempla, which abound in the other sections of Sefer Ḥasidim. Over the course of time, different editors appended SH I to various collections of material of Sefer Ḥasidim, always taking care that SH I opened the collection, ensuring that the reader would first encounter not the startling tenets of Ḥasidei Ashkenaz but rather page after page of conventional pietistic discourse on love of God, fear of God, humility, and so on. It is remarkable to what extent SH I and those passages in Sefer Ḥasidim that were in the spirit of SH I shaped the historical image of Ḥasidei Ashkenaz. Study of the influence of Sefer Ḥasidim on the subsequent literature of Ashkenaz, whether halakhic or ethical, shows that not only were the new ritual world of retson ha-Borè or the book's radical social teachings wholly without influence, but also that they went literally unnoted.