Alignment of Consumers' Expected Brain Benefits from Food and Supplements with Measurable Cognitive Performance Tests.

Consumers often cite cognitive improvements as reasons for making dietary changes or using dietary supplements, a motivation that if leveraged could greatly enhance public health. However, rarely is it considered whether standardized cognitive tests that are used in nutrition research are aligned to outcomes of interest to the consumer. This knowledge gap presents a challenge to the scientific substantiation of nutrition-based cognitive health benefits. Here we combined focus group transcript review using reflexive thematic analysis and a multidisciplinary expert panel exercise to evaluate the applicability of cognitive performance tools/tasks for substantiating the specific cognitive benefits articulated by consumers with the objectives to (1) understand how consumers comprehend the potential benefits of nutrition for brain health, and (2) determine the alignment between consumers desired brain benefits and validated tests and tools. We derived a 'Consumer Taxonomy of Cognitive and Affective Health in Nutrition Research' which describes the cognitive and affective structure from the consumers perspective. Experts agreed that validated tests exist for some consumer benefits including focused attention, sustained attention, episodic memory, energy levels, and anxiety. Prospective memory, flow, and presence represented novel benefits that require the development and validation of new tests and tools. Closing the gap between science and consumers and fostering co-creative approaches to nutrition research are critical to the development of products and dietary recommendations that support realizable cognitive benefits that benefit public health.

Effects of discounting fruits, vegetables, and noncaloric beverages in New York City supermarkets on purchasing, intake, and weight.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess purchasing, intake, and weight after discounting fruits and vegetables (F&V) and noncaloric beverages in New York City supermarkets. METHODS: A 16-week randomized controlled trial was conducted with a 4-week baseline, an 8-week intervention with 50% discounts on F&V and noncaloric beverages, and a 4-week follow-up. Purchasing was tracked via loyalty cards, and intake was tracked via 24-h dietary recalls. Weights were measured at five in-person visits. RESULTS: Data from 67 participants were analyzed (38 in the experimental group; 29 in the control group). F&V and noncaloric beverage weekly purchasing was greater in the experimental than the control group (mean difference [SD], $4.64 [$1.44], p < 0.0001; $0.53 [$0.39], p = 0.008) during intervention, with F&V purchasing remaining greater in the experimental versus control group during follow-up (p = 0.005). F&V intake was greater for the experimental than the control group during intervention (142 [105] g/day; p = 0.009) and follow-up (p = 0.001). Although no difference in noncaloric beverage consumption was observed between groups, there was lower alcohol intake in the experimental than the control group during follow-up (-85.8 [60.2] g/day; p = 0.004). The experimental group lost weight compared with the control group (-1.33 [0.92] kg; p = 0.006 intervention and p = 0.106 follow-up). No differences in nutrient composition or high energy-dense product consumption were found. CONCLUSIONS: A 50% discount on F&V and noncaloric beverages promoted increased purchasing and intake of F&V and induced weight loss.

The impact of an eco-score label on US consumers' perceptions of environmental sustainability and intentions to purchase food: A randomized experiment.

Front-of-package labels indicating a product's environmental footprint (i.e., eco-score labels) offer promise to shift consumers towards more sustainable food choices. This study aimed to understand whether eco-score labels impacted consumers' perceptions of environmental sustainability and intentions to purchase sustainable and unsustainable foods. US parents (n = 1,013) completed an online experiment in which they were shown 8 food products (4 sustainable and 4 unsustainable). Participants were randomized to a control (n = 503, barcode on product packaging) or eco-score label group (n = 510, eco-score label on product packaging). The eco-score label was color-coded with a grade of A-F based on the product's environmental footprint, where "A" indicates relative sustainability and "F" indicates relative unsustainability. Participants rated each product's environmental sustainability and their future likelihood of purchase. We used multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models and examined moderation by product category and sociodemographic characteristics. The eco-score label lowered perceived sustainability of unsustainable products by 13% in relative terms or -0.4 in absolute terms (95% CI -0.5, -0.3; p<0.001). The eco-score label increased perceived sustainability of sustainable products by 16% in relative terms or 0.6 in absolute terms (95% CI 0.5, 0.7, p<0.001). Effects on purchase intentions were smaller, with a 6% decrease for unsustainable products (p = 0.001) and an 8% increase for sustainable products (p<0.001). For unsustainable products, the effect of eco-score labels on sustainability perceptions was greater for older adults, men, participants with higher educational attainment, and participants with higher incomes. For sustainable products, the effect of ecolabels on sustainability perceptions was greater for those with higher educational attainment. Eco-score labels have the potential to direct consumers towards more sustainable products. Future studies should investigate eco-score label effectiveness on behavioral outcomes.

Unveiling the adoption of metaverse technology in Bangkok metropolitan areas: A UTAUT2 perspective with social media marketing and consumer engagement.

As the metaverse emerges as a transformative digital realm, its adoption and integration into various aspects of society are subjects of increasing scholarly and practical interest. This research investigated the factors influencing the intention to use metaverse technology (IU) in Bangkok metropolitan areas, with a particular focus on the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) framework, alongside the role of social media marketing (SMM) and consumer engagement (CE). To verify behavioral intention, gender, age, and experience are proposed as moderating factors affecting the constructs on individuals' behavioral intention of metaverse technology usage. The study collected data from 403 Thai internet users living in Bangkok and its surrounding areas using an online questionnaire. Subsequently, the PLS-SEM method was employed to validate the research model's robustness and reliability. Structural model analysis revealed significant relationships among constructs, highlighting SMM's direct influence on UTAUT2 (ß = 0.787) and CE (ß = 0.211). Serial mediation analyzes demonstrated a fully mediating role of SMM influencing UI through CE (ß = 0.572) and UTAUT2 (ß = 0.306). Moderation analyzes revealed the association between SMM and IU, mediated through UTAUT2 and CE, is moderated by age and experience. Additionally, the integration of PLS-SEM and artificial neural network (ANN) models underscored the accuracy and predictive power of the proposed framework. The findings of this study not only contribute to academic literature but also offer practical implications for marketers aiming to navigate the metaverse landscape effectively. They emphasize the pivotal role of UTAUT2 constructs and the subtle interplay between SMM, CE, and IU in shaping successful marketing strategies.

A digital study on predictive factors for Instagram users' engagement with amber necklace-related posts.

AIM: This study aimed to assess the engagement of Instagram users with Brazilian Portuguese posts related to amber necklaces for teething symptoms relief, identifying predictive factors that can increase users' engagement with information and misinformation. METHODS: This digital study analysed Brazilian Portuguese amber necklace-related posts on Instagram. The posts were collected using specific search strategies on CrowdTangleTM. Subsequently, two independent investigators were trained and calibrated to categorise the posts concerning the proposed outcomes. The posts were categorised according to their facticity (information or misinformation), type of media (album/photo or video/Instagram TV), sentiment (positive, neutral, or negative), author's occupation (dentist or non-dentist), and type of profile (commercial or personal). Additionally, investigators compiled information about the time of publication (days) and interaction metrics (total interaction and overperforming score). The statistical analysis assessed the inter-examiner reliability, group comparisons, and the factors associated with interaction and misinformation. P values <0.05 were considered significant. CONCLUSION: Videos and personal profiles were predictive factors for higher user engagement with amber necklace posts on teething symptoms relief on Instagram, even with the warnings of health organisations and the lack of scientific evidence to confirm its efficacy.

Analysis of rural broadband adoption dynamics: A theory-driven agent-based model.

Demand for broadband internet has far outpaced its availability. In addition, the "new normal" imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic has further disadvantaged unserved and underserved areas. To address this challenge, federal and state agencies are funding internet service providers (ISPs) to deploy broadband infrastructure in these areas. To support goals to provide broadband service to as many people as possible as quickly as possible, policymakers and ISPs may benefit from better tools to predict take rates and formulate effective strategies to increase the adoption of high-speed internet. However, there is typically insufficient data available to understand consumer attitudes. We propose using an agent-based model grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, a behavioral theory that explains the consumer's decision-making process. The model simulates residential broadband adoption by capturing the effect of market competition, broadband service attributes, and consumer characteristics. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this type of tool via a use case in Missouri to show how simulation results can inform predictions of broadband adoption. In the model, broadband take rates increase as the presence of existing internet users in the area increases and price decreases. With further development, this type of simulation can guide decision-making for infrastructure and digital literacy investment based on demand as well as support the design of market subsidies that aim to reduce the digital divide.

The relationships between the multidimensional planned behavior model, green brand awareness, green marketing activities, and purchase intention.

INTRODUCTION: This study investigates the determinants impacting consumer purchasing behavior. METHODS: Utilizing multidimensional planned behavior theory alongside measures of brand awareness and green brand awareness, this study examines the mediating role of multidimensional planned behavior theory. Empirical data were gathered through a survey conducted among Generation Z university students, yielding 638 responses. Analysis was performed on 590 valid responses. RESULTS: Findings indicate that green marketing initiatives and green brand awareness positively influence consumers' purchase intentions. Subdimensions of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), namely, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, serve to strengthen these relationships and mediate the interaction process. CONCLUSION: This study contributes novel insights to the burgeoning field of green marketing literature, offering a structural model for firms and policymakers. It suggests that companies can effectively engage in informal consumer education through green marketing efforts, thereby influencing consumers' purchasing decisions via planned behavior. Moreover, such activities foster an increase in consumers' green brand awareness, providing companies with an opportunity to promote conscious consumer behavior. The study's utilization of the TPB is both timely and original, particularly in its alignment with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Synergistic effect of combining umami substances enhances perceived saltiness.

Umami substances have the potential to enhance the perception of saltiness and thus reduce sodium intake. Two sensory evaluation experiments were conducted, involving participants tasting salt solutions, and solutions with added umami substances at equal sodium concentrations. Umami substances included sodium glutamate (MSG), disodium inosinate (IMP), and the combination of them which has a synergistic effect and is a closer match to commonly-consumed foods. In Experiment 1, using the two-alternative forced-choice (2-AFC) method by 330 consumers, paired comparisons were conducted at three different sodium concentrations. The combination of MSG and IMP enhanced the perception of saltiness (p < .001 in the difference test), whereas presenting either umami substance in isolation failed to do so (p > .05 in the similarity test). Significant order effects occurred in paired comparisons. In Experiment 2, a two-sip time-intensity (TI) analysis with trained panellists verified these results and found that tasting MSG and IMP either simultaneously or successively enhanced saltiness perception at equal sodium concentrations. These findings indicate that the synergistic effect of umami substances may be the cause of saltiness enhancement, and represents a potential strategy for sodium reduction while satisfying the consumer demand for saltiness perception. Considering the application in food processing and in food pairing, umami substances can potentially be used to help to reduce salt intake in food consumption.

Exploring food and beverage pairing from a cross-cultural projective mapping.

Culture is a well-known driver of food choices, and therefore, it could also impact food pairing preferences. Food pairing has been studied from different approaches; however, little cross-cultural research has been done. This work explored food and beverage pairing using projective mapping (PM) to create maps of food-beverage combinations. Four countries (Mexico, Argentina, France, and Norway), thirty foods, and six beverages were selected. PM was carried out through an online study in each country. Participants were asked to map foods together with beverages following the instruction that foods and beverages closer together represented a good combination. The coordinates of each product were analyzed through Multiple Factorial Analyses (MFA) by countries. The first four factors of each MFA were used to perform RV coefficients to test similarities in food-beverage pairings between the countries. Finally, a k-means clustering was performed on the beverage coordinates of each MFA. PM provided maps representing food and beverage pairings for each country in which the proximity between food-beverages represented a good combination according to consumers. RV coefficients between countries were low, showing that food-beverage pairings were not similar across countries, evidencing the cultural effect in food-drink combinations. Results from the k-means clustering showed some similarities and differences between countries. In general, the food-beverage pairing was effectively explored with PM, from which several differences and similarities were found within cultures.

Consumer Perception of Innovative Fruit and Cereal Bars-Current and Future Perspectives.

The aim of the study was to ascertain consumers' interest in innovative fruit and cereal bars and their expectations of changes that could be applied by manufacturers to improve their health-promoting properties. An additional aim was to assess how these interests and expectations, as well as the information provided on the product label, determine the willingness to purchase a fruit and cereal bar with health-promoting properties. Data were collected through a quantitative CAWI survey conducted in 2020. It involved 1034 respondents. A logistic regression model was developed in which the dependent variable was the respondents' interest in an innovative fruit and cereal bar on whose packaging the manufacturer declared its health-promoting properties. It was found that producers' efforts to change the packaging to an organic one (OR = 1.24) along with enriching the product with chia seeds/flaxseed (OR = 1.22), vitamins and minerals (OR = 1.19), as well as fruit (OR = 1.14) and protein (OR = 1.12), or removing ingredients that cause allergies, would significantly increase the chance of respondents purchasing such a bar. A celebrity image and a claim that the product "helps maintain a healthy body weight" on the label would also encourage purchases. On the other hand, reducing the sugar content or enriching a fruit and cereal bar with powdered insects would significantly reduce the propensity to buy it.

Design of a Mobile App Interface That Engages Community Members in a Food System Pilot Study.

Supermarkets are scarce in many under-resourced urban communities, and small independently owned retail stores often carry few fresh or healthy items. The Baltimore Urban food Distribution (BUD) mobile application (app) was previously developed to address supply-side challenges in moving healthy foods from local suppliers to retailers. In-app opportunities for consumers to indicate demand for these foods are crucial, but remain absent. We sought to understand community members' perspectives on the overall role, function and features of a proposed consumer-engagement module (BUDConnect) to expand the BUD app. A series of initial high-fidelity wireframe mockups were developed based on formative research. In-depth interviews (n = 20) were conducted and thematically analyzed using ATLAS.ti Web. Participants revealed a desire for real-time crowd-sourced information to navigate their food environments safely and effectively, functionality to help build community and social networks among store owners and their customers, opportunities to share positive reviews and ratings of store quality and offerings, and interoperability with existing apps. Rewards and referral systems resulting in the discounted purchasing of promoted healthy items were suggested to increase adoption and sustained app use. Wireframe mockups were further refined for future development and integration into the BUD app, the program and policy implications of which are discussed.

The Relation between Consumer Perception and Objective Understanding of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels (FOPNLs); Results from an Online Representative Survey.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the efficacy of Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels (FOPNLs) as a cost-effective tool for improving dietary choices among Greek consumers. The purpose of the study was to investigate Greek customers' preferences and comprehension of commonly used European FOPNL schemes. METHODS: The Hellenic Food Authority and the Agricultural University of Athens performed a representative online survey in March 2022, titled "The Role of Nutritional Labelling in Public Perception and Food Procurement." Consumers responded to a questionnaire separated into two parts. Part one included (i) personal, sociodemographic information, and (ii) subjective opinions on the FOPNL schemes, and part two comprised (iii) an objective understanding of NutriScore and NutrInform Battery, using 15 different foods. Participants were randomly allocated to these groups, and general mixed models were used for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1389 adults completed the first part of the survey, and 74.8% completed the second part. The Multiple Traffic Lights scheme was the preferred FOPNL, chosen by 48.4% of respondents, compared to 19.7% for NutrInform Battery and 12.3% for NutriScore. However, the mean objective assessment score was highest for NutriScore (5.8 ± 2.3) compared to NutrInform Battery (5.4 ± 1.9). CONCLUSION: The results highlight the necessity for comprehensive nutrition education programs by showing a considerable gap between subjective preferences and an objective understanding of nutrition labels.

Performance of aging consumers in an e-commerce product choice task: The role of working memory and decision strategies.

Over the past two decades, there has been a growing interest in research on aging and the decision-making behavior of older consumers. The subject of this article is multi-attribute decisions made using product comparison, a widely used functionality of many e-commerce stores. Studies on cognitive aging have established a negative relationship between age and accuracy in multi-attribute choice tasks; however, works in informatics (Human-Computer Interaction, UX research) have not accounted for how individual user differences affect the optimality of users' product comparison decisions. Our work attempts to bridge this gap between the disciplines of psychology of aging and informatics. We predicted and confirmed, in an online study simulating e-commerce shopping, the strong limitations of older adults in product comparison tasks. In subsequent modeling, other individual characteristics, such as visual working memory, were predicted and shown to be a reliable mediator of the relationship between age and decision accuracy. Popular product comparison tables are not sufficient for older consumers. Despite following UX guidelines for designing product comparison tables, overall correctness of consumer decisions in our study ranged from 90% to as little as 30%, depending on the difficulty of the task and the age of the consumer. These findings have important practical implications for UX design of e-commerce Websites.

Public preferences and willingness to pay for a net zero NHS: a protocol for a discrete choice experiment in England and Scotland.

INTRODUCTION: Climate change poses a major threat to our health, livelihoods and the planet. In 2020, the UK National Health Service (NHS) committed to reducing its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions to reach net zero by 2045. Although a net zero NHS would help to limit the consequences of climate change, little is known about the UK general public's values and preferences for the proposed service changes needed to reach net zero. METHODS: This study will elicit the public's preferences for actions to help achieve net zero NHS in England and Scotland using a discrete choice experiment (DCE). The DCE attributes and levels describe actions that can be taken by the NHS across key areas: buildings and estates, outdoor space, travel and transport, provision of care, goods and services and food and catering. The survey was designed using online think-aloud interviews with 17 members of the public. Two versions of the survey will be administered to a sample of up to 2200 respondents. One will include a payment vehicle as income tax increases. We will estimate the relative importance of each attribute and, for the former survey, the monetary trade-offs which individuals are willing to make between attributes. Where possible, we will match both samples to gauge preference robustness with the inclusion of the monetary payment. We will test whether respondents' preferences differ based on their socioeconomic circumstances and attitudes toward the NHS and climate change. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The University of Aberdeen's School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition Ethics Research Board has approved the study (reference: SERB/690090). All participants will provide informed consent. Results will be submitted to peer-reviewed publications and presented at relevant conferences and seminars. A lay summary of the research will be published on the Health Economics Research Unit website.

Self-reported decreases in the purchases of selected unhealthy foods resulting from the implementation of warning labels in Mexican youth and adult population.

BACKGROUND: Front-of-package nutritional warning labels (WLs) are designed to facilitate identification and selection of healthier food choices. We assessed self-reported changes in purchasing different types of unhealthy foods due to WLs in Mexico and the association between the self-reported reductions in purchases of sugary beverages and intake of water and sugar-sweetened beverages. METHODS: Data came from 14 to 17 year old youth (n = 1,696) and adults ≥ 18 (n = 7,775) who participated in the Mexican arm of the 2020-2021 International Food Policy Study, an annual repeat cross-sectional online survey. Participants self-reported whether the WLs had influenced them to purchase less of each of nine unhealthy food categories due to WLs. Among adults, a 23-item Beverage Frequency Questionnaire was used derive past 7-day intake of water and sugary beverages analyzed to determine the relationship between self-reported reductions in purchasing sugary drinks due to the WLs. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the percentage of participants who self-reported reducing purchases within each food group, and overall. Sociodemographic characteristics associated with this reduction were investigated as well. RESULTS: Overall, 44.8% of adults and 38.7% of youth reported buying less of unhealthy food categories due to the implementation of WL, with the largest proportion reporting decreased purchases of cola, regular and diet soda. A greater impact of WLs on the reported purchase of unhealthy foods was observed among the following socio-demographic characteristics: females, individuals who self-identified as indigenous, those who were overweight, individuals with lower educational levels, those with higher nutrition knowledge, households with children, and those with a significant role in household food purchases. In addition, adults who reported higher water intake and lower consumption of sugary beverages were more likely to report reduced purchases of sugary drinks due to the WLs. Adults who reported greater water intake and lower sugary beverages intake were significantly more likely to report buying fewer sugary drinks due to the WLs. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that implementation of WLs has reduced perceived purchases of unhealthy foods in Mexico. These results underscore the potential positive impact of the labeling policy particularly in subpopulations with lower levels of education and among indigenous adults.

Impact of nutrient warning labels on Colombian consumers' selection and identification of food and drinks high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the impact of nutrient warnings on product selection and ability to identify food products high in nutrients of concern in Colombia. METHODS: In an online experiment (May-June 2023), Colombian adults were randomized to a nutrient warning, guideline daily amounts (GDA), Nutri-Score, or no-label condition (n = 8,004). Participants completed selection tasks between two fruit drinks labeled according to their condition, one high in sugar and one not. Next, participants answered questions about products high in sugar, sodium, and/or saturated fat ("high-in" product). Finally, they selected which label would most discourage them from consuming a high-in product. RESULTS: Fewer participants (17%) exposed to the nutrient warning indicated they would purchase the high-sugar fruit drink compared to Nutri-Score (27%, Holm-adjusted (adj) p<0.001) and no label conditions (31%, adj p<0.001); there were no differences between the nutrient warning and GDA label (14%, adj p = 0.087). Compared to the nutrient warning, the GDA label was slightly more effective at helping consumers identify which drink was high in sugar (89% versus 92%, adj p<0.001), while the Nutri-Score and no-label conditions were less effective. Compared to all other conditions, nutrient warnings were more effective at helping participants identify that products were high in nutrients of concern, were more effective at decreasing intentions to purchase these high-in products and were perceived as more effective. Nutrient warnings were most often selected as the label that most discouraged consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrient warnings are a promising policy to help consumers identify and discourage consumption of products high in nutrients of concern. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial Registration: NCT05783726.

Falling into the trap: A study of the cognitive neural mechanisms of immediate rewards impact on consumer attitudes toward forwarding perk advertisements.

In the context of digital marketing, consumers often express aversion to perk advertisements yet find it challenging to resist the temptation and forward it, resulting in inconsistent attitudes and behaviors. This study, based on the Associative Propositional Evaluation model and the Confirmation Bias theory, utilizes event-related potential experiments to identify the interactive impacts of immediate rewards and information diagnosticity in advertisements on consumer attitude change in specific contexts. The research findings indicate that when rewards were present, information diagnosticity positively influences attitude change and the willingness to forward. However, when rewards were absent, the impact of information diagnosticity on attitude change and the willingness to forward is not significant, and neuroscientific evidence supports these findings. Theoretically, this study extends the research perspective on attitude change in online advertising contexts and broadens the application of the Associative Propositional Evaluation model in the field of consumer attitude change towards advertisements. In practice, this research holds significant guiding value for constraining platform manipulation of consumer cognitive behaviors, guiding the healthy development of platform economics, and promoting digital technology ethics.

Divergence and convergence: a cross-generational study on local food consumption.

In the context of the expanding local food market, grasping the evolutionary trajectory of consumer purchasing behavior is crucial for understanding market dynamics. This study adopts a cross-generational perspective to delve into and elucidate the similarities and differences in local food consumption behaviors between Gen Z and Gen Y. Through the analysis of online survey data from 251 individuals of Gen Z and 319 of Gen Y and utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical framework, and the study identifies eight key variables. The findings reveal that while Gen Z and Gen Y exhibit a range of common characteristics in their choice of local food,including attention to word of mouth, health consciousness, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitude.there is a significant divergence in their motivating factors for purchasing. Specifically, convenience is the primary driver for Gen Z when selecting local food; conversely, price is the decisive factor in the decision-making process of Gen Y. By unveiling these significant differences and similarities, the research offers significant understanding beneficial to the food sector, particularly in formulating market strategies targeted at different generations.

Customer churn modeling in telecommunication using a novel multi-objective evolutionary clustering-based ensemble learning.

Customer churn prediction is vital for organizations to mitigate costs and foster growth. Ensemble learning models are commonly used for churn prediction. Diversity and prediction performance are two essential principles for constructing ensemble classifiers. Therefore, developing accurate ensemble learning models consisting of diverse base classifiers is a considerable challenge in this area. In this study, we propose two multi-objective evolutionary ensemble learning models based on clustering (MOEECs), which are include a novel diversity measure. Also, to overcome the data imbalance problem, another objective function is presented in the second model to evaluate ensemble performance. The proposed models in this paper are evaluated with a dataset collected from a mobile operator database. Our first model, MOEEC-1, achieves an accuracy of 97.30% and an AUC of 93.76%, outperforming classical classifiers and other ensemble models. Similarly, MOEEC-2 attains an accuracy of 96.35% and an AUC of 94.89%, showcasing its effectiveness in churn prediction. Furthermore, comparison with previous churn models reveals that MOEEC-1 and MOEEC-2 exhibit superior performance in accuracy, precision, and F-score. Overall, our proposed MOEECs demonstrate significant advancements in churn prediction accuracy and outperform existing models in terms of key performance metrics. These findings underscore the efficacy of our approach in addressing the challenges of customer churn prediction and its potential for practical application in organizational decision-making.

The UK VIRTUS helmet: User feedback from Operation TORAL in Afghanistan.

In 2015, the VIRTUS helmet was introduced to UK Armed Forces and will ultimately replace the Mark 7 combat helmet. The VIRTUS helmet has a reduced trimline compared to the Mark 7 helmet and can incorporate attachments such as a visor, mandible guard and nape protection. An anonymous questionnaire was provided to 200 UK Armed Forces personnel deployed to four locations on Operation TORAL in Afghanistan between September and October 2019. This is the first User feedback survey assessing the VIRTUS helmet in an operational environment. Users were measured to ascertain the fit of their helmet and asked to rate perceived helmet mass and comfort using a 5-point Likert scale. Users were also asked whether the VIRTUS helmet was better than previous helmets and about their use of the nape protection. The VIRTUS helmet was perceived to be an improvement over previously issued UK combat helmets in terms of both comfort and mass.