bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the projected image of tourism accommodations: a methodological proposal
Authors: Picazo Patricia , Moreno-Gil Sergio , Gursoy Dogan
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Examination of the image projected through photographs used in marketing materials can enable managers to identify opportunities for creating differentiated positioning in the marketplace. However, the impact of image projected through photographs has not received much attention in academic literature. This paper aims to establish a methodology using dynamic indices that allow a systematic comparative evaluation of the image projected through photographs used in marketing materials of lodging properties located in competing destinations. It also provides an empirical examination of the type of image projected through photographs of lodging properties in those destinations.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis was conducted using a content analysis methodology. A total of 17,187 photographs of 5,820 lodging properties located in 15 different tourism destinations over a period of eight years were examined.

Findings

Results revealed that the proposed methodology based on dynamic comparative indices is appropriate for determining the projected image of lodging properties. The dynamic indices, which categorise photographs in three main categories: subject (people), activities (actions carried out) and contextualisation (location), allowed a systematic evaluation of the image projected of lodging properties in competing destinations. Results of the empirical analysis indicated important differences in the image projected through photographs among lodging properties located in 15 destinations.

Practical implications

This study provides the industry and destination marketing organisations (DMOs) with a useful and simple tool for comparatively evaluating the image projected by tourism accommodations. The methodology proposed enables managers to identify the current image and the changes in the image of their lodging properties, their destinations and those of their main competitors over the years, thus providing opportunities for development of more effective differentiation and positioning strategies in their respective target markets.

Originality/value

The proposed tool provides a methodology that can be used to categorise and evaluate the image represented on the photographs used in marketing materials to ensure the projection of the intended image. Furthermore, the proposed methodological tool enables managers to monitor the image projected through photographs used in competitors’ marketing materials and identify changes in their image projected over time.
Impact of operations management strategies on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions at café-restaurants
Authors: Torlak N. Gökhan , Demir Ahmet , Budur Taylan
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships of capacity/layout (CL), design (D), location, (L), hygiene (H), human resource management (HRM), food quality (FQ) and ambiance (A) in operations management strategies (OMS) and the direct and indirect effects of OMS on customer satisfaction (CS) and customer behavioral intentions (CBIs) that might affect income and, therefore, be influential regarding café-restaurants in Sulaimania in Iraq.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected through a survey questionnaire using a simple random sampling methodology from 254 customers of 46 casual café-restaurants. Methodology includes demographic analysis, factor analysis, structural equation modeling and mediation analysis.

Findings

Concerning relationships between structural and infrastructural elements of OMS, only CL and H influence HRM, D and H affect A, and H influences FQ. Regarding relationships between OMS and CS and CBIs, only L, HRM, FQ and A affect CS. Concerning the relationship between CS and CBIs, CS influences CBIs. Finally, given indirect effects of OMS on CS and CBIs, HRM mediates relationships between CL-CS and H-CS; FQ and A mediate relationships between H-CS; and CS mediates relationships between L-CBIs, FQ-CBIs and HRM-CBIs.

Research limitations/implications

The study that treats seven variables in OMS is limited to Sulaimania in Iraq. Thus, the findings cannot be generalized. The study might guide future studies about the way OMS elements forge CS and CBIs in café-restaurants where owners/managers develop credible strategic plans.

Originality/value

The study provides a unique insight into the hospitality industry in Iraq where studies among elements of OMS are few and far between.
People-process-performance benchmarking technique in cloud computing environment
Authors: Kouatli Issam
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Cloud computing is relatively a new type of technology demanding a new method of management techniques to attain security and privacy leading to customer satisfaction regarding “Business Protection” measure. As cloud computing businesses are usually composed of multiple colocation sites/departments, the purpose of this paper is to propose a benchmark operation to measure and compare the overall integrated people-process-performance (PPP) among different departments within cloud computing organization. The purpose of this paper is to motivate staff/units to improve the process performance and meet the standards in a competitive approach among business units.

Design/methodology/approach

The research method was conducted at Cirrus Ltd, which is a cloud computing service provider where a focus group consists of six IT professionals/managers. The objective of the focus group was to investigate the proposed technique by selecting the best practices relevant criteria, with the relevant sub-criteria as a benchmarking performance tool to measure PPP via an analytic hierarchy processing (AHP) approach. The standard pairwise comparative AHP scale was used to measure the performance of three different teams defined as production team, user acceptance testing team and the development team.

Findings

Based on best practice performance measurement (reviewed in this paper) of cloud computing, the proposed AHP model was implemented in a local medium-sized cloud service provider named “Cirrus” with their single site data center. The actual criteria relevant to Cirrus was an adaptation of the “Best practice” described in the literature. The main reason for the adaptation of criteria was that the principle of PPP assumes multiple departments/datacenters located in a different geographical area in large service providers. As Cirrus is a type of SMEs, the adaptation of performance measurement was based on teams within the same data center location. Irrelevant of this adaptation, the objective of measuring vendors KPI using the AHP technique as a specific output of PPP is also a valid situation.

Practical implications

This study provides guidance for achieving cloud computing performance measurement using the AHP technique. Hence, the proposed technique is an integrated model to measure the PPP under monitored cloud environment.

Originality/value

The proposed technique measures and manages the performance of cloud service providers that also implicitly act as a catalyst to attain trust in such high information-sensitive environment leading to organizational effectiveness of managing cloud organizations.
The negative spillover effect in sports sponsorship
Authors: Yuan Shaofeng , Huo Chunhui , Malik Tariq H.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine a possible negative spillover effect in sports sponsorship to answer whether the sponsored team’s poor performance will have a negative effect on audiences’ trust in its sponsor’s brand. The authors further analysed whether the audience’s attitude towards the team plays a mediating role and whether the audience’s personality type (active vs passive) plays a moderating role in this negative spillover effect.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experimental studies were conducted with 380 Chinese undergraduates and MBA student participants over two years. The authors designed the experiment as a computer-mediated intervention in which good, poor and neutral performance groups were compared. After the respondents were exposed to the intervention, we asked them to answer questions using a computer terminal. We analysed the data from the three experiments through analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression analysis and a bootstrap.

Findings

The audiences who were exposed to a team’s poor performance condition reported less trust in the sponsor’s brand relative to those exposed to a good performance condition, and the brand trust was even lower than for those who were exposed to a control condition (no performance information). Further, the audience’s negative attitude towards the sports team mediated the negative effect of the team’s poor performance on its sponsor’s brand trust. The negative effect was more obvious for individuals with Type A personalities (active) than for those with Type B personalities (passive).

Originality/value

The prior literature has neglected a possible negative effect of a sports team’s performance on its sponsor’s brand trust. In particular, questions of whether, how and when this negative effect occurs are critical for sponsors, teams, and audiences. Since sports team sponsorship is burgeoning in China, the negative implications are unclear in this new context. Thus, the revelation that the negative spillover effects of a team’s poor performance on audiences’ trust in the sponsor’s brand provides two original contributions. First, the negative effect reveals value for multiple sponsorship stakeholders. Second, the Chinese context in this study adds value for future research and practice regarding both Chinese-foreign and domestic Chinese decisions.
Family culture and organisational systems as antecedents of market orientation and performance among family wineries
Authors: Köhr Christopher Karl , Corsi Armando Maria , Capitello Roberta , Szolnoki Gergely
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between organizational systems, market orientation, family culture and the long-term business performance of family businesses in the wine sector in three countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey by questionnaire was undertaken with 123 wineries in Australia, Germany and Italy. Multiple-item measurement scales and multiple regression models were used to investigate mediation effects.

Findings

The findings indicate a marked influence of organizational systems and family culture on financial performance. Market orientation fully mediates the effect of family culture and partially mediates the effect of organizational systems on financial performance.

Practical implications

From a managerial perspective, this research indicates the central role of family culture when evaluating a firm’s capabilities and potential in the long term. The findings and their implications are of immediate concern for family firms in the wine sector.

Originality/value

For the first time, the antecedents of market orientation are investigated through simultaneous application of two key frameworks from marketing research and family business research in a single joint analysis.
Champagne: the challenge of value co-creation through regional brands
Authors: Kunc Martin , Menival David , Charters Steve
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The traditional view of the process of value creation suggests that it occurs inside the firm through its activities or resources. However, there are special cases where firms create value using external shared resources, e.g. a territorial brand. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how the combination of both internal and external resources co-create value in wine regions.

Design/methodology/approach

An in-depth case study of nine firms covering different co-creation processes in Champagne, France. The selection of interviews was designed to cover the diversity of firms within the area with different market positioning. Most firms in the region have been selling champagne for more than 50 years, so they have established long-standing relationships with their markets.

Findings

While there is only one value, Champagne, firms create many different values based on owners’ perceptions with diverse effects on the process of value co-creation in the territorial brand. Some firms have strategies which could deteriorate the value of shared resource. This threat needs institutional changes with unknown consequences on the territorial brand.

Research limitations/implications

The research only involved one case study with a highly developed territorial brand system. There are multiple wine regions that have considered managing either implicitly or explicitly their shared strategic resources (e.g. a territorial brand). Consequently, the findings may not be applicable to all wine regions but it can provide a “gold standard” for regions and wineries that do not realize the impact that their value creation actions can have on the wine region.

Practical implications

Collective management of shared strategic resources, such as a territorial brand, can be a powerful action to sustain competitive advantage rather than individual actions to develop individual brands. However, it can work only with an institutional organization managing the collective process.

Originality/value

The paper offers lessons from a comprehensive and well-known case study where resource bundles co-create value with a territorial brand.
Tasting organic: the influence of taste and quality perception on the willingness to pay for organic wine
Authors: Gassler Birgit , Fronzeck Carina , Spiller Achim
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The mechanism by which organic labelling affects consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for wine is not yet fully understood. Organic labelling not only transports information about environmental benefits, but may also influence consumers’ perceptions of quality and taste. The purpose of this paper is to separate the information effect from the perception effect of an organic label on WTP.

Design/methodology/approach

Taste and quality perceptions of 110 German consumers and their WTP for white and red wines were collected in a second-price auction in conjunction with a blind tasting. Each measure was recorded under two experimental conditions: with and without organic labelling. Serial mediation analysis is used to identify the information and perception effect of an organic label on WTP. A moderating effect of commitment to organic consumption is considered.

Findings

Wines marketed as organic are perceived as tastier and of higher quality and value. The organic labelling effect is stronger for committed organic consumers. Mediation analysis confirms perceived better taste as a key driver for WTP, especially for less committed organic consumers. The findings highlight perceptions of wine quality as the main mediator through which organic labelling affects WTP for red wine and for committed organic consumers.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the literature by decomposing the signalling mechanism of organic labelling and by emphasising the role of individual characteristics in determining its magnitude and pathways. Implications from a marketing and wine industry’s perspective are discussed.
Dynamic and frequency connectedness across Islamic stock indexes, bonds, crude oil and gold
Authors: Trabelsi Nader
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the connectedness of Islamic Stock Markets in five regional financial systems, namely, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe (EU), GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and APAC (Asia-Pacific Countries), and across different asset classes (i.e. bonds, gold and crude oil).

Design/methodology/approach

This methodology is inspired by Diebold and Yilmaz (2012) and Barunlik and Krehlik (2017) for performing dynamic variance decomposition network and for studying time–frequency dynamics of connectedness at different frequencies.

Findings

Results show that the nature of connectedness over the past decade is time–frequency dynamics. The decomposition of the total volatility spillovers is mostly dominated by the long-run component. Furthermore, dominant regions are the largest contributors of spillover index, with the lowest contribution in the system coming from the GCC market. Results also reveal a slightly higher volatility spillover index of Islamic than conventional equity indexes. Finally, the system that encompasses commodities and Islamic finance instruments, generates the much lower volatility spillover.

Originality/value

The findings have significant implications for portfolio managers who are interested in being able to predict asset returns, as well as for policymakers who are concerned with market stability.
Financial performance trends of United States Hockey Inc: a resource-dependency approach
Authors: Omondi-Ochieng Peter
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the 2009 to 2016 financial performance of the US Hockey Inc., using financial effectiveness indicators and financial efficiency ratios.

Design/methodology/approach

With the assistance of financial trend analysis, archival data were used to examine the financial performance (evaluated by net income), financial effectiveness (indicated by total assets and total revenues) and financial efficiency (examined by programme services ratios and return on assets) of US Hockey Inc.

Findings

On average, the financial performance of the organization was positive ($30,895 net income per year). Financial effectiveness was steady with increases in assets and revenues. Financial efficiency was poor with 79% of revenues spent on programme services and 1.45% average return on asset.

Research limitations/implications

The results can be generalized to similar national non-profit sports federations but not corporate sports entities with dissimilar financial goals.

Practical implications

The results revealed that national non-profit sports federations can boost their financial performance by maintaining a double strategically focus on both financial effectiveness and financial efficiency.

Originality/value

The study used both financial effectiveness and financial efficiency measures to evaluate the financial performances of a national non-profit sports federation – a neglected approach similar studies.
Loyalty towards Islamic banking: service quality, emotional or religious driven?
Authors: Suhartanto Dwi , Gan Christopher , Sarah Ira Siti , Setiawan Setiawan
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to integrate and examine three loyalty routes (i.e. service quality, emotional attachment and religiosity) in developing customer loyalty towards Islamic banking.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 412 Islamic bank customers from Indonesia. Variance-based structural equation modelling was applied to evaluate the association between service quality, emotional attachment, religiosity and customer loyalty.

Findings

This study reveals that customer loyalty is more driven by emotional attachment and religiosity rather than by perceived service quality. Although not directly affecting customer loyalty, service quality strengthens customer satisfaction towards Islamic banks.

Practical implications

This study provides an opportunity for Islamic bank managers to increase their customer loyalty through the development of emotional attachment and religiosity. To improve customer loyalty, this study suggests that Islamic banks have to provide prompt, accurate and non-personal service. It is also important for Islamic bank managers to keep the bank operation compliant with the Sharia law.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to assess the three loyalty routes simultaneously in influencing customer loyalty.
Halal tourism: literature review and experts’ view
Authors: Vargas-Sánchez Alfonso , Moral-Moral María
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The first problem when diving into this topic is the confusion caused by a number of terms intended to designate the same concept, in addition to the lack of a shared interpretation on what Islam requires from tourism services to secure their acceptability. This paper aims to contribute to the clarification of what halal tourism is, as it seems to be the most appropriate term to refer to practices allowed when travelling, in accordance with the Islamic law.

Design/methodology/approach

A synthesis of the current situation was carried out, based on the papers contained in Web of Science and Scopus databases. Moreover, a consultation of tourism experts was implemented to extract a number of practical implications for the promotion and development of this segment.

Findings

As the literature review suggested, halal tourism is a field of study that is still in a very early stage. In spite of this fact and the ambiguity found, halal tourism can be understood as the offer of tourist services designed to meet the needs of Muslim tourists in accordance with their religious obligations.

Practical implications

It is imperative to offer halal services (food, worship facilities, etc.) to attract this type of tourists. However, the diversity of interpretations has prevented the existence of one single certification. The lack of knowledge on this market is the main obstacle to overcome.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to clarifying the conceptualization of halal tourism. It takes a theoretical review and experts’ view as a preliminary step to study this topic in more depth.
Perception of food manufacturers towards adoption of halal food supply chain in Malaysia
Authors: Azmi Fadhlur Rahim , Abdullah Abu , Musa Haslinda , Wan Mahmood Wan Hasrulnizzam
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Food industry players obtain the advantages of profits growth within the halal industry whereby the market is dynamic to generate profit. Hence, this study aims to analyse the perception of food manufacturers towards the adoption of the halal food supply chain (HFSC).

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, 103 halal food manufacturers in Malaysia were selected as respondents. Perceptions of respondents towards HFSC were recorded using a five-point questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed by authors and adapted from a previous study. The questionnaire was circulated by two experts with proficiency in this filed.

Findings

By conducting exploratory factor analysis, the study found the perception of food manufacturers, which is expected business benefits play an important role in the adoption of HFSC. Halal integrity becomes the second factor to lead the company to its adoption. Organizational readiness is the third factor that drives the company to adopt HFSC.

Research limitations/implications

Majority of the sample was responded by Bumiputera companies. The study suggests focussing the study for non-Bumiputera companies to examine their influence towards HFSC. Furthermore, future studies should explore different sectors of halal, such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, travel and tourism, logistics, finance and e-commerce. Moreover, ensuring the status of halal should be more emphasized in food chains; thus, the source of risk in HFSC should be explored to secure the integrity of halal.

Practical implications

The paper includes implications for the halal food industry, whereby the adoption of HFSC will contribute to the business benefits to create a more competitive advantage to the industry. Moreover, the implications of halal practice can create consumers’ trust on the halal product.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an analysed need to study specifically on upstream parties by adopting HFSC.
Do works councils improve the quality of apprenticeship training? Evidence from German workplace data
Authors: Koch Benno , Muehlemann Samuel , Pfeifer Harald
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Works councils have the legal right to participate in a firm’s training process and, where necessary, call for a replacement of training instructors. The purpose of this paper is to empirically test whether works councils are associated with a higher quality of apprenticeship training – or its inputs or outputs – in Germany.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use two representative cross-sectional surveys of German workplaces in 2007 and 2012/2013 that were conducted by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Germany. To account for selection on observables, the authors apply nearest neighbor matching models to estimate the extent to which works councils are associated with training quality.

Findings

The results shed light on the influence of works councils on the quality of apprenticeship training in Germany. Based on a quality model, the authors show that works councils are associated with a (moderately) higher output quality of apprenticeships, particularly with respect to the share of retained apprentices. However, the authors do not find empirical evidence for a positive association between works councils and input- and process-quality indicators.

Research limitations/implications

Although the identification of causal effects due to the existence of works councils is difficult and cannot be fully addressed in the analysis, the authors can use a number of important control variables at the workplace level. The results suggest that a works council only plays a moderate role in enhancing the quality of the German apprenticeship system.

Originality/value

The authors provide the first direct empirical evidence of how the existence of a works council is associated with the input-, process- and outcome-quality measures of the German apprenticeship system.
Policy making for GSCM implementation in the wooden furniture industry
Authors: Susanty Aries , Sari Diana Puspita , Rinawati Dyah Ika Ika , Purwaningsih Ratna , Sjawie Faisal Hasbullah
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to implement the combined approach of Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and system dynamic (SD) for examining the impacts of several elements on the implementation of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices in the furniture industry concerning the amount of wood waste resulted and the demand of wood materials.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper develops an SD-based model by using four approaches, i.e., “demand of furniture”, “raw material”, “revenue of furniture industry” and “the implementation of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices”.

Findings

The simulation results have shown that the best conditions occur in the fourth scenario or a combined scenario. This scenario can guarantee a decrease in need of wood and discarded wood waste due to the use of wood waste for raw material by some industries. This scenario can thus increase the share of wood waste used as raw materials.

Research limitations/implications

The first limitation of this study is on the calculation of the amount of wood, which has used the data of wood products obtained from the Central Java Provincial Agency of the Environment and Forestry. This calculation has not taken into account the forest area degradation. Second, the demand for furniture has been converted from the historical data of domestic and foreign sales. Third, the model used in this study has not considered the decrease of the production cost and the increase of the profit gained by the wooden furniture small- and medium-sized enterprises that use the wood waste as part of their raw material.

Practical implications

This research provides essential insights into the context of implementing the policies to increase the implementation of GSCM practices.

Originality/value

This research can make a difference in two aspects. First, it has tested policies, not in isolation. It has simultaneously tested various combinations of policies because the furniture industry can be seen as a system with complex relationships among the elements. Second, this study can broaden scientific insights related to the use of the DEMATEL method in the SD methodology.
Philosophy and politics in higher education
Authors: Gaus Nurdiana
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper, which is drawn on Indonesian academic women’s experiences, is to examine the extent to which the aesthetics of existence or true life of women academics in relation to the truth telling, played out within the interaction between philosophy and politics, is affected by the application of NPM in research and publication productivities, and the way in which women academics are voicing their opinions toward this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 30 women academics across two geographical region (east and west) universities took part in this research, sharing their perceptions and the way they criticize this policy to the audiences (Indonesian government), framed within the concept of parrhesia (truth telling), parrhesiastes (truth teller) of Foucault and the pariah of Arendt.

Findings

Using semi-structured interviews, this research finds that women academics in Indonesian universities have shown discursive voices and stances to the extent to which they agree and oppose this policy, showing the patterns similar to those of parhesiastes and pariah. The implication of this study is addressed in this paper.

Originality/value

This research, via the lenses of Parrhesia and Pariah, finds several kinds of philosopher roles of women academics in Indonesian universities, such as apathetic philosophers or depraved orators and Schlemihl figure of Pariah, and Parrhesiastic philosophers of Socrates and a conscious figure of Pariah.
Analyzing precious metals returns using a Kalman smoother approach
Authors: Erling Marco
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the sensitivity of different external factors to the returns of the precious metals of gold, silver, platinum and palladium. The goal is to find similarities and differences between the dependencies of every factor to each metal in a time-varying framework.

Design/methodology/approach

A brief co-integration test for the precious metals is conducted followed by a Kalman smoother approach to study the different sensitivities to the price changes of precious metals. A dynamic time warping (DTW) approach finally compares sensitivities for pairs of precious metals to a specific factor.

Findings

Results point to strong time-dependencies of the sensitivities, such as a declining relationship of gold to equity volatility. Consistent strong relationships are rare and can be identified for the consumer price index and the dollar. the DTW approach finds higher similarities between platinum and palladium compared to other pairs.

Practical implications

The similarities and differences of the precious metals can be used by investors and risk managers in portfolio construction processes and risk analyses.

Originality/value

The focus of the research is put on a broader context of precious metals with different external factors instead of focusing on a single factor, enabling a comparison of differences and similarities of the sensitivities. The analysis via a Kalman Rauch–Tung–Striebel smoother together with a DTW approach has not been conducted before in this way and is able to characterize the dependencies by a single number.
Functional traits of hyporheic and benthic invertebrates reveal importance of wood‐driven geomorphological processes in rivers
Authors: Magliozzi Chiara , Usseglio‐Polatera Philippe , Meyer Albin , Grabowski Robert C.
Published: June 2019

Large wood (LW) is a natural element of river environments and an integral component of many river restoration schemes to promote biodiversity. It is an important habitat in itself, but it also induces a wide range of hydraulic, hydrological, geomorphological and chemical conditions that influence the ecological community. However, the effects of hydro‐geomorphological processes induced by LW on local benthic and hyporheic invertebrates have not been well characterized.

A functional approach was applied to invertebrate data collected in a field survey at sites with LW and without LW (control) to investigate the response of hyporheic and benthic invertebrates' trait profiles in response to local LW‐induced processes.

We hypothesized LW sites to be associated with different trait modalities than control sites in relation to wood‐induced processes and conditions (i.e., hyporheic exchange flow, oxygen availability, temporal stability, organic matter, denitrification, hydraulic conductivity). Multivariate analyses and partial least squares (PLS) path modelling were used to detect the differences in trait profiles between LW and control sites and to study the variation of traits as a function of hydrological, sedimentological, physical and chemical variables.

Biological (i.e., aquatic stages, reproduction), physiological (i.e., dispersal, feeding habits) and behavioural (i.e., substrate preferences) trait utilization by the hyporheic meiofauna differed between LW and control sites. At LW sites, the hyporheic meiofaunal assemblage was significantly associated with aquatic active dispersal, aquatic eggs and hard substrate preferences. This trait category selection was linked to changes in physical–sedimentological processes at LW sites when compared to control sites. Macrofaunal benthic and hyporheic functional traits did not differ significantly between wood and control sites, suggesting similar functioning of these assemblages at the surface–subsurface interface.

This study found that LW affects invertebrate traits by altering fluvial processes to produce, locally, a mosaic of habitats. Hyporheic meiofauna trait responses to LW processes have suggested (a) the crucial role of LW in supporting river benthic zone functioning and thus (b) a possible benefit to river restoration by enhancing functional interactions among different ecological niches.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Organic farming and associated management practices benefit multiple wildlife taxa: A large‐scale field study in rice paddy landscapes
Authors: Katayama Naoki , Osada Yutaka , Mashiko Miyuki , Baba Yuki G. , Tanaka Koichi , Kusumoto Yoshinobu , Okubo Satoru , Ikeda Hiroaki , Natuhara Yosihiro
Published: June 2019

Organic farming has potential for the conservation of global biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Despite this, knowledge of the effects of organic farming systems on farmland biodiversity is limited in Asia, the worldwide leader in rice production.

We conducted the first national‐scale study to investigate the effects of three different rice farming systems (conventional, low‐input and organic) and specific management practices (e.g. herbicide and insecticide applications, crop rotation and levee‐vegetation management) on species richness and abundance of multiple taxonomic groups (plants, invertebrates, Pelophylax and Hyla japonica frogs, cobitid loaches and birds) in Japan during 2013–2015.

Organic fields supported the highest richness and abundance of several taxonomic groups (native/Red List plants, Tetragnatha spiders, Sympetrum dragonflies and Pelophylax frogs), followed by low‐input and conventional fields. We also found taxon‐specific responses to specific management practices. For instance, plant richness and Tetragnatha and Sympetrum abundance increased with reduced herbicide and/or insecticide applications. Sympetrum and cobitid loach abundance increased in the absence of crop rotation, whereas H. japonica abundance increased with crop rotation. Pelophylax abundance increased with an increased height of levee vegetation.

At spatial scales larger than single fields, waterbird richness and abundance were positively correlated with the proportion of organic rice fields, presumably due to increased prey abundance. Meanwhile, landbird richness and abundance were positively associated with annual precipitation and annual mean temperature, suggesting that such climate increases food availability.

Synthesis and applications. We highlight the positive effects of organic and low‐input farming for biodiversity relative to conventional farming in rice paddies. We also provide the scientific basis of the current agri‐environmental schemes in Japan, subsidising organic and low‐input farming for biodiversity. The taxon‐specific associations with management practices indicate that avoiding crop rotation, maintaining levee vegetation and organic farming at large spatial scales can also be wildlife friendly. These practices may thus be incorporated into agri‐environment schemes for effective biodiversity conservation.
Belowground microbial communities respond to water deficit and are shaped by decades of maize hybrid breeding
Authors: Wang Peng , Marsh Ellen L. , Kruger Greg , Lorenz Aaron , Schachtman Daniel P.
Published: June 2019

Root‐associated microbial communities are important for maintaining agricultural productivity. However, belowground microbial community response to drought in temperate maize agroecosystems, as well as how these responses to water‐stress are shaped by host genotype are poorly understood. Ten maize hybrids (six newer and four older) were grown in a replicated field trial. The endosphere, rhizosphere and soil bacterial and archaeal communities were sampled and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Sampling was done at two developmental stages in a water‐limited environment with and without supplemental irrigation. Significant shifts in microbial community composition (β‐diversity) were measured between two sampling times during the season, in well‐watered and water‐stressed conditions and in newer and older generation maize hybrids. The microbial community diversity within samples (α‐diversity) was not affected by drought stress or host factors. The phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were more abundant in the rhizosphere of newer hybrids under water stress. These results highlight the importance of temporal variation, environmental stress and plant genetics as influenced by breeding history in shaping the composition of root associated microbial communities. These insights may provide new approaches to the improvement of crop stress tolerance through optimizing microbial communities.
Phylogenomics of Enterococcus faecalis from wild birds: new insights into host‐associated differences in core and accessory genomes of the species
Authors: León‐Sampedro Ricardo , del Campo Rosa , Rodriguez‐Baños Mercedes , Lanza Val F. , Pozuelo María José , Francés‐Cuesta Carlos , Tedim Ana P. , Freitas Ana R. , Novais Carla , Peixe Luísa , Willems Rob J. L. , Corander Jukka , González Candelas Fernando , Baquero Fernando , Coque Teresa M.
Published: June 2019

Wild birds have been suggested to be reservoirs of antimicrobial resistant and/or pathogenic Enterococcus faecalis (Efs) strains, but the scarcity of studies and available sequences limit our understanding of the population structure of the species in these hosts. Here, we analysed the clonal and plasmid diversity of 97 Efs isolates from wild migratory birds. We found a high diversity, with most sequence types (STs) being firstly described here, while others were found in other hosts including some predominant in poultry. We found that pheromone‐responsive plasmids predominate in wild bird Efs while 35% of the isolates entirely lack plasmids. Then, to better understand the ecology of the species, the whole genome of fivestrains with known STs (ST82, ST170, ST16 and ST55) were sequenced and compared with all the Efs genomes available in public databases. Using several methods to analyse core and accessory genomes (AccNET, PLACNET, hierBAPS and PANINI), we detected differences in the accessory genome of some lineages (e.g. ST82) demonstrating specific associations with birds. Conversely, the genomes of other Efs lineages exhibited divergence in core and accessory genomes, reflecting different adaptive trajectories in various hosts. This pangenome divergence, horizontal gene transfer events and occasional epidemic peaks could explain the population structure of the species.
Retirement Behaviour in Austria: Effects of Incentives on Old‐Age Labour Supply
Authors: Hanappi Tibor , Nagl Wolfgang
Published: June 2019

We provide an extensive analysis of retirement behaviour in Austria with a special focus on the role of incentives delivered by the tax and benefit system in determining individual retirement decisions. A comprehensive microsimulation model of the Austrian pension system is applied to calculate retirement benefit entitlements and forward‐looking incentive measures (social security wealth, accrual rate, peak and option values) on an individual basis. We use the calculated incentive measures as the main explanatory variables in probit models to explain retirement decisions. We base our microsimulation and estimations on an extensive administrative Austrian data set. These data contain information on more than 300,000 new retirees from the period 2001–11. We provide robust evidence that incentive measures are well suited to explaining individual retirement decisions.
Comparison of the effect of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet and American Diabetes Association nutrition guidelines on lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes: A comparative clinical trial
Authors: Hashemi Reza , Mehdizadeh Khalifani Alireza , Rahimlou Mehran , Manafi Majid
Published: June 2019

Aim

The present study aimed to compare the effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines on the lipid profiles of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

In a 12‐week clinical trial, 80 patients with type 2 diabetes aged 18–65 years were randomly allocated into the case (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. The case group received the DASH diet and the control group consumed a dietary pattern in accordance with the ADA guidelines. Fasting blood samples were measured for triglyceride (TG), low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), very low‐density lipoprotein (VLDL) and free fatty acid (FFA). Moreover, physical activity and 24‐hour dietary recall (24 hours) were assessed at baseline and end of the study.

Results

The DASH diet and diabetic diet (in accordance with the ADA guidelines) for 12 weeks significantly decreased TG, TC and VLDL (P < 0.05). FFA showed a significant decrease in both the groups, which was greater in the cases compared with the control group (P = 0.049).

Conclusions

Compliance with any DASH or diabetic diet for 12 weeks in patients with type 2 diabetes had beneficial effects on cardiometabolic risks.
An Enhanced Stability Nanoparticle Preparation by Corn Protein Hydrolysate‐Carboxymethyl Chitosan Maillard Conjugates Loaded with Rutin
Authors: Han Yue , Wang Lixin , Jiang Wenping , Du Qijing , Yu Chundi , Sun Qingjie , Zhang Shuangling
Published: June 2019

Rutin‐loaded corn protein hydrolysate–carboxymethyl chitosan (CPH‐NOCC) Maillard conjugate nanoparticles (NPs) with superior stability under different NaCl concentrations (0–0.25 mol/L) and pH levels (7.0 to 3.0) were investigated. Results showed that the degree of glycosylation of 53.3%, browning index of 0.6, and SDS‐PAGE lane of CPH‐NOCC conjugates were obtained after dry heating for 48 hr (60 °C, 79% RH). The high encapsulation efficiency (EE, 97.8%–98.8%) and CPH‐NOCC‐rutin (98.8%) was significantly higher than CPH‐rutin (97.8%) and CPH/NOCC‐rutin (98.4%) NPs illustrated that hydrolysis was positive for zein encapsulation, and conjugation of NOCC to CPH increased the EE. Hairy carbohydrate protrusions on the surface of CPH‐NOCC‐rutin NPs produced a stronger steric effect and hampered the formation of salt bridges and the particle aggregation under CPH isoelectric point at pH 4.0. Therefore, the CPH‐NOCC conjugate NPs may be suitable carrier for hydrophobic bioactive substances in a board range of business foodstuffs.
Inclusion Complex of Exocarpium Citri Grandis Essential Oil with β‐Cyclodextrin: Characterization, Stability, and Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Su Zhipeng , Qin Yaru , Zhang Kai , Bi Yongguang , Kong Fansheng
Published: June 2019

The purpose of this study was to produce and characterize an inclusion complex between β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and Exocarpium Citri Grandis essential oil (EEO), and to evaluate its antioxidant properties. The volatile compounds of EEO were characterized by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometer. A comparison of the β‐CD, EEO, and the physical mixture with the inclusion complex revealed differences in their thermal stabilities and morphologies, which confirmed the formation of the β‐CD‐EEO inclusion complex. Complexed with β‐CD, the β‐CD‐EEO inclusion complex showed a higher stability and antioxidant activity when compared with physical mixture and EEO. Therefore, β‐CD can be used to form inclusion complexes with EEO to expand its potential applications in the food and drug industries.

Practical Application

Exocarpium Citri Grandis is rich in essential oil and other ingredients. The optimized extraction, constituent composition, and encapsulation of EEO in β‐CD were investigated in this study. The results showed that the encapsulation process increased the antioxidant activity and stability of EEO, which provides both fundamental and practical knowledge for the application of EEO in the food and drug industries.
Lignin‐Based Biopolymeric Active Packaging System for Oil Products
Authors: Mohammad Zadeh Elham , O'Keefe Sean F. , Kim Young‐Teck
Published: June 2019

Antioxidant activity of enzymatically modified soybean protein film with two different forms of added lignin (alkali lignin and lignosulfonate) was investigated using two stimulated food systems involving direct and indirect contact with soybean oil and fish fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE). For the direct system, control and lignin‐doped films were added to oil vials which were stored at dark under 40 °C whereas for indirect, films were used to cover oil‐containing glass vials stored under standard commercial lighting conditions. Autoxidation of oil samples in the direct contact system was determined by peroxide value (PV), color, headspace oxygen, and volatile compounds, while for the indirect contact system photoxidation was determined by using PV and color. For the direct contact system with soybean oil, the PV was significantly lower during storage for both lignins used compared to the control (packaging system without lignin film). There was not a significant effect of lignin on the color of the oils (P > 0.05). Modified films tested in this study did not have a significant effect on headspace oxygen contents of oil samples; however, it resulted in reduced volatile compounds for both soybean oil and fish oil samples. Based on our observation, soybean protein films with lignin showed a greater impact on soybean oil than fish oil, possibly because of high initial oxidation levels in the fish oil. Enzymatic modified soy protein films with lignin are alternative active packaging materials for highly sensitive to oxidation by radical and UV light.

Practical Application

Plastic packaging materials require the use of petroleum oil and are not biodegradable. Packaging materials made from renewable, biodegradable biopolymers are of great interest but often suffer from performance problems, such as weak mechanical properties compared to petroleum‐based plastics. Applying modified biopolymeric film with lignin in the inner layer of food packaging system improved some aspects of their performance during storage, not only by preventing the migration of chemical compounds from the package to the food but also by radical scavenging activity and UV‐blocking ability of the packaging system.