bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Music and wine tasting: an experimental neuromarketing study
Authors: Hsu Liwei , Chen Yen-jung
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Music has a priming effect on product selection. The purpose of this paper is to extend the current understanding on this issue using an experimental design incorporating behavioural and brainwave data.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment with 40 participants was conducted to explore how and why wine tasting preferences would be primed by different genres of musical stimuli. Electroencephalographic measurement was adopted to measure participant brainwave activity in two experiments, each involving two rounds of wine tasting, and the treatment was administered between the two rounds.

Findings

Significant associations between the musical stimulus genre and participant change in wine selection were found, and the musical stimuli resulted in different brainwave activities because participant β and γ wave activities significantly differed in the first and second wine tasting rounds. Correlational analyses indicated that α, β and γ wave activities generated by the musical stimuli were significantly but negatively correlated with α wave activity. α wave activity in the musical stimulus phases was significantly negatively correlated with β wave activity in the second round of wine tasting, and the other associations were significant and positive.

Originality/value

This study highlighted the priming effect of musical stimuli in wine tasting. Empirical evidence derived from experimental research was analysed with behavioural and brainwave data. This study’s original contribution is that it explored wine tasting preferences from a neuromarketing perspective. The results of this study can provide empirical evidence on how to effectively use music in marketing strategies.
The new helping the old
Authors: Teerakapibal Surat , Melanthiou Yioula
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Evidence has shown that the population is growing “increasingly gray” and growing too are the concerns for the elderly population with regards to their food choices. Being well informed and seeking variety in food choices increase the likelihood that people will be better nourished and hence improve the quality of life for this group, and at the same time be beneficial for society overall. The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence of social network usage on food choice.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a series of logistic and ordinal logistic regression models using Health and Wellness Survey data and Internet Usage Survey data from the National Statistical Office of Thailand. The data sets contain information on health status, food consumption, proportion of population using the internet, and detailed demographics.

Findings

Empirical results show the association between variety in food consumption and lower probability of being chronically ill. More importantly, social network usage is found to significantly encourage variety seeking behavior (VSB) in food consumption.

Research limitations/implications

Though the benefit of using Thai data sets lies in the fact that there is a large variation in network usage across the country, this study should extend beyond Thailand to establish greater external validity.

Practical implications

Marketing new food products must not neglect the promotion through social networks due to its potential to encourage VSB in food consumption. Moreover, while sometimes this particular age group may be somewhat marginalized and not targeted to enough, this research study has shown that it is indeed an important segment.

Social implications

In order to relieve the growing financial burdens in health care for citizens, policy makers should encourage this ageing population to eat a balanced diet. Social media is shown to be an effective medium for promoting variety in food consumption. Notably relevance, engagement and emotion are principal elements for social network platforms targeting aging consumers.

Originality/value

This paper utilizes two large representative data sets with detailed information which does not only allow for controlled analyses but also provides implications for the growing aging consumer segment.
The government R&D subsidies and China’s regional innovation output
Authors: Wang Ying , Hu Hanhui , Yang Xiaolei
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Government R&D subsidies is a major practice to respond to market failures in most countries. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the government subsidies on China’s regional innovation output empirically under the regional innovation framework, for the unique regional innovation system and strong national influence of state during the period of transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the construction of regional innovation framework, this study empirically examined the effect of Chinese Government R&D subsidies on regional innovation during the economic transition period using the Bayesian model averaging method and carried out the robustness test under different priori assumptions.

Findings

The empirical results showed that R&D capital and human investment has a very significant impact on promoting the regional innovation output of China’s high-tech industries. Meanwhile, the Chinese Government's R&D subsidies failed, thus the goal of improving regional innovation output has not been achieved. In reverse, the effects of regional economic development level and the financial environment on regional innovation are negative but the explanatory power is minimal. Additionally, opening-up has greatly promoted regional innovation output.

Originality/value

The empirical findings provide scientific policy decision-making and management implications for government and firm, respectively, and its experience is a very important reference for other emerging economies. Additionally, China serves as an interesting case to examine whether government R&D subsidy is effective in an immature market.
Field report
Authors: Clay Lauren A.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore issues related to the food environment from a systems perspective using a quick response disaster research methodology in New Bern, North Carolina during the immediate response to Hurricane Florence in 2018.

Design/methodology/approach

A four person reconnaissance team arrived six days after Hurricane Florence made landfall to observe community food and meal provision, interview individuals working in food related response, assess the price, quality and availability of food, and interview individuals affected by the storm during the immediate response period to Hurricane Florence in New Bern, North Carolina.

Findings

Multiple issues emerged that are important for the understanding of food in a disaster recovery context including food access issues for households with flooding damage as well as those with minor impacts like electricity loss or evacuation without damage, disruption to farming and retail food business, and changes in food availability.

Practical implications

When examining food access and food security, many community members were affected that did not experience housing disruption and there were shifts in community food availability after Hurricane Florence. Understanding these disruptions is critical for evaluating food-related response and assistance following disaster to ensure unmet needs are addressed. Further, addressing community food needs is an important lever for bolstering disaster recovery.

Originality/value

This is the first study in the USA to examine the food system following disruption from an environmental disaster and to identify issues in the post-disaster food environment.
What does it take for flexible learning to survive? A UK case study
Authors: Talbot Jon , Perrin David , Meakin Bob
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify potential reasons for the success of an innovative work-based learning (WBL) shell framework in an adverse environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study is the experience of one programme.

Findings

Demand-led, flexible WBL programmes have to overcome a number of internal cultural and institutional barriers in order to succeed. Important requirements are likely to include effective leadership, financial viability, adherence to quality assurance, adaptability, entrepreneurialism and a cohesive community of practice incorporating these traits.

Research limitations/implications

The conclusions are drawn from shared experience and are suggestive only as they are not readily susceptible to empirical verification. The authors accept that the conclusions appear speculative for some, but they suggest that in order for innovative programmes to survive, more is required than sound pedagogy.

Practical implications

Although lessons may not be directly transferable, the paper draws attention to the importance of managerial, leadership and organisational factors necessary for innovative WBL programmes to survive and develop.

Originality/value

There is some literature on why some innovative higher education programmes and institutions have failed; however, there is little on why some programmes are successful.
Investigating the antioxidant properties of seaweed treated cotton fabrics for hygienic applications
Authors: Janarthanan M. , Kumar M. Senthil
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficient exploitation of bioactive compounds present in red, green and brown seaweeds to develop hygienic products.

Design/methodology/approach

To analyse the antioxidant properties and identification of significant bioactive compounds of green, red and brown seaweed treated cotton fabrics, total antioxidant activity, DPPH Free radical scavenging activity and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis were used.

Findings

The experimental result specifies that the maximum antioxidant activity of 126.50 µg/ml and inhibition percentage of 76 ± 0.15 percent was achieved in the seaweed treated cotton fabrics. All six seaweed treated fabrics proved slightly lesser water vapour and air permeability compared with the untreated fabric.

Originality/value

The seaweed treated cotton materials are suitable for making wound dressing, surgical wear, face mask, sportswear, healthcare and hygienic applications.
Communicative processes for health activism: the case of organizations working with filipina migrants in Japan
Authors: Bernadas Jan Michael Alexandre C. , Piocos III Carlos M. , Vilog Ron Bridget T.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Informed by health activism (Zoller, 2005), the purpose of this paper is to explore the communicative processes of organizations working with women migrants in countries of destination. In particular, it explored the definitions of and explanations for health of organizations, their solutions to disease and illness, as well as, the methods and tactics they use to communicate health.

Design/methodology/approach

It employed qualitative approach specifically in-depth interviews with leaders or core members of not-for-profit and faith-based organizations working with Filipina migrants in Japan. Field notes from participant observations in formal meetings and informal gatherings were likewise used as data sources.

Findings

While organizations also recognized physical and spiritual health, they placed strong emphasis on mental well-being. Other than translation service, pastoral care, and shelter, coordinating with other not-for-profit and faith-based organizations, international centers, and governments was solution for addressing illness and disease. Together with face-to-face, digital media were used as method and tactic to communicate within and outside organizations. It likewise found that the organizations included were inclusive such that they also worked with other Filipinos in Japan.

Originality/value

This paper contributed to migration health literature by discussing the central role of organizations for mental well-being activism, favorable consequences of coordination among organizations to promote access to quality healthcare and information and dual characterization of digital media for organizing publics. Overall, it is one of the few to explore the ways into which organizations communicatively challenge health structures in countries of destination.
The impact of CSR-linked sport sponsorship on consumers’ reactions to service failures
Authors: Kim Daehwan , Ko Yongjae , Lee J. Lucy , Kim Yong Cheol
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Drawing on the corporate association framework and attribution theory, the purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the shield effects of CSR-linked sport sponsorship on consumer attitudes toward a sponsor, attribution patterns in a sponsor’s service failure and repurchase intentions and second, to investigate the halo effect of CSR-linked sport sponsorship on corporate ability (CA) associations and the relationship between CA associations and consequential variables in the context of service failure.

Design/methodology/approach

A scenario-based two-factor (sponsorship types: baseline vs sport sponsorship vs CSR-linked sport sponsorship × service failure types: flight delay vs cancellation) experimental design was employed.

Findings

The results indicate that CSR-linked sport sponsorship outperforms non-CSR sport sponsorship in forming CSR association and developing CA association. Both CSR and CA associations are found to positively influence the consumer’s attitude toward a service provider. Consumers with positive attitudes attribute the sponsor’s service failure to external factors, leading to repurchase intention after a service failure.

Originality/value

This study connects two fields of research, service failure and sport sponsorship, thereby providing evidence on how CSR-linked sport sponsorship can play a shield role in the context of service failure and whether CSR-linked sport sponsorship can be a proactive strategy for service providers in industries where service failures are inevitable. Additionally, this study provides empirical evidence on whether CSR-linked sponsorship can lead consumers to perceive service quality as “doing right leads to doing well” by creating a halo effect.
Face of CEO in corporate publicity affects viewer regard for the firm
Authors: Dean Dwane H.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ability of head-and-shoulder photos of CEOs appearing in a publicity item to influence reader regard for the corporation linked to the CEO.

Design/methodology/approach

Study 1 investigated three factors, face of a male CEO (trustworthy versus less trustworthy), headline framing of a corporate merger (tax-dodge vs specialization strategy) and respondent gender, whereas Study 2 explored two factors, face of a CEO (male vs female) and headline framing. The primary dependent variable was respondent regard for the firm.

Findings

Study 1 resulted in a significant three-way interaction. Face of a male CEO moderated a two-way interaction between the gender and the headline. Women, as compared with men, responded particularly unfavorably to the combination of an untrustworthy face and a tax-dodge headline. In Study 2, a firm headed by a male CEO and engaged in a tax-dodge action was poorly regarded, whereas a firm headed by a female CEO pursuing the same action did not suffer a loss of regard.

Research limitations/implications

Only one framing device (headlines) was studied when there are multiple such devices. Also, overall regard for the firm is influenced by multiple factors.

Originality/value

Of the factors investigated (facial image, headline and reader gender), only one is controlled by the corporation – the image of the spokesperson presented to the media. Findings suggest less downside risk to reputation if the company uses only trustworthy-looking spokespersons. Also, a female CEO may be a reputational asset. Women reported significantly more positive feelings toward a corporation headed by a female CEO than a male CEO.
Does debt convergence hold in case of India?
Authors: Akram Vaseem , Rath Badri Narayan
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the convergence analysis of public debt among Indian states using annual data from 1990‒1991 to 2014‒2015.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper tests this hypothesis using club convergence technique propounded by Phillips and Sul (2007).

Findings

The results reveal the existence of debt divergence for overall Indian states. States are formed into four clubs on the basis of their level of debt, and three clubs support the hypothesis of club convergence. Further, the total public debt decomposes into three compositions such as market loans, bank loans and loans and advances from the central government. The existence of convergence is found for market loans and bank loans; however, the presence of divergence is found in case of loans and advances for overall states.

Practical implications

Since public debt plays an important role for fiscal health of the Indian states, findings of this study suggest to squeeze the fiscal consolidation further for Indian states whose debts as a percentage to gross state domestic product are on the higher side. Further, the examination of debt convergence helps to manage debt level among the states because heavy dependence on public debt could retard investment and economic growth.

Originality/value

Whereas bulk of empirical studies emphasize on examining the linkage between public debt and economic growth, and issue on debt sustainability across Indian states, examination of convergence of debt and its compositions (markets borrowings, bank loans and loans and advances from the central government) among the Indian states is scanty.
New evidence on corruption and government debt from a global country panel
Authors: Apergis Emmanuel , Apergis Nicholas
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the link between corruption and government debt through a regime-based approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical analysis makes use of a panel of 120 countries, spanning the period 1999–2015. The study makes use of the Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) methodological approach, as well as two alternative measures of corruption.

Findings

The empirical results document that the relationship between corruption and debt is non-linear, while a strong threshold effect was present as well. Public debt appears to respond faster to a high corruption regime compared to a low corruption regime, while an increase in the size of the shadow economy, government expenses, the inflation rate, interest payments on debt and military expenditure all increased the debt to GDP ratio. By contrast, an increase in GDP per capita, the secondary school enrollment ratio and the ratio of tax revenues to GDP led to a fall in the debt to GDP ratio. The findings survive certain robust checks when the role of the 2008 financial crisis is explicitly considered, as well as when two separate country samples were considered, i.e. developed vs developing countries.

Practical implications

Governments should aim to control both corruption and the size of the shadow economy if they really wish to reduce any high levels of their public debt. As debt levels respond faster to high corruption regimes, it is necessary that measures to reduce corruption are complemented by higher GDP per capita growth rates, enrolment rates and higher tax revenues.

Originality/value

The novelty of the paper is that it investigates for the first time, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the presence of non-linearity between corruption and government debt. It proposes non-linear panel cointegration and causality tests, as well as a non-linear panel error correction model that allows for smooth changes between regimes, hence, examining causal relationships in each regime separately.
Economic exposure to exchange rate risk and financial hedging
Authors: Sikarwar Ekta , Gupta Roopak
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential non-linear relationship between family ownership as a governance mechanism and exchange rate exposure of firms that use financial hedging.

Design/methodology/approach

The exchange rate exposure is estimated using two-factor Jorion (1990) model for a sample of 312 Indian firms over the period from 2001 to 2016. The cross-sectional regression model is used at the second stage to investigate the effects of family ownership on exposure for the firms that use currency derivatives.

Findings

The results suggest a significant non-linear cubic relationship between family ownership and exchange rate exposure. Exchange rate exposure increases with family ownership at low and high levels (as a result of improper hedging) and decreases with family ownership at intermediate levels (as a consequence of value-enhancing hedging).

Practical implications

The study has practical significance for firms to understand the circumstances in which currency derivatives usage is ineffective in alleviating exposure. Firms that have high or low family ownership should integrate operational hedges with financial hedges and should incorporate other firm-level governance mechanisms to avoid the misuse of derivatives.

Originality/value

This study provides new evidence that the relationship between family ownership and exchange rate exposure is non-linear for firms that use financial hedging which has not been investigated before in the prior literature.
Strategy, tax planning and liquidity constraints in investment funds
Authors: Malaquias Rodrigo Fernandes , Martins Borges Junior Dermeval
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of the interaction between liquidity constraints and tax planning on the performance of Brazilian investment funds, since liquidity constraints reduce precipitated withdrawals, allowing tax planning operationalization.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample of this study is comprised of 8,008 Brazilian multimarket funds, considering the period from January 2004 to September 2017. The authors considered tax planning, lockup periods and minimum balance of investment as independent variables, and the authors used the Sharpe ratio as a proxy for performance. To test the study hypothesis, the authors employed regression models with panel data.

Findings

The main findings indicate some evidences that investment funds which implement, at the same time, liquidity constraints with tax planning have an extra risk-adjusted return index. This result can represent a premium registered by investment funds with have enough resources to achieve competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the result for the main hypothesis was not robust to different forms of performance measurement.

Originality/value

This study promotes an interaction between finance and organizational strategy, since it employs aspects of strategy theories to support the implications that the internal resources of investment funds, such as their liquidity constraints and tax planning, may exert on their performance. In addition, this study advances by providing new evidences about liquidity constraints in investments funds, which have the potential to contribute with the operationalization of strategy and tax planning of funds’ managers.
Food, poverty and health: the lived experience for SNAP recipients
Authors: Schembri Sharon
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the value of broadening the horizons of social marketing with a transformative approach. Through an investigation focused on the intersections of food, poverty and health, the lived experience of Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) is identified and described. This depth of insight is useful to achieve research-informed public policy and social marketing efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

This ethnographic research design combines shadow shopping and phenomenological interviewing. The research site is an outreach center of a south Texas food bank and the targeted sample are SNAP recipients visiting that outreach center. Audio and visual recordings along with field notes were used to document the process.

Findings

The findings are presented as two emergent themes identified as SNAP but no food and SNAP, health and food. These two themes demonstrate the intersections between food, poverty and health and effectively capture some of the complexities within these connections.

Research limitations/implications

An underlying assumption of this study is the context-dependency of the findings. In focusing this research on SNAP recipients visiting an outreach center of a Texas food bank, the findings are limited to this context and this context only. Generalizability is not the goal but rather providing a depth of insight on the lived experience of food, poverty and health for impoverished consumers is the goal.

Practical implications

Practical implications of this paper include implications for policy implications targeting impoverished consumers. More specifically, evidence shows value in investing in SNAP rather than divesting or reducing funding.

Social implications

This research demonstrates that this outreach center offers the community not only a food hub but also a social hub.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates the usefulness of adopting a transformative consumer research approach for social marketing. Documentation of the lived experience of SNAP enables research-informed public policy and research-informed social marketing strategies. Broadening the horizons of social marketing with a transformative approach is, therefore, advantageous for impoverished consumers, policymakers and social marketers.
Personal characteristics and applicants’ perceptions of procedural fairness in a selection context
Authors: Wang Qingjuan , Hackett Rick D. , Zhang Yiming , Cui Xun
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine a varied set of personal characteristics (i.e. cultural values tied to Confucianism, Big Five personality attributes and test experience) for their combined ability to predict job applicants’ expected and experienced procedural fairness in the context of personnel selection.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 324 applicants were surveyed as part of a process to select entry-level positions at a large IT manufacturing company in eastern China. Data were gathered in two waves, such that applicants’ personal characteristics and fairness expectations were obtained prior to their perceptions of procedural fairness, which were collected after the selection interview.

Findings

Confucian values, neuroticism, conscientiousness and test experience all predicted applicants’ procedural fairness expectations. Only test experience had both direct and indirect effects on procedural justice perceptions. All other effects involving personal characteristics and experience of procedural fairness were mediated by applicants’ fairness expectations.

Research limitations/implications

The demonstration of the impact of a varied set of personal characteristics on applicants’ perceptions of procedural fairness is consistent with theory-driven models intended to understand and predict these perceptions. The findings suggest, among other considerations, that multinational businesses cannot assume that a standardized approach to selection will be viewed in the same manner by applicants across national contexts.

Originality/value

The authors show, in an operational employee selection context, how a varied set of personal characteristics can usefully combine to predict applicants’ procedural fairness expectations, as well as their experience of procedural fairness.
Corporate governance, firm performance, and business group affiliation: evidence from India
Authors: Sanan Neeti Khetarpal , Jaisinghani Dinesh , Yadav Sangeeta
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether, in emerging economies, the relationship between a firm’s corporate governance (CG) and its performance is associated with firm’s affiliation to a business group.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 209 publicly listed firms in India during a 10-year period from 2007 to 2016 were studied, and the random effects model was employed for analysis.

Findings

Empirical evidence showed that board size and institutional shareholding positively impacted firm performance, whereas the proportion of independent directors negatively impacted performance. In group-affiliated firms in emerging economies, chief executive officer duality negatively impacted, whereas institutional shareholding positively impacted performance. These results are consistent with the principal–principal agency theory. The study found no discernible impact of proportion of independent directors on firm performance in group-affiliated firms.

Originality/value

In analyzing the governance–performance relationship and its association with business groups, this study extends current understanding by connecting business group research in emerging economies with CG and firm performance research. In examining firms from several industries over a long period of time after controlling for firm size, capital structure and spends on research and development and marketing, the results of this study offer rich empirical evidence that contributes to the extant literature on the nature of the governance–performance relationship.
The nexus between Asian and US short-term financing rate
Authors: Rahman Md. Saifur , Farihana Shahari
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the nexus between Asian and the US short-term financing rates and compare them between pre- and post-Asian financial crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

The short-term financing rate is used in the estimation by employing two-stage cointegration test.

Findings

The result of the empirical study shows several outcomes; the short-term financing rates among the selected Asian countries are not highly correlated during pre-crisis period, but the rates become strongly associated during the post-crisis period. The US financing rate has significant influence on the Asian rate during both periods. Asian financing rates are not integrated by the influence of the USA, rather regional cooperation and financial initiatives lead the regional financing rate to be integrated.

Originality/value

The empirical finding of the study offers significant policy implications for strengthening regional economic bonding and developing the financial systems.
Climate change and food security in EAC region: a panel data analysis
Authors: Mahrous Walaa
Published: September 2019

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the impact of global climate change on food security in the East African Community (EAC) region, using panel data analysis for five countries, over 2000-2014.

Design/methodology/approach

The determinants of food security are expressed as a function of rainfall, temperature, land area under cereal production, and population size. The paper used pooled fixed effects to estimate the relationship among these variables.

Findings

Findings show that food security in EAC is adversely affected by temperature. However, precipitation and increasing areas cultivated with cereal crops will be beneficial to ensure everyone's food security.

Originality/value

Actions for mitigating global warming are important for EAC to consolidate the region’s economic, political and social development/stability.
Increased soil temperature and decreased precipitation during early life stages constrain grass seedling recruitment in cold desert restoration
Authors: James Jeremy J. , Sheley Roger L. , Leger Elizabeth A. , Adler Peter B. , Hardegree Stuart P. , Gornish Elise S. , Rinella Matthew J.
Published: September 2019

Seed‐based restoration is one of the most difficult challenges for dryland restoration. Identifying environmental conditions that drive variation in seed and seedling mortality across similar restoration efforts could increase understanding of when and where restoration outcomes are likely to be favourable and identify new tools and strategies to improve outcomes.

We asked how variation in a suite of environmental predictors influenced germination, emergence, seedling establishment and juvenile survival of four commonly sown perennial grass species across 33 seeding experiments distributed over an ~160,000‐km2 area of the Great Basin, a cold desert system in the western United States.

Across experiments, we observed wide variation in the rates of four demographic transitions and wide variation in environmental conditions experienced by plants at each stage. For all species, higher precipitation during the first 30 days following seeding was associated with an increase in germination. Conversely, higher soil temperature over this same time period was associated with a significant decrease in germination and emergence, and soil temperature was associated with a substantial portion of the variation in germination and emergence probabilities observed across our seeding experiments.

Within the range of precipitation variation observed, we were unable to detect a significant relationship between seedling establishment the first growing season and cumulative precipitation the first year, precipitation during the first spring growing season or annual climatic water deficit (CWD) the first year. Higher CWD the second growing season reduced seedling survival over that time period.

Synthesis and applications. Our results show higher soil temperature negatively impacts grass seedling establishment. Restoration efforts should be prioritized when seasonal or subseasonal temperature forecasts indicate likely periods of below average temperatures. These results also indicate that climate warming will make restoration even more difficult, with our model estimates suggesting the 2°C increase in temperature expected in the Great Basin over the coming decades will decrease germination and emergence by about 30%. Lastly, while our field‐based approach provided insight into short‐term drivers of mortality, it did not provide insight into drivers of longer term survival, suggesting a need for further work on predicting long‐term restoration outcomes.
Low Wage Growth: Why It Matters and How to Fix It
Authors: Bell Stephen , Keating Michael
Published: September 2019

Neoclassical economic theory and its supply‐side account of the drivers of economic growth has been influential amongst Australian economic policymakers and advisors. In the post‐Keynesian tradition, we argue instead that aggregate demand drives economic growth, even in the medium term. In particular, the investment and innovation that depends upon that investment are mainly determined by the investment response to consumer demand. Currently, weak wages growth in Australia is weakening that consumer demand. The paper examines the causes of weak wages growth and offers solutions.
The Introduction and Development of the H‐index for Imaging Utilizers: A Novel Metric for Quantifying Utilization of Emergency Department Imaging
Authors: Hanna Tarek N. , Duszak Richard , Chahine Amanda , Zygmont Matthew E. , Herr Keith D. , Horný Michal
Published: September 2019

Objective

The objective was to develop a novel metric for quantifying patient‐level utilization of emergency department (ED) imaging.

Methods

Using 2009 to 2015 Truven Health MarketScan commercial claims and encounters database, all ED visits and associated imaging services were identified. To measure imaging resource intensity, total imaging relative value units (RVUs) were calculated for each patient per ED visit. An individual's annual imaging h‐index is defined as the largest number, h, such that h ED visits by that individual in a given year is associated with total medical imaging RVUs of a value of at least h.

Results

Over 7 years, in a sample of 86,506,362 privately insured individuals (232,919,808 person‐years) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 38,973,716 ED visits were identified. A total of 9.5% of person‐years had one ED visit and 2.7% had two or more (the remainder had none). From 2009 to 2015, the percentage of ED patients undergoing imaging increased from 25.1% to 34.6%. Individuals with two or more ED visits each associated with two or more imaging RVUs (ED imaging h‐index ≥ 2) comprised 0.2% of the sample and 1.4% of ED visitors; however, they accounted for 4.0% of ED visits and the use of 18.6% of imaging resources. From 2009 to 2015, imaging resource allocation for such patients increased from 16.5% to 21.0%.

Conclusions

The ED imaging h‐index allows identification of patients who undergo significant ED imaging, based on a single‐digit patient‐specific metric that incorporates both annual ED visit number and medical imaging resource intensity per visit. While ED patients with an ED imaging h‐index ≥ 2 represented a minuscule fraction of privately insured individuals, they were associated with one‐fifth of all ED imaging resources.
Supplemental peri‐operative intravenous crystalloids for postoperative nausea and vomiting: an abridged Cochrane systematic review
Authors: Jewer J. K. , Wong M. J. , Bird S. J. , Habib A. S. , Parker R. , George R. B.
Published: September 2019

We conducted a Cochrane systematic review on the effectiveness of supplemental intravenous crystalloid administration in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. We included randomised controlled trials of patients undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia and given supplemental peri‐operative intravenous crystalloid. Our primary outcomes were the risk of postoperative nausea and the risk of postoperative vomiting. We assessed the risk of bias for each included study and applied the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) framework for the certainty of evidence. We included 41 studies. We found that the intervention probably reduces the overall risk of postoperative nausea, the risk ratio (95%CI) being 0.62 (0.51–0.75) (I2 = 57%, p < 0.00001, 18 studies; 1766 participants; moderate‐certainty evidence). It also probably reduces the risk of postoperative nausea within 6 h of surgery, with a risk ratio (95%CI) of 0.67 (0.58 to 0.78) (I2 = 9%, p < 0.00001, 20 studies; 2310 participants; moderate‐certainty evidence) and by around 24 h, the risk ratio (95%CI) being 0.47 (0.32–0.69) (I2 = 38%, p = 0.0001, 17 studies; 1682 participants; moderate‐certainty evidence). Supplemental intravenous crystalloid probably also reduces the overall risk of postoperative vomiting, with a risk ratio (95%CI) of 0.50 (0.40–0.63) (I2 = 31%, p < 0.00001, 20 studies; 1970 participants; moderate‐certainty evidence). The beneficial effect on vomiting was seen both within 6 h and by around 24 h postoperatively.
Longitudinal changes in prostate volume in a community‐based cohort study of middle‐aged and elderly men in rural China
Authors: Liang Q.‐F. , Zhang S.‐C. , Yu X.‐H. , Li J.‐H. , Zheng J.‐B. , Zhao J. , Liang G.‐Q. , Shi H.‐J. , Zhou W.‐J. , Zhu Q.‐X.
Published: September 2019

Background

Prostate volume (PV) and its change rate are important for the progression of prostate disease, but studies on their estimates are inconsistent.

Objectives

To investigate whether age, prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), and other specific characteristics are associated with PV and its change rate.

Materials and Methods

A community‐based cohort study was conducted in a rural area of China among male residents aged 40–80 years. PV was estimated at baseline and at 4 years of follow‐up by trans‐abdominal ultrasound. Annual PV change rate (PVCR) was calculated as change in volume divided by time interval. Baseline characteristics, including age, serum PSA, and hormones, were evaluated. And their relationships with PV or PVCR were assessed with Pearson correlation and multivariate linear regression analyses.

Results

Totally, 462 participants completed the follow‐up with baseline PV (PV0) of 15.6 ± 5.5 ml. PV0 was highly correlated with age and PSA in pairwise correlations (Pearson r = 0.35 and 0.34, respectively, p < 0.01). Multivariate linear regression showed similar associations that PV0 tended to increase with age and PSA. The average PVCR was 0.7 ± 1.8 ml/year. In pairwise correlations, PVCR was inversely correlated with PV0 and positively correlated with PSA, while it was not significantly related to baseline age. Linear regression of PVCR on age and PSA in groups classified by PV0 quartile showed that age was not a significant estimator of PVCR, whereas PSA was. In each PV0 group, PVCR tended to increase with PSA.

Discussion and Conclusion

PV was positively associated with age and PSA, and it tended to grow faster in men with smaller baseline PV and higher PSA. PSA can be a valuable parameter for estimating both the size and the growth speed of prostate. Although age is associated with prostate enlargement, it does not appear to be related to the longitudinal change rate of PV.
Voluntary and Involuntary Control of Attention in Adolescents Born Very Preterm: A Study of Eye Movements
Authors: Twilhaar E. Sabrina , Belopolsky Artem V. , de Kieviet Jorrit F. , van Elburg Ruurd M. , Oosterlaan Jaap
Published: September 2019

Very preterm birth is associated with attention deficits that interfere with academic performance. A better understanding of attention processes is necessary to support very preterm born children. This study examined voluntary and involuntary attentional control in very preterm born adolescents by measuring saccadic eye movements. Additionally, these control processes were related to symptoms of inattention, intelligence, and academic performance. Participants included 47 very preterm and 61 full‐term born 13‐years‐old adolescents. Oculomotor control was assessed using the antisaccade and oculomotor capture paradigm. Very preterm born adolescents showed deficits in antisaccade but not in oculomotor capture performance, indicating impairments in voluntary but not involuntary attentional control. These impairments mediated the relation between very preterm birth and inattention, intelligence, and academic performance.
Treatment of heart failure with sodium glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: current evidence and future directions
Authors: Sharma A. , Butler J. , Zieroth S. , Giannetti N. , Verma S.
Published: September 2019

Diabetes is one the most common comorbidities among people with established heart failure. Interest in heart failure as an outcome among people with diabetes has emerged since it was shown that there was an association between increased risk of hospitalization for heart failure with use of thiazolidinediones and some dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors. Recently, sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors were shown to lead to a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and either cardiovascular risk factors or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. These findings appear to be consistent in people both with and without a baseline history of heart failure. Based on current evidence there are several clinical scenarios in which the use of sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors would be justified for people with heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: (1) in people with a new diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes and for whom anti‐hyperglycaemic management strategies are being considered; (2) in people with sub‐optimal glycaemic control, regardless of baseline antihyperglycaemic therapy; and (3) in people with symptomatic heart failure (or other high‐risk features such as recent hospitalization for heart failure), if glycaemic control is optimized and the individual is on a sulfonylurea or dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor; here, it may be reasonable to consider substituting one of those therapies for a sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitor. There are now a number of ongoing trials evaluating the role of sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors as therapy for people with established heart failure (with preserved or with reduced ejection fraction) and regardless of the presence of diabetes. These trials will provide the evidence for the safety and efficacy of sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors among people with established heart failure.
Developmental plasticity and evolutionary explanations
Authors: Uller Tobias , Feiner Nathalie , Radersma Reinder , Jackson Illiam S. C. , Rago Alfredo
Published: September 2019

Developmental plasticity looks like a promising bridge between ecological and developmental perspectives on evolution. Yet, there is no consensus on whether plasticity is part of the explanation for adaptive evolution or an optional “add‐on” to genes and natural selection. Here, we suggest that these differences in opinion are caused by differences in the simplifying assumptions, and particular idealizations, that enable evolutionary explanation. We outline why idealizations designed to explain evolution through natural selection prevent an understanding of the role of development, and vice versa. We show that representing plasticity as a reaction norm conforms with the idealizations of selective explanations, which can give the false impression that plasticity has no explanatory power for adaptive evolution. Finally, we use examples to illustrate why evolutionary explanations that include developmental plasticity may in fact be more satisfactory than explanations that solely refer to genes and natural selection.
A meta‐analysis of arrhythmia endpoints in randomized controlled trials of transendocardial stem cell injections for chronic ischemic heart disease
Authors: Fernandes Gilson C. , Fernandes Amanda D. F. , Rivera Manuel , Khan Aisha , Schulman Ivonne H. , Lambrakos Litsa K. , Myerburg Robert J. , Goldberger Jeffrey J. , Hare Joshua M. , Mitrani Raul D.
Published: September 2019

Introduction

The electrophysiologic impact of cell‐based therapy on the injured myocardium remains highly controversial. We aimed to perform a meta‐analysis of studies comparing arrhythmia burden following transendocardial stem cell therapy vs placebo in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease (CIHD).

Methods and Results

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched. No restriction of stem cell type was specified. The outcomes included sustained supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), sudden cardiac death (SCD), and resuscitated sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Effect sizes were reported as odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI. Poisson regression was used to account for zero‐events data. Twelve randomized trials that included 736 patients (384 in the cell therapy group and 352 in the placebo group) were analyzed. Six different cell types were used. Follow‐up ranged from 6 to 12 months. There was a significant decrease in risk of SCD in the cell therapy group, (FE OR, 0.19 [0.04, 0.93]; P = .04). In subgroup analysis, there was a significantly lower risk of SCD or resuscitated SCA in the cell therapy group limited to studies that did not use skeletal myoblasts, (FE OR, 0.23 [0.06, 0.83]; P = .03). There was no significant difference in the incidence of sustained VA between groups (FE OR, 0.91 [0.47, 1.77]; P = .8), even after stratifying by cell type. There was no difference in supraventricular arrhythmias between groups.

Conclusion

Nonskeletal myoblast transendocardial cell therapy was associated with a significantly lower risk of SCD or resuscitated SCA compared to control, with no proarrhythmic effects.