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Aim Methods Results Conclusions Shocks to the food system (such as extreme weather events, wars, and pandemics) are felt by institutional food systems. For hospitals, these shocks affect the quantity, quality, and variety of foods that can be offered to patients. One strategy to buffer the hospital food supply from external threats is to prioritise ingredients produced locally. Thus, the aim of the current research is to describe the country of origin of all foods purchased by a large, metropolitan healthcare organisation and to identify opportunities for improving the locality of the food supply.This study was of a cross‐sectional, observational design. The country of origin for all foods procured over a 1‐year period by a large, urban healthcare organisation was determined by proportion of food budget spend. State of origin was identified for fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. The organisation was in Queensland, Australia and utilised a cook‐fresh, room‐service foodservice model. Descriptive analysis was used to to determine the number of items and the proportion of budget spend on all foods produced in Australia, and by food category. Similar descriptive statistics were generated to determine the proportion of the budget spend on fresh fruits, vegetables and meats produced in Queensland.Over the 1‐year period, 659 individual food items were purchased by the hospital foodservice, and 502 food items were included in the anlaysis. In total, 53% of the food budget was spent on Australian foods (100% Australian ingredients) and almost all fruit (73%) and vegetables (91%) were Australian grown. Procuring fresh fruit (28%), vegetables (35%), and meat (46%) from within the state was less common, and this may reflect the primary states of production across Australia, and seasonal variability of the food supply.Findings offer priority areas for improving the locality of the food supply. Future research to determine if procuring more foods locally has benefits to consistency of the food supply is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nationality is considered a highly relevant determinant of tourism expenditure. In this paper, we use survey data to estimate the main determinants of daily tourism expenditure in 2019 for five nationalities of a major coastal destination, the Canary Islands. A total of 38 regressors, based on literature, are used with the help of quantile regression analysis to understand the behaviour patterns of different expenditure segments. To obtain segmented information on the determinants of expenditure, independent quantile regression models for each nationality are estimated and compared. Results show that there are similarities but also some remarkable differences between nationalities regarding income, age, travel group, educational level, or content of the package that can be used in destination management and marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Country-branded universities, which include a country in their name, are a type of higher education institution found in many countries globally. We consider these universities as transnational higher education institutions, for they ‘borrow’ or ‘transfer’ elements of the affiliated country across national borders. Surprisingly, there is very limited research on this phenomenon. The aims of this research are to identify what exactly in practice crosses national borders from the affiliated country to a country-branded university, and to develop a framework for country-brand authenticity in transnational higher education (TNHE). The data used in this research was provided by expert informants, who were individuals holding a senior or middle management position at a country-branded university. The proposed framework for country-brand authenticity in TNHE has four main dimensions, namely affiliated country connections; teaching and learning; governance and human resources; and student experience and development. These four dimensions are supported by eleven themes. The most often mentioned concepts were related to the curricula, pedagogy/didactics, and foreign accreditation themes. We offer suggestions for further research using our country-brand authenticity framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the risk of an aggressive endometrial cancer (EC) diagnosis by race, ethnicity, and country of origin to further elucidate histologic disparities in non-Hispanic Black (NHB), Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander (API), American Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN) vs. non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients, particularly in Hispanic or API subgroups. Patient diagnosed between 2004 and 2020 with low grade (LG)-endometrioid endometrial cancer (ECC) or an aggressive EC including grade 3 EEC, serous carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, mixed epithelial carcinoma, or carcinosarcoma in the National Cancer Database were studied. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for diagnosis of an aggressive EC histology was estimated using logistic modeling. There were 343,868 NHW, 48,897 NHB, 30,013 Hispanic, 15,015 API and 1646 AIAN patients. The OR (95% CI) for an aggressive EC diagnosis was 3.07 (3.01–3.13) for NHB, 1.08 (1.06–1.11) for Hispanic, 1.17 (1.13–1.21) for API and 1.07 (0.96–1.19) for AIAN, relative to NHW patients. Subset analyses by country of origin illustrated the diversity in the OR for an aggressive EC diagnosis among Hispanic (1.18 for Mexican to 1.87 for Dominican), Asian (1.14 Asian Indian-Pakistani to 1.48 Korean) and Pacific Islander (1.00 for Hawaiian to 1.33 for Samoan) descendants. Hispanic, API and AIAN patients were diagnosed 5-years younger that NHW patients, and the risk for an aggressive EC histology were all significantly higher than NHW patients after correcting for age. Insurance status was another independent risk factor for aggressive histology. Risk of an aggressive EC diagnosis varied by race, ethnicity, and country of origin. NHB patients had the highest risk, followed by Dominican, South/Central American, Cuban, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino descendants. [Display omitted] • Non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients had the lowest percent (%) with an aggressive endometrial cancer (EC) histology (30%). • 57% of non-Hispanic Black patients had an aggressive EC histology corresponding to a 3-fold higher risk over NHW patients. • Risk in Hispanics (H) varied by race (32% H-White to 48% H-Black) and country of origin (34% Mexican to 45% Dominican). • Risk varied in descendants from Asian (33% Indian Pakistani to 39% Korean) or Pacific Islands (30% Hawaiian to 37% Samoan). • 32% of American Indian/Alsakan Native patients had an aggressive EC histology and an age-adjusted risk of 1.30 vs. NHWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractLivestock husbandry systems are controversially discussed in society, politics and science. Since exporting countries such as Germany, the Netherlands or Denmark produce pork under higher animal welfare standards, the question arises if it will be competitive on the international market. We used a factor and cluster analysis to identify consumer segments in Japan, South Korea, Italy and Poland and to determine the instruments necessary to make animal welfare more popular. Each study country revealed three consumer groups: One group is interested in animal welfare and meat quality attributes but prefers domestically produced pork. Another group is price sensitive and without expectations. Finally, a third group is interested in animal welfare and accepts imported products. To address consumers in this group, informational campaigns and target market-oriented strategies are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to propose a typology of Czech consumers with respect to their attitudes toward the country of origin when purchasing beverages. Attention is paid to four commonly purchased beverage categories: beer, wine, tea and coffee. Using the Computer Assisted Web Interviewing method, the total number of fully completed questionnaires obtained was 396. The selection of respondents was determined by gender and age quotas. The measurement of attitudes involved utilizing a set of 22 statements concerning the beverage origin which were evaluated on a five-point scale. As confirmed by the research results, in each beverage category, the country of origin influences consumers' purchasing decisions differently. When purchasing wine, Czech consumers most commonly verify the country from which it originates. The origin is also important to them when it comes to beer, with the strongest preference for beer produced in their own country. The country from which the beverage originates has a considerably lower importance for coffee and is the least important when buying tea. Based on respondents' attitudes toward the country of beverage origin, four consumer segments were identified, namely "Experimenters," "Picky consumers," "Patriots," and "Pro-European consumers." Factor and cluster analysis were used for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the British government's measures for its civilian subjects stranded as 'enemy aliens' in Japanese-controlled areas in the Far East during World War II. The British government tried to protect the interests of these Far Eastern subjects during the war and in the immediate postwar period. Its manner of dealing with the latter's redress movement from the late 1980s was initially reluctant but eventually became relatively adequate, thanks to the twin pressures of domestic public opinion and precedents set by other former Allied governments and the resolute struggles of the ex–Far Eastern subjects themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the first ratings of international branch campuses (IBCs) by Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which are further supported by findings in the literature, we investigated students' institution choices and satisfaction, focusing on country of origin and campus environment as possible key influences. The study adopts an inductive qualitative research design involving semi-structured interviews with 53 IBC students in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We found that an IBC's country of origin influences both students' institution choices and students' overall satisfaction with their institution. Although we also found that campus servicescape and facilities impact upon students' institution choices and satisfaction, these were secondary when compared to education-related factors. We conclude that while a favourable campus servicescape may contribute less to overall student satisfaction compared to other factors, a campus environment with poor or inadequate facilities and equipment may result in student dissatisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to determine the extent to which consumers perceive food-related information to be tied to the intrinsic characteristics of food, particularly safety. Design/methodology/approach: The authors examined Japanese consumers' preferences regarding domestic or foreign perishables, as well as how they interpret origin information, focusing on their perceptions of safety using descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression analysis. Findings: The results indicated that a high proportion of Japanese consumers considered domestic foods to be safer; in particular, people affected by food safety information obtained through personal communication, books and magazines tended to choose domestically produced perishables rather than imported ones. Originality/value: The belief that domestic foods are safer than imported ones was highly universal among Japanese consumers, although this belief is not necessarily grounded in scientific evidence. When considering strategies to improve consumers' information literacy, factors that have fostered this belief must be discussed. For consumers to make logical food choices, both food businesses and consumers require scientific and informational literacy and policy support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to investigate the role of intrinsic and extrinsic cues on consumers' perceptions of product quality, and the moderating role of product knowledge using products that are at different stages of product life cycle. Two survey-based studies were conducted with distinct samples for products (automobiles and smartwatches) in an emerging market. The findings suggest that consumers use more (less) diagnostic extrinsic marketing cues such as country of origin (COO) effects, event sponsorships, and celebrity endorsements to develop perceived quality for automobiles (smartwatches). Furthermore, product knowledge moderates the impact of cues on the perceived quality of products, which further depends on the product life cycle stage. This research brings out significant differences between consumers with differing knowledge levels across a wide range of marketing cues, especially given that first-time buyers have limited exposure to the category before their first purchase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few countries provided multiple COVID-19 vaccines for their citizens right from the start of mass immunization. In Serbia, four vaccines were available. Circumstances in which people had several options to choose from are unique. The purpose of this study was to identify motivators behind COVID-19 vaccination and the choice of COVID-19 vaccine among people who were immunized against COVID-19. Qualitative interviews with 35 vaccinated people aged > 18 years were conducted in May 2021 at the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, a reference institution for vaccination. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Four topics emerged: 1) Decision to receive COVID-19 vaccine; 2) Sources of information about the vaccine; 3) Choice of the COVID-19 vaccine and 4) Anti-vaccination sentiment around the vaccinated people. Participants were classified in two groups: those who were determined to receive the vaccine and those who were hesitant. People who were hesitant decided to receive the vaccine after reviewing the information collected from various sources, especially physicians. Although some participants accepted any vaccine regardless of their characteristics, there were others who had explicit preferences. These preferences stemmed mainly from their beliefs about particular vaccine's efficacy and safety, COVID-19 status (previous infection), living or lifestyle circumstances (residence or travel abroad), doctor's recommendation (underlying health status) or trust in expertise of that particular manufacturer's country of origin. Opting for appropriate vaccine was motivated by reasons specific to various individuals, which enabled them to make choices in line with their preferences and values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union has become a new ideal destination for Vietnamese migrant workers in recent years, but with this comes challenges in integrating into the labour market and society of host countries. Integrating third-country migrant workers has been a top priority in the EU's policies for many years, and the role of the country of origin in the integration process of migrant workers is also increasingly being recognized. This article focuses on the role of the country of origin and analyses Vietnam's current policies to see whether they support the integration process of Vietnamese migrant workers into the EU. Based on the evaluation, recommendations are made to strengthen Vietnam's legal mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness of the integration process for Vietnamese migrant workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geotagged social media data have been used widely for visitor monitoring in protected areas. The data might, however, over or underestimate visitors from specific countries due to nationality bias, i.e., differences between nationality of actual visitors versus those visitors who post on social media. This study aimed to quantify nationality bias in social media data for visitor monitoring. We conducted a questionnaire survey in Nikko National Park, Japan. Questions covered the nationality of visitors and their usage of social media, and other visitor attributes and behavior. Foreign visitors had significantly different attributes and behaviors compared to Japanese. Non-Japanese Asian visitors were overrepresented in Instagram and Facebook data. In comparison, the X platform was more representative of all visitors. Nationality bias in different platforms needs more attention and further study in different areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores consumer ethnocentrism, consumer knowledge of countries of origin of automobiles, and the relationship between these and consumers' preferences and purchases of vehicles. Consumer ethnocentrism varies significantly within the U.S. population, resulting in groups that are not ethnocentric, moderately ethnocentric, and highly ethnocentric. While ethnocentrism is a significant factor in perceptions, attitudes, and purchase intentions, consumers have limited knowledge of where vehicles are made. Consumers rely primarily on country of brand rather than country of origin, and their attitudes and purchases reflect those brand perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the research of consumer nationalism by examining the meaning of corporate country-of-origin as a product of communication, rather than individual perception. The paper focuses in particular on the Japanese electronic and auto companies in China. Using frame analysis to analyze data from the Chinese social media platform of Weibo, it identifies four overall frames from the interaction among the Chinese government, the companies, and the public. The coexisting frames of Foe, Friend, Power, and Reason simultaneously shape the meaning of Japanese-ness, which affords practical implications to corporations' management of their perceived nationality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the 1995 Unidroit Convention on stolen or illegally exported cultural objects and the Directive 2014/60/EU on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State, the country from whose territory a cultural object has been unlawfully removed can request the return of the object before the courts of the country where the object is located. Both regulations are based on cultural nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to examine the differences in the environmental sustainability approaches of global businesses in the country of origin and host country through the example of Ford Automotive. In this direction, "does environmental sustainability reporting differ in the country of origin and host country? If a difference is detected, what is the source of this difference? Is there a theoretical approach that explains this situation from environmental sustainability theories?" are the focus points of the study. The qualitative research method is adopted in the study, and the environmental sustainability reports of the US-based Ford Automotive company in two countries, hosted by Turkey, are subjected to content analysis. GRI index environmental categories and Treadmill Production Theory environmental categories constitute the two stages of the analysis. The findings show that the host country is more dominant in the environmental compliance category and weaker in the country of origin. However, it is found that the supplier environmental assessment category is structured in detail in the country of origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Made-in-China products are getting popular around the world. Overcoming the 'low quality' perception or unfavorable country of origin (COO) effect is imperative not only for China marketers but also for any related business in other markets. Despite their huge popularity, understanding of market responses and perceptions towards China products remain unclear, especially in the technology-advanced healthcare sector. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and COO effect, this study examined how subjective norms, self-image congruence and stereotype affected Malaysian consumers' attitude and purchase intention of Made-in-China medical devices. 200 questionnaires in total were distributed among buyers in Malaysian public and private hospitals. A total of 178 valid responses were collected adopting purposive sampling technique. Findings indicated a significant impact of consumer attitude on purchase intention and attitude was found to be driven by subjective norms and stereotypes (warmth and competence), but not selfimage congruency. The study also showed significant mediating effects of consumer attitude on the relationship between subjective norms and stereotype (competence) on purchase intention. The findings provide valuable insights to assist marketers in tapping into the Made-in-China medical device market as well as helping healthcare agencies plan and implement effective policy and marketing communication strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a globalized world, the expatriate community continues to expand. Selecting trustworthy healthcare providers is fundamental for their adaptation to a new country. Through interviews and a survey, this paper adds to the literature by theoretically discussing and empirically analyzing the decision process of a cross-cultural sample of expatriates in Dubai. It focuses on evaluating the role of two cues: Country of Origin (COO) and Word of Mouth (WOM). The findings show personal WOM is the most influential factor. The paper also explores the effect of expatriates' origin (developed vs. emerging countries) and their levels of fluency in English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belonging to an ethnic minority has been described as a possible risk factor for problem gambling, but the literature is inconclusive whether this association is true or just a proxy for other underlying risk factors. Hence, the aims were to investigate: (1) past year prevalence of problem gambling in the adult Danish population and trends since 2005, (2) past year prevalence of problem gambling in 2017 and trends since 2010 by country of origin, and (3) whether a marginalisation by country of origin or problem gambling, respectively, is seen in various health-related indicators. Data were derived from the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys in 2005, 2010, 2013, and 2017. The Lie/Bet Questionnaire was used to define problem gamblers. The overall prevalence of past year problem gambling has increased slightly from 2005 (1.0%) to 2017 (1.5%), but a more alarming increase was observed among men with non-western origin (3.1% in 2010 and 7.0% in 2017). A lower prevalence of good self-rated health and a higher prevalence of poor mental health was observed among individuals with a non-western origin compared to those with a Danish origin, although the differences became smaller between 2010 and 2017. The findings indicate a slightly increase in the prevalence of past year problem gambling and that particular attention should be paid to individuals with a non-western origin. The study also highlights the need for better differentiation of risk factors that may variously predispose different ethnic groups to develop gambling problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable research, empirical results on the relationship between partitioned country-of-origin (COO) and consumer behavior remain inconclusive and conflicting. This study aims to examine the (a) overall and disaggregate effects of selected COO sub-components (country-of-brand, country-of-design, country-of-manufacture/assembly, and country-of-parts) on product evaluation, brand evaluation, and purchase intentions; and (b) effect of selected study methodological and contextual characteristics on the focal relationship. The study employs a meta-analysis to synthesize prior literature regarding the partitioned COO—consumer behavior relationship of 82 independent samples in 64 empirical papers published in the last 30 years, including 25,827 observations and 1,239 effect sizes. Results reveal that partitioned COO has a significant, positive influence on consumer behavior; however, our subgroup analysis demonstrates that the impact on purchase intention is significantly larger than product evaluation and brand evaluation. Moreover, findings disclose that country-of-brand (COB) effect is the largest and interacts strongly with purchase intention than the effects and interactions of the other partitioned sub-components. Again, the moderator analysis shows that these effects depend on contextual and methodological factors (i.e., cues, culture, product stimulus level, product category, and study design). These findings advance COO research by clarifying the anecdotal mixed results, pointing out relevant managerial implications, and identifying potential avenues for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine whether Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectral analysis based on multivariate analysis for whole-cell extracts can be used to discriminate different countries of Perilla seeds at the metabolic level, leaves of Perilla seeds were subjected to FT-IR spectroscopy. FT-IR spectral data of leaves were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). FT-IR spectra confirmed typical spectral differences between frequency regions of 1,700-1,500, 1,500-1,300, and 1,100-950 cm-1. These spectral regions reflect the quantitative and qualitative variations of amide I, II in amino acids and proteins (1,700-1,500 cm-1), phosphodiester groups in nucleic acids and phospholipids (1,500-1,300 cm-1), and carbohydrates (1,100-950 cm-1). PCA revealed separate clusters corresponding to their country relationship. Thus, PCA could be used to distinguish between countries of origin with different metabolite contents. And PLS-DA showed a similar country classification of Perilla seeds. Furthermore, these metabolic discrimination systems could be used for the rapid selection and classification of useful field crop cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study replicates and extends previous research investigating young adults' ability to conserve melody under different harmonic contexts by comparing Chinese listeners (N = 131) with U.S. listeners (Liu, 2018; N = 61). Using identical stimuli and procedures from the original study, participants listened to 34 pairs of melodic examples and identified whether the melody presented was the "same or different." Results indicated Chinese listeners had a well-developed ability to identify the sameness of a melody when it was presented (a) alone, then with harmony (Task I); (b) with harmony, then with different harmony (Task II); and (c) with harmony, then alone (Task III, a reversed task of Task I). Overall, Chinese participants performed significantly better than U.S. participants. Corroborating prior research, music reversibility was also observed among Chinese listeners, as demonstrated by successful responses in two reversed music tasks (Task I and Task III). The performance differences on Task II between listeners with low versus no level of mastering reversibility regardless of country of origin and between Chinese listeners only with a high and a low level of reversibility further support the concept of music reversibility and its role in musical thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on perspectives on triadic group relations and status hierarchies, we predicted that Americans would be more likely to expect immigrants from a perceived low-status rather than high-status country of origin to assimilate to the U.S. mainstream culture and that ethnocentrism would mediate this effect (N = 2,246). Using 60 countries/areas as targets, Study 1 showed that perceived country status negatively predicted assimilation expectations for immigrants from that country. In Studies 2 through 3, participants were exposed to a news article which emphasized China's shortcomings, achievements, or status-irrelevant attributes. In Studies 4 through 7, including one preregistered study, participants were presented with a portrayal of a fictitious country with high (or intermediate) or low status. Compared with high-status (or intermediate status) conditions, American participants were more likely to expect immigrants from a low-status country to assimilate to the United States, and ethnocentrism (causally) mediated these effects even when alternative mediators were controlled. Moreover, assimilation expectations mediated the effect of country status on a tendency to Anglicize a new immigrant's name. A meta-analysis supported a significant effect of country status on assimilation expectations, and a mega-analysis verified the mediating role of ethnocentrism. This research reveals a status bias toward immigrants, broadening our views on how international relations affect domestic relations, highlighting the importance and malleability of ethnocentrism. The generalizability of current American findings to other countries is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare agronomic and seed traits of 135 common bean landraces originating from Korea, Bulgaria, and El Salvador, we evaluated 20 morphological traits and performed principal component analysis (PCA). In the PCA, the first and second principal components accounted for 55.15% and 15.97% of the total variance, respectively. The first component showed a strong positive correlation with seed size and 100-seed weight, whereas the second component produced a strong negative correlation with days to flowering and days to maturity, indicating that these traits may explain the differences between landraces originating from different countries. Landraces from Korea showed higher variation in days to flowering and days to maturity; those from Bulgaria produced larger and heavier seeds; those from El Salvador produced smaller and lighter seeds and flowering and maturity occurred earlier. In addition, the landraces from El Salvador had relatively lower diversity compared to those from other countries, as they were grouped within a small cluster in the PCA. These evaluation results may provide important information for selecting breeding materials, and diversity analyses of landraces from different countries provide information for securing genetic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To compare differences in the probability of COVID-19-related death between native Italians and immigrants hospitalised with COVID-19.Methods: This retrospective study of prospectively collected data was conducted at the ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco Hospital in Milan, Italy, between 21 February and 31 November 2020. Uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the impact of the patients' origin on the probability of COVID-19-related death.Results: The study population consisted of 1,179 COVID-19 patients: 921 Italians (78.1%) and 258 immigrants (21.9%) who came from Latin America (99, 38%), Asia (72, 28%), Africa (50, 19%) and central/eastern Europe (37, 14%). The Italians were significantly older than the immigrants (median age 70 years, interquartile range (IQR) 58-79 vs 51 years, IQR 41-60; p < 0.001), and more frequently had one or more co-morbidities (79.1% vs 53.9%; p < 0.001). Mortality was significantly greater among the Italians than the immigrants as a whole (26.6% vs 12.8%; p < 0.001), and significantly greater among the immigrants from Latin America than among those from Asia, Africa or central/eastern Europe (21% vs 8%, 6% and 8%; p = 0.016). Univariable analysis showed that the risk of COVID-19-related death was lower among the immigrants (hazard ratio [HR] 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30-0.63; p < 0.0001], but the risk of Latin American immigrants did not significantly differ from that of the Italians (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.47-1.15; p = 0.183). However, after adjusting for potential confounders, multivariable analysis showed that there was no difference in the risk of death between the immigrants and the Italians (adjusted HR [aHR] 1.04, 95% CI 0.70-1.55; p = 0.831), but being of Latin American origin was independently associated with an increased risk of death (aHR 1.95, 95% CI 1.17-3.23; p = 0.010).Conclusions: Mortality was lower among the immigrants hospitalised with COVID-19 than among their Italian counterparts, but this difference disappeared after adjusting for confounders. However, the increased risk of death among immigrants of Latin American origin suggests that COVID-19 information and prevention initiatives need to be strengthened in this sub-population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afrikaans is regarded as a peripheral language in the global polysystem of language, as well as a minority language in terms of the proportion of South Africa's people who speak this language. In order to expand the market for Afrikaans trade books and to position Afrikaans literature internationally, there needs to be more visibility and resourcing, translation rights need to be sold, and South African publishing to be positively rebranded. This article explores the challenges and opportunities of Afrikaans publishing, applies polysystems theory as a theoretical framework, undertakes a comprehensive literature review, and discusses findings from interviews with trade publishers and observations at the Frankfurt Book Fair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to study the effect of customer involvement on the perceived credibility of association reinforcement through co-branding. Two propositions were developed which were tested in a case of co-branding between Fastron and Lamborghini. The authors measured the credibility of the reinforcement of three associations on Fastron, namely high quality, premium product, and high-speed use. Input from 414 respondents was collated through online and offline surveys. The discussion was enriched by an elaboration of association networks relating to Fastron, Pertamina (the parent company of Fastron), and Lamborghini, from the perspective of respondents. Results show that high involvement users tended to combine both salient and non-salient information regarding the three brands. Such individuals were also influenced by the strong adjacency between Fastron and Pertamina, consequently expressing doubt that Fastron is associated with the three attributes. In contrast, low involvement customers paid no attention to non-salient information. Rather, they accepted the newly formed Fastron/Lamborghini adjacency, culminating in their conviction that Fastron demonstrated all three attributes. In addition, research results suggest that country of origin and country image effect lead to unsuccessful associations of brand images on high involvement customers, due to unmatched saliencies between brands detained by each in consumers' minds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean meal (SBM) from China, Argentina, Brazil, the USA and India was collected to evaluate their performances in the diet of Pacific white shrimp. SBM samples were analysed for proximate composition, amino acid profiles, sugars, fibres, macro and micro minerals. A growth trial was conducted using SBM‐based test diets (350 g kg−1 protein and 80 g kg−1 lipid), and a digestibility trial was carried out from digestibility diets formulated by mixing the basal diet and test ingredients (70:30) on a dry matter basis. Significantly higher growth (as standardized Thermal growth coefficient) was observed in shrimp fed SBM from China over Brazilian SBM. However, growth performances of shrimp fed SBM sourced from USA, Argentina and India were not different to that of Chinese and Brazilian SBM. No significant differences were observed for apparent dry matter, energy and protein digestibility coefficients (<0.05) of SBM among the countries. The differences observed in the ingredient chemical profile of SBM between countries were not reflected in the growth and digestibility data of shrimp. These results highlight the importance of multiple variables influencing the biological value of soybean meals and that simplified generalizations such as country of origin, poorly define the quality of an ingredient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impacts of country of origin (COO) of the celebrity and the endorsed brand on consumers' quality perception and attitudes in the Chinese sportswear market based on data collected from 249 young Chinese consumers. It is the first empirical effort to investigate the effectiveness of a new hybrid type of celebrity endorsement 'international sports star of China'. The results reveal that celebrity COO has a significant impact on Chinese consumers' brand attitudes, and the congruence between celebrity COO and brand COO is required for international sportswear brands to create a high level of perceived quality in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absence or presence of an alternative in a choice set may change the relative preference and predicted market share results. In this study, three groups of experiments are performed to determine if choice context influences consumer preference for orange juice from different countries of origin and using different production methods. Our results show that our participants consider that the importance of country of origin (United States over Brazil) outweighs production method (GM or non‐GM) when they are obliged to trade off between the two attributes among limited options. However, market price for US orange juice might decrease compared to a market with only non‐GM orange juice (from both countries). Our market share projections show that even with decreased willingness to pay, US GM orange juice would still account for the majority of the orange juice market (53%). With unlimited choices (US GM orange juice is added to US and Brazilian non‐GM orange juice), US GM orange juice takes more market share from US non‐GM than Brazilian orange juice. This combination of findings highlights the importance of inclusion or exclusion of alternatives in choice experiments. In both scenarios, having GM orange juice in the market increases the proportion of people who choose not to purchase any juice, possibly indicating an increased distrust due to the introduction of GM technology. Adoption of GM technology in the citrus industry (if found to be a cost effective solution for a very costly disease) would depend on the overall market effects on both supply and demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine whether the association between women's origin and early pregnancy overweight and obesity (OW/OB) varies by length of residence in Sweden.Design: This cross-sectional observational study used pooled Swedish population register data from 1992 to 2012. Logistic regression models were run to estimate odds ratios (OR) of early pregnancy OW/OB and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI), comparing Swedish-born and immigrants by length-of-residence categories while adjusting for covariates.Setting: Sweden.Participants: In total, 1 771 821 pregnant women, 315 992 of whom were immigrants.Results: With longer residence in Sweden, more immigrant women from various origins exhibited higher odds of experiencing early OW/OB compared with Swedish-born women. Findings specifically showed increased odds of early pregnancy OW/OB with increasing length of residence for women born in Latin America, Europe-27 and Southeast Asia. For example, immigrant women from Latin America residing in Sweden for < 6 years showed similar odds as Swedish-born (OR≤ 5 years 0·92, 95 % CI 0·87, 0·98), while their longer residing counterparts showed higher odds than Swedish-born women (OR6-15 years1·21, 95 % CI 1·14, 1·28 and OR≥ 16 years 1·68, 95 % CI 1·59, 1·78). Mixed results were found for other origins.Conclusions: The current study suggests that host country conditions might play an important role in explaining OW/OB among some groups of immigrant women. Although further studies are needed to disentangle the mechanisms that generate these health inequalities, policy efforts should focus on immigrant reception and early integration to prevent pregnancy-related OW/OB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates potential negative effects of a product-harm crisis (PHC) involving a product category that benefits from positive country-of-origin (COO) effects. In particular, the authors hypothesize that such a PHC generates deteriorations in consumers' attitudes toward the product category involved, which in turn spill over to a country's products in general (broad COO level) and, subsequently, to other product categories (narrow COO level), in that they generate attitude deteriorations on these two levels as well. Two online experiments confirm these negative effects and that attitudinal deterioration is particularly strong among consumers with relatively high initial trust if intentional actions of the concerned companies have caused the crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia with an increasing prevalence in Western countries. However, little is known about AF among immigrants compared to non-immigrants.To examine the incidence of hospital-diagnosed AF according to country of origin.Immigrants were defined as individuals born outside Denmark by parents born outside Denmark. AF was defined as first-time diagnosis of AF. All individuals were followed from the age of 45 years from 1998 to 2017. The analyses were adjusted for sex, age, comorbidity, contact with the general practitioner and socioeconomic variables. Adjustment was conducted using standardised morbidity ratio weights, standardised to the Danish population in a marginal structural model.The study population consisted of 3,489,730 Danish individuals free of AF and 108,914 immigrants free of AF who had emigrated from the 10 most represented countries. A total of 323,005 individuals of Danish origin had an incident hospital diagnosis of AF, among the immigrants 7,300 developed AF. Adjusted hazard rate ratios (HRRs) of AF for immigrants from Iran (0.48 [95%CI:0.35;0.64]), Turkey (0.74 [95%CI:0.67;0.82]) and Bosnia-Herzegovina (0.42 [95%CI:0.22;0.79]) were low compared with Danish individuals. Immigrants from Sweden, Germany and Norway had an adjusted HRR of 1.13 [95%CI:1.03;1.23], 1.12 [95%CI:1.05;1.18] and 1.11 [95%CI:1.03;1.21], respectively (Danish individuals as reference). Substantial variation in the incidence of hospital-diagnosed AF according to country of origin was observed. The results may reflect true biological differences but could also reflect barriers to AF diagnosis for immigrants. Further efforts are warranted to determine the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impact of country of origin (COO) on Lebanese female consumers' attitudes and perceptions toward skincare and cosmetics products made in France or China. Structured questionnaires were used. Samples were collected using an online data collection method. Three hundred respondents fully completed the survey. One-way ANOVA, multinomial logistic regression, single and multiple regression analysis, and chi-square tests were adopted to test several hypotheses. The study found that consumers' level of involvement influences consumers' attitudes toward country of origin. COO information search and change in the perception appear not to be correlated in the case of China, contrary to that of France. The paper compensates some of the deficiencies in the literature concerning examining the effect of COO within the context of the cosmetics industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, particularly in Lebanon. It also delivers marketing insights for Chinese and French cosmetics and skincare companies pursuing to expand in the Lebanese market. Managers can use these insights to inform their future market communication and entry strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine whether the existing stock of immigrant firms induces more new firms of the same nationality in the same sector and province. We carry out the analysis by using Italian administrative data on the population of individual firms observed over the time window 2002–13. We find support for a strong attractiveness (pulling) effect, which significantly differs by gender, with female immigrant entrepreneurs showing a lower reactiveness to the existing stock of firms compared to their male counterparts. Also, we find that exposure to gender inequality matters for the degree of equality of the pulling effect between genders. Only for countries of origin with unequal gender opportunities do female immigrants show a lower pulling effect than their male peers. No difference in the effect between men and women is, instead, found with reference to the degree of gender inequality in the destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a matrix that classifies and compares key forms of intercultural branding and brand communication among Chinese companies, focusing on Chinese brands that have developed in competition with foreign suppliers and have chosen different approaches to identity formation. Chinese branding since the 1980s and current brand communication on corporate websites are examined closely and the brand communication of established and emerging brands from China is identified. Moreover, representative marketing practices are provided to analyze firms' strategy development and predict future "Made in China" marketing efforts. The proposed matrix can be employed by future international and intercultural research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "global factory" business model of some Asian economies provided many OEM opportunities for their growing firms, which led these firms on a reverse industrial development path that has been overlooked in the literature. These firms are now at a crossroad because this model is threatened by turbulent conditions. This study investigates whether and how these firms can take advantage of their unique development path and their focus on building collaborative relations to augment their value chain linkages with clients, and whether they benefit financially or socially from the relationship. This research quantitatively tests several hypotheses from both the manufacturer's and the client's perspectives using a paired survey method. The focus is on manufacturing firms based in Taiwan and Mainland China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to verify suitability of the proposed hypotheses. Extra analysis is also done to understand value chain configuration and contribution. The empirical results show industry competition does not directly impact supplier's management of the value chain relationship with the client. However, supplier industry competition positively influences supplier's perceived environmental turbulence as well as client's perceived environmental turbulence, which both then augment supplier-client value chain association. Augmented value-chain association contributes to annual revenue and client camaraderie. The client's country of origin (emerging economy versus developed economy) also impacts value-chain association as well as configuration. When the client is from an emerging economy, a more comprehensive value chain is more likely. Keeping marketing and procurement (not R&D) functions in-house is more of a concern for clients from developed economies. After-sales services contribute the most to both revenue and camaraderie. This research answers calls to take resource-dependency theory beyond the industry level of analysis and to explore additional relationship management instruments. It also expands RDT by considering the client's perception of the supplier's environment. The study is conducted in Chinese cultural context, which helps balance the existing emphasis on Western experiences in the literature. Asian manufacturers can use their unique industrial development path to benefit financially and socially from value-chain development. Suppliers should attempt to create more comprehensive value chains, especially when their clients are from emerging countries, and hone procurement and marketing skills. If suppliers hope to augment value-chain association with the client for revenue and camaraderie, suppliers should first attempt to capture after-sales services then procurement, with logistics being the least important. Firms in Asian emerging countries often establish a more functionally comprehensive value chain and have followed a different industrial development path compared to firms from advanced economies. Suppliers' movement in reverse sequence along the value chain is highly relevant to present circumstances but research on this issue is insufficient. Additionally, relationships are often of greater importance and take different forms in Asian cultures compared to Western culture. This study helps extend current understanding of value chain configurations under environmental dynamism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the question of whether higher education Hispanic students of different nationalities have different perceptual learning style preferences. Independent samples t test results suggest students of non-Mexican heritage prefer visual learning styles more than students of Mexican heritage. ANOVA results show older students and students from families with greater levels of education have greater preference for visual learning, and higher household income is related to lower preferences for group learning style, and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the structure of preferences of olive oil importers in three countries (USA, Germany and Mexico, three non-producer countries with very different cultural characteristics) to evaluate the country of origin effect in their purchasing decisions. Using the conjoint analysis technique, the data collected through a survey sent to the list of importers in the "Alimentos de Extremadura-Food from Spain" project, a total of 31 companies, is analyzed. From the study of the origin, packaging, production system and price attributes, the overall results show that origin is the attribute most valued by the importers, very closely followed by price. The analysis carried out shows that the country of origin effect is not universal. Exporters of olive oil need more than one marketing-mix strategy and they may also be very useful for both business managers and for those responsible in the public administrations for managing trade policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental studies have consistently argued for consideration of contextual influences on children's socioemotional well-being. This is particularly true among children of immigrants, who have highly diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten, this study disentangled the variation of socioemotional well-being among children of immigrants in the United States by looking at country of origin and their multifaceted economic experiences. The study first examined the economic lives of children of immigrants by conducting a latent class analysis with 3 dimensions—depth, duration, and income volatility from kindergarten to fifth grade. It further investigated how multifaceted economic experiences shaped the socioemotional perceptions of children of immigrants by considering country of origin. Findings from this study support both the immigrant risk and immigrant paradox perspectives, depending on country of origin, patterns of economic experiences, and the examined socioemotional domain. Children of immigrants generally perceived themselves to have a worse locus of control, self-concept, and internalizing symptoms at eighth grade than their peers of native-born parents. After considering the economic circumstances of these families, the picture was no longer straightforward. Children of South East Asian and East Asian origins reported worse socioemotional well-being than their White peers of native-born parents in chronic near-poor circumstances. Otherwise, most children of immigrants fared as well as their White children of native-born parents under similar economic conditions. Findings underscore the importance of country of origin and economic experiences in accounting for the variations of socioemotional well-being among children of immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objective is to compare the effects of country of origin (COO) and brand on Younger Millennials' (YM) willingness to buy global brands. We chose the United States, because it is the country of origin for the most valuable global brands. We approached Apple, Levi's, and McDonald's because they are iconic brands both in the US and globally. We tested constructs related to the country of origin and brand and then conducted a survey with 367 YM (17-23 years old) as potential brand consumers. We applied a structural equation model to analyze the impacts of these constructs on their willingness to buy. Results indicate that the way YM connect themselves to the brand is more important than the way they perceive or feel about the brand's country of origin. We studied real brands within their target market and, in a current context, translated constructs for application in day-to-day consumer situations, while seeking discoveries that can be widely applied in the field of international marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine consumers' brand avoidance behaviours toward sportswear brands in the Chinese sportswear market. A theoretical framework was proposed regarding the influence of motivational drivers as well as the moderating effect of country of origin on consumers' brand avoidance behaviours. A focus group study and a web-based survey were used to collect data to test the relationships proposed in the theoretical framework. The results suggested that avoidance toward sportswear brands existed among Chinese consumers. Motivational factors including negative shopping and consumption experience, negative brand identity, and unpleasant advertising had significant influences on Chinese consumers' avoidance behaviours toward sportswear brands. Additionally, brands' country of origin moderated the relationships between brand avoidance drivers and Chinese consumers' brand avoidance toward sportswear brands. This study fills a gap in the literature on brand avoidance, and provides great insight for the sportswear industry in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors propose a model explaining the antecedents of country of origin evaluations using the stereotype content model. Specifically, we propose a direct relationship between competence stereotypes and the micro and macro image of a country. We also show how perceived warmth can affect product outcomes directly and indirectly through macro image contrary to current findings. This paper contributes to the literature by showing the context in which the warmth stereotypes acts in situations where the country is perceived as having low warmth. We also show how warmth stereotype can be used in tourism through destination receptivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to explore the importance of country of origin (COO), ethnocentrism, perceived risk, and product involvement on consumers' chocolate preferences, and also to reveal the interrelationships between these factors. Using taste test and survey, a quantitative method was employed to reveal whether the taste perception of respondents for the same chocolate will be differentiated with regard to the COO information and whether the buying intention of respondents for the same chocolate will be differentiated with regard to the COO information. Also, the role of consumer ethnocentrism, perceived risk, and product involvement on COO effect was tested. Turkish university students constituted the sample for the study. Univariate and multivariate statistical methods were used. With important implications for COO research, results help to improve our understanding for situations in which COO effect, ethnocentrism, and other variables can become effective for chocolate products. To our best knowledge, this is the first study that has empirically demonstrated the role of COO on taste perception and explored the underlying factors of COO, product involvement, consumer ethnocentrism, and perceived risk interaction for chocolate products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined variables relevant to food products marketing in foreign markets: perceptions of a product's country-of-origin (which may provide a "halo effect" if positive), and consumers' tendencies to favor local vs. imported goods for ideological reasons (consumer ethnocentrism). These were explored in the context of marketing research related to expanding U.S. dairy in China. An online survey of consumers (N = 505) in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou showed that ethnocentrism was below scale mid-point and did not vary across cities. Overall, higher purchase intention was associated with more favorable evaluations of the U.S., and with lower ethnocentrism, although there were some differences by region. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, a classification was proposed of ways in which brands communicate their country of origin (COO). The current, exploratory study is the first to empirically investigate the frequency with which brands employ such COO markers in magazine advertisements. An analysis of about 750 ads from the British, Dutch, and Spanish editions of Cosmopolitan showed that the prototypical "made in" marker was rarely used, and that "COO embedded in company name" and "use of COO language" were most frequently employed. In all, 36% of the total number of ads contained at least one COO marker, underlining the importance of the COO construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the first to empirically assess two known measures of country of origin (COO) constructs to determine their relative effectiveness. Two empirical studies employing real brands from the U.S. and South Korea were conducted. Brand origin recognition accuracy (BORA) and brand familiarity were assessed, in addition to consumer judgments. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relative contribution of alternative COO constructs. The results show that brand familiarity has the largest influence on product quality and purchase intentions. When the two alternative measures of COO are compared directly, in the absence of brand familiarity, the traditional measure of COO captures the effects better than the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) measure. If only one measure of COO is used, both are effective. In addition, both BORA and brand familiarity help us to better understand the conditions that influence COO effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Post-harvest fungal infection of fruits and vegetables is mainly caused by fungal pathogens that can be harmful to both human and animals as they produce mycotoxins, post-harvest diseases in fruits and vegetables are a serious problem that results in the loss of a large percentage of crops reaching 50% in some fruits. This study aims at screening the post-purchasing shelf-life of four highly consumed fruits and vegetables and at identifying the fungal strains behind their spoilage in Qatar. Materials and Methods: Fruits and vegetables were collected from the market to study their post-purchasing shelf-life and to identify the fungal types involved in samples rotting. Factors that affect samples' shelf-life were also analyzed. Results: A total of 73 fungal isolates were isolated and identified, with the highest percentage of Penicillium (21.9%) followed by Rhizopus (17.8%). Interestingly, many mycotoxins producing and diseases inducing fungi were identified in this study; this includes Rhizopus, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Botrytis, Geotrichum, and Colletotrichum. Statistical analysis shows that different fruits have significantly different shelf-life and different predispositions for spoilage. In many cases, a strong relationship was shown between the fungal types isolated and the country of origin of the fruit. Finally, the price of the commodity did not have a significant effect on its contamination level nor did the market from which the sample was purchased. This indicates that the fruit displaying methods in Qatar do not affect their contamination level. Conclusion: The study is among the first reports about fungal types involved in fruits and vegetables rotting in Qatar and it highlights the strong link between spoiling fungi and their country of origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to assess the possibility of identifying the country of origin of a product by placing various cultural elements of a given country on their packaging. A quantitative research method was used to obtain primary data. 193 respondents from Slovakia took part in the study (71.5% women and 28.5% men). In the article, we describe the responses of respondents to 5 questions concerning: cultural elements on food packaging identifying the country of origin, respondents buying food products in packaging with cultural elements, reasons for not buying them, paying attention to the presence of cultural elements on some food packaging and the degree to which this packaging reminds respondents of Slovakia. The conducted research confirmed the authors' assumptions that approximately 80% of all respondents would be willing to buy a product with a cultural motif on the product packaging (the percentage of men preferring these motifs was smaller than women, i.e. 72% compared to 80%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]