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Since the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese firms have actively responded to the government’s call to accelerate outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Based on resource dependence theory and institutional theory, this study investigates the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the speed of OFDI under BRI and its boundary conditions. The results show that CSR can promote the speed of OFDI under BRI because CSR can help a firm accumulate strategic resources, including external benefits such as a good corporate image, and internal resources such as human capital and dynamic capabilities, and thus enhance legitimacy in host countries and its ability to resist potential risks. We also find that both state ownership and CEO political connections weaken the positive effect of CSR, and if the firm is in the key provinces or key industries of BRI, the positive relationship between CSR and the speed of OFDI under BRI will decrease. Our study contributes to the literature on international business and provides suggestions for firms participating in BRI.

This study aims to determine why a firm would ever engage in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) during a turbulent era. Combining stakeholder theory, the resource-based view, and the literature on SSCM, we argue that SSCM can alleviate negative market reactions to severe external crises. Based on analyses of a sample of firms listed in China from 2019 to 2020, the results robustly display a positive relationship between SSCM and the abnormal returns surrounding the outbreak of COVID-19. The findings of this study extend the supply chain literature by constituting an important addition in external crisis times rather than only in normal times. JEL Classification: M14

Objectives: To evaluate the attenuation of a liver volume–adapted contrast protocol compared with the injection protocol based on body surface area in computed tomography of the abdomen. Materials and Methods:1604 patients referred for unenhanced and multiphase enhanced abdominal CT scanning in a portal venous phase were included inthe study. 748 patients in Group 1 received injected iodine dose with the equation of liver volume (mL) × 7.225 + 16486.754 (mg). 856 patients in Group 2 received a body surface area-adapted protocol with the equation: 17600 mg iodine per m2. Attenuation (HU) in 8 segments of the liver was observed. Subjective image quality was assessed by the Likert scale. Differences between groups were statistically analyzed (P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant). Results:No significant differences in baseline characteristics were found.The injected iodine differed significantly between groups (P < 0.001). The milligrams of iodine per kilogram in Group 1 was 445.59 ± 100.18 which was lower than previous studies of total body weight-adapted protocols with a better effect on higher weight population. Besides, a significant difference wasfoundinthe attenuation of the liver between the two groups.Group 1 showed better aggregation to the standard of 50 HU. Conclusions: Liver volume-adapted contrast media protocol resulted in more homogeneous enhancement of the liver parenchyma and its enhancement efficiency is closer to the theoretical standard, whereas injected iodine can be reduced in a large percentage of the population.

Based on the upper echelons theory, previous literature has suggested that CEO's personal characteristics influence firms' internationalization. However, most research investigates the static traits such as age, education, overseas background, etc. Since CEO's communication skills exert influence on the firm as well, communication may also be of significance in the process of firm internationalization. We proposed that three CEO rhetoric strategies affect firm internationalization by persuading employees to recognize the international purpose and contribute to it jointly. Using the data of CEO rhetorical strategies and the level of internationalization of 118 Chinese listed firms, we tested the influence of CEO rhetoric strategy on firms' internationalization. The results show that two CEO rhetoric strategies - Ethos and Pathos - affect firm internationalization positively. The findings reveal that proper strategy of CEO communication is important for the execution of firms' internationalization.

A perennial question for the pharmaceutical industry has been excessive drug prices. To alleviate patients’ burden of expensive medical bills and increase the affordability of medicines, China adopted the Two-Invoice System (TIS) in drug procurement for public medical institutions in 2017. In this paper, we study the impact of the TIS on pharmaceutical manufacturers’ selling expenses. Using a Difference-in-Differences (DID) methodology and a sample of the A-share pharmaceutical manufacturing firms listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from the years 2014 to 2020, we find that the TIS leads to a significant increase in pharmaceutical manufacturers’ selling expenses but gradually weakens over time. In addition, we further explore whether the impact of the TIS on pharmaceutical manufacturers’ selling expenses is affected by the pharmaceutical manufacturers’ previous drug circulation mode. The results indicate that the TIS could significantly increase the pharmaceutical manufacturers’ selling expenses in the agency mode group. However, there is no evidence to support the TIS having the same effect in the direct sales office model group.

PurposeEmotions and emotional labor play a crucial role in professional interactions. Due to the increasing participation share of women managers in the workforce, especially in the customer-oriented service context, this study adopts a multilevel approach and mobilizes person–job fit theory to investigate whether the emotional labor of female managers influences the association between customer orientation and job satisfaction in frontline employees in a services setting.Design/methodology/approachThe participants were 124 immediate female managers working in bank branches and their 896 customer-facing employees in China.FindingsThe results show that the positive relationship between customer orientation and job satisfaction in frontline employees is strengthened by increases in female managers' deep acting, but it is weakened with the increase in their surface acting.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings provide support for scholars and financial service organizations as they seek to better understanding the dynamics behind the mobilization of women's emotions and their extent. In term of limitations, the data were taken from a single type of organization located in the northern cities of China, so it can be expected that the findings of this study will not generalize to all contexts.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to investigate female managers' emotional labor employing a cross-level analysis in financial services setting.

Background The present study with trial sequential analysis (TSA) was conducted to evaluate comprehensively the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine and midazolam in pediatric sedation, and to investigate whether the outcomes achieved the required information size to draw the conclusions. Methods PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to October 2019. All randomized controlled trials used dexmedetomidine and midazolam in pediatric sedation were enrolled. Sedative efficacy, postoperative analgesic effect, and incidence of emergence agitation were considered as the co‐primary outcomes. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was applied to rate the quality of evidences. Results We acquired data from 34 studies involving 2281 pediatric patients. The results indicated that administration of dexmedetomidine was associated with less incidence of emergence agitation (RR = 0.78, with 95% CI [0.65, 0.92]) and more satisfactory sedation at parental separation (RR = 0.31, with 95% CI [0.24, 0.41]) compared to midazolam, and the current sample sizes were sufficient with unnecessary further trials. Two groups did not differ significantly in sedation level at mask induction (RR = 0.86, with 95% CI [0.74, 1.00]). And using of dexmedetomidine was associated with less incidence of postoperative analgesic rescue (RR = 0.57, with 95% CI [0.35, 0.93]), but the number of patients was too few to achieve the required information size and to draw reliable conclusions. Premedication of dexmedetomidine was associated with significant less value of SBP, heart rate, increased incidence of bradycardia, and a lower rate of shivering. And there were no differences about onset of sedation and recovery time between two groups. Conclusions Given that more satisfactory sedation at separation from parents and less incidence of emergence agitation, dexmedetomidine is preferred for pediatric sedation. However, compared with midazolam, the superiority of dexmedetomidine in providing adequate sedation at mask induction and postoperative analgesic effects has not yet been defined.

Innovation is the key to the development of the pharmaceutical industry. The pilot program of China’s “4 + 7” volume-based procurement policy (“4 + 7” procurement policy) brings the drug price back to a reasonable level through trading procurement quantities for lower drug prices. The policy manages to reduce the burden of the health care system, improve efficiency, and push the pharmaceutical industry to transform and update from the era of high gross profit of generic drugs to innovative drugs. So far, few studies have investigated the influence of the volume-based procurement policy on the innovation of pharmaceutical firms. By combining the event study and Difference-in-Difference (DiD) methodology, this study finds that the abnormal return (AR) of firms with high R&D intensity is lower than that of firms with low R&D intensity during the event window period. Moreover, further analysis identifies the moderating effect of firm size and firm type. Specifically, the results show that the negative influence of high R&D intensity on abnormal return (AR) during the announcement of the “4 + 7” procurement policy is stronger in large firms and innovative pharmaceutical firms. Finally, we discuss the policy implications of our study.

Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH), or spinal headache, is the most common serious complication resulting from iatrogenic puncture of the dura during epidural or spinal anesthesia and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak in pregnant women.To analyze the effectiveness and safety of opioids as a prophylaxis approach in treating obstetric patients who underwent unintentional dural puncture during the initiation of neuraxial anesthesia.A systematice review and meta-analysis.No restriction regarding study type.PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched for available papers published up to September 2020.According to the eligibility criteria, 10 studies were included with post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) incidence as the primary outcome and the number of epidural blood patch (EBP) required as the second outcome. The risk estimates of each study were reported as odds ratios (ORs). The results showed morphine does not decrease the incidence of PDPH (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.15 - 1.34, P = 0.153, I2 = 74.4%, Pheterogeneity = 0.004) and the use of EBP (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.08 - 1.95, P = 0.259, I2=73.7%, Pheterogeneity = 0.004). Fentanyl does not decrease the incidence of PDPH (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.01-13.77, P = 0.576, I2 = 81.0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.022).The small number of included studies, high heterogeneity, and variety in study designs.Exposure to opioids for any reason after the diagnosis of unintentional dural puncture is not associated with a reduced risk of PDPH and does not decrease the need for therapeutic EBP.

Regrown quartz crystals consist of the natural section and the synthetic section grown by hydrothermal technique, which has become popular on the Chinese jewelry market in recent years. Similar gemological properties to those of natural quartz have brought challenges to gem identification and also new questions to scientific research. In this study, microstructure and spectral characteristics of the two sections of regrown quartz crystals were investigated by three dimensional computed tomography system and infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that the natural section has a higher porosity and there are also many micron- to millimeter-sized pores on the interface of the two sections. Different infrared absorption peaks of the two sections at the 3300–3600 cm−1 range were mainly attributed to the different existence state of OH groups. The distinction of microstructure and spectral characteristics between the natural and synthetic sections indicate their different growth condition. Compared with natural quartz, a relatively stable growth environment during the synthetic process leads to a lower porosity and the alkali growth solution could result in the change of the existence state of OH groups in the regrown quartz crystals.

This research letter focuses on tourist behavior and tourism business operators’ contributions to rural mountain region economic growth and sustainable development when using social media. Data wer...

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on firm performance. The study examines the SDG coverage of international firms in six industries listed in the Corporate Knights’ Index, including banking, insurance, petroleum refineries, real estate investment and services, and investment services. Through a content analysis approach, the annual and sustainable reports of these firms for the year 2020 were used to extract financial and SDG information, respectively. The findings indicate that SDG coverage has no effect on firm performance. The results also show that SDGs 5, 8, and 13 appear to be the most widely adopted SDGs by companies from all industries, while SDGs 2, 6, and 14 tend to be the least focused on of all SDGs. This study can assist regulators and investors in better understanding the role of SDGs in achieving an organization’s success.

Resilience captures firm capability to adjust to and recover from unexpected shocks in the environment. Being latent and path-dependent, the manifestation of organizational resilience is hard to be directly measured. This article assesses organizational resilience of firms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic with pre-shock corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance as a predictor that positively influences the level of organizational resilience to the external shock caused by the pandemic. We develop three theoretical mechanisms based on stakeholder theory, resource-based theory, reputation perspective and means-end chain theory to explain how CSR fulfillment in the past could help firms maintain stability to adapt to and react flexibly to recover from the crisis. We examine the relationship in the context of the systemic shock caused by COVID-19, using a sample of 1597 listed firms in China during the time window from 20 January 2020 to 10 June 2020. We find that companies with higher CSR performance before the shock will experience fewer losses and will take a shorter time to recover from the attack.

This study links the gender diversity of the top management team (TMT) to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and examines the moderating role of the marketization level in their relationship. According to the token theory, females are &ldquo, tokens&rdquo, and have difficulty playing their roles when they are rare in groups, where their presence is used for providing legitimacy. Meanwhile, CSR is implemented to gain legitimacy. Therefore, we predicted that there was a negative relationship between female top managers and CSR, and that the marketization level positively moderated their relationship. The hypotheses were supported by the data from 17,032 manager-year observations of listed companies in China. The results indicated that the female top managers&rsquo, presence and CSR performance had the same function of gaining legitimacy. With limited resources, firms added females at the expense of decreasing investment in CSR when under the external pressure of increasing female top managers. Furthermore, this negative relationship was stronger in firms with a less-developed institutional environment because firms with weak institutions have strong incentives to find alternatives to fill the institutional void, which helps to gain access to resources and reduce transaction costs.

Recent studies show that zinc isotopes could provide valuable clues to environmental change and biogeochemical cycle of the past oceans. This study reports a modified procedure for leaching the carbonate fractions in sedimentary rocks, a thorough evaluation of diagenetic effects, and systematic variations of Zn and Sr isotope ratios in lower part of the Ediacaran stratigraphic unit deposited in the aftermath of the Marinoan glaciation in South China. The influence of post-depositional diagenesis on Zn isotope compositions of the studied samples is assessed by comparing δ66Zn to other geochemical indexes (87Sr/86Sr, δ13C, δ18O and Mn/Sr ratios). In the five studied cap carbonate sections (Member I of the Doushantuo Formation), dolostones from four sections have δ66Zn values positively correlated with δ18O values and negatively correlated with 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7081–0.7204). These correlations suggest that these cap dolostone samples have been modified by post-depositional diagenesis. The light δ66Zn value (−0.02‰) suggests that initial Zn isotope ratios of cap dolostones could have been reset by hydrothermal fluids with relatively high Zn concentration and low δ66Zn values. By contrast, carbonates from Member II of the Doushantuo Formation above cap dolostones are relatively pristine based on their low 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7079–0.7086) being indistinct from the proposed early Ediacaran seawater 87Sr/86Sr values. Chemical and isotopic variations in these samples are interpreted to reflect primary signals that record paleo-environmental changes of the early Ediacaran ocean. A rapid increase of δ66Zn from ∼0.3‰ to 1.1‰ occurs in the middle part of Member II, accompanying by relatively invariant 87Sr/86Sr ratios that imply insignificant changes in input from continental weathering. Considering the limited change in atmospheric oxygen during this period, the rapid δ66Zn raise indicates an increase in buried organic matters, which is consistent with the coupled positive shift of δ13Ccarb, as well as the fossil records found in the same strata. These results provide insights into Zn cycling in the post-Marinoan oceans and facilitate the application of Zn isotopes in carbonates as a proxy for the fate of marine organic matter.

Objective To learn about the overall quality of clinical anaesthesia study protocols from the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry and to discuss the way to improve study protocol quality. Methods We defined completeness of each sub-item in SPIRIT as N/A (not applicable) or with a score of 0, 1, or 2. For each protocol, we calculated the proportion of adequately reported items (score = 2 and N/A) and unreported items (score = 0). Protocol quality was determined according to the proportion of reported items, with values >50% indicating high quality. Protocol quality was determined according to the proportion of reported items. For each sub-item in SPIRIT, we calculated the adequately reported rate (percentage of all protocols with score 2 and NA on one sub-item) as well as the unreported rate (percentage of all protocols with score 0 on one sub-item). Results Total 126 study protocols were available for assessment. Among these, 88.1% were assessed as being of low quality. By comparison, the percentage of low-quality protocols was 88.9% after the publication of the SPIRIT statement. Among the 51 SPIRIT sub-items, 18 sub-items had an unreported rate above 90% while 16 had a higher adequately reported rate than an unreported rate. Conclusions The overall quality of clinical anaesthesia study protocols registered in the ChiCTR was poor. A mandatory protocol upload and self-check based on the SPIRIT statement during the trial registration process may improve protocol quality in the future.

The element, Mg and Sr isotope ratios of a weathering profile from Hubei, China have been measured in order to document the behavior of Mg isotopes during dolostone weathering. The profile is developed in the joint system, and the weathering intensity increases from the least weathered dolostone towards the joint plane. According to the element and isotope ratios, the weathering profile can be divided into the weakly and intensely weathered zones. In the weakly weathered zone, Mg/Al (atomic) ratios decrease from 4.99 to 1.75 with increasing weathering intensity, while Ca/Al ratios slightly decrease from 13.70 to 9.02. These suggest massive loss of Mg and simultaneous conservation of Ca. δ26Mg values in the weakly weathered zone slightly decrease from − 1.90‰ to − 2.22‰, lighter than the corresponding protolith (− 1.90‰). These element and isotope variations are likely caused by the cooccurrence of dolomite dissolution and calcite re-precipitation, suggesting that the fluids co-existing with the dolostone are saturated with respect to calcite while not saturated with respect to dolomite. By contrast, both Mg/Al and Ca/Al ratios of intensely weathered samples display a decreasing trend towards the joint plane, ranging from 1.62 to 0.16 and 10.24 to 2.05, respectively. The significant loss of Mg and Ca indicates the considerable dissolution of both dolomite and calcite. δ26Mg and 87Sr/86Sr values increase from − 2.22‰ to − 0.41‰ and from 0.71128 to 0.71368, respectively. These observations demonstrate that the isotope compositions of the intensely weathered residues are dominantly controlled by the increasing silicate fractions after carbonate dissolution, given that silicates have considerably high 87Sr/86Sr and δ26Mg values relative to the carbonates. Overall, our study reveals large Mg isotope fractionation during dolostone weathering. The direction and extent of Mg isotope fractionation are mainly governed by the dissolution and re-precipitation of carbonate minerals, which are further controlled by the fluid's saturation with respect to carbonate minerals (calcite and dolomite). Therefore, cautions should be taken when using whole rock Mg isotope data of dolostones to trace paleoclimate change and dolostone genesis. Primary dolomite could be partially reserved in weakly weathered dolostones and step-leaching experiments may help to reveal its bearing Mg isotope signals.

How can chief executive officers (CEOs) persuade employees to participate in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, so as to enhance firms&rsquo, corporate social performance (CSP)? The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between CEO rhetorical strategies and firms&rsquo, CSP. According to Aristotle&rsquo, s classification, we divide CEO rhetorical strategies into three categories: pathos, ethos, and logos, using the text analysis method. We apply a Probit model to predict whether CEOs use rhetorical strategies and then adopt fixed-effect multiple regression models to measure the impact of various rhetorical strategies on CSP. An empirical analysis based on data on the listed manufacturing companies in the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2014 to 2016 shows that both CEO pathos strategy and CEO logos strategy have positive effects on CSP, however, the relationship between the CEO ethos strategy and CSP is not significant. Our findings contribute to upper echelons theory and CSR research and provide suggestions for CEOs to apply proper rhetorical strategies.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how qualitative case research (QCR) has been conducted in the field of international entrepreneurship (IE) in terms of onto-epistemology and methodology. QCR can serve as an umbrella approach for contextualizing and capturing the complexity of IE opportunities, events, conditions and relationships, and to illuminate and enrich the understanding of related IE processes.Design/methodology/approachA thorough literature review was conducted of IE journal articles published between 1989 and mid-2017. This paper identified and analyzed 292 journal articles in terms of theoretical purpose and research design.FindingsThe findings suggest that the “positivistic” QCR is the customary convention of QCR in IE. “Exploratory” and “theory building” are the two most commonly pursued objectives. There have also been atypical practices and increased methodological rigor in recent years. Alternative paradigmatic QCRs that depart from positivistic assumptions are in an early stage of development in IE.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research examining QCR onto-epistemology and methodology approaches in IE, providing a useful state of the art that has been hitherto lacking in the literature. Based on this paper’s findings, the authors suggest that the IE field would benefit from greater methodological transparency in the reporting and writing of QCR. Also, the breadth of knowledge and legitimacy of the IE area would be enhanced through more studies involving unconventional (beyond positivistic) QCR.