Remnant vegetation and wetlands protection : non-market valuation

Benefit cost analysis is an appealing tool for those responsible for the allocation of environmental assets. However, the alternative uses to which environmental assets may be put frequently generate benefits and costs that are not marketed and hence not readily valued in dollar terms. This is especially the case when non-use environmental benefits and oosts such as existence values are likely to be pivotal in the selection of the preferred allocatjon. Hence, for decision makers to be able to apply benefit-cost analysis, these non-market values must be estimated

An empirical study of high performance HRM practices in Chinese SMEs

This paper explores the performance effects of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in seventy-four Chinese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Four high performance HRM practices are identified: performance-based pay, participatory decision making, free market selection, and performance evaluation. Regression analysis results support the conventional idea that the adoption of HRM practices generates better HRM outcomes and, in turn, better HRM outcomes contribute positively to firm performance. However, not all HRM practices, and their effects, led to improved SME performance. Among the Chinese SMEs investigated, a high level of employee commitment was identified as being the key HRM outcome for enhancing performance

Ownership and strategic choice of HRM methods by Chinese SMEs

Using a sample of 74 Chinese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), this paper explores the influence of ownership on human resource management (HRM) practices by SMEs. It concludes that ownership determines the level of complexity in the application of HRM practices, which are more likely to be adopted by foreign-related and domestically private-owned companies than by collective and state-owned enterprises

Attribute causality in environmental choice modelling

When selecting attributes in environmental Choice Modelling studies, preference should be given to those attributes that are demand-relevant, policy-relevant, and measurable. The use of these criteria will often result in a short list of environmental attributes of which some are causally related. The inclusion of attributes that have a “cause-effect” relationship may stimulate some respondents to seek to understand the causal relations among attributes in order to assign greater meaning to the alternatives, and potentially, simplify the decision making process. This may have implications for the weights they assign to each of the attributes when identifying the preferred alternatives, and subsequently for the implicit prices and/or welfare estimates. A test of the impact of including an attribute that causes impacts on ecosystem health as well as an attribute relating to ecosystem health effects on parameter estimates, implicit prices and welfare estimates is conducted. Two questionnaires are developed, one with the ‘causal’ attribute included and one without. A comparison of results indicates that when the ‘causal’ attribute is included in the vector of choice attributes, the implicit value of a single endangered species falls by 34 per cent whilst no significant difference is detected in the parameter estimates. Importantly, however, estimates of compensating surplus for a given policy package do not differ significantly across the two treatments. This implies that to the extent that the inclusion of a ‘causal’ attribute reduces the implicit prices for one or more of the ‘effect’ attributes, the associated loss in utility is approximately offset by the utility now associated with the new attribute

A systematic review on fitness testing in adult male basketball players: Tests adopted, characteristics reported and recommendations for practice

Background: As basketball match-play requires players to possess a wide range of physical characteristics, many tests have been introduced in the literature to identify talent and quantify fitness in various samples of players. However, a synthesis of the literature to identify the most frequently used tests, outcome variables, and normative values for basketball-related physical characteristics in adult male basketball players is yet to be conducted. Objective: The primary objectives of this systematic review are to (1) identify tests and outcome variables used to assess physical characteristics in adult male basketball players across all competition levels, (2) report a summary of anthropometric, muscular power, linear speed, change-of-direction speed, agility, strength, anaerobic capacity, and aerobic capacity in adult male basketball players based on playing position and competition level, and (3) introduce a framework outlining recommended testing approaches to quantify physical characteristics in adult male basketball players. Methods: A systematic review of MEDLINE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to identify relevant studies. To be eligible for inclusion, studies were required to: (1) be original research articles; (2) be published in a peer-reviewed journal; (3) have full-text versions available in the English language; and (4) include the primary aim of reporting tests used and/or the physical characteristics of adult (i.e., ≥ 18 years of age) male basketball players. Additionally, data from the top 10 draft picks who participated in the National Basketball Association combined from 2011–12 to 2020–21 were extracted from the official league website to highlight the physical characteristics of elite 19- to 24-year-old basketball players. Results: A total of 1684 studies were identified, with 375 being duplicates. Consequently, the titles and abstracts of 1309 studies were screened and 231 studies were eligible for full-text review. The reference list of each study was searched, with a further 59 studies identified as eligible for review. After full-text screening, 137 studies identified tests, while 114 studies reported physical characteristics in adult male basketball players. Conclusions: Physical characteristics reported indicate a wide range of abilities are present across playing competitions. The tests and outcome variables reported in the literature highlight the multitude of tests currently being used. Because there are no accepted international standards for physical assessment of basketball players, establishing normative data is challenging. Therefore, future testing should involve repeatable protocols that are standardised and provide outcomes that can be monitored across time. Recommendations for testing batteries in adult male basketball players are provided so improved interpretation of data can occur. Clinical Trial Registration: This review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews and allocated registration number CRD42020187151 on 28 April, 2020

Processed Food as a Risk Factor for the Development and Perpetuation of Crohn’s Disease—The ENIGMA Study

(1) Background: Developing countries have experienced a rapid recent rise in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) incidence and emerging evidence suggests processed foods and food additives may predispose one to the development and perpetuation of Crohn’s disease (CD). The aim of this study was to evaluate processed food and food additive intake in CD patients and controls, in Australia (high CD incidence), Hong Kong (intermediate incidence) and mainland China (emerging incidence). (2) Methods: In 274 CD patients (CD), 82 first-degree relatives (FDR), 83 household members (HM) and 92 healthy unrelated controls (HC) from Australia (n = 180), Hong Kong (HK) (n = 160) and mainland China (n = 191) we estimated early life (0–18 years), recent (12 months), and current processed and food additive intake, using validated questionnaires and a 3-day-food diary. (3) Results: Early life processed food intake: Combining all regions, CD were more likely to have consumed soft drinks and fast foods than HM, more likely to have consumed processed fruit and snacks than their FDR, and more likely to have consumed a range of processed foods than HC. HK and China CD patients were more likely to have consumed a range of processed foods than HC. Recent food-additive intake (12-months): Combining all regions, CD patients had significantly higher intakes of aspartame and sucralose, and polysorbate-80, than HC, and more total emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and titanium dioxide than FDR and HC. HK and China CD patients had a higher intake of almost all food additives than all controls. Current additive intake (3-days): Australian and HK CD patients had higher total food-additive intake than FDR, and HK CD patients had a higher intake of total food-additives and emulsifiers than HM. (4) Conclusions: CD patients have been exposed to more processed food and food additives than control groups, which may predispose them to CD development and ongoing inflammation