Does high‐speed rail connection really promote local economy? Evidence from China’s Yangtze River Delta

High‐speed rail (HSR) has led to a transportation revolution in China. This paper uses the county‐level panel data of China’s Yangtze River Delta to investigate the effect of HSR connection on local economy. To address the issue of endogenous HSR route placement, we use a straight‐line strategy to construct potential HSR connection variables as instrumental variables of the actual HSR connection. Both the difference‐in‐differences and instrumental variable methods show that HSR connection impedes local economy, especially in peripheral regions. The impediment effect is channeled through population reallocation from peripheral to core areas and the restructuring of industries.     

Interpoint Distance Test of Homogeneity for Multivariate Mixture Models

Finite mixtures offer a rich class of distributions for modelling of a variety of random phenomena in numerous fields of study. Using the sample interpoint distances (IPDs), we propose the IPD‐test statistic for testing the hypothesis of homogeneity of mixture of multivariate power series distribution or multivariate normal distribution. We derive the distribution of the IPDs that are drawn from a finite mixture of the multivariate power series distribution and multivariate normal distribution. Based on the empirical distribution of the IPDs, we construct a bootstrap test of homogeneity for other multivariate finite mixture models. The IPD test is applied to mixture models for matrix‐valued distributions and a test of homogeneity for Wishart mixture is presented. Numerical comparisons show that IPD test has accurate type I errors and is more powerful in most multivariate cases than the expectation–maximization (EM) test and modified likelihood ratio test.     

Can Pokémon GO catch brands? The fit effect of game characters and brands on efficacy of brand communications

Given the recent popularity of augmented reality (AR) games, such as Pokémon GO, this study explores the congruence effect of game characters and brands on brand evaluations and the underlying mechanisms of the effect. Prior gaming experience and motivations are taken into account. An experiment reveals that inexperienced gamers are likely to have more favorable evaluations of the target brands when the images of game characters match the brand images, whereas these effects disappear for experienced gamers. Furthermore, the research demonstrates that experienced gamers are more likely to hold game-specific motivations than the inexperienced, while inexperienced gamers are motivated more by social interaction for playing AR games. Lastly, a mediation analysis reveals that social interaction-related motivation mediates inexperienced gamers’ preference of character–brand congruence. This study sheds light upon how AR games can be utilized by brand communicators.     

扬州市生态农业发展评价及预测研究

［目的］农业是国民经济的基础产业，发展生态农业是实现农业经济稳步增长的重要途径，也是我国发展现代农业的战略选择。对生态农业的现状进行评估，以期以此为依据为今后的发展提供可行性建议。［方法］文章研究从经济效益、社会效益和生态效益3个方面构建了包含14个指标在内的扬州市生态农业发展评价指标体系，并采用熵权法和加权法综合评定2011—2016年该市生态农业发展的经济效益、社会效益和生态效益及综合效益得分，在此基础上采用GM（1， 1）灰色模型对2018—2027年扬州市生态农业的发展程度进行了预测。［结果］2011—2016年扬州市生态农业发展的社会效益呈持续增长态势， 2011—2015年经济效益呈上升趋势， 2016年经济效益明显下降。生态效益分别在2012年和2016年出现两次波动。总体来看， 2012—2015年扬州市生态农业发展的综合效益逐年递增， 2016年由于经济效益的急剧降低，导致综合效益下降。2018—2027年该市生态农业的发展水平一直保持可持续状态，且发展度在逐年递增。［结论］扬州市在今后的发展过程中应注重转变生产方式，积极调整农业生产模式，努力实现农产品的集约化生产。注重环境保护，实现化肥农药使用量零增长，达到经济效益与社会效益和生态效益协调增长。     

基于图像分析光学伪装效果的定量评价系统

针对传统的伪装效果评价容易受到试验条件、时间、经费等多方面限制的问题,提出了一种基于图像定量评价光学伪装效果的方法。利用AHP对颜色和形状进行权重的分析,得出颜色和形状的权重系数W1和W2,通过颜色评价系数对伪装图案与背景的图像颜色相似度进行定量评价,利用横纵比差值来对伪装图案与背景的图像形状相似度进行评价,最终得出基于图像分析光学伪装评价效果的定量评价系统。实验结果表明,该评价系统可实现对伪装图案与背景的颜色和形状相似程度的定量评价。     

The effects of slack resource of R&D professionals on firm performance: evidence from traditional manufacturing firms in an emerging economy

Abstract

As an important component of organizational human resource slack (HR slack), the slack of research-and-development (R&D) professionals has been studied by several authors. However, it remains unclear whether and how this small component of general HR slack, i.e. the slack of research-and-development professionals (RHR slack), may affect overall firm performance in an emerging economy without much R&D tradition or pro-R&D institutions. Based on two organizational theories, i.e. institutional theory and the resource-based view of the firm (RBV), we propose competing hypotheses on the relationship between RHR slack and firms’ accounting performance. We also examine whether the relationship between RHR slack and firm performance should be linear or curvilinear. Finally, we also test the relationship between RHR slack and other dimensions of firm performance. Several interesting findings have been obtained. For instance, neither the perspective based on institutional theory nor that based on RBV can fully predict all types of RHR slack-performance relationships, be these relationships linear or curvilinear.     

Understanding the travel motivation and patterns of international students in Korea: using the theory of travel career pattern

This study examined the travel motivation of international students in Korea using the theory of travel career pattern (TCP). In particular, latent profile analysis (LPA) was applied to identify latent classes within international students. Based on the results, four latent profiles were derived and named “Core,” “Longing,” “Middle,” and “Veteran.” The results described the travel motivation and patterns across these four profiles to enhance the understanding of international students in the context of tourism. There were significant differences in travel patterns (i.e. travel companion and information sources) among the profiles segmented by motivation. This study has expanded travel motivation research by (a) applying TCP to an understudied population (i.e. international students in a non-English-speaking country); (b) comparing travel careers between the home country, Korea (i.e. a study abroad destination), and the third countries; and (c) highlighting LPA as a clustering tool to understand travel motivation.     

Promotion and Prevention Contracts in Industry Level Firm to Firm Dyad

ABSTRACT

Purpose

This article aims to introduce and distinguish two features of contract design – prevention and promotion contracts – and compares their effects on opportunism within the distributor–supplier relationship. It also examines the moderating role of ex post contract enforcement strategies.     

刺芪参胶囊的制备工艺研究

目的:探索刺芪参胶囊的制备工艺。方法:采用正交实验,以总皂苷质量为指标,优化提取工艺;采用单因素实验优化制剂工艺。结果:在最佳提取工艺条件下,刺芪参胶囊提取物中的总皂苷含量为12.19 mg·g-1;以糊精作为填充剂、硬脂酸镁为助流剂、95%乙醇为黏合剂制备胶囊剂。结论:刺芪参胶囊的制备工艺稳定可行。     

村级尺度耕地产能空间分异及其影响因子分析

[目的]通过探究耕地产能空间分异规律与影响因子,识别地区粮食生产关键制约因素,提升高标准基本农田建设的针对性和建设效果。[方法]采用空间自相关模型刻画了村级尺度耕地产能空间分异规律,对比分析了线性回归模型和地理加权回归模型在耕地产能影响因子识别的效果,并依此划分产能提升类型区。[结果](1)海伦市耕地产能呈现中西部高北部偏低的态势,且具有较强的空间自相关特征。(2)海伦市耕地产能与黑土层厚度、出现障碍层深度、耕作距离、田块状况和质地等变量显著相关,且均呈正相关,但在空间上表现出不同程度的异质性。(3)基于地理加权回归模型的耕地产能影响因子,提出了产能保持区、耕作条件改良区、质地改良区、障碍层改良区和保护性耕作区5类耕地产能提升类型区。[结论]文章所采用的基于村级尺度耕地产能及其空间分异因素模型相关研究,能够较好揭示村级耕地产能空间分布特点、空间自相关性特征及影响因子分布特征,基于此所划分的耕地产能提升类型区较已有研究对耕地分类管理具有更精准的支撑作用。