R.S. Glew, B. Amoako‐Atta, G. Ankar‐Brewoo, J. Presley, L‐T. Chuang, M. Millson, B.R. Smith and R.H. Glew
The main purpose of this paper is to determine the content of amino acids, fatty acids and minerals in seven indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) in Ghana.
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this paper is to determine the content of amino acids, fatty acids and minerals in seven indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
Leaves from plants growing near Kumasi were milled to a fine powder, dried to constant weight in a vacuum desiccator, and analyzed for their content of the afore‐mentioned nutrients. The plants were: Hibiscus sabdarifa, Hibiscus cannabinus, Amaranthus cruentus, Corchorus oliforius, Solanum macrocarpon, Xanthomosa sagittifolium and Vigna unguiculatus.
Findings
All seven ILVs contained a large amount of protein (15.5‐22.8 percent), which compared favorably to the essential amino acid pattern of a WHO standard. They all contained nutritionally useful amounts of α‐linolenic acid and had an omega‐6/omega‐3 ratio of 0.1‐0.9. The seven ILVs contained quantities of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and zinc that could contribute significantly to satisfying an individual's need for these elements.
Research limitations/implications
The presence of relatively large amounts of various nutritionally essential macro‐ and micronutrients in these seven ILVs does not necessarily mean these nutrients are bioavailable. Future research is required to determine the amounts of anti‐nutrients (e.g. protease inhibitors, chelators) in these vegetables, and the extent to which their protein, lipid and mineral constituents are digested and/or absorbed.
Originality/value
Since malnutrition (e.g. iron‐deficiency anemia, rickets, zinc deficiency, protein‐calorie malnutrition) is common in sub‐Saharan Africa, the information which is provided should increase awareness among agricultural and public health officials of the nutritional value of seven underappreciated and underutilized ILVs that are indigenous to Ghana and many other parts of Africa.
Chih-Pin Lin, Chi-Jui Huang, Hsin-Mei Lin and Cheng-Min Chuang
Country of origin has profound effects on consumer behavior; yet few studies have examined an antecedent of these effects: why some countries enjoy a positive image while others…
Abstract
Purpose
Country of origin has profound effects on consumer behavior; yet few studies have examined an antecedent of these effects: why some countries enjoy a positive image while others suffer a negative one. Developing an institutional theory of country image, the authors argue that weak legal institutions at the country level increase firm opportunistic behavior that expropriates consumers and decrease the product quality of local brands, thus decreasing the country’s image regarding its products and brands.
Design/methodology/approach
This study measures country image for products and brands using the number of valuable brands (i.e. brands included in the top 500 brands from 2008 to 2016) in a particular home country. Data concerning the rule of law in each country come from the World Bank, and data on the efficiency of countries’ judicial systems comes from Djankov et al. (2007). We also collect patent data from the US Patent and Trade Office, national culture from Hofstede Insights and GDP and GDP per capita from the World Bank as control variables. Panel Poisson regression, Tobit regression and truncated regression are used in the analyses.
Findings
Supporting the institutional theory of country image, both the rule of law and efficiency of the judicial systems show positive and significant effects on country image, even when economy size (GDP), degree of economic development (GDP per capita), level of technology and skill (patents) and culture are controlled.
Practical implications
To improve their country’s image and the brand value of local firms, policymakers should strive to strengthen legal institutions aimed at punishing firm opportunistic behavior in their countries.
Originality/value
Previous research on the country-of-origin effect has not yet appreciated the role of legal institutions in developing the construct of country image.
Details
Keywords
Chih-Pin Lin and Cheng-Min Chuang
Although multinational enterprises (MNEs) based in emerging economies arose quickly during the past decade, most of these firms lack marketing capabilities and strong brands…
Abstract
Purpose
Although multinational enterprises (MNEs) based in emerging economies arose quickly during the past decade, most of these firms lack marketing capabilities and strong brands. Emerging-economy MNEs that have tried to build their own brands have been largely unsuccessful. The purpose of this paper is to argue that corruption in the MNEs’ home countries has been detrimental to their brand values. Corruption makes it more difficult for consumers to govern their transactions with local firms, thus decreasing firms’ trustworthiness and brand values.
Design/methodology/approach
Data of the global top 500 most valuable brands of 2008 and 2014 and the Poisson regression model are used.
Findings
This study finds that firms based in countries with lower levels of corruption establish more valuable brands than those based in countries with higher corruption, even when GDP and GDP per capita are controlled.
Practical implications
Policymakers who want to help local firms increase their marketing capabilities and establish strong brands should strive to increase the trustworthiness of local firms by undertaking anti-corruption reforms aimed at protecting consumers.
Originality/value
Few studies have address the research question that why emerging-market MNEs lack marketing capabilities and strong brands. This study finds that institutional factors such as corruption at country level prevent them from establishing strong brands.
Details
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Chih-Pin Lin and Tse-Ping Dong
Although recent models of place branding have proposed culture as a crucial element in establishing a strong place or nation brand, the way in which cultural products influence…
Abstract
Purpose
Although recent models of place branding have proposed culture as a crucial element in establishing a strong place or nation brand, the way in which cultural products influence the brand equity of other products from the same nation has not yet been studied. This study aims to argue that when a nation has strong legal institutions, as perceived by investors and managers, it offers fertile soil for cultivating cultural products that, when exported, can act as “cultural ambassadors,” promoting the country image in the minds of consumers and the value of the country's brands.
Design/methodology/approach
Exports of cultural products are provided by UNESCO. Valuable brands are those that brand finance included in its global top 500 most valuable brands list. The rule of law is provided by the World Bank. Panel regression models are used.
Findings
Supporting the hypotheses, exports of cultural products show positive effects on the value of brands from that country, and the rule of law shows positive effects on exports of cultural products.
Practical implications
Policymakers could improve the brand value of local firms by promoting exports of cultural products. To do so, policymakers should initiate judicial reforms that strengthen the rule of law to protect contracts and property rights.
Originality/value
This study examines the hitherto underexplored effects that a country's cultural product exports have on the brand value of firms from that country. Most prior research has focused on factors affecting imports of cultural products.
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Brady Lund and Ting Wang
Considerable overlap exists between the disciplines of library and information science and museum studies. Exploiting the overlap and examining those areas were library/museum…
Abstract
Purpose
Considerable overlap exists between the disciplines of library and information science and museum studies. Exploiting the overlap and examining those areas were library/museum instruction courses diverge may provide valuable insights for how to improve the quality of these courses and better prepare students for instructional roles in both disciplines.
Design/methodology/approach
Word frequency and thematic analysis of the instructional course descriptions for all 52 American Library Association-accredited Master of Library and Information Science programs in the USA and 49 museum studies and affiliated (e.g. MA in anthropology with museum studies concentration) programs is performed.
Findings
Each discipline has some specific language to describe tasks specific to itself (e.g. museums), but these comprise a small percentage of the total language usage. Among other terms and themes, overlap occurs at a rate of about 50%. The remaining 35-45% of terms and themes reveal areas that are emphasized in only one discipline, but could be beneficial to incorporate in the curriculum/content in both disciplines.
Research limitations/implications
This research builds on a growing corpus of work demonstrating relations between museum studies and library and information science, and their status within a metadiscipline of information; this research presents a comparison of course content that may inform future curriculum/content development.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study of this type has been performed with museum studies courses, nor has a comparison between the two disciplines been investigated at this level.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper was to determine and compare nutritional composition of different parts of citrus fruits, namely, Citrus aurantium (peel: albedo, flavedo and pulp…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to determine and compare nutritional composition of different parts of citrus fruits, namely, Citrus aurantium (peel: albedo, flavedo and pulp: juice, pomace) . This study was conducted through three stages of fruit maturity (green, yellow and orange). Total polyphenols, flavonoids, β-carotene, total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, acidity, total soluble solid and the minerals (Ca, Mg, Zn, Na, K, Fe, Mn Cu) were evaluated. Moreover, the relationship between the total polyphenol, flavonoids and the antioxidant activity was determined.
Design/methodology/approach
Total polyphenols were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Flavonoids were assessed by the aluminum chloride colorimetric method. Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. K and Na contents were determined by using a flame photometer. Other nutritional composition was determined by volumetric method.
Findings
The result showed that the concentrations of antioxidants, total polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, total chlorophyll, total acidity and antioxidant activity (DPPH%) decreased during the maturity of fruit while the value of pH and β-carotene increases. In addition, the concentrations of the most minerals decreased through the maturation of fruit except Na. Anova statistical analysis of all the studied chemical variables was shown significant differences between all the samples. The pH, total soluble solids, β-caroteniod: orange juice had the highest average while green juice had the lowest. Ascorbic acid, total acidity, total chlorophyll: green juice had the highest average while orange juice has the lowest. Total phenol, K, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn: green flavedo had the highest average while orange juice had the lowest. Flavonoid, antioxidant activity (DPPH%), Ca, Zn: green albedo had the highest average while orange juice had the lowest. Na: orange flavedo had the highest average while green juice had the lowest. The correlations between total polyphenol, flavonoid and antioxidant capacity were significantly higher (R = 0.935 and 0.960, respectively).
Originality/value
The stage of maturity affects nutritional composition in Citrus aurantium fruits (C. aurantium) peel and pulp, where some minerals of composition increased and others decreased, according to the results. This is the first study on comparing the nutritional composition of pulp: juice, pomace and peel: albedo, flavedo of Citrus aurantium L. during maturity in Syria, and it was also not found in previous works.
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Raphael Kuranchie-Pong and Joseph Ato Forson
The paper tests the overconfidence bias and volatility on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) during the pre-Covid-19 pandemic and Covid-19 pandemic period.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper tests the overconfidence bias and volatility on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) during the pre-Covid-19 pandemic and Covid-19 pandemic period.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs pairwise Granger causality to test the presence of overconfidence bias on the Ghana stock market as well as GARCH (1,1) and GJR-GARCH (1, 1) models to understand whether overconfidence bias contributed to volatility during pre-Covid-19 pandemic and Covid-19 pandemic period. The pre-Covid-19 pandemic period spans from January, 2019 to December, 2019, and Covid-19 pandemic period spans from January, 2020 to December, 2020.
Findings
The paper finds a unidirectional Granger causality running from weekly market returns to weekly trading volume during the Covid-19 pandemic period. These results indicate the presence of overconfidence bias on the Ghana stock market during the Covid-19 pandemic period. Finally, the conditional variance estimation results showed that excessive trading of overconfident market players significantly contributes to the weekly volatility observed during the Covid-19 pandemic period.
Research limitations/implications
The empirical findings demonstrate that market participants on the GSE exhibit conditional irrationality in their investment decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic period. This implies investors overreact to private information and underreact to available public information and as a result become overconfident in their investment decisions.
Practical implications
Findings from this paper show that there is evidence of overconfidence bias among market players on the GSE. Therefore, investors, financial advisors and other market players should be educated on overconfidence bias and its negative effect on their investment decisions so as to minimize it, especially during the pandemic period.
Originality/value
This study is a maiden one that underscores investors’ overconfidence bias in the wake of a pandemic in the Ghanaian stock market. It is a precursor to the overconfidence bias discourse and encourages the testing of other behavioral biases aside what is understudied during the Covid-19 pandemic period in Ghana.
Details
Keywords
Yufeng Guo, Chuang Zhang, Lei Qi, Haixu Yu, Suzhen Liu and Liang Jin
The purpose of this study is to develop an electromagnetic loading method for online measurement of the acoustoelastic coefficients and bus bar plane stress.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop an electromagnetic loading method for online measurement of the acoustoelastic coefficients and bus bar plane stress.
Design/methodology/approach
A method based on the combination of electromagnetic loading and the acoustoelastic effect is proposed to realize online measurement of acoustoelastic coefficients and plane stress. Electromagnetic loading is performed on the bus bar specimen, and the acoustoelastic coefficients and the bus bar plane stress are obtained by the ultrasonic method. An electromagnetic loading experimental platform is designed to provide electromagnetic force to the metal plate, including an electromagnetic loading module, an ultrasonic testing module and a stress simulation module.
Findings
The feasibility of the proposed electromagnetic loading method is proved by verification experiments. The acoustoelastic coefficients and plane stress measured using the electromagnetic loading method are more accurate than those measured using the traditional method.
Originality/value
The proposed electromagnetic loading method provides a new study perspective and enables more accurate measurement of the acoustoelastic coefficients and plane stress. The study provides an important basis for evaluating the operation status of electrical equipment.
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Jessica Ayensu, Reginald Adjetey Annan, Anthony Edusei and Herman Lutterodt
Edible insects have emerged as a promising inexpensive option to address malnutrition among vulnerable groups in the world. However, it is not clear whether including insects in…
Abstract
Purpose
Edible insects have emerged as a promising inexpensive option to address malnutrition among vulnerable groups in the world. However, it is not clear whether including insects in diets can improve health outcomes. This paper aimed to investigate the impact of edible insect consumption on human health.
Design/methodology/approach
A search was conducted in PubMed Central, BioMed Central, Plosone, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Google Search and bibliographies for all human studies on the impact of edible insect consumption on human health published from January 1990 to April 2018.
Findings
Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Consumption of cereals fortified with edible insects improved iron status and growth in infants and led to the development of life threatening anaphylactic reactions in sensitive people.
Practical implications
Edible insects are nutritious. More rigorous studies are needed to confirm nutrient bioavailability, acceptability and nutritional benefits in humans.
Originality/value
This review shows that the utilization of edible insects as food promotes desirable health outcomes, but caution must be taken to prevent allergic reactions in some cases.
Details
Keywords
Olaniyi Amos Fawole and Umezuruike Linus Opara
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit is highly valued for its delicious edible arils and health benefits. In this study, a comparative study on elemental composition of seven…
Abstract
Purpose
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit is highly valued for its delicious edible arils and health benefits. In this study, a comparative study on elemental composition of seven pomegranate cultivars was determined in the fruit rind, mesocarp and arils.
Design/methodology/approach
The concentrations of major elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cl and Na) and trace elements (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, B, Ni, Co, Cr, Pb, Cd, Se, Al, As, Li, Sr, Ti and V) were determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES) calibrated with different concentrations of standard solutions of the minerals.
Findings
The highest amounts of N, P, S and Cl were found in Bhagwa cultivar, while Arakta, Ruby and Wonderful had the highest amount of Mg, Ca, and Na, respectively. P, Fe, Zn, Ti, V were more in quantity in the edible portion, while the other mineral elements were in larger proportions or in some cases were only found (Co, Al, As) in the non‐edible fractions of fruit. Among the major mineral elements investigated, P had the highest covering of the RDA, ranging from 6.78 to 8.53 per cent contribution to the RDA, followed by K (4.530‐4.95 per cent RDA), S (1.25‐1.54 per cent RDA), Ca (1.04‐1.54 per cent RDA), Mg (4.33‐5.26 per cent RDA), and Na (0.15‐0.17 per cent RDA).
Practical implications
Knowledge of the relative contributions of mineral elements in the edible fruit part (arils) to RDA will assist in nutrition planning against mineral deficiency.
Originality/value
Pomegranate fruit contains edible and non‐edible portions, and this study provided the first detailed report on the distribution of a wide range of trace and major mineral elements in the three parts of the fruit. This study also showed that the edible portion (arils) of pomegranate fruit is a good dietary source of essential nutrients such as K, Ca, Mg, and Se, while the non‐edible parts may provide valuable sources of minerals for other food and bioprocess industries.