A Field Experiment on Business Opposition to the U.S.-China Trade War

The United States's trade war with China proved to be detrimental to a wide swath of U.S. companies, but only a handful of well-connected firms pursued vigorous political action to oppose it. To better understand the constraints to corporate political action, we implemented a field experiment targeted at managers of U.S.-based firms in which we randomly provided original estimates of the costs of the trade war to their industry and company and then measured their willingness to take actions either opposing or supporting the trade war. We find that on the whole, U.S. companies that receive information about the rise in input costs from tariffs are less likely to take political action opposing the trade war, though this effect is highly conditional on respondents' pre-existing beliefs and on the number of tariffs affecting their industries. The information treatment caused the greatest opposition to the trade war among subjects who believed the trade war was harmful and whose companies' industries were affected by the largest array of tariffs. On the other side, subjects who previously believed they were helped by the trade war, and thus for whom the treatment provided contrasting evidence of trade-war harm from many tariffs, grew significantly less likely to support the trade war. Subjects with intermediate beliefs about the benefits or costs of the trade war showed the strongest negative effects from treatment. Finally, we find that partisan affiliation of the company's managers was as strong a predictor of support for or against the trade war as was the company's own vulnerability to tariff-related cost increases, suggesting that partisanship strongly shaped pre-existing beliefs.

Venetoclax 400mg Combined with Bortezomib and Dexamethasone Is Efficacious and Feasible for Plasma Cell Dyscrasia

【Abstract】 Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of BCL-2 inhibitor Venetoclax (Ven) 400mg combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone in plasma cell dyscrasia with t(11,14). Methods: The data of twenty patients with plasma cell dyscrasia with t (11;14) were retrospectively analyzed.The majority of patients received Venetoclax 400mg combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone. The baseline clinical information, treatment efficacy and adverse effects after Ven-based regimen. Results: Seventeen multiple myeloma patients, two light-chain amyloidosis and one primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) patients were studied. Among seventeen MM patients, the median follow-up was 9.0 (0.5-27) months and the median treatment cycles was 4 (1-12);fourteen patients have been evaluated for response rate. The overall response rate for evaluable patients (ORR) was 85.7%, among that one patient (7.1%) achieved CR, four patients (28.6%) achieved VGPR and 7 (50%) achieved PR. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was11.0 months (95%CI 2.1-19.9); the median Overall survival (OS) was 14.0 months (95%CI 6.9-21.1). Two amyloidosis patients achieved VGPR and PR respectively, while one pPCL patient achieved CR. The most common grade 3 or worse treatment-emergent adverse events were thrombocytopenia (15%), infection (10%), neutropenia (5%), diarrhea (5%) and peripheral neuropathy (5%). There was no treatment-related death. Conclusion Ven (400mg) combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone is feasible, tolerated and efficacious in plasma cell dyscrasia. 【Key words】Plasma cell dyscrasia; Venetoclax; Efficacy; Safety Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Hear us! Accounts of people treated with injectables for drug-resistant TB

BACKGROUND: WHO drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) treatment recommendations now emphasize all-oral regimens, recommending against certain injectable agents and deprioritizing others due to inferior safety and efficacy. Despite increasing focus on patient-centered care, we are not aware of systematic attempts to qualitatively document patients’ perspectives on injectable agents. This may inform implementation of WHO guidelines, emphasizing the importance of consultation with affected communities.METHODS: Testimonies were provided by TB survivors who experienced hearing loss from treatment with injectable agents. Testimonies were submitted in writing in response to minimal, standardized, open-ended prompts. Participants provided a signed consent form (with options to participate anonymously or as a named co-author), and later gave input into the overall shape and recommendations of the article.RESULTS: Fourteen TB survivors in 12 countries contributed testimonies. The following common themes emerged: lack of access to appropriate testing, information, treatment, or a collaborative treatment environment; the power of supportive care and social environments; stigma and isolation from TB treatment itself and resultant disability; and inaccessibility of cochlear implants.CONCLUSIONS: Survivor testimonies indicate strong preferences for avoidance of injectable agents, supporting rapid implementation of revised WHO guidelines, as well as for quality and supportive care for both TB and disabilities.

Who Chooses Commitment? Evidence and Welfare Implications

This paper investigates whether offers of commitment contracts, in the form of self-imposed choice-set restrictions and penalties with no financial upside, are well-targeted tools for addressing self-control problems. In an experiment on gym attendance (N = 1,248), we examine take-up of commitment contracts, and also introduce a separate elicitation task to identify actual and perceived time inconsistency. There is high take-up of commitment contracts for greater gym attendance, resulting in significant increases in exercise. However, this is take-up is influenced both by noisy valuation and incorrect beliefs about one’s time inconsistency. Approximately half of the people who take up commitment contracts for higher gym attendance also take up commitment contracts for lower gym attendance. There is little association between commitment contract take-up and reduced-form and structural estimates of actual or perceived time inconsistency. A novel information treatment providing an exogenous shock to awareness of time inconsistency reduces demand for commitment contracts. Structural estimates of a model of quasi-hyperbolic discounting and gym attendance imply that offering our commitment contracts lowers consumer surplus, and is less socially efficient than utilizing linear exercise subsidies that achieve the same average change in behavior.

How information affects consumers’ purchase intention and willingness to pay for poultry farmed with insect-based meal and live insects

The opportunity to use insects as protein sources for poultry has many environmental advantages. Moreover, the administration of insects to poultry can provide animal welfare and health benefits, allowing the expression of their natural behaviour, reducing aggression, and supplying nutrients. However, there is limited research on consumer’s acceptance of farmed animals fed with insects. Our study aims to understand consumers’ attitude towards, intention to purchase, and willingness to pay (WTP) for meat obtained from a farmed duck fed on: (1) an insect-based meal; and (2) live insect diet. We conduct an online survey of 565 Italian meat consumers, including an information treatment regarding the sustainability and nutrition benefits of using insects as feed. Our results demonstrate that providing more information about the positive effects of using insects in feed production may motivate those more interested in environmental issues to purchase insect-fed duck meat products. Compared to the control group, the purchase intention of consumers in the treatment group is also affected by their attitude towards animal welfare. Their WTP for such products is directly affected by their previous entomophagy experience. Attitude and intention to purchase an insect-fed duck are the main predictors of consumers’ WTP for a duck fed with both insect-meal and live insects. This study provides insights for policymakers and the private sector. We suggest that increasing consumers’ awareness by communicating the positive environmental impact of the use of insect as feed can potentially differentiate meat products for consumers and influence their purchase preferences.

Association between doctor-patient familiarity and patient-centred care during general practitioner's consultations: a direct observational study in Chinese primary care practice

Background Patient-centred care is a core attribute of primary care. Not much is known about the relationship between patient-centred care and doctor-patient familiarity. This study aimed to explore the association between general practitioner (GP) perceived doctor-patient familiarity and the provision of patient-centred care during GP consultations. Methods This is a direct observational study conducted in eight community health centres in China. Level of familiarity was rated by GPs using a dichotomized variable (Yes/No). The provision of patient-centred care during GP consultations was measured by coding audiotapes using a modified Davis Observation Code (DOC) interactional instrument. Eight individual codes in the modified DOC were selected for measuring the provision of patient-centred care, including ‘family information’, ‘treatment effects’, ‘nutrition guidance’, ‘exercise guidance’, ‘health knowledge’, ‘patient question’, ‘chatting’, and ‘counseling’. Multivariate analyses of covariance were adopted to evaluate the association between GP perceived doctor-patient familiarity and patient-centred care. Results A total of 445 audiotaped consultations were collected, with 243 in the familiar group and 202 in the unfamiliar group. No significant difference was detected in overall patient-centred care between the two groups. For components of patient-centred care, the number of intervals (1.36 vs 0.88, p = 0.026) and time length (7.26 vs. 4.40 s, p = 0.030) that GPs spent in ‘health knowledge’, as well as time length (13.0 vs. 8.34 s, p = 0.019) spent in ‘patient question’ were significantly higher in unfamiliar group. The percentage of ‘chatting’ (11.9% vs. 7.34%, p = 0.012) was significantly higher in the familiar group. Conclusions This study suggested that GP perceived doctor-patient familiarity may not be associated with GPs’ provision of patient-centred care during consultations in the context of China. Not unexpectedly, patients would show more health knowledge and ask more questions when GPs were not familiar with them. Further research is needed to confirm and expand on these findings.

The New Challenge of Sports Nutrition: Accepting Insect Food as Dietary Supplements in Professional Athletes

Background: The dietary supplements market is growing, and their use is increasing among professional athletes. Recently, several new protein supplements have been placed in the marketplace, including energy bars enriched with insect flour. Edible insects, which are rich in protein content, have been promoted as the food of the future and athletes could be a reference sample for their continued emphasis on higher protein demand. The present study investigated the potential motivations to accept an energy protein bar with cricket flour, among a group of selected Italian professional athletes. A second aim was also to measure how an information treatment about the benefits of edible insects would have impact on acceptance. Methods: 61 Italian professional athletes (27 females) completed a structured questionnaire regarding supplements and eating habits, food neophobia, nutrition knowledge, willingness to taste edible insects and the associated factors. A question about sports endorsement was also posed at the end of the survey. Results: all subjects consumed supplements, generally recommended by medical personnel, even though their general knowledge of nutrition was poor (47.8%). Our main results shown that on a seven-point Likert scale, the protein content (5.74 ± 1.01) and the curiosity about texture (5.24 ± 0.98) were the main drivers to taste the cricket energy bar; whereas the feeling of disgust (5.58 ± 1.08) justified the rejection of tasting insects. In addition, the level of food neophobia increases with age (p < 0.05) and reduces willingness to endorse the cricket bar (p < 0.05). Male athletes (4.47 ± 1.69) were more likely to endorse the product than females (3.3 ± 1.49). An increase in willingness to taste was observed after the information treatment (z = 4.16, p < 0.001). Even though the population under investigation is unique, it is important to mention that this study involves a relatively small and convenience sample, and therefore generalizability of the results should be done with caution.

Insects as Feed for Farmed Poultry: Are Italian Consumers Ready to Embrace This Innovation?

The inclusion of insects as a protein source in feed production is not only related to technical, economical, and normative restrictions but is also affected by consumer acceptance. In this study, we evaluated consumers’ attitudes, intention to purchase and eat, and willingness to pay for meat obtained from a farmed duck fed with insect-based meal or a live insect diet. We conducted a survey among a sample of 565 consumers to test the effects of information about the benefits of using insects as feed on consumers’ attitudes towards animal-based products fed with insects. Providing information on the sustainability and nutritional benefits of using insects as feed increased both attitude towards and intention to purchase and eat meat products made from animals fed with insects. In the treatment group, we found a significant reduction from 21.9 to 14.0% in those who wanted to be compensated for buying a duck fed with an insect-based meal and an increase in those willing to pay the same price—from 64.9 to 72.7%. The information treatment significantly increased the intention to eat such products, suggesting that increasing consumers’ knowledge might help in reducing the fears and misconceptions around the topic of using insects as a feed source.

Effects of pollinator related information on consumer preference for neonicotinoid labeling

Despite increasing concerns about the potential negative impacts of neonicotinoid insecticides on pollinator insect health in the regulatory community, public perceptions about the use of such pest management tools are mainly unknown. To assess U.S. consumers’ feedback to information linking neonicotinoid insecticides to pollinator health, the present study investigated consumers’ preferences for different neonicotinoid labels. Specifically, it analyzed the effect of negative and balanced pollinator related information treatments on consumers’ preferences for labels disclosing the absence or presence of neonicotinoids. The effects of the information treatments were asymmetric, with the negative information treatment having a more substantial impact on individual choices. Information treatments were more effective at influencing participants’ willingness to pay (WTP) for labels disclosing the absence of neonicotinoids, as opposed to labels disclosing the presence of neonicotinoids. Preexisting knowledge about neonicotinoid insecticides had a significant impact on how individuals responded to information treatments.

Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis: challenges of treatment in iranian women

Background and objective As a chronic inflammatory disease of an unknown origin, the treatment of granulomatous mastitis has always been controversial. According to some researchers, surgical treatment and certain medications, especially steroids, are more effective in treating the disease. This study aimed at evaluating the results of treatment in a group of patients with granulomatous mastitis. Materials and methods This longitudinal cohort study evaluated the treatment outcomes of 87 patients with pathology-confirmed granulomatous mastitis referred to the surgical clinic of Central Hospital in Sari, Iran. Demographic, clinical, and pathological information, treatment methods and results, and the recurrence rate were analyzed. Findings A total of 87 female patients with granulomatous mastitis aged 22–52 years with a mean age of 34 years were evaluated. All patients had palpable masses; the breast masses were painful in 48.3% of patients, and 55.2% of patients suffered from erythema and inflammation, and8% had fistulas and ulcers at the inflammation site. The patients were followed-up for an average duration of 26 months (8–48 months) after treatment and recovery. The overall recurrence rate was 24.1%, and the recurrence rate was 29.4% in patients underwent surgery, 34.8% in patients received high-dose prednisolone, and 17% in those received low-dose prednisolone together with drainage (p < 0.001). Conclusions According to the results, the low-dose prednisolone plus drainage was more effective with a lower recurrence rate than only surgical excision or high-dose prednisolone. In fact, the use of minimally invasive methods such as drainage plus low-dose steroids is a more effective method with fewer side effects than the other two methods.