Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Segmentation of Boat Show Attendees by Motivation and Characteristics: A Case of New York National Boat Show

In order to better understand and effectively respond to visitor needs, the organizers of major events need better information about their markets. This study explores a segmentation of visitors who attended a major boat show. The results provide a more robust profile of their characteristics and behaviors for marketing purposes. Factor and clustering analyses were employed to identify and profile market segments based on their motivations for attending the show. A principal component analysis revealed three motivational factors, and three distinct visitor segments were identified using a K-mean clustering method. These segments were “boat purchase seekers,” “multi-purpose seekers,” and “show-event browsers. ” Segmenting the boat show attendees based on their motivations can assist organizers in developing and implementing effective promotional and marketing strategies.
Cross-Functional Influence in New Product Development: An Exploratory Study of Marketing and R&D Perspectives

Previous research in new product development (NPD) has focused on the participation of marketing and R&D personnel, but little attention has been paid to their influence. This study examined the effects of marketing's and R&D's influence and participation on new product performance and the differential effects of personal, new product, and organizational factors on their influence in the NPD process as seen from each other's perspective. The results suggest that marketing's and R&D's self-reported influence and their influence as reported by the other have a differential impact on new product performance. Unlike R&D's participation as perceived by marketing, marketing's participation as perceived by R&D affects new product performance only when its influence is high. The results also suggest that marketing's and R&D's influence in the NPD process is differentially affected by personal, new product, and organizational factors.
Medical Marijuana Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption

To date, 19 states have passed medical marijuana laws, yet very little is known about their effects. The current study examines the relationship between the legalization of medical marijuana and traffic fatalities, the leading cause of death among Americans ages 5–34. The first full year after coming into effect, legalization is associated with an 8–11 percent decrease in traffic fatalities. The impact of legalization on traffic fatalities involving alcohol is larger and estimated with more precision than its impact on traffic fatalities that do not involve alcohol. Legalization is also associated with sharp decreases in the price of marijuana and alcohol consumption, which suggests that marijuana and alcohol are substitutes. Because alternative mechanisms cannot be ruled out, the negative relationship between legalization and alcohol-related traffic fatalities does not necessarily imply that driving under the influence of marijuana is safer than driving under the influence of alcohol.
Differentiable Learning of Submodular Models

Can we incorporate discrete optimization algorithms within modern machine learning models? For example, is it possible to use in deep architectures a layer whose output is the minimal cut of a parametrized graph? Given that these models are trained end-to-end by leveraging gradient information, the introduction of such layers seems very challenging due to their non-continuous output. In this paper we focus on the problem of submodular minimization, for which we show that such layers are indeed possible. The key idea is that we can continuously relax the output without sacrificing guarantees. We provide an easily computable approximation to the Jacobian complemented with a complete theoretical analysis. Finally, these contributions let us experimentally learn probabilistic log-supermodular models via a bi-level variational inference formulation.
From COPD epidemiology to studies of pathophysiological disease mechanisms: challenges with regard to study design and recruitment process

ABSTRACT Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a largely underdiagnosed disease including several phenotypes. In this report, the design of a study intending to evaluate the pathophysiological mechanism in COPD in relation to the specific phenotypes non-rapid and rapid decline in lung function is described together with the recruitment process of the study population derived from a population based study. Method: The OLIN COPD study includes a population-based COPD cohort and referents without COPD identified in 2002–04 (n = 1986), and thereafter followed annually since 2005. Lung function decline was estimated from baseline in 2002–2004 to 2010 (first recruitment phase) or to 2012/2013 (second recruitment phase). Individuals who met the predefined criteria for the following four groups were identified; group A) COPD grade 2–3 with rapid decline in FEV1 and group B) COPD grade 2–3 without rapid decline in FEV1 (≥60 and ≤30 ml/year, respectively), group C) ever-smokers, and group D) non-smokers with normal lung function. Groups A–C included ever-smokers with >10 pack years. The intention was to recruit 15 subjects in each of the groups A-D. Results: From the database groups A–D were identified; group A n = 37, group B n = 29, group C n = 41, and group D n = 55. Fifteen subjects were recruited from groups C and D, while this goal was not reached in the groups A (n = 12) and B (n = 10). The most common reasons for excluding individuals identified as A or B were comorbidities contraindicating bronchoscopy, or inflammatory diseases/immune suppressive medication expected to affect the outcome. Conclusion: The study is expected to generate important results regarding pathophysiological mechanisms associated with rate of decline in lung function among subjects with COPD and the in-detail described recruitment process, including reasons for non-participation, is a strength when interpreting the results in forthcoming studies.
Endogenous structural breaks, public investment in agriculture and agricultural land productivity in Taiwan

Using time-series data for Taiwan's agricultural sector and with the government's public investment in the agricultural sector serving as a proxy variable for nonfarm current inputs aside from the original labour and capital input variables usually taken into consideration, this article examines the relationship between public investment in agriculture (public investment/land) and agricultural land productivity (output/land) in Taiwan. Our main findings are as follows. First, the cointegration test reveals that public investment in agriculture and the productivity of agricultural land exhibit a significant positive relationship in the long run, where the elasticity of land productivity in relation to public investment in agriculture is 0.55. Second, when controlling for endogenous structural breaks, the long-run equilibrium relationship for the productivity of the agricultural land model is still supported. Third, the results of the weak exogeneity test indicate that a causal relationship exists in the long run between public investment in agriculture and the productivity of land, indicating that the growth of the agricultural sector must in the long run be based on the government's public investment in the agricultural sector. Furthermore, as the agricultural sector grows, this growth is able to stimulate public investment on the part of the government in the agricultural sector, so that the two affect each other. Fourth, from the short-run error correction model estimation, it is found that public investment in agriculture is a major means of adjusting for the disequilibria that occur within the system. Fifth, in the short run, the unidirectional causal relationship in terms of the productivity of agricultural land on public investment in agriculture is established, otherwise it is not established. From this it can be seen that in the short run, the government is unable to reveal the effectiveness of its public investment in agriculture.
Efeito do Programa Bolsa Família sobre a oferta de trabalho das mães

The impact of the Bolsa Familia Program on the labor supply of working mothers - This paper investigates the existence of a possible adverse incentive on the labor supply and weekly working hours of beneficiary mothers of the Bolsa Familia Program. Three control groups are analyzed using propensity-score matching to compare non-beneficiary mothers to beneficiary mothers. The results show that there is a wealth effect related to the value of the benefits, given that the larger the benefit, the less active beneficiary mothers are in the labor market. Nonetheless, the net effect is positive, showing that there is a substitution effect due to a reduction in the children´s labor supply, a rise in the mother's available time, as well as decreasing the stigma.
A Multidimentional Approach to Investigation of Living Standards of the Low-paid: Income, Wealth, Financial Stress and Consumption Expenditure

This research explores the capacity of the income 'safety net' to provide adequate living standards for low paid workers. It examines levels of income, wealth, consumption expenditure and financial stress and explores the prevalence and persistence of low living standards among low-paid employees. The Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, were commissioned by the Australian Fair Pay Commission Secretariat to explore the capacity of the income 'safety net' to provide adequate living standards for low paid workers using Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey data from 2001 to 2006. The report finds that low-paid employees (defined as those employees earning less than 120 per cent of the hourly and weekly standard Federal Minimum Wage) are found throughout the distributions of household income, wealth and consumption expenditure. When living standards are defined by income and equivalised wealth, the proportion of adult employees that is low-paid and experiencing low living standards is no more than 3 per cent and 2 per cent if a consumption expenditure criterion is added. For a substantial minority of the low paid, their low living standards did not persist over the four years between 2002 and 2006. The report concludes that the prevalence of low living standards among the low paid in Australia is small and that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, employment is an effective mechanism for avoiding poverty, provided that sufficient hours are secured.
Metformin intake associates with better cognitive function in patients with Huntington's disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited, dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormal expansion of CAG triplets in the huntingtin gene (htt). Despite extensive efforts to modify the progression of HD thus far only symptomatic treatment is available. Recent work suggests that treating invertebrate and mice HD models with metformin, a well-known AMPK activator which is used worldwide to treat type 2-diabetes, reduces mutant huntingtin from cells and alleviates many of the phenotypes associated to HD. Herein we report statistical analyses of a sample population of participants in the Enroll-HD database, a world-wide observational study on HD, to assess the effect of metformin intake in HD patients respect to cognitive status using linear models. This cross-sectional study shows for the first time that the use of metformin associates with better cognitive function in HD patients.
Regional cerebral blood flow with the Anger camera.

erable interest in measuring regional blood flow. In particular the cerebral circulation has been under intensive study in an effort to unravel the physiologic basesof cerebral hemodynamics and to improve the therapeutic management of cerebrovascular disease (1â€”3). We have developed a method for quantifying re gional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with the Anger camera interfaced with a small general-purpose computer. The scintillation camera has several prac tical advantages: (A) It is commonly available in most major medical centers; (B) the thin crystal is suitable for the detection of low-energy photons from nuclides such as 133Xe; (c) the camera output is easily interfaced to a computer for data accumu lation, storage, and processing; and (D) the camera crystal covers the entire field of interest. After evaluatinginstrumentalperformance,five angiographically normal patients were studied. This paper describes the methodology and critically eval uatesthe technique. The biological data are ana lyzed and compared with data derived by other methods.
Thinking strategically about pricing decisions

Purpose – Harsh economic conditions have put pricing higher on the agenda but responses to pricing challenges have frequently been tactical. The intent is to build on basic pricing principles to emphasize a strategic perspective on pricing built around opportunities to deliver superior customer value.Design/methodology/approach – Our logic is drawn from the observation of company pricing practices and interesting moves from conventional to innovative pricing strategies.Findings – Our observations underline the need for executives to adopt a more strategic view of price and to examine the scope for raising prices, especially in a post‐recession economic scenario.Practical implications – Our action agenda addresses: why there is an urgent need to make pricing decisions strategically, particularly as economic recovery occurs, with important insights coming from innovative pricing models designed to deliver superior customer value; the role of price in strategic positioning – key management considerations are.
The European Community and the Adoption of International Food Standards within the Codex Alimentarius Commission

This article examines the way the European Community defends its interests in food safety matters within the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It shows that the European Community has strengthened its position as a policymaker within the Codex Commission. It also describes how the European members of the Codex Commission engaged (with mixed results) in the defence of certain principles typical of European food policy. These controversial principles are the precautionary principle, the need to consider factors other than science in determining food standards, and the need to label and make traceable food derived from biotechnology. Lastly, the article evaluates the function of the Codex Commission. Since, in at least two cases the discussions within the Codex Commission did not prevent WTO litigation, the value of the Codex Commission may be questioned. However, the overall assessment of the Codex Commission's activity is positive, since it provides an important and not easily replaceable forum to debate food safety issues, which are particularly sensitive for Codex members of the European Community.
Characterisation and Diagnosis of Rural—Urban Interface Farming in the Tu Liem and Thanh Tri Districts of Hanoi City, Vietnam

A research project was carried out in two areas in the outskirts of Hanoi city using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The objective was to study interactions among the vegetable farming systems and the peri-urban context within which they are situated. The farms studied were characterised as small-scale farms that use high inputs of soil amendments and pesticides for diversified crop rotation systems. The main source of irrigation water and nutrients for vegetable farming in southern Hanoi is wastewater from the To Lich River. In northern Hanoi, irrigation water is obtained directly from the Red River and nutrients are supplied through high fertiliser inputs. The concentrations of COD (144–287 mg l−1), N-NH4 + (1–25 mg l−1), PO4 3− (0.5–4 mg l−1) and coliform (525 × 103−28 × 106 MPN 100 ml−1) along the To Lich River was much higher than the limits specified in the Vietnamese standard for water used in agriculture. A higher Cu content in soil in Phuc Ly seems to be linked to the high input of chicken manure at the site. However, the contents of heavy metals in irrigation water, in vegetables and in the soil surface layer at the two sites were lower than the Vietnamese maximum permissible levels.
The Impact of Antismoking Policies in Korea on Quit Success and Smoking Intentions

"In 2001 and 2002, the Korean government dramatically increased cigarette taxes, anti-smoking advertisements, and smoking prohibitions as part of an anti-smoking campaign. This paper examines the impacts of these policy changes by modeling quit success and smoking intentions pre- and post-policy and attributing model differences to anti-smoking policies. Model results provide evidence that national anti-smoking policies increased both quitting success and intention to quit. However, the impacts of these policies are uneven throughout Korean society. Females and those who exercise for health maintenance experienced higher quit success. Heavy smokers and high frequency alcohol drinkers stated they are less likely to quit smoking post-policy. One impact of national anti-smoking policies is reduced provincial differences among Koreans in both quit success and intention to quit. Future anti-smoking policies should address the different needs of these groups. " ("JEL" D12, I19) Copyright (c) 2009 Western Economic Association International.
Equating Health Status Measures With Item Response Theory: Illustrations With Functional Status Items

Background.More than 75 instruments have been developed to measure functional status. These measures differ in number of items, type of rating scale, and item difficulty. Such variations render it impossible to compare data across different measures. One way to overcome such test dependency is test equating, which relates scores from different measures to a common metric. Objective.We developed a bank of physical functioning items and equated them using item response theory. Design.We used a common-item equating design and a self-administered survey of functional status. Subjects.Individuals ≥65 years of age who had ≥1 ambulatory visit across a 3-month sampling frame to a Veterans Administration Medical Center or its affiliated university medical center. Results.The dressing items were the most discriminating, followed by bathing, toileting, mobility, cooking/eating, and household and community activities. The 5 most discriminating items were to put underclothes on, manage clothes after toileting, move between rooms, take pants/slacks off, and get into bed. Most of the items were located on the easier end of the ability continuum. Only 6 would classify as being very difficult. Conclusions.We used item response theory to equate and calibrate a large number of activities of daily living on the same scale; by doing so, we were able to better understand the structure and order of domain-specific items to each other, as well as the interrelations among items across the ability continuum.
Strategies for responsible restructuring

Executive Overview As organizations struggle to enhance their competitive positions, employment downsizing continues as a preferred part of a restructuring strategy. Its objective is to reduce operating costs as a way of increasing earnings and stock prices. A study of S&P 500 firms from 1982-2000, however, casts serious doubt on the long-term payoff of this approach. The purpose of this article is to suggest several alternative approaches to restructuring. In contrast to employment downsizing, a strategy that regards people as costs to be cut, a responsible restructuring strategy focuses on people as assets to be developed. This focus recognizes that people are the source of innovation and renewal, especially in knowledge-based organizations, and that the development of new markets, customers, and revenue streams depends on the wise use of a firm's human assets. The article presents company examples and research-based findings that illustrate mistakes to avoid and affirmative steps to take when restructu.
Mutations of the Transporter Proteins GlpT and UhpT Confer Fosfomycin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

With the increasing spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus worldwide, fosfomycin has begun to be used more often, either alone or in combination with other antibiotics, for treating methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections, resulting in the emergence of fosfomycin-resistant strains. Fosfomycin resistance is reported to be mediated by fosfomycin-modifying enzymes (FosA, FosB, FosC, and FosX) and mutations of the target enzyme MurA or the membrane transporter proteins UhpT and GlpT. Our previous studies indicated that the fos genes might not the major fosfomycin resistance mechanism in S. aureus, whereas mutations of glpT and uhpT seemed to be more related to fosfomycin resistance. However, the precise role of these two genes in S. aureus fosfomycin resistance remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of glpT and uhpT in S. aureus fosfomycin resistance. Homologous recombination was used to knockout the uhpT and glpT genes in S. aureus Newman. Gene complementation was generated by the plasmid pRB473 carrying these two genes. The fosfomycin minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the strains was measured by the E-test to observe the influence of gene deletion on antibiotic susceptibility. In addition, growth curves were constructed to determine whether the mutations have a significant influence on bacterial growth. Deletion of uhpT, glpT, and both of them led to increased fosfomycin MIC 0.5 μg/ml to 32 μg/ml, 4 μg/ml, and >1024 μg/ml, respectively. By complementing uhpT and glpT into the deletion mutants, the fosfomycin MIC decreased from 32 to 0.5 μg/ml and from 4 to 0.25 μg/ml, respectively. Moreover, the transporter gene-deleted strains showed no obvious difference in growth curves compared to the parental strain. In summary, our study strongly suggests that mutations of uhpT and glpT lead to fosfomycin resistance in S. aureus, and that uhpT mutation may play a more important role. The high resistance and low biological fitness cost resulting from uhpT and glpT deletion suggest that these strains might have an evolutionary advantage in a fosfomycin-rich clinical situation, which should be closely monitored.
WTO challenges and efficiency of Chinese banks

After joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in December 2001, China was given 5 years to completely open up its banking market for international competition. Chinese banks have been renowned for their mounting nonperforming loans and low efficiency. Despite gradual reforms, the banking system is still dominated by state ownership and encapsulated monopolistic control. How to raise efficiency is a key to the survival and success of domestic banks, especially the state-owned commercial banks. Two important factors may be responsible for raising efficiency: ownership reform and hard budget constraints. This article uses a panel data of 22 banks over the period 1995 to 2001, and employs a stochastic frontier production function to investigate the effects of ownership structure and hard budget constraint on efficiency. Empirical results suggest that nonstate banks were 8–18% more efficient than state banks, and that banks facing a harder budget tend to perform better than those heavily capitalized by the state or regional governments. The results shed important light on banking sector reform in China to face the tough challenges after WTO accession.