Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of travel information in supporting travel decision adaption: exploring spatial patterns

How consumers acquire dynamic traveller information to adjust their travel behaviour is a key component of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). The association between information acquisition/adjustments and various contextual factors can be captured in traditional statistical models, referred to as a global model. These models provide one overall set of estimated coefficients. However, associations between correlates may vary over space. Specifically, people living in different locations may have different information acquisition patterns and may respond differently to dynamic information, which cannot be fully captured in a global model. Consequently, this study uses Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) – a locally-based model as an alternative, to answer the following questions: (1) which factors are associated with traveller information acquisition and decision adaption, (2) whether these associations are the same over the entire study region and (3) how are these associations distributed spatially? The modelling results indicate that there is spatial heterogeneity in information acquisition and use decisions, and GWR provides a more complete depiction. The models capture how correlates vary over space. The broader implication of the study is to consider spatial heterogeneity in transportation models.
Quality Measures for Primary Care of Complex Pediatric Patients

OBJECTIVES: A well-recognized gap exists in assessing and improving the quality of care for medically complex patients. Our objective was to examine evidence for primary care based on the patient-centered medical home model and to identify valid and meaningful quality measures for use in complex pediatric patients. METHODS: We conducted literature searches on Medline and the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse for existing measures, as well as evidence to inform the development of new quality measures. We used a 3-step process to select relevant sources from published literature: (1) the titles were screened by 2 independent reviewers; (2) the abstracts were reviewed for quality-of-care contents or constructs; and (3) full-text articles were obtained and reviewed for measure specification. All materials were reviewed for the Oxford Centre For Evidence-Based Medicine level of evidence and for relevance to primary care of complex pediatric patients. A national expert panel was convened to evaluate and rate the measures by using the Rand/University of California Los Angeles Appropriateness Method. RESULTS: We presented 74 quality measures to the expert panel for review and discussion. The panel rated and accepted 35 measures as valid and feasible for assessing primary care quality in complex pediatric patients. The final set of quality measures was grouped in the following domains: primary care–general (14), patient/family-centered care (8), chronic care (2), coordination of care (9), and transition of care (2). CONCLUSIONS: By using the patient-centered medical home framework of accessible, continuous, family-centered, coordinated, and culturally effective care, a national expert panel selected 35 primary care quality measures for complex pediatric patients.
Policy responses to regional unemployment:Lessons from Germany, Spain and Italy

The paper examines the causes of high regional unemployment in Germany, Spain and Italy, and identifies a number of areas where policy action is needed. Lower unemployment rates will not only depend on stability-oriented macroeconomic policies and a sufficiently flexible labour market, but also on moves towards more decentralised wage bargaining systems; efforts to reduce regions' long-term dependency on fiscal transfers; changes in tax-benefit systems to improve incentives to create and take up jobs; efficient public expenditure on physical and human capital and action to reduce obstacles to labour mobility.
Constraints to expanding access to health interventions: an empirical analysis and country typology

This paper adopts three approaches to classifying countries by level of constraint, in order to inform the choice of strategies for expanding access to health interventions in different contexts. We find substantial heterogeneity across the 84 low-income and (all) sub-Saharan African countries analysed. Poor sub-Saharan African countries are the most highly constrained; Asian countries, in general, less constrained; and the two Asian giants, China and India, consistently fall above the median. Former Soviet Union countries rank low in terms of governance, but high for health systems variables. Only 10 per cent of the total population of the countries included lives in countries with the greatest constraints. The potential applications of the analysis are discussed, as are the limitations of the cross-sectional, macro level approach. © 2003 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
The Co-Operative as a Fringe Firm and the Notion of Self-Exploitation

RICHARD WELFORD LECTURES AT THE Management Centre, University of Bradford, England. This paper recognises that many co-operatives, because of the small size, will be operating in markets populated largely by traditional capitalist firms and seeks to explore the idea that this dominance will force co-operatives into a position of self-exploitation in order to survive. It begins by looking at the operation of small co-operatives as fringe firms in the marketplace and goes on to explore the notion of self-exploitation, examining specifically the argument that it is dominance by capitalist firms which forces co-operatives into this role. Having built up some clear hypotheses, the author examines some empirical evidence and finds no hard evidence to support the view that dominance by a large capitalist counterpart is likely to lead to self-exploitation. He suggests that the acceptance of a discount on earnings taken in exchange for working in a co-operative environment cannot be termed self-exploitation.
Reasons for part‐time work: an empirical analysis for Germany and The Netherlands

Purpose - This paper is a cross-national study of the incidence of part-time work. The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent the difference between Germany and The Netherlands can be explained from the demand side of the labour market. Design/methodology/approach - Several motives of employers for the introduction of part-time jobs are distinguished. Their relevance is tested by means of firm-level data for the two countries within the framework of a multivariate analysis. Findings - The study finds that, in The Netherlands, part-time jobs are more widespread than in Germany. The reasons for this difference are diverse: the difference in industrial structure (more manufacturing in Germany, more services in The Netherlands), less working students in Germany, and probably more reluctance on the side of German employers to meet the preferences of their workers. Originality/value - The paper fills a gap in the literature on part-time work, especially about the importance of institutions differing between the countries. This evidence may be useful in designing policies to increase the incidence of part-time work.
Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibition with sitagliptin: a new therapy for Type 2 diabetes

Sitagliptin is a once-daily, orally active, competitive and fully reversible inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase 4, the enzyme that is responsible for the rapid degradation of the incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1. It is the first in this new class of antihyperglycaemic agents to gain regulatory approval for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, both as a monotherapy and for use in combination with metformin or a thiazolidinedione. In clinical trials of ≤ 1-year duration, sitagliptin improves glycaemic control by reducing both fasting and postprandial glucose concentrations, leading to clinically meaningful reductions in glycosylated haemoglobin levels. It is safe and well tolerated, with a side-effect profile that is similar to that of the placebo, a low incidence of hypoglycaemia and body weight neutrality. Further clinical experience with sitagliptin will reveal its long-term durability, safety and efficacy.
Neonatal medical exposures and characteristics of low birth weight hepatoblastoma cases: A report from the Children's Oncology Group

Hepatoblastoma is a malignancy of young children. Low birth weight is associated with significantly increased risk of hepatoblastoma and neonatal medical exposures are hypothesized as contributors. This study represents the largest case–control study of hepatoblastoma to date and aimed to define the role of neonatal exposures in hepatoblastoma risk among low birth weight children.
The binary millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 during its accretion state – I. Optical variability

We present time-resolved optical photometry of the binary millisecond ‘redback’ pulsar PSR J1023+0038 (=AY Sex) during its low-mass X-ray binary phase. The light curves taken between 2014 January and April show an underlying sinusoidal modulation due to the irradiated secondary star and accretion disc. We also observe superimposed rapid flaring on time-scales as short as ∼20 s with amplitudes of ∼0.1–0.5 mag and additional large flare events on time-scales of ∼5–60 min with amplitudes of ∼0.5–1.0 mag. The power density spectrum of the optical flare light curves is dominated by a red-noise component, typical of aperiodic activity in X-ray binaries. Simultaneous X-ray and UV observations by the Swift satellite reveal strong correlations that are consistent with X-ray reprocessing of the UV light, most likely in the outer regions of the accretion disc. On some nights we also observe sharp-edged, rectangular, flat-bottomed dips randomly distributed in orbital phase, with a median duration of ∼250 s and a median ingress/egress time of ∼20 s. These rectangular dips are similar to the mode-switching behaviour between disc ‘active’ and ‘passive’ luminosity states, observed in the X-ray light curves of other redback millisecond pulsars. This is the first time that the optical analogue of the X-ray mode-switching has been observed. The properties of the passive- and active-state light curves can be explained in terms of clumpy accretion from a trapped inner accretion disc near the corotation radius, resulting in rectangular, flat-bottomed optical and X-ray light curves.
Mean Reversion in Stock Prices: Implications from a Production Based Asset Pricing Model

A production-based asset pricing model explores the relationship between technological returns to scale and the time-series behavior of equilibrium asset returns. The authors find that stock prices are mean-reverting if there are strict diminishing returns in the underlying production technology. In economies where the technology displays increasing or constant returns, stock prices do not tend to revert to the mean. In view of this, the authors establish that consumption smoothing is necessary but not sufficient for mean-reversion in stock prices. Their unit root tests involving stock prices and returns reject the restrictions imposed by an increasing returns technology. Copyright 1994 by The editors of the Scandinavian Journal of Economics.
Urban park visiting habits and leisure activities of residents in Hong Kong, China

This paper examines urban park visiting behaviour of Hong Kong residents. It uses the findings from a telephone survey conducted in 2005, in which 758 Hong Kong residents were successfully interviewed. The survey found that there were slightly more infrequent park users than frequent park users (FPUs) in Hong Kong. About 8% of the respondents said that they never visit urban parks. Of the 43% of FPUs, many of them were either elderly or adolescents. The survey revealed that many users visited parks near their homes and stayed there for a short time. The most appealing activities for park users were doing exercise and taking leisure walks. The dominant barrier that deterred people from going to parks was lack of time to go. Obviously, this is a reflection of the lifestyle of Hong Kong people, in which working long hours are the norm. The findings contributed to a better understanding of the present park-visiting habits of Hong Kong people and indicated that the park authority needs to review its current park planning, design, and management policies to better meet the needs of users. Moreover, in response to the challenges caused by the declining birth rates and the upsurge of the ageing population in recent years, Hong Kong needs to map out a comprehensive strategy to develop urban parks that can cater to the leisure needs of its citizens.
Ecotourism: Principles and Practices

Ecotourism is a useful concept, but not a very well defined one; it has been debated in theory and attempted in practice for nearly two decades. Its key goal is to reduce the net environmental impact of the tourism industry, via mechanisms including minimal impact management measures, education, community involvement, private conservation, contributions to public protected areas, expansion of ecotourism enterprises and mainstreaming of ecotourism principles. Focussing on fundamental ecotourism concepts, this broad-based textbook provides a basis for studies into environment-based tourism. It covers key topics such as the management, economics and potential environmental impacts both positive and negative of this popular and growing sector. Written for tourism students and an ideal resource for undergraduate courses, Ecotourism: Principles and Practices will also interest industry practitioners and researchers.
A New Fast Adaptive On-Time Control for Transient Response Improvement in Constant On-Time Control

These days, constant on-time current mode (COTCM) control scheme is widely used in the voltage regulator (VR) controllers because it has a higher light-load efficiency and a higher BW design capability while maintaining a simpler compensation requirement. One issue plaguing the COTCM control is its slow transient response which is caused by its fixed <italic>T</italic><sub>ON</sub> operation. During the heavy-load step-up transient, the duty cycle becomes saturated and the inductor current increment becomes limited by <italic>T</italic><sub>ON</sub> and the minimum off time (<italic>T</italic><sub>OFF<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\_$</tex-math></inline-formula> MIN</sub>) ratio, which can create a large undershoot at load step up. On the other hand, in the load step-down case, if the load step down occurs at the beginning of <italic>T</italic><sub>ON</sub>, a large overshoot can be created at the output. To solve this issue, this paper presents a method designed to increase the <italic>T</italic><sub>ON</sub> at load step up and then very quickly, decrease at load step down in order to reduce the undershoot and overshoot at output or otherwise save the output capacitor. In this proposed method, the increase or decrease of <italic>T</italic> <sub>ON</sub> is proportional to the output change which eliminates the chance of any overcorrection or ring-back problem unlike the methods presented in prior forums. This feature enables the control to work seamlessly in a high-frequency load repetitive case in VR applications. Since this <italic>T</italic><sub>ON</sub> change occurs only in the transient period when duty cycle is saturated, it does not affect the small-signal property of the COT control. Moreover, the proposed methods are very much compatible with the state-of-the-art single and multiphase COT control structures. Simulation and test results in both single and multiphase operations are also presented in the paper to verify the proposed concept.
A New Approach Based on Support Vector Machine for Solving Stochastic Optimization

Making decision usually occurs in the state of being uncertain. These kinds of problems often expresses in a formula as optimization problems. It is desire for decision makers to find a solution for optimization problems. Typically, solving optimization problems in uncertain environment is difficult. This paper proposes a new hybrid intelligent algorithm to solve a kind of stochastic optimization i.e. dependent chance programming (DCP) model. In order to speed up the solution process, we used support vector machine regression (SVM regression) to approximate chance functions which is the probability of a sequence of uncertain event occurs based on the training data generated by the stochastic simulation. The proposed algorithm consists of three steps: (1) generate data to estimate the objective function, (2) utilize SVM regression to reveal a trend hidden in the data (3) apply genetic algorithm (GA) based on SVM regression to obtain an estimation for the chance function. Numerical example is presented to show the ability of algorithm in terms of time-consuming and precision.
Regional Value Added in Italy, 1891–2001, and the Foundation of a Long‐Term Picture

This article presents value added estimates for the Italian regions, in benchmark years 1891–1951, which are linked to those from official figures available from 1971 on, in order to offer a long‐term picture of Italy's regional development. Regional activity rates and productivity are also discussed and compared. Some basic questions about Italy's economic history are briefly considered, including the origins and extent of the north–south divide, the role of migration and regional policy in shaping the pattern of regional inequality, and the positioning of Italy in the international debate on regional convergence, where it stands out because of the long‐run persistence of its disparities.
Dehydration studies using a novel multichamber microscale fluid bed dryer with in-line near-infrared measurement.

The purpose of this research was to study the effect of two process parameters (temperature and moisture content) on dehydration behavior of different materials using a novel multichamber microscale fluid bed dryer with a process air control unit and in-line near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The materials studied were disodium hydrogen phosphates with three different levels of hydrate water and wet theophylline granules. Measured process parameters of fluid bed drying were logged, including in-line NIR signals. Off-line analyses consisted of X-ray powder diffraction patterns, Fourier transform NIR spectra and moisture contents of studied materials. During fluid bed drying, the stepwise dehydration of materials was observed by the water content difference of inlet and outlet air, the pressure difference over the bed, and the in-line NIR spectroscopy. The off-line analysis confirmed the state of solid materials. The temperature and the moisture content of the process air were demonstrated to be significant factors for the solid-state stability of theophylline. The presented setup is a material and cost-saving approach for studying the influence of different process parameters on dehydration behavior during pharmaceutical processing.
The Market-Timing Performance of Mutual Fund Managers

The theory and measurement of the investment performance of managed portfolios has received a great deal of attention in the financial economics literature. 1 The topic is important to potential clients, managers evaluating the effectiveness of their strategies, and regulators that formulate policy concerning the operations of the marketplace. The Jensen (1968, 1969) model of riskadjusted performance has been the premier methodology for addressing these issues and testing the strong form of the efficient markets hypothesis (that is, whether any market participant has monopolistic access to any information relevant for price formation). The investment management process can be dichotomized into the activities of stock selection and market timing. Stock selection is based on forecasts of company-specific events and hence the prices of individual securities. Market timing, however, refers to forecasts of future This paper proposes an empirical methodology for measuring the market-timing performance of an investment manager and provides evidence for a sample of mutual funds. The results indicate that at the individual fund level there is evidence of significant superior timing ability and performance. However, the multivariate tests were not inconsistent with the efficient markets hypothesis. That is, fund managers as a group have no special information regarding the formation of expectations on the returns of the market portfolio.
The American Economy and Its Global Links: New and Reborn Concerns

In a systemic perspective, what are the primary transmitters of global competitiveness with the proper coordination mechanism? What are the systemic impacts of the US economy on world markets? Is global economic stability a public good? To address these questions, the paper surveys some key global links of the largest open economy of the world. First: past and recent US patterns of international wealth building; second: American-born business cycle concerns; third: international asset market developments are discussed. We argue that the two prime transmitters of competitive forces in the global economy are the multinational corporations and the international capital markets. They both show revealed systemic behaviour and good coordination mechanisms with well-defined goals and measurable efficiency for themselves. In a global economic framework, however, these are insufficient as sole coordination mechanisms since national government choices, as well as multinational company and individual international investment decisions do remain largely within their “own” perceived boundaries, and without regard to any “globally defined” or desired goals. This present dichotomy of determining international economic events by large-country (e.g. USA, EU-15, Japan) preferences, but in fact domestic macroneeds, and by firm-level multinational company preferences, is not likely to change soon. Yet, there is an obvious need to coordinate national policy actions, regulate multinational company behaviour and agree on some commonly shared safety rules of international financial markets. These global coordination efforts can be looked at as contributions to the provision of global economic stability, which is a valuable public good. We reason that national governments and regulators learn also, and that there is an evolution in keeping useful elements of government intervention such as anti-cyclical policies. If the macroeconomy is not self-correcting, and it is not, the global economy is even less so. Thus, there is room and justification for global coordination of macropolicies. For instance, based on the international wealth building pattern of the US economy, we suggest that for a more even and sustainable future growth-pattern for the world economy, a higher US savings rate and a higher Japanese and euro-area consumption rate would be beneficial. Also, to prevent the hiding of unwanted risk internationally, the calls for global supervision of international capital mobility are warranted if they are to match the rapidly growing intra-company cross-border flows of funds with proper safety regulation. US policymakers should play a key role in promoting such global efforts to meet the strong global demand for economic stability.
Nominal Price Shocks in Monopolistically Competitive Markets: An Experimental Analysis

We report a market experiment that examines the capacity of price and information frictions to explain real responses to nominal price shocks. As predicted by the standard dynamic adjustment models, we find that both price and information frictions impede the response to a nominal shock. We also find, however, that the observed adjustment delays far exceed predicted levels. Results of a pair of subsequent treatments indicate that a combination of announcing the shock privately to all sellers (rather than publicly) and a failure of many sellers to best respond to their expectations explains the observed adjustment inertia.