checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: 6

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: 2

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: sm

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

The investigation of platonic solids symmetry operations with clifford algebra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilic, A.

2005-01-01

The geometric algebra produces the new fields of view in the modern mathematical physics, definition of bodies and rearranging for equations of mathematics and physics. The new mathematical approaches play an important role in the progress of physics. After presenting Clifford algebra and quarantine's, the symmetry operations with Clifford algebra and quarantine's are defined. This symmetry operations are applied to a Platonic solids, which are called as tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, icosahedron and dodecahedron. Also, the vertices of Platonic solids presented in the Cartesian coordinates are calculated

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: fa083

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. Structure factors have been supplied for datablock(s) fa083. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC REFEREE. No syntax errors ...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: gitam035

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. Structure factors have been supplied for datablock(s) gitam035. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC REFEREE. No syntax ...

Idea and Intuition: On the Perceptibility of the Platonic Ideas in the Thought of Arthur Schopenhauer

OpenAIRE

Costanzo, Jason

2009-01-01

IDEA AND INTUITION On the Perceptibility of the Platonic Ideas in the Thought of Arthur Schopenhauer In this work, I examine the perceptibility of the Platonic Ideas in the thought of Arthur Schopenhauer. The work is divided into four chapters, each focusing and building upon a specific aspect related to this questi on. The first chapter (“Plato and the Primacy of Intellect”) deals with Scho penhauer’s interpretation specific to Platonic thought. I there address the question of why it is tha...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: rup-re

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: compound1

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

Plato's problem an introduction to mathematical platonism

CERN Document Server

Panza, M

2013-01-01

What is mathematics about? And how can we have access to the reality it is supposed to describe? The book tells the story of this problem, first raised by Plato, through the views of Aristotle, Proclus, Kant, Frege, Gödel, Benacerraf, up to the most recent debate on mathematical platonism.

Do Adolescents Prefer Electronic Books to Paper Books?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret K. Merga

2015-11-01

Full Text Available While electronic books offer a range of benefits and may be supposed to be more appealing to young people than paper books, this assumption is often treated as fact by educational researchers. Understanding adolescents’ true current preferences is essential, as incorrect assumptions can lead to decisions which restrict adolescent access to their preferred book mode. The belief that adolescents prefer electronic books to paper books has already led to some school libraries being expunged of paper books. As adolescents show a higher level of aliteracy than younger children, and regular reading offers a broad range of benefits for young people, it is imperative that school’s decisions around providing access to books are responsive to adolescent students’ genuine preferences. This paper analyses the current and relevant academic research around adolescent preferences for book modes, finding that, at present, the contention that adolescents prefer electronic books is not supported by the available research. In addition, there are a number of issues identified that make analyzing the findings in this area problematic. Future studies in this area are needed before an adolescent preference for electronic books can be unequivocally substantiated.

Platonism and Akrasia in Chrysippus. The Interpretation of Marcelo Boeri

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Salles

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The paper addresses two questions regarding the interpretation of akrasia among the Stoics, offered by Marcelo Boeri in his book Appearance and Reality in Greek Thought: On the one hand, can Chrysippus’s monistic adaptation of the Platonic model of the divided soul set forth in Book iv of the Republic provide a philosophically satisfactory explanation of the classical phenomenon of akrasia? On the other hand, is this phenomenon the true explanandum of this adaptation? The paper shows that the answer to both these questions could be negative and thus different from the answer provided by Boeri in his book. The argument is based on the analysis of Plutarch vm 446f-447b and on the analysis of the classical problem of akrasia.

Platonic wholes and quantum ontology

CERN Document Server

Woszczek, Marek

2015-01-01

The subject of the book is a reconsideration of the internalistic model of composition of the Platonic type, more radical than traditional, post-Aristotelian externalistic compositionism, and its application in the field of the ontology of quantum theory. At the centre of quantum ontology is nonseparability. Quantum wholes are atemporal wholes governed by internalistic logic and they are primitive, global physical entities, requiring an extreme relativization of the fundamental notions of mechanics. That ensures quantum theory to be fully consistent with the relativistic causal structure, with

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: rupret_0m

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: 8_plus_2

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

I grandi della fisica da Platone a Heisenberg

CERN Document Server

Von Weizsäcker, Carl Friedrich

2002-01-01

Parmenide ; Platone ; Aristotele ; Copernico, Keplero, Galilei ; Galileo Galilei ; Cartesio ; Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz ; Cartesio, Newton, Leibniz, Kant ; Immanuel Kant ; Johann Wolfgang Goethe ; Robert Meyer ; Albert Einstein ; Niels Bohr ; Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac ; Niels Bohr e Werner Heisenberg, un ricordo del 1932 ; Werner Heisenberg ; Heisenberg, fisico e filosofo ; l'interpretazione filosofica della fisica moderna.

Self-Assembly of Calix[4]arene-Based Amphiphiles Bearing Polyethylene Glycols: Another Example of "Platonic Micelles".

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Kenta; Fujii, Shota; Takahashi, Rintaro; Matsumoto, Sakiko; Sakurai, Kazuo

2017-09-12

The aggregation number of classical micelles exhibits a certain distribution, which is a recognizable feature of conventional micelles. However, we recently identified perfectly monodisperse calix[4]arene-based micelles whose aggregation numbers agree with the vertex numbers of regular polyhedra, that is, Platonic solids, and thus they are named "Platonic micelles". Regarding our hypothesis of the formation mechanism of Platonic micelles, both repulsive interactions including steric hindrance and electrostatic repulsions among the headgroups are important for determining their aggregation number; however, neither of these is necessarily needed to consider. In this study, we employed polyethylene glycols (PEGs) as the nonionic headgroup of calix[4]arene-based amphiphiles to study the effects of only repulsive interactions caused by steric hindrance on the formation of Platonic micelles. The amphiphiles containing relatively low-molecular-weight PEGs (550 or 1000 g mol -1 ) form dodecamer or octamer micelles, respectively, with no variation in the aggregation number. However, relatively high-molecular-weight PEGs (2000 g mol -1 ) produce polydispersed micelles with a range of aggregation number. PEG 2000 exhibits a greater affinity for water than PEG 550 and 1000, resulting in fewer hydrophobic interactions in micelle formation, as indicated by the drastic increase of the critical micelle concentration (CMC) value in the PEG 2000 system. The instability of the structure of PEG 2k CaL5 micelles might contribute to the higher mobility of PEG in the micellar shell, resulting in a non-Platonic aggregation number with polydispersity.

THE INTELLIGIBLE TRIADIN NEO-PLATONISM AND PATRISTICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. FOKIN

2011-12-01

Full Text Available n this second part of his paper the author concerns with the question about in what way from the fourth century A. D. onward the theory of so-called «intelligible triad» (esse, vivere, intellegere was borrowed from Neo-Platonic philosophy by some Christian theologians. This triad was mostly used to construct Christian trinitarian doctrine and to prove the consubstantiality, as well as the unity and diversity between three persons of the Holy Trinity. This theory was also used to demonstrate the existence of God as the unique Source of all being, life and intellect presented in the created order of beings, which gradually partake in these three Divine perfections. The «intelligible triad» also had an impact on the Patristic psychology, especially on the theory of self-conscientiousness and of the structure of human soul and of the universe.

Numerical Platon: A unified linear equation solver interface by CEA for solving open foe scientific applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Secher, Bernard; Belliard, Michel; Calvin, Christophe

2009-01-01

This paper describes a tool called 'Numerical Platon' developed by the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). It provides a freely available (GNU LGPL license) interface for coupling scientific computing applications to various freeware linear solver libraries (essentially PETSc, SuperLU and HyPre), together with some proprietary CEA solvers, for high-performance computers that may be used in industrial software written in various programming languages. This tool was developed as part of considerable efforts by the CEA Nuclear Energy Division in the past years to promote massively parallel software and on-shelf parallel tools to help develop new generation simulation codes. After the presentation of the package architecture and the available algorithms, we show examples of how Numerical Platon is used in sequential and parallel CEA codes. Comparing with in-house solvers, the gain in terms of increases in computation capacities or in terms of parallel performances is notable, without considerable extra development cost

Numerical Platon: A unified linear equation solver interface by CEA for solving open foe scientific applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Secher, Bernard [French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Nuclear Energy Division (DEN) (France); CEA Saclay DM2S/SFME/LGLS, Bat. 454, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)], E-mail: bsecher@cea.fr; Belliard, Michel [French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Nuclear Energy Division (DEN) (France); CEA Cadarache DER/SSTH/LMDL, Bat. 238, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance Cedex (France); Calvin, Christophe [French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Nuclear Energy Division (DEN) (France); CEA Saclay DM2S/SERMA/LLPR, Bat. 470, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)

2009-01-15

This paper describes a tool called 'Numerical Platon' developed by the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). It provides a freely available (GNU LGPL license) interface for coupling scientific computing applications to various freeware linear solver libraries (essentially PETSc, SuperLU and HyPre), together with some proprietary CEA solvers, for high-performance computers that may be used in industrial software written in various programming languages. This tool was developed as part of considerable efforts by the CEA Nuclear Energy Division in the past years to promote massively parallel software and on-shelf parallel tools to help develop new generation simulation codes. After the presentation of the package architecture and the available algorithms, we show examples of how Numerical Platon is used in sequential and parallel CEA codes. Comparing with in-house solvers, the gain in terms of increases in computation capacities or in terms of parallel performances is notable, without considerable extra development cost.

THE INTELLIGIBLE TRIAD IN NEO-PLATONISM AND PATRISTICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. FOKIN

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The author attempts to better defi ne the concept of the so-called «intelligible Triad» (esse, vivere, intellegere in Neo-Platonism and the Fathers of the Church. In the fi rst section, he explores the origins of this doctrine in Plato’s dialogue «Sophistes» as well as in the twelfth book of Aristotle’s «Metaphysics». This idea is also apparent in the doctrine concerning the distinct levels of being and the faculties of the human soul, a concept common to various Greek philosophical schools. The larger section of the article provides a reconstruction of the basic features and the elements of this theory of the «intelligible Triad» in the Neo-Platonic philosophy of Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblichus, Syrianus, and Proclus, as well as in the diff erent Gnostic schools. Finally, the author raises the question of how this concept was employed and transformed by the Church Fathers. This will be the topic of the section of the article to follow.

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: sni1_0m

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. Structure factors have been supplied for datablock(s) sni1_0m. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC REFEREE. No syntax ...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: walhasriganeinis1_0m

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

Numerical difficulties to obtain 3-d critical exponents from platonic solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alcaraz, F.C.; Herrmann, H.J.

1985-01-01

The possibility to extract critical exponents of 3-d systems exploring the mass gap amplitudes of platonic solids is tested. For the Ising model the proposed method does not work for numerical reasons. (Author) [pt

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: bcd35a_0m

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

Computing the Symmetry Groups of the Platonic Solids With the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

group theory and use of the computer algebra package. Maple. The five platonic solids are the tetrahedron, the cube, the octahedron, the dodecahedron, and the icosa- hedron. By determining a symmetry group, we lllean not just to determine its elements but to identify it, up to isomorphism, with a well-known group, such as ...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: kani044goo2_0m

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: BCd102_1_0m_a

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: Sm3Ni5Al19

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

checkCIF/PLATON report. You have not supplied any structure factors. As a result the full set of tests cannot be run. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW PROCEDURE. FOR PUBLICATION, IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ...

Cerebral sino-venous thrombosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayama, Ichiro; Kobayashi, Tsunesaburo; Nakajima, Kenji

1982-01-01

Three cases of cerebral sino-venous thrombosis were reported. Repeated CT findings were studied and discussed on account of the treatments for those pathologic conditions. Those of studied cases are; a 22-year-old postpartum woman, a 42-year-old woman with irregular vaginal bleeding, and a 26-year-old man with severe reactive emesis after drinking alcohol. They were treated conservatively. Case 1 died in its acute stage. In the remaining ones, each had an uneventful recovery. CT scan findings of them manifested their exact clinical conditions. These findings were devided into two categories, one was direct signs expressed sino-venous occlusion, the other was indirect signs which appeared as a result of these occlusion. Direct signs cannot always get in every cases with sino-venous occlusion, but as for indirect signs, we can get various changes corresponding to the time taken CT photoes, and they are useful to decide appropriate treatments at that time. Considering suitable treatments for this disease, it is necessary to select most suitable ones according to their pathologic conditions, which may be precisely drawn with CT scans. (J.P.N.)

Readings of Platonic Virtue Theories from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Catana, Leo

2014-01-01

It is commonly known that ancient schools of ethics were revived during the Renaissance: The texts pertaining to Platonic, Aristotelian, Stoic and Epicurean ethics were edited, translated and discussed in this period. It is less known that the Renaissance also witnessed a revival of Plotinian eth...

Efficient methods for solving discrete topology design problems in the PLATO-N project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Canh, Nam Nguyen; Stolpe, Mathias

This paper considers the general multiple load structural topology design problems in the framework of the PLATO-N project. The problems involve a large number of discrete design variables and were modeled as a non-convex mixed 0–1 program. For the class of problems considered, a global...... optimization method based on the branch-and-cut concept was developed and implemented. In the method a large number of continuous relaxations were solved. We also present an algorithm for generating cuts to strengthen the quality of the relaxations. Several heuristics were also investigated to obtain efficient...... algorithms. The branch and cut method is used to solve benchmark examples which can be used to validate other methods and heuristics....

Cooperative Monitoring Center Occasional Paper/13: Cooperative monitoring for confidence building: A case study of the Sino-Indian border areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SIDHU,WAHEGURU PAL SINGH; YUAN,JING-DONG; BIRINGER,KENT L.

1999-08-01

This occasional paper identifies applicable cooperative monitoring techniques and develops models for possible application in the context of the border between China and India. The 1993 and 1996 Sino-Indian agreements on maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and establishing certain confidence building measures (CBMs), including force reductions and limitation on military exercises along their common border, are used to examine the application of technically based cooperative monitoring in both strengthening the existing terms of the agreements and also enhancing trust. The paper also aims to further the understanding of how and under what conditions technology-based tools can assist in implementing existing agreements on arms control and confidence building. The authors explore how cooperative monitoring techniques can facilitate effective implementation of arms control agreements and CBMS between states and contribute to greater security and stability in bilateral, regional, and global contexts.

Paramenide e Platone (e Aristotele nel Contre Colote de Plutarque Parménide et Platon (et Aristote dans le Contre Colotès de Plutarque Parmenides and Plato (and Aristote in Plutarch'sAgainst Colotes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauro Bonazzi

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The chapters dedicated to Parmenides and Plato play a decisive role in the composition strategy of the Adversus Colotem, since this is where Plutarch most clearly defines the background dualist thesis that will help demonstrate that Platonism is superior to Epicurism. By showing Parmenides too as a dualist engaged in distinguishing between the sensible and the intelligible world, Plutarch structures a history of ancient philosophy entirely focused on Plato. These chapters also bear witness of another centre of interest, namely Aristoteles (§ 14, who, despite the criticism he aimed at the theory of ideas, is not completely refuted, but rather used as a possible ally against epicurean materialists, Plutarch’s true bête noire.Les chapitres consacrés à Parménide et Platon jouent un rôle décisif dans la stratégie de composition de l’Adversus Colotem : c’est là en effet que Plutarque définit de la manière la plus claire la thèse dualiste de fond qui va servir à démontrer la supériorité du platonisme sur l’épicurisme. En présentant Parménide lui aussi comme un dualiste occupé à distinguer entre monde sensible et monde intelligible, Plutarque articule une histoire de la philosophie antique entièrement centrée sur Platon. Les chapitres témoignent ensuite d’un autre centre d’intérêt, avec la mention d’Aristote (§ 14, lequel, malgré les critiques qu’il adresse à la théorie des idées, n’est pas complètement réfuté, mais plutôt utilisé comme un allié possible contre les matérialistes épicuriens, la véritable « bête noire » de Plutarque.I capitoli dedicati a Parmenide e Platone giocano un ruolo decisivo nella strategia compositiva dell’Adversus Colotem: è qui infatti che Plutarco delinea nel modo più chiaro la tesi dualistica di fondo che servirà a dimostrare la superiorità del platonismo sull’epicureismo. Presentando anche Parmenide come un dualista, impegnato a distinguere tra mondo

Water quality assessment of the Sinos River, Southern Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Blume, K K; Macedo, J C; Meneguzzi, A; Silva, L B; Quevedo, D M; Rodrigues, M A S

2010-12-01

The Sinos River basin is located Northeast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (29º 20' to 30º 10' S and 50º 15' to 51º20'W), Southern Brazil, covering two geomorphologic provinces: the Southern plateau and central depression. It is part of the Guaíba basin and has an area of approximately 800 km², encompassing 32 municipalities. The objective of this study was to monitor water quality in the Sinos River, the largest river in this basin. Water samples were collected at four selected sites in the Sinos River, and the following parameters were analysed: pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), turbidity, fecal coliforms, total dissolved solids, temperature, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorous, chromium, lead, aluminum, zinc, iron, and copper. The results were analysed based on Resolution No. 357/2005 of the Brazilian National Environmental Council (CONAMA) regarding regulatory limits for residues in water. A second analysis was performed based on a water quality index (WQI) used by the Sinos River Basin Management Committee (COMITESINOS). Poor water quality in the Sinos River presents a worrying scenario for the region, since this river is the main source of water supply for the urban core. Health conditions found in the Sinos River, mainly in its lower reaches, are worrying and a strong indicator of human activities on the basin.

Water quality assessment of the Sinos River, Southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KK. Blume

Full Text Available The Sinos River basin is located Northeast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (29º 20' to 30º 10' S and 50º 15' to 51º20'W, Southern Brazil, covering two geomorphologic provinces: the Southern plateau and central depression. It is part of the Guaíba basin and has an area of approximately 800 km², encompassing 32 municipalities. The objective of this study was to monitor water quality in the Sinos River, the largest river in this basin. Water samples were collected at four selected sites in the Sinos River, and the following parameters were analysed: pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5, turbidity, fecal coliforms, total dissolved solids, temperature, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorous, chromium, lead, aluminum, zinc, iron, and copper. The results were analysed based on Resolution No. 357/2005 of the Brazilian National Environmental Council (CONAMA regarding regulatory limits for residues in water. A second analysis was performed based on a water quality index (WQI used by the Sinos River Basin Management Committee (COMITESINOS. Poor water quality in the Sinos River presents a worrying scenario for the region, since this river is the main source of water supply for the urban core. Health conditions found in the Sinos River, mainly in its lower reaches, are worrying and a strong indicator of human activities on the basin.

Investigations on Rickettsia in Ticks at the Sino-Russian and Sino-Mongolian Borders, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lijuan; Chen, Qian; Yang, Yu; Wang, Jiancheng; Cao, Xiaomei; Zhang, Sheng; Li, Hong; Hou, Yong; Wang, Fuxiang; Xu, Baoliang

2015-12-01

To describe the prevalence of Rickettsia in ticks at the Sino-Russian and Sino-Mongolian borders, a total of 292 ticks were collected and tested by conventional PCR assays. The prevalence of Rickettsia was 53.4%, and phylogenetic analysis showed that they belonged to R. raoultii species after alignment for the ompA, ompB, and gltA genes, respectively. Coxiella burnetii DNA was detected for 14%, and no Ehrlichia, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Babesia species were found. Co-infection of two pathogens was 9.9%, and no co-infection with three or more pathogens was found. This study suggested Rickettsia was the most common pathogen in the ticks and co-infection was found. The findings might be helpful to provide advice on the prevention and control of tick-borne disease potential for tourists and residents.

Teaching China in Scotland's Secondary Schools as Sino-Scottish Engagement Intensifies

Science.gov (United States)

Oates, John Vincent

2011-01-01

At a time of burgeoning Sino-Scottish engagement, and the introduction of a new national education policy, "Curriculum for Excellence" designed to enhance teacher autonomy, this paper draws on the national response of Modern Studies teachers who are the only group of Scottish teachers to have the (voluntary) option of including the study…

The Platonic Receptacle (Hypodoché), Whitehead’s Philosophy, and Genome Evolution

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Svoboda, Jan; Svoboda, Jan

2017-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 12 (2017), s. 1-3, č. článku 381. ISSN 1999-4915 Institutional support: RVO:67985955 ; RVO:68378050 Keywords : Platonic receptacle * Whitehead’s argument * realization of ideas * present day genetics * genetic code * evolution changes Subject RIV: AA - Philosophy ; Religion; EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology (UMG-J) OBOR OECD: Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology; Virology (UMG-J) Impact factor: 3.465, year: 2016 http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/9/12/381

Sino-Japanese Interaction via Chinese Junks in the Edo Period

OpenAIRE

MATSUURA, Akira

2010-01-01

To maintain its policy of national isolation during the Edo period, Japan restricted contact with the outside world to Dutch merchant ships and Chinese junks at the Japanese port of Nagasaki. Sino-Japanese interaction consisted not only of trade in goods, but also of cultural and scholarly exchanges. This paper will examine how this unofficial trade affected both Japan and China from a cultural perspective.

A Century of changes for Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System

Science.gov (United States)

Scrieciu, Marian-Albert; Stanica, Adrian

2014-05-01

A Century of changes for Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System Marian-Albert Scrieciu (a), Adrian Stanica (a) (a) National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology e GeoEcoMar, Str. Dimitrie Onciul 23e25, Sector 2, 024053 Bucharest, Romania Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System, situated in the NW part of the Black Sea, in tight connection with the Danube Delta, has been subject to major changes due to human interventions in the past century. These changes have resulted into a complete change of the Lagoon specific ecosystems compared to its pristine state. In its natural state, as brackish - transitional environment, Antipa (1894) mentions Razelm Lagoon as one of the places with the greatest fisheries around the Black Sea coast (about 1879 - 1884, there were approximately 10,000 fishermen, all working on the Razelm Sinoe Lagoon System). Starting with the end of the XIXth Century, new canals were dug and existing channels were dredged in order to develop tighter connections with the Danube River. The natural inlet of Portita was blocked four decades ago and connections between the various parts of the lagoon system were controlled by the building of locks and sluices. The 2 inlets of Sinoe Lagoon were also controlled during early 1980s. Under these conditions, the lagoon ecosystem changed from brackish towards freshwater, with major effects on the existing flora and fauna. The period of brutal interventions ended in 1989 and the Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System became part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve in 1991, with a strict policy of nature protection and restoration. Spatial planning has been the major management option for the entire reserve, lagoon system included. Plans for sustainable development of the Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System have been built in a participative manner, involving the local stakeholders, as part of FP7 ARCH project. Special attention has been given to impacts of climate change. The study presents the vision for the development Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System over

Exploration and Practice of Green Building Management in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Sun; Xiaofeng; Song; Kun; Liu; Jinxin

2016-01-01

This paper summarizes the current development status of green building management in China, and analyzes the problems existing in its present management pattern. It fi rstly introduces the background, procedures and achievements gained during the green building practice in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, expounds the principles and methods of the establishment of the green building management system in this Tianjin Eco-City, and then focuses on practical experience and specifi c measures in separate parts of green building management system in the Tianjin EcoCity, which is constituted by laws, regulations and policies, technical standards, management process, product access, etc. Through exploration and practice, it took 8 years for the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City to preliminarily establish a set of management systems which were suited to its own characteristics. By introduction of the management system, this paper aims to provide reference for other cities to carry out green building practice and improve the quality of green buildings in China.

Calculation of embodied energy in Sino-USA trade: 1997–2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Ranran; Long, Ruyin; Yue, Ting; Shi, Haihong

2014-01-01

In order to find efficient trade measures to reduce China's energy consumption and to provide theoretical support for the climate talks between China and America, we investigate the impact of Sino-USA trade on energy consumption from the perspective of embodied energy. An Environmental Input–Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) model was established to calculate the total energy consumption coefficient, the direct consumption coefficient and the complete consumption coefficient of the sectors of the national economies of China and America. After taking into consideration the data of every sector of the national economy in Sino-USA trade, energy embodied in the import and export trade between China and America was calculated to verify the real energy flows in Sino-USA trade. The research results suggest the following: China is the net exporter of embodied energy in Sino-USA trade, and coal, crude oil and natural gas are the major components. In 1997–2011, the net exports of China's embodied energy totaled 1523,082,200 t of standard coal, the amount of China's energy consumption increased by 895,527,900 t of standard coal, and America's energy consumption decreased by 11,871,200 t of standard coal as a result of Sino-USA trade. On this basis, corresponding policies and recommendations are proposed. - Highlights: • An EIO-LCA model is established to examine China's embodied energy in Sino-USA trade. • Embodied energy is calculated from the perspective of energy sources. • China is found to be the net exporter of embodied energy in Sino-USA trade. • Coal, crude oil and natural gas are the major components of China's net embodied energy exports. • China's energy consumption has increased and America's has shifted to China in Sino-USA trade

Preferences for Inequality: East vs. West. Innocenti Working Papers.

Science.gov (United States)

Suhrcke, Marc

Do preferences for income inequality differ systematically between the post-socialist countries of central and eastern Europe and the western established market economies? Analyzing 1999 data from a large international survey to address this question, the paper examines whether attitudes to inequality differ between east and west even after the…

Language Choice of Urban Sino-Indians in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Maya Khemlani David

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Language choice in mixed marriages plays a crucial role in language maintenance. It helps in maintaining at least one or two languages from generation to generation. In this study an examination on the language choice of some Sino-Indian Malaysians in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is explored to find out the language choice in a range of domains and with different speech partners. Sino-Indians are the offspring of marriages between Indians and Chinese. There were 30 participants consisting of 14 males and 16 females who took part in the study. A questionnaire consisting of 89 items was administered to the participants who were working or studying in Kuala Lumpur at that time. The findings reveal that language choice in some Sino-Indian families is influenced by factors such as age, domains of communication, attitudes towards the language, and identity. Age plays an important role in lan¬guage choice, particularly in the home domain. Some older Sino-Indian speakers are bilingual in English and Malay, the middle-aged speakers are trilingual and speak more in English and some Tamil and Chinese, and the younger speakers are multilingual but favour the use of English. This study has also examined how the Sino-Indian respondents viewed their dual heritage.

Sino-American Corporation in Peru

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wang Mingcai; Xu Yunming

1996-01-01

@@ Sino-American Oil Development Corporation (hereinafter referred to as"SODC") has taken part in the international operation activities in petroleum exploration and development in Latin-American area since 1992 and some progress has been made. At present, SODC is carrying out the operations within the Sixth and Seventh Blocks of Tarara oil field of the Republic of Peru and gains a good prestige.

Japanese Scholarship on the Sino-Japanese War, 2007–2012

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Duan Ruicong

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This article examines in detail the last five years of Japanese scholarship related to the Sino-Japanese War, highlighting its principle trends and achievements. Due to the broad range and large quantity of scholarship on the subject, Duan Ruicong focuses foremost on the 2007–2012 period, although by necessity this article also touches on pre-2007 scholarship. Additionally, this overview will primarily introduce Japanese-language, single-authored and co-authored books (monographs, collections of papers, and other single-issue publications; only when necessary will it refer to pertinent journal articles.

The contemporary dynamics of Sino-Indian relations: Examining maritime security, economics, energy and elite dialogue

Science.gov (United States)

Athwal, Amardeep

This dissertation examines the modern-day dynamics of the Sino-Indian relationship---with a particular focus on issues relating to maritime security, economics, energy and elite bilateral dialogue. In exploring the contemporary nature of the Sino-Indian relationship, the dissertation also seeks to assess the accuracy of predominant neorealist accounts of the Sino-Indian relationship. Since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, most analysts have continued to emphasize the conflictual and competitive elements within the Sino-Indian relationship. The dissertation first explores the crucial post-independence history of Sino-Indian relations to provide the appropriate contextual background (chapter one). Thereafter, the dissertation explores the geopolitical significance of the Indian Ocean in light of soaring (global) energy demands. This then leads into an analysis of China and India's naval modernization and China's strategic partnership with Pakistan and Myanmar (chapter two). While acknowledging the credibility of neorealist insights in the realm of maritime security by detailing China and India's naval buildup and naval strategy, overall, it is found that the security dilemma argument is overstated. There is both a lack of threat perception and the existence of alternate explanations for both Chinese and Indian activities in Southern Asia. The dissertation then moves on to explore the positive elements within the Sino-Indian relationship---growing economic interdependence, energy convergence and elite consensus. In the economic realm (chapter three) it is found that Sino-Indian bilateral trade is increasingly being framed institutionally and rapidly expanding every year. The areas where the Sino-Indian economic relationship could be fruitfully expanded are traced and the great potential of bilateral trade is discussed. Thereafter, the dissertation highlights how China and India are beginning to coordinate energy policy (chapter four) as well as the growing political will

Sino-Japanese Relations: Cooperation, Competition, or Status Quo?

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Taylor, Fred H

2008-01-01

Over the course of their history, bilateral Sino-Japanese relations have experienced a paradoxical relationship of autonomy and interdependence, mutual respect and suspicion, and admiration and condescension...

Andrea Capra, Platone e la storia. La fine di Protagora e lo statuto letterario dei dialoghi socratici

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Maria Chiara Pievatolo

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Secondo alcune fonti antiche il sofista Protagora, ormai anziano, fu accusato, come Socrate, di empietà e trovò la morte lasciando Atene, forse per sfuggire al processo o forse perché bandito dalla città. Contro questa tradizione sembra militare la testimonianza di Platone, secondo la quale, almeno in apparenza, Protagora, a differenza di altri intellettuali, non si [...

76 FR 5626 - Notice and Opportunity for Hearing: SinoFresh Healthcare, Inc.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-01

... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34-63776; File No. 0-49764] Notice and Opportunity for Hearing: SinoFresh Healthcare, Inc. January 26, 2011 Notice is hereby given that on November 1, 2010, SinoFresh Healthcare, Inc. (Applicant) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Form...

Basic Relationships among Scale, Quality, and Benefits in Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jinhui

2016-01-01

The basic relationships among scale, quality, and benefits in Sino-foreign cooperative education are key to the development of cooperative education. It is necessary to construct a theoretical framework for the basic relationships among scale, quality, and benefits in Sino-foreign cooperative education and analyze the questions faced in…

PLATON V2.0 and BRA V1.0 system for teletherapy and brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artes, C.; Coscia, G.; Luongo, A.

1996-01-01

A locally designed fully automatic Radiation Field Analyser (RFA) was constructed. The system is controlled by a PC and includes a graphic system ionisation chambers and an electrometer. The system is capable of reading doses instantly in any point inside a water phantom and provide graphs of the dose distributions (isodose curves) of any therapeutic unit. The information is automatically stored in the PC and can be transferred to Treatment Planning Systems (TPSs) such as the PLATON and BRA developed in Latin America. (author)

PLATON V2.0 and BRA V1.0 system for teletherapy and brachytherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Artes, C; Coscia, G; Luongo, A [Ministerio de Salud Publica, Montevideo (Uruguay). Inst. de Oncologia

1996-08-01

A locally designed fully automatic Radiation Field Analyser (RFA) was constructed. The system is controlled by a PC and includes a graphic system ionisation chambers and an electrometer. The system is capable of reading doses instantly in any point inside a water phantom and provide graphs of the dose distributions (isodose curves) of any therapeutic unit. The information is automatically stored in the PC and can be transferred to Treatment Planning Systems (TPSs) such as the PLATON and BRA developed in Latin America. (author).

Prospects of Sino-India Relations 2020

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-01

Nature of Sino-India Bilateral Trade256 Some economists point to China‘s dumping practices and currency devaluation as sources of this disequilibrium...Missile IMF - International Monetary Fund IOR - Indian Ocean Region IR - International Relations IRBM - Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile IT...there!‖227 In the period 2004 to 2006, China outbid India at various auctions including those in Angola, Nigeria , Ecuador, and Kazakhstan. China‘s

Queen Christina’s esoteric interests as a background to her Platonic Academies

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Susanna Åkerman

2008-01-01

Full Text Available In 1681 the blind quietist, Francois Malaval, stated that Queen Christina of Sweden late in life had ‘given up’ [Hermes] Trismegistos and the Platonists, in favour of the Church fathers. The statement does not explain what role the Church fathers were to play in her last years, but it does show that Christina really had been interested in the rather elitist and esoteric doctrine of Hermetic Platonic Christianity. In this article the author looks at her library to show the depth of this Hermetic involvement. Her interest serves as a background to her life as ex-queen in Italy after her famous abdication from the Swedish throne in 1654, when she was 27 years old.

The Draw of Home: How Teachers' Preferences for Proximity Disadvantage Urban Schools. NBER Working Paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, Donald; Lankford, Hamilton; Loeb, Susanna; Wyckoff, James

This paper explores a little-understood aspect of labor markets, their spatial geography. Using data from New York State, it finds teacher labor markets to be geographically very small. Teachers express preferences to teach close to where they grew up, and, controlling for proximity, they prefer areas with characteristics similar to their…

Platon G. Kostyuk (August 20, 1924-May 10, 2010): A unique survey of a life spanning turbulent times.

Science.gov (United States)

Bregestovski, Piotr

2012-01-01

On May 10th 2010 Platon Grigorevitch Kostyuk sadly left us at the age of 85. He was a talented scientist, a brilliant experimenter, an outstanding organizer of science and an excellent teacher. Platon Kostyuk was born in 1924 in Kiev, Ukraine. He obtained a double education: a graduate of the Kiev University Department of Biology in 1946 and the Kiev Medical Institute in 1949, he became a pioneer in neuroscience, the first in the Soviet Union to use microelectrodes for intracellular recording of electrical signals in neurons. Despite the difficulties for international travel for those living behind the Iron Curtain, he was able to present his work at the International Congress of Physiology in Buenos Aires in 1959 and here met Prof. John Eccles who invited him to work at the University of Canberra in Australia in 1960–1961. This was the start of an outstanding international career, complementing his creative achievements in the Soviet Union. In 1966 P.G. Kostyuk became director of the Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology in Kiev, which he headed for nearly 45 years. Under his direction this Institute became a leading centre for neuroscience, renowned not only in the Soviet Union but also internationally. New directions of research were developed in cell physiology, molecular biophysics and neurophysiology. Several important discoveries were made including the development of a method for intracellular perfusion, evidence for a calcium-dependent conductance in nerve cells and the discovery of new types of ion channels. Elected to the Ukraine Academy of Science in 1969 and Grand Academician of the Soviet Academy of Science in 1974, Kostyuk has also been honoured by many international societies. He is the author of more than 650 articles, 17 monographs and 7 discoveries and was the creator and editor of two scientific journals: "Neurophysiology" and "Neuroscience". The outstanding career and multifaceted activities of Academician Platon Kostyuk form a pyramid of

Sudden fetal death due to dualism of the sino-atrial node.

Science.gov (United States)

Pusiol, Teresa; Roncati, Luca; Lavezzi, Anna Maria; Taddei, Fabrizio; Piscioli, Francesco; Ottaviani, Giulia

2016-01-01

First, we report a sudden fetal death at 33(+3)weeks due to sino-atrial node dualism. The female stillborn was delivered by induced labor. The postmortem examination of the cardiac conduction system revealed a dualism of the sino-atrial node, associated with fragmentation of the atrio-ventricular node and His bundle. These abnormalities of the cardiac conduction system represent the morphological substrate for the development of malignant arrhythmias. In particular, the dualism of the sino-atrial node can cause the dissociation of the longitudinal nodal impulse into two distinct ways of different pulse generation, resulting in supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. This observation suggests new avenues of research on the pathogenesis of the sudden unexpected fetal death. Moreover, our findings confirm the need for an accurate postmortem examination, including serial sectioning of the cardiac conduction system, in every case of unexplained fetal death, following standardized autoptic protocols. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Gospel of Thomas and Plato : A Study of the Impact of Platonism on the Fifth Gospel

OpenAIRE

Miroshnikov, Ivan

2016-01-01

It is no secret that Christian dogmatic theology adopted a generous number of its concepts from Platonist philosophy; by the time of the Cappadocian fathers, it was customary to talk about divine matters in Platonist terms. It is, however, much more difficult to track the Platonist influence during the formative centuries of Christianity. In the last decades, the academic community has gradually come to realize that research into the Platonizing tendencies of early Christian texts may shed ne...

Result of radiation therapy of sino-nasal cancers using partial attenuation filter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jin Hee; Kim, Ok Bae; Choi, Tae Jin [Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2007-06-15

This study was to evaluate the survival and pattern of failure after radiation therapy of sino-nasal cancer using partial attenuation filer and wedged beams and to help radiotherapy planning of sino-nasal cancer. Between February 1992 and March 2003, 17 patients with sino-nasal cancers underwent radiation therapy using partial attenuation filter at Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung university. There were 9 male and 8 female patients. Patients' age ranged from 40 to 75 years (median 59 years). There were 10 patients of maxillary sinus cancer, 7 patients of nasal cancer. The histologic type was squamous cell carcinoma in 11, adenoid cystic carcinoma in 4 and olfactory neuroblastoma in 2. The distribution of clinical stage by the AJCC system was 3 for stage II, 7 for III and 6 for IV. The five patients were treated with radiation alone and 12 patients were treated with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy. The range of total radiation dose delivered to the primary tumor was from 44 to 76 Gy (median 60 Gy). The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 173 months with median of 78 months. The overall 2 year survival rate and disease free survival rate was 76.4%. The 5 year and 10 year survival rate were 76.4% and 45.6% and the 5 year and 10 year disease free survival rate was 70.6%. The 5 year disease free survival rate by treatment modality was 91.6% for postoperative radiation group and 20% for radiation alone group, statistical significance was found by treatment modality ({rho} = 0.006). There were no differences in survival by pathology and stage. There were local failure in 5 patients (29%) but no distant failure and no severe complication required surgical intervention. Radiation therapy of sino-nasal cancer using partial attenuation filter was safe and effective. Combined modality with conservative surgery and radiation therapy was more advisable to achieve loco-regional control in sino-nasal cancer. Also we considered high precision radiation therapy with

Environment and society: the Sinos River Basin and public policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V Pedde

Full Text Available This study discusses the tensions and conflicts in the relationship between environment and society in the Sinos River Basin, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. An environmental disaster in 2006, which resulted in the death of 100 tons of fish in the Sinos River, is the dividing line for this study. A review of documents and field interviews with representatives of the municipal government and companies in the region were used to analyze the impact of public policies on the environment and which deficiencies remain11We thank Malcon Naor Voltz and Ana Arnoldo, undergraduate research grant holders, for their participation in data collection for this study..

The planning and construction of Distributed Energy System in Qingdao Sino-German Eco-park

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Cun; Zhang, Gaijing; Song, Peipei

2018-04-01

This paper introduce the development and characteristics of new energy, Eco-city and Distributed Energy System in China, a case study of Qingdao Sino-German Eco-park, research on practical application about planning and construction of Distributed Energy System in Eco-city. Results show that: we must first do a good job in energy planning, giving full play to their own advantages, and Distributed Energy System based renewable energy resources is a promising option for reducing emissions from electricity generation in Eco-city.

Fuelling Insecurity? Sino-Myanmar Energy Cooperation and Human Security in Myanmar

Science.gov (United States)

Botel, Gabriel

This thesis examines the relationship between energy, development and human security in Sino-Myanmar relations. Rapid economic growth and increased urbanisation have intensified China's industrial and domestic energy consumption, drastically increasing demand and overwhelming national supply capacities. Chinese foreign policy has responded by becoming more active in securing and protecting foreign energy resources and allowing Chinese companies more freedom and opportunities for investment abroad. Consequently, Chinese foreign investment and policies have become increasing sources of scrutiny and debate, typically focusing on their (presumed) intentions and the social, economic, environmental and political impacts they have on the rest of the world. Within this debate, a key issue has been China's engagement with so-called pariah states. China has frequently received substantial international criticism for its unconditional engagement with such countries, often seen as a geopolitical pursuit of strategic national (energy) interests, unconcerned with international opprobrium. In the case of Myanmar, traditional security analyses interpret this as, at best, undermining (Western) international norms and, at worst, posing a direct challenge to international security. However, traditional security analyses rely on state-centric concepts of security, and tend to over-simply Sino-Myanmar relations and the dynamics which inform it. Conversely, implications for human security are overlooked; this is in part because human security remains poorly defined and also because there are questions regarding its utility. However, human security is a critical tool in delineating between state, corporate and 'civilian' interests, and how these cleavages shape the security environment and potential for instability in the region. This thesis takes a closer look at some of the entrenched and changing security dynamics shaping this Sino-Myanmar energy cooperation, drawing on an extensive

Monist and Dualist Tendencies in Platonism before Plotinus

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Dillon, John

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The author argues that the Platonism that Plotinus inherits – setting aside Ammonius Saccas, of whom we know all too little – is by the later second century distinctly dualist in tendency, and is able, especially in the case of Plutarch, to quote Plato to its purpose. Plato himself, though, as the author maintains, is, despite appearances to the contrary, what one might term a ‘modified monist’. That is to say, he fully recognizes the degree of imperfection and evil in the world, and holds it to be ineradicable, but he does not in the last resort believe in a positive countervailing force to the Good or the One. What we have is simply a negative force, whether Indefinite Dyad, disorderly World-Soul, or Receptacle, which is an inevitable condition of their being a world at all, but which, as a side-effect of introducing diversity, generates various sorts of imperfection. It is this scenario that justifies his follower Hermodorus in declaring that Plato recognizes only a single first principle, and it to this sort of monism – if anything, in a more pronounced form – that Plotinus returns. The article is published in a Russian translation in Vol. II, issue 1

The Rio dos Sinos watershed: an economic and social space and its interface with environmental status

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JAS. Figueiredo

Full Text Available The Rio dos Sinos watershed is located in the eastern region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul and includes 32municipalities. These municipalities develop several different economic activities such as farming and livestock along the 190 km length of the Rio dos Sinos, one of the rivers with the worst quality of water in Brazil. The region is also characterised by growing urbanisation and heavy industrialisation. The main economic activity is the leather and footwear industry. This diversified land use puts the Rio dos Sinos watershed at risk of a wide range of potential environmental impacts. The aim of the present article is to discuss the socioeconomic process currently implemented in the Rio dos Sinos watershed and the effect of these human actions on the environmental quality described throughout this special issue of the Brazilian Journal of Biology.

History of water quality parameters - a study on the Sinos River/Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Konzen, G B; Figueiredo, J A S; Quevedo, D M

2015-05-01

Water is increasingly becoming a valuable resource, constituting one of the central themes of environmental, economic and social discussions. The Sinos River, located in southern Brazil, is the main river from the Sinos River Basin, representing a source of drinking water supply for a highly populated region. Considering its size and importance, it becomes necessary to conduct a study to follow up the water quality of this river, which is considered by some experts as one of the most polluted rivers in Brazil. As for this study, its great importance lies in the historical analysis of indicators. In this sense, we sought to develop aspects related to the management of water resources by performing a historical analysis of the Water Quality Index (WQI) of the Sinos River, using statistical methods. With regard to the methodological procedures, it should be pointed out that this study performs a time analysis of monitoring data on parameters related to a punctual measurement that is variable in time, using statistical tools. The data used refer to analyses of the water quality of the Sinos River (WQI) from the State Environmental Protection Agency Henrique Luiz Roessler (Fundação Estadual de Proteção Ambiental Henrique Luiz Roessler, FEPAM) covering the period between 2000 and 2008, as well as to a theoretical analysis focusing on the management of water resources. The study of WQI and its parameters by statistical analysis has shown to be effective, ensuring its effectiveness as a tool for the management of water resources. The descriptive analysis of the WQI and its parameters showed that the water quality of the Sinos River is concerning low, which reaffirms that it is one of the most polluted rivers in Brazil. It should be highlighted that there was an overall difficulty in obtaining data with the appropriate periodicity, as well as a long complete series, which limited the conduction of statistical studies such as the present one.

Trade Friction of Sino-US Intellectual Property and Coping Strategies%中美贸易中知识产权摩擦及应对策略

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

贾显维

2012-01-01

In recent years, trade friction of Sino-US intellectual property is becoming the focus of Sino-US trade friction, which has become the biggest obstacle for China's enterprises exporting to the U.S. In this paper, the causes and characteristics of trade friction of Sino-US intellectual property were analyzed, and the coping strategies of trade friction of Sino-US intellectual property were put forward from two levels of government and business, combing with China's actual conditions.%近些来,中美知识产权贸易摩擦日渐成为中美贸易摩擦的焦点,已成为中国企业对美出口的最大障碍.本文对中美知识产权贸易摩擦的特点、原因进行了分析,结合我国的实际情况,从政府及企业两个层面提出了应对中美知识产权贸易摩擦的策略.

The Sino-Indian Border: Is Conflict Inevitable?

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-13

relationship between China and India may be thought in terms of a gestalt theory . The basis of the gestalt theory is that before perceiving different...greater than the sum of the parts” is often used to explain gestalt theory .33 Analysts on both sides often view their relations as the sum of border...Most often, hawkish views grab the headlines.”56 This adds to the Sino-Indian gestalt and form perception about each other based on viewpoints of

The Limits of Interdependence: Cooperation and Conflict in Sino-Japanese Relations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Eldridge

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Since the introduction of Deng Xiaoping’s Open Door policy in 1979, the value and complexity of Sino-Japanese economic ties have grown exponentially. However, even as economic ties have developed, security relations have deteriorated as perceptions of a ‘China threat’ and a ‘re-militarised Japan’ have emerged in Tokyo and Beijing. The simultaneous existence of these trends challenges international relations theory. Economic interdependence theories expect that the development of economic relations reduces the role of security in bilateral relations. Conversely, neorealist theories posit that, given the preeminence of national security, a perception of threat will cool economic relations. Sino-Japanese economic relations have demonstrable bilateral benefits. Additionally, economic relations have created interest groups invested in maintaining good relations. These groups have successfully managed economic friction points and integrated bilateral trade. However, economic interdependence seems not to translate to the security calculus confirming neorealism’s contention that national security is preeminent. In particular, Japan’s development of Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD illustrates the insignificance of economic ties in security planning. That said, it is equally true that perceptions of threat appear to have little influence on bilateral economic interdependence. Therefore, Sino-Japanese relations are best described by applying interdependence and neorealist theories in a complementary approach.

Network Partnership Diplomatic Mechanism: The New Path in Sino-Russian Cooperation - On the Sino-Russian Joint Dominance of BRICS Governance Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhijie Cheng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available 成志杰 王 宛 【内容提要】中俄合作是将来一定时期内国际格局变革与发展的决定性力量。但是，中俄关系存在典型的“二律背反”情结：既借重又怀疑,既合作又防范。处理两国关系，除了原有的双边机制外，中俄还可以通过网状伙伴外交机制进行多边机制下的合作。网状伙伴外交机制主要是指中俄在各个相关多边机制内的互动合作，是双方彼此需要、彼此借重，有效处理双边关系，共同应对国际事务的灵活机制。它具有自身的逻辑。加强和深化中俄合作并不意味着中俄要结盟。网状伙伴外交机制的提出更多是中俄合作的新路径，对于缓解中俄关系中竞争与博弈困境、促进相关国际机制发展等具有重要的意义。金砖国家应该建立金砖国家治理型机制。它需要一个主导性力量中心进行推动。网状伙伴外交机制有利于塑造金砖国家机制的主导性力量中心——中俄联合主导，它是金砖国家治理型机制的内涵之一。中俄联合主导将会在金砖国家机制发展中发挥引领作用。 Sino-Russian cooperation will become an important force in reforming and developing the international system in the near future. However, Sino-Russian relations are complicated since the two countries maintain a guarded attitude towards each other even while cooperating extensively. In addition to furthering bilateral relations, China and Russia can also choose to cooperate through multilateral network mechanisms. This provides opportunities for flexible and strategic cooperation and coordination between the two countries. Strengthening and deepening the Sino-Russian cooperation does not imply forming an actual alliance. The network partnership diplomatic mechanism could play an important role in alleviating competition and mistrust between China and Russia, promoting the development of relevant international

Inventory of Motive of Preference for Conventional Paper-and-Pencil Tests: A Study of Validity and Reliability

Science.gov (United States)

Eser, Mehmet Taha; Dogan, Nuri

2017-01-01

Purpose: The objective of this study is to develop the Inventory of Motive of Preference for Conventional Paper-And-Pencil Tests and to evaluate students' motives for preferring written tests, short-answer tests, true/false tests or multiple-choice tests. This will add a measurement tool to the literature with valid and reliable results to help…

Electronic properties of a new structured Sin/O superlattice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Yu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Silicon is a material which dominants the semiconductor industry and has a well-established processing technology based on it. However, silicon has an indirect-bandgap and is not efficient in light emitting. This limits its applications in optoelectronics. In this paper, we proposed a new structural model for the silicon-based superlattice, i.e., the Sin/O one. The model consists of alternating films of n-layers of Si and a monolayer of oxygen along z-direction, together with a surface cell of Si(001 (2×1 reconstruction in the x-y plane. The importance of employing such a Si(001 (2×1 reconstruction is that all the electrons at interface can be strongly bonded. Our results showed interesting electronic properties, e.g., the band folding and large band gap of bulk Si, when the thickness of the silicon layers was increased (but still thin. Our structure might also offer other interesting properties.

Negotiation style, speech accommodation, and small talk in Sino-Western business negotiations: A Hong Kong case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ladegaard, H. J.

2011-01-01

This article analyzes authentic negotiation encounters between a Danish buyer and several predominantly Chinese sellers at a jewelry fair in China. Three recurring themes were identified in the data: different negotiation styles (a preference for an indirect mitigated style in the Chinese...... viability without loss of face. The article acknowledges that claims about the importance of negotiators' cultural backgrounds need to be demonstrated rather than presumed, but it also argues that an analysis of predominant Chinese cultural value systems (such as face and the guanxi-concept) is likely...... to lead to a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Sino-Western negotiations. The article advocates a combination of in-depth discourse analysis and studies of micro-as well as macro-contextual value and norms - i.e., a truly pragmatic approach to cross-cultural encounters - as the way forward...

Between Two Suns. Czechoslovakia and the Sino-Soviet Dispute over the International Communist Movement (1953-1962)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kolenovská, Daniela

2016-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 1 (2016), s. 19-48 ISSN 2336-3142 Institutional support: RVO:68378114 Keywords : Sino-Czechoslovak relations * Sino-Soviet split * Soviet bloc Subject RIV: AB - History OBOR OECD: History (history of science and technology to be 6.3, history of specific sciences to be under the respective headings)

Sino-Danish Brain Circulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertelsen, Rasmus Gjedssø; Du, Xiangyun; Søndergaard, Morten Karnøe

2014-01-01

China is faced with urgent needs to develop an economically and environmentally sustainable economy based on innovation and knowledge. Brain circulation and research and business investments from the outside are central for this development. Sino-American brain circulation and research...... and investment by overseas researchers and entrepreneurs are well described. In that case, the US is the center of global R&D and S&T. However, the brain circulation and research and investments between a small open Scandinavian economy, such as Denmark, and the huge developing economy of China are not well...... understood. In this case, Denmark is very highly developed, but a satellite in the global R&D and S&T system. With time and the growth of China as a R&D and S&T power house, both Denmark and China will benefit from brain circulation between them. Such brain circulation is likely to play a key role in flows...

Process ambiguities in Sino-Danish Business Negotiations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumar, Rajesh; Worm, Verner

2004-01-01

. These ambiguities stem from differences in negotiation scripts across Danish and Chinese cultures. The essential argument being advanced here is that it is the effective and/or the ineffective management of process ambiguities that shapes the evolution of the negotiating dynamic between the Danish and the Chinese...... businesspeople. An inductive model of sino-Danish negotiations is developed that is based on 24 interviews conducted with Danish expatriate managers in China and 4 interviews with Chinese working in Danish companies. Implications for research and practice are discussed...

Experimental evaluation of the omnidirectional behavior of platonic polyhedron loudspeakers

Science.gov (United States)

Rollins, Sarah; Leishman, Timothy; Dix, Gordon

2003-10-01

Many architectural acoustics measurements require the use of an omnidirectional source. For several years, the source predominantly used for such applications has been the dodecahedron loudspeaker with small in-phase drivers mounted in each face. While other platonic polyhedron loudspeakers (PPLs) have not been used as frequently, they also produce nearly omnidirectional fields over limited bandwidths. Above cutoff frequencies specific to their geometries, all PPLs depart from ideal omnidirectional behavior, with varying degrees of directivity. While these cutoff frequencies are typically higher for higher-order polyhedra, they commonly fall within the bandwidths of standard measurements. The five types of PPLs have been constructed and measured to gain greater insight into their omnidirectional behaviors. Their frequency responses were taken at 2664 points over a sphere (5-deg polar and azimuthal angle increments) in an anechoic chamber. The measurements were then processed to produce directivity balloon plots. However, to better compare directivities and find the source consistently producing the most omnidirectional field over a useful bandwidth, a frequency-dependent standard deviation formula was implemented. Average values of the standard deviation parameter produce figures of merit that further characterize omnidirectionality. [Research supported by funding from the NSF REU program.

Priority targets for environmental research in the Sinos River basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FR. Spilki

Full Text Available The Sinos River Basin is often mentioned as a highly degraded watershed. A series of impacts on water quality, soil and air has been reported in this environment on a recurring basis over the years. This situation of environmental degradation has its origins in a process of huge economic development uncoupled from environmental conservation concerns. The intense consequent urbanization observed for the municipalities within the watershed was not preceded by urban planning proper zoning. The time has arrived for initiatives in scientific research in the Sinos River basin that are applicable to a more efficient and integrated management and recovery of the basin. In this article, a set of targets for research is suggested which the authors consider as the main priorities for the next few years, aiming for better knowledge and better management of the watershed. Some are still in course, while others have to be initiated as soon as possible.

A Study of Sino-Russian Energy Cooperation from the Perspective of Theories of International Relations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaoyue Yang

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Energy cooperation is an important component in the Sino-Russia relationship. After more than a decade of efforts, China and Russia have made great progress in their cooperation in the area of oil and natural gas, which has not only promoted the economic developments in both countries, but also expanded their common interests to a large extent, resulting in a tremendous improvement of the two countries’ international strategies towards each other. Nevertheless, constrained and influenced by the evolution of contemporary international politics and economies, the Sino-Russia energy cooperation is facing some problems and barriers. Therefore, the aim of this article is to analyze the multiple elements affecting the Sino-Russia energy cooperation through the prism of Neo-realism, Neo-liberalism and Social Constructivism, hence a clear account of the opportunities and challenges that constitute this cooperation will be gained.

A Community-Based Social Marketing Campaign at Pacific University Oregon: Recycling, Paper Reduction, and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Elaine J.; Fieselman, Laura

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to design a community-based social marketing (CBSM) campaign to foster sustainable behavior change in paper reduction, commingled recycling, and purchasing environmentally preferred products (EPP) with faculty and staff at Pacific University Oregon. Design/methodology/approach: A CBSM campaign was developed…

Sino-US cooperation in water saving technologies: essential international problems

Science.gov (United States)

The United States and China share many agricultural problems, but one of great importance is the need to produce more crop yield in the face of water scarcity. Common recognition of this problem led to the development of a joint Sino-US Water Saving Technologies Flagship project within the larger US...

The absent father of Sino-French cinema: Contemporary Taiwanese cinema and 1950s French auteurs

OpenAIRE

Bloom, ME

2014-01-01

© 2014 Taylor & Francis. In contemporary Sino-French cinema, father characters who are dead, long lost or geographically distant leave gaping holes in the lives of the offspring left behind. The absent fathers in Sino-French films by Taiwanese auteurs Cheng Yu-chieh, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang serve as metaphors for French auteurs. French New Wave films constitute the majority of the intertexts; however, early 1950s French cinema and even late nineteenth-century painting reflect th...

Sinos River Hydrographic Basin: urban occupation, industrialization and environmental memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. F. Nunes

Full Text Available This article presents an analysis of the process of industrialization and urbanization of the Sinos Valley in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, starting from the establishment of leather goods and footwear manufacturing in the region during the 19th century when tanneries and factories producing footwear and/or components for footwear began to appear, and with special attention to aspects related to the environmental impact on the Sinos river hydrographic basin. The article is based on both bibliographic and documentary research and also draws on biographical narratives of workers with links to the leather goods and footwear industry obtained using ethnographic method. It was found that contemporary environmental conflicts emerge from within a memory of work and an environmental memory in which the factories, the unplanned urbanization, and the utilization of water and other natural resources form a chain of significance. Significance that precludes any form of fragmented analysis that isolates any of these aspects from the others: the economic, socio-historic, cultural, political, or the environmental.

Sinos River Hydrographic Basin: urban occupation, industrialization and environmental memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Nunes, M F; Figueiredo, J A S; Rocha, A L C

2015-12-01

This article presents an analysis of the process of industrialization and urbanization of the Sinos Valley in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, starting from the establishment of leather goods and footwear manufacturing in the region during the 19th century when tanneries and factories producing footwear and/or components for footwear began to appear, and with special attention to aspects related to the environmental impact on the Sinos river hydrographic basin. The article is based on both bibliographic and documentary research and also draws on biographical narratives of workers with links to the leather goods and footwear industry obtained using ethnographic method. It was found that contemporary environmental conflicts emerge from within a memory of work and an environmental memory in which the factories, the unplanned urbanization, and the utilization of water and other natural resources form a chain of significance. Significance that precludes any form of fragmented analysis that isolates any of these aspects from the others: the economic, socio-historic, cultural, political, or the environmental.

Monist and Dualist Tendencies in Platonism before Plotinus (in Russian

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dillon, John

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The author argues that the Platonism that Plotinus inherits – setting aside Ammonius Saccas, of whom we know all too little – is by the later second century distinctly dualist in tendency, and is able, especially in the case of Plutarch, to quote Plato to its purpose. Plato himself, though, as the author maintains, is, despite appearances to the contrary, what one might term a ‘modified monist’. That is to say, he fully recognizes the degree of imperfection and evil in the world, and holds it to be ineradicable, but he does not in the last resort believe in a positive countervailing force to the Good or the One. What we have is simply a negative force, whether Indefinite Dyad, disorderly World-Soul, or Receptacle, which is an inevitable condition of their being a world at all, but which, as a side-effect of introducing diversity, generates various sorts of imperfection. It is this scenario that justifies his follower Hermodorus in declaring that Plato recognizes only a single first principle, and it to this sort of monism – if anything, in a more pronounced form – that Plotinus returns. The article is published in its English version in Vol. I, issue 1

Treatment of refractory sino-nasal aspergillosis with posaconazole and terbinafine in 10 dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, J; Bianco, D

2017-09-01

To determine the safety and efficacy of posaconazole and terbinafine for the treatment of naturally occurring sino-nasal aspergillosis in dogs refractory to conventional topical and systemic treatment. Ten client-owned dogs with sino-nasal aspergillosis and not responsive to conventional treatments were prospectively enrolled to receive a dose of 5 mg/kg posaconazole orally every 12 hours for six months. All dogs were concurrently treated with doses of 30 mg/kg terbinafine orally every 12 hours and 5 mg/kg doxycycline orally every 12 hours for 6 to 18 months. All 10 enrolled dogs completed the study. The treatment response was defined as complete clinical remission (n=7) or partial clinical remission (n=3). Two dogs relapsed after cessation of combination therapy. All dogs lived more than one year after starting combination therapy and eight dogs are alive at the time of writing. No clinically relevant adverse reactions or increases in hepatic enzyme activity occurred during the combination therapy. The results of this study suggest that this combination therapy appears safe and well-tolerated for the treatment of refractory sino-nasal aspergillosis in dogs. Long-term survival is possible with prolonged treatment, but relapse is possible. Larger prospective studies are warranted to further evaluate these preliminary findings. © 2017 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Diel and seasonal movements of grumatã Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes 1836 (Characiformes: Prochilodontidae in the Sinos River, Southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NA. Pesoa

Full Text Available Prochilodus lineatus is a reophilic migratory species of economical importance for local fisheries which is widely distributed in Brazil. The present study investigated diel and seasonal movement patterns, spawning migration and habitat use of P. lineatus in the Sinos River, Southern Brazil. Between August 2002 and March 2004, 19 grumatãs were tagged internally with digitally coded radio transmitters. Tracking was conducted weekly by boat or aircraft, and six fixed data loggers recorded movements of tagged fish. Results showed that the mean distance covered per fish and day was positively related with fish weight (p = 0.03; n = 19. Grumatã showed preference for river streches surrounded by wetlands (p < 0.001; n = 286. Their diel activity pattern displayed one peak at 7 hours, and a second at 15 hours. During the night, activity was significantly reduced (p = 0.01. The seasonal movements pattern showed increased activity in October 2002 - March 2003 and from October 2003 to January 2004. Multiple regression analysis did not show a significant relationship between distance covered and temperature or water level (p = 0.116; n = 19. No synchronized long distance spawning migrations were observed. The mean distance covered by the individuals/day showed a negative significant relationship with number of tracking days (p = 0.022; n = 19, indicating a higher probability of being captured for more mobile individuals. The preservation of the still existing wetlands and reduction of the fishing pressure are essential for the future conservation of the grumatã population of the Sinos River.

Une histoire de la lumière de Platon au photon

CERN Document Server

Maitte, Bernard

2015-01-01

De la sensation commune à la compréhension scientifique, nos idées sur la nature et les propriétés de la lumière ont connu un long cheminement depuis les théories de Platon jusqu'à la maîtrise du photon. L'Antiquité, la civilisation arabo-islamique, la Renaissance européenne et sa révolution scientifique, puis la science classique du me siècle, les avancées modernes enfin, autant de moments dans la riche histoire de nos connaissances sur la lumière. Ce livre décrit l'élaboration tourmentée des idées, tant philosophiques que scientifiques, qui ont scandé cette histoire, tirant profit des succès comme des échecs, des efforts comme des renoncements. "En regardant d'un oeil critique l'histoire de la lumière, nous pourrons accéder à notre tour à cette logique savoureuse et amère que l'on appelle Science." La première édition de ce livre, ici considérablement augmentée, a obtenu le prix Jean-Rostand du meilleur ouvrage de vulgarisation scientifique.

Cyclic Sequences, Events and Evolution of the Sino-Korean Plate,with a Discussion on the Evolution of Molar-tooth Carbonates,Phosphorites and Source Rocks

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

MENG Xianghua; GE Ming

2003-01-01

This paper gives an account of the research that the authors conducted on the cyclic sequences, events and evolutionary history from Proterozoic to Meso-Cenozoic in the Sino-Korean plate based on the principle of the Cosmos-Earth System. The authors divided this plate into 20 super-cyclic or super-mega-cyclic periods and more than 100 Oort periods. The research focused on important sea flooding events, uplift interruption events, tilting movement events, molar-tooth carbonate events, thermal events, polarity reversal events, karst events, volcanic explosion events and storm events, as well as types of resource areas and paleotectonic evolution. By means of the isochronous theory of the Cosmos-Earth System periodicity and based on long-excentricity and periodicity, the authors elaborately studied the paleogeographic evolution of the aulacogen of the Sino-Korean plate, the oolitic beach platform formation, the development of foreland basin and continental rift valley basin, and reconstructed the evolution of tectonic paleogeography and stratigraphic framework in the Sino-Korean plate in terms of evolutionary maps. Finally, the authors gave a profound discussion on the formation and development of molar-tooth carbonates, phosphorites and source rocks.

Students’ thinking preferences in solving mathematics problems based on learning styles: a comparison of paper-pencil and geogebra

Science.gov (United States)

Farihah, Umi

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze students’ thinking preferences in solving mathematics problems using paper pencil comparing to geogebra based on their learning styles. This research employed a qualitative descriptive study. The subjects of this research was six of eighth grade students of Madrasah Tsanawiyah Negeri 2 Trenggalek, East Java Indonesia academic year 2015-2016 with their difference learning styles; two visual students, two auditory students, and two kinesthetic students.. During the interview, the students presented the Paper and Pencil-based Task (PBTs) and the Geogebra-based Task (GBTs). By investigating students’ solution methods and the representation in solving the problems, the researcher compared their visual and non-visual thinking preferences in solving mathematics problems while they were using Geogebra and without Geogebra. Based on the result of research analysis, it was shown that the comparison between students’ PBTs and GBTs solution either visual, auditory, or kinesthetic represented how Geogebra can influence their solution method. By using Geogebra, they prefer using visual method while presenting GBTs to using non-visual method.

Sino - nasal surgery in the sub-Saharan Africa: A critical appraisal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Sino - nasal surgery poses a great challenge to practicing ear, nose and throat surgeons in the sub- Saharan Africa where facilities are inadequate and most patients are distantly located from the few hospitals available in this region. Method: A retrospective study of 79 patients who had nasal and paranasal ...

SinoProbe - A Multidisciplinary Research Program of Earth Sciences in China (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, S.; Li, T.

2010-12-01

China occupies a large region of central and eastern Asia and holds keys to resolving several first-order problems in Earth Sciences. Besides the importance in Earth Science research, the rapid growth of Chinese economy also demands a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of its natural resources and the impacts of geohazards on its societal development. In order to address the above issues, the Chinese government had initiated a new multidisciplinary research project in Earth Sciences - the SinoProbe Program. Its fundamental goal is to determine the three-dimensional structure, composition distribution, and geological evolution of the Chinese continental lithosphere. The results of the SinoProbe Program are expected to have broad impacts on the Chinese society and economy. In particular, the program will greatly enhance our current understanding on (1) the forming and distribution of mineral resources in the nation, (2) the locations and recurrence histories of major active fault zones capable of generating large earthquakes in highly populated regions, and (3) the distribution of major hazard-prone regions induced by geological processes. In 2009, more than 720 investigators and 70 engineers from Chinese institutions are currently involved with the research program. Sinoprobe hope that the joint forces by Chinese and international researchers will bring in modern approaches, new analytical tools, and advanced exploration technology into the successful operation of the program. In past year, 1,960km long seismic reflection profiling with broadband seismological studies and MT surveys separated from 6 profiles in China continent have completed. MT array coved the North China craton by 1°×1° network and 3-D exploration in larger ore deposits in selected area were carried out. A scientific drilling area operated in Tibet. We started to establish a geochemical reference framework for the values of 76 elements in a grid network with data-point spacing of 160 km in

Never So Important——First Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wen Xiu

2009-01-01

@@ The first Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue was held on July 27 and 28,2009 in Washington.Either before or during the dialogue,PRC and USA attached great importance to it.The former Strategic Dialogue and the biannual Strategic Economic Dialogue were initiated by the two heads of state in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

The 3rd Sino-Japan nuclear medicine conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The 3rd Sino-Japan Nuclear Medicine Conference was hold on May 11-13, 1999 in Xi'an of China by Chinese Society of Nuclear Medicine, Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine, Chinese Medicine Association and Japan-China Medicine Association. 62 articles were published in the proceeding of the conference. The contents of the articles include development and application of the radioisotopes (such as Tc-99, I-125, I-131, F-18, In-111, Tl-201, Ga-67, Sm-153, Re-188) and its radiopharmaceuticals, but application also include radiotherapy and diagnosis in the oncology and pathology by SPECT and PET

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the sino-nasal outcome test (SNOT-22) for Spanish-speaking patients.

Science.gov (United States)

de los Santos, Gonzalo; Reyes, Pablo; del Castillo, Raúl; Fragola, Claudio; Royuela, Ana

2015-11-01

Our objective was to perform translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the sino-nasal outcome test 22 (SNOT-22) to Spanish language. SNOT-22 was translated, back translated, and a pretest trial was performed. The study included 119 individuals divided into 60 cases, who met diagnostic criteria for chronic rhinosinusitis according to the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis 2012; and 59 controls, who reported no sino-nasal disease. Internal consistency was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha test, reproducibility with Kappa coefficient, reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), validity with Mann-Whitney U test and responsiveness with Wilcoxon test. In cases, Cronbach's alpha was 0.91 both before and after treatment, as for controls, it was 0.90 at their first test assessment and 0.88 at 3 weeks. Kappa coefficient was calculated for each item, with an average score of 0.69. ICC was also performed for each item, with a score of 0.87 in the overall score and an average among all items of 0.71. Median score for cases was 47, and 2 for controls, finding the difference to be highly significant (Mann-Whitney U test, p internal consistency, reliability, reproducibility, validity and responsiveness necessary to be a valid instrument to be used in clinical practice.

Music Preference, Depression, Suicidal Preoccupation, and Personality: Comment on Stack and Gundlach's Papers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lester, David; Whipple, Melissa

1996-01-01

In a sample of students (n=93), preference for country and western music was not associated with depression or suicidal preoccupation as has been suggested by Stack and Gundlach. However, preference for heavy metal music was associated with prior suicidal ideation. Stronger associations were found between music preferences and measures of…

3rd Sino-German Conference “Underground Storage of CO2 and Energy”

CERN Document Server

Xie, Heping; Were, Patrick

2013-01-01

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, energy security and sustainability are three of the greatest contemporary global challenges today. This year the Sino-German Cooperation Group “Underground Storage of CO2 and Energy”, is meeting on the 21-23 May 2013 for the second time in Goslar, Germany, to convene its 3rd Sino-German conference on the theme “Clean Energy Systems in the Subsurface: Production, Storage and Conversion”.   This volume is a collection of diverse quality scientific works from different perspectives elucidating on the current developments in CO2 geologic sequestration research to reduce greenhouse emissions including measures to monitor surface leakage, groundwater quality and the integrity of caprock, while ensuring a sufficient supply of clean energy. The contributions herein have been structured into 6 major thematic research themes: Integrated Energy and Environmental Utilization of Geo-reservoirs: Law, Risk Management & Monitoring CO2 for Enhanced Gas and Oil Recovery, Coa...

Evaluation of the informatician perspective: determining types of research papers preferred by clinicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Ru, Boshu; Wang, Xiaoyan; Yao, Lixia

2017-07-05

To deliver evidence-based medicine, clinicians often reference resources that are useful to their respective medical practices. Owing to their busy schedules, however, clinicians typically find it challenging to locate these relevant resources out of the rapidly growing number of journals and articles currently being published. The literature-recommender system may provide a possible solution to this issue if the individual needs of clinicians can be identified and applied. We thus collected from the CiteULike website a sample of 96 clinicians and 6,221 scientific articles that they read. We examined the journal distributions, publication types, reading times, and geographic locations. We then compared the distributions of MeSH terms associated with these articles with those of randomly sampled MEDLINE articles using two-sample Z-test and multiple comparison correction, in order to identify the important topics relevant to clinicians. We determined that the sampled clinicians followed the latest literature in a timely manner and read papers that are considered landmarks in medical research history. They preferred to read scientific discoveries from human experiments instead of molecular-, cellular- or animal-model-based experiments. Furthermore, the country of publication may impact reading preferences, particularly for clinicians from Egypt, India, Norway, Senegal, and South Africa. These findings provide useful guidance for developing personalized literature-recommender systems for clinicians.

The rise of China and the time of Africa: Gauging Afro-Sino relations ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The article focuses on Sino-African relations, with specific reference to South Africa. An outline is provided of recent developments as a roadmap for the unfolding of this relationship. The question of whether China's African interest can be seen as tacit colonisation is discussed. Even if these fears are allayed, the question ...

Study on the Introduction of High-Quality Educational Resources for Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education

Science.gov (United States)

Jinhui, Lin

2016-01-01

In Sino-foreign cooperative education, high-quality introduced educational resources must benefit the growth and development of students, facilitate the school's capacity building and the improvement of overall educational standards, and promote national socioeconomic development. It is necessary to establish and perfect the various working…

Perfil diferencial do administrador do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

OpenAIRE

Lauro Tischer

1999-01-01

As indústrias de calçados da região do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, sempre se destacaram no Brasil e no mundo por produtos reconhecidos internacionalmente, pela quantidade, qualidade e variedade de modelos. Com a globalização da economia e o desenvolvimento tecnológico imperante no mundo industrial, a região começou, rapidamente a ser deslocada de centro produtor de calçados para, quem sabe, centro consumidor de calçados. Quando as empresas começam a ter maus resultados, a culpa recai sempre nos “o...

On the Cultural Legacy of the Cold War: Sino-US Educational Exchange (1949-1990)

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Ning

2006-01-01

The Cold War affected the Sino-US educational exchange between 1949 and 1990. During those years, preparation for educational exchanges, personal contact and cross-government relations characterized the three periods of the exchanges. However, even though the relationship had developed very fast, it was by no means smooth sailing. These exchanges…

α clustering with a hollow structure: Geometrical structure of α clusters from platonic solids to fullerene shape

Science.gov (United States)

Tohsaki, Akihiro; Itagaki, Naoyuki

2018-01-01

We study α -cluster structure based on the geometric configurations with a microscopic framework, which takes full account of the Pauli principle, and which also employs an effective internucleon force including finite-range three-body terms suitable for microscopic α -cluster models. Here, special attention is focused upon the α clustering with a hollow structure; all the α clusters are put on the surface of a sphere. All the platonic solids (five regular polyhedra) and the fullerene-shaped polyhedron coming from icosahedral structure are considered. Furthermore, two configurations with dual polyhedra, hexahedron-octahedron and dodecahedron-icosahedron, are also scrutinized. When approaching each other from large distances with these symmetries, α clusters create certain local energy pockets. As a consequence, we insist on the possible existence of α clustering with a geometric shape and hollow structure, which is favored from Coulomb energy point of view. Especially, two configurations, that is, dual polyhedra of dodecahedron-icosahedron and fullerene, have a prominent hollow structure compared with the other six configurations.

Utylitaryzm preferencji poprzez zmianę preferencji? (Preference Utilitarianism by Way of Preference Change?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wlodek Rabinowicz

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This paper is a translation of my "Preference Utilitarianism by Way of Preference Change?", in which I revisit Richard Hare’s classical and much discussed argument for preference utilitarianism (Moral Thinking, 1981, which relies on the conception of moral deliberation as a process of thought experimentation, with concomitant preference change. The paper focuses on an apparent gap in Hare’s reasoning, the so-called No-Conflict Problem. A solution to this difficulty which was proposed in (Rabinowicz and Strömberg, 1996 is re-examined and shown to lead to a number of difficulties, not least in connection with the choice of an appropriate measure of distance between preference states. The paper therefore also considers an alternative idea, due to Daniel Elstein. This new proposal may well turn out to be the best way of filling the gap in Hare’s argument. The paper also examines whether the gap is there to begin with: The problem should perhaps be dissolved rather than solved. This suggestion goes back to an idea of Zeno Vendler (1988. Unfortunately, it turns out that Vendler’s move does not save Hare from criticism: It does dissolve the No-Conflict Problem, but at the same time gives rise to another, potentially more serious difficulty.

Imperial Japanese Army Intelligence in North and Central China During the Second Sino-Japanese War

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Hall

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The Japanese today seek to improve their national intelligence apparatus, particularly in relation to human intelligence assets and higher echelon coordination. To be successful, Japan must examine its wartime past in the intelligence field. The Imperial Japanese Army maintained a prolific intelligence presence in North and Central China during the Second World War. Its intelligence apparatus encompassed all aspects of information collection, with considerable overlap between intelligence organisations in an effort to avoid gaps in intelligence coverage. Japan’s intelligence system in North and Central China was nevertheless inefficient, exacerbated by inherent weaknesses and reactive rather than proactive alterations throughout the course of the conflict. This paper examines this lack of efficacy within Japan’s intelligence system during the Second Sino-Japanese conflict, and the efforts made to overcome difficulties faced by Japanese intelligence in North and Central China throughout this period.

Revealing/Concealing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Isar, Nicoletta

2017-01-01

and potential to disrupt the dualism of Platonism challenged by Nietzsche. Yet the substance of this contribution, intended to express the symptom of perception of premodern image, must greatly differ from the grounds of phenomenology. This paper aims to bring however some arguments in support...... to disrupt the Platonic dualism, but also to provide the arguments to challenge the misunderstood dualism of Platonism itself as it was incorporated into the Western thinking. The subject of this paper will provide the means for this demonstration, and hopefully shed new lights on the nature of the premodern...... image. My argument is based on the third Platonic term – χώρα – a concept with a long tradition since Antiquity until the Byzantine era. I will take further her argument and explore the paradigmatic dimension of this syntagm which could be viewed as “an integrated part of the ancient and premodern image...

Study of Identically-Shaped Sino-Korean and Chinese Words%韩中同形汉字词小考

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

林丽

2011-01-01

属于乌拉尔阿尔泰语系的韩国语与属于汉藏语系的汉语虽然不属于同族语言，但却同属汉字文化圈。在现代韩国语词汇中，按照韩国《韩国语大辞典》的分类，汉字词的数量为81362个，在整个韩国语的词汇中占53％。但由于历史的变迁，时至今日，有些韩中同形汉字词的意思发生了变化，有的是意义范围的扩大，有的是意义范围的缩小，有的甚至是意义范围的转移。本文以将以韩中同形汉字词为对象进行分类研究，希望本文对学习韩国语的中国学生在理解并正确使用韩国汉字词时能有所帮助。%Korean that belongs to Urals altai language family and Chinese which belongs to sino-dbetan language are not in a same language family. However, they are part of Chinese cultural circle. In the modem Korean words, the number of Chinese characters is 81362 which occupy 69.32% of the whole of Korean vocabulary according to the classification of the mandarin big dictionary of Korea Lee Hi-seung. Due to the transformation of the history, the meaning of some Identically-Shaped Sino-Korean and Chinese Words has been altered. There are several forms of changes. The scope of some characters＇ meaning expand or narrow down, even the meaning range of words transfers. This essay will classify the Identically-Shaped Sino-Korean and Chinese Words and conduct to the relative research. It is expected that this paper is conductive to Korean learning and understanding for Chinese students.

On the meaningfulness of testing preference axioms in stated preference discrete choice experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard, Jens Leth; Tjur, Carl Tue; Østerdal, Lars Peter Raahave

2012-01-01

A stream of studies on evaluation of health care services and public goods have developed tests of the preference axioms of completeness and transitivity and methods for detecting other preference phenomena such as unstability, learning- and tiredness effects, and random error, in stated preference...... discrete choice experiments. This methodological paper tries to identify the role of the preference axioms and other preference phenomena in the context of such experiments and discusses whether or howsuch axioms and phenomena can be subject to meaningful (statistical) tests....

Computerized and Paper-and-Pencil Versions of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: A Comparison of Psychometric Features and Respondent Preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Vispoel, Walter P.; Boo, Jaeyool; Bleiler, Timothy

2001-01-01

Evaluated the characteristics of computerized and paper-and-pencil versions of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES) using scores for 224 college students. Results show that mode of administration has little effect on the psychometric properties of the SES although the computerized version took longer and was preferred by examinees. (SLD)

Preference learning for cognitive modeling: a case study on entertainment preferences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yannakakis, Georgios; Maragoudakis, Manolis; Hallam, John

2009-01-01

Learning from preferences, which provide means for expressing a subject's desires, constitutes an important topic in machine learning research. This paper presents a comparative study of four alternative instance preference learning algorithms (both linear and nonlinear). The case study...... investigated is to learn to predict the expressed entertainment preferences of children when playing physical games built on their personalized playing features (entertainment modeling). Two of the approaches are derived from the literature--the large-margin algorithm (LMA) and preference learning...... with Gaussian processes--while the remaining two are custom-designed approaches for the problem under investigation: meta-LMA and neuroevolution. Preference learning techniques are combined with feature set selection methods permitting the construction of effective preference models, given suitable individual...

Finding Ernst Mayr's Plato.

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, Jack

2013-12-01

Many biologists have accepted Ernst Mayr's claim that evolutionary biology undermined an essentialist or typological view of species that had its roots in Platonic philosophy. However, Mayr has been accused of failing to support with textual evidence his attributions to Plato of these sorts of views about biology. Contemporary work in history and philosophy of biology often seems to take onboard Mayr's account of Plato's view of species. This paper seeks to provide a critical account of putative inconsistencies between an evolutionary view of species and Platonic philosophy with renewed attention to the Platonic texts in light of recent Plato scholarship; I argue that claims that Plato held an essentialist view of species inconsistent with evolutionary biology are inadequately supported by textual evidence. If Mayr's essentialist thesis fails, one might think that the intuition that Platonic philosophy is in tension with Darwinian evolution could nonetheless be accounted for by Plato's apparent privileging of a certain sort of teleological explanation, a thesis that Mayr suggests in his 1959 paper on Louis Agassiz. However, this thesis also faces difficulties. Ernst Mayr's Plato is more likely to be found in the writings of anti-evolutionary 19th century biologists like Mayr's frequent target, Agassiz, than in a cautious reading of the Platonic dialogues themselves. Interlocutors in discussions of the history of biological thought and classificatory methods in biology should be cautious in ascribing views about biology to Plato and using terms like "Platonic essentialism." Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Twenty Hirsch index variants and other indicators giving more or less preference to highly cited papers

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiber, M.

2010-08-01

The Hirsch index or h-index is widely used to quantify the impact of an individual's scientific research output, determining the highest number h of a scientist's papers that received at least h citations. Several variants of the index have been proposed in order to give more or less preference to highly cited papers. I analyse the citation records of 26 physicists discussing various suggestions, in particular A, e, f, g, h(2), h_w, h_T, \\hbar, m, {\\pi}, R, s, t, w, and maxprod. The total number of all and of all cited publications as well as the highest and the average number of citations are also compared. Advantages and disadvantages of these indices and indicators are discussed. Correlation coefficients are determined quantifying which indices and indicators yield similar and which yield more deviating rankings of the 26 datasets. For 6 datasets the determination of the indices and indicators is visualized.

Recent advances in fuzzy preference modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van de Walle, B.; De Baets, B.; Kerre, E.

1996-01-01

Preference structures are well-known mathematical concepts having numerous applications in a variety of disciplines, such as economics, sociology and psychology. The generalization of preference structures to the fuzzy case has received considerable attention over the past years. Fuzzy preference structures allow a decision maker to express degrees of preference instead of the rigid classical yes-or-no preference assignment. This paper reports on the recent insights gained into the existence, construction and characterization of these fuzzy preference structures

Competition between Chinese and Indian Oil & Gas Companies and its Implications for Sino-Indian Bilateral Relations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V V Shikin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article concerns overseas oil & gas assets acquisitions made by Chinese and Indian national oil companies (NOCs within the last two decades. The paper analyzes whether these companies pursue commercial interests of their shareholders or political will of national governments. To answer this question the author examines Chinese and Indian corporations’ organization and ownership structure foundations of which were laid in the 1990s when both countries’ energy sectors faced structural reforms resulted in transforming archaic governmental organizations into modern competitive state-owned corporations that could compete with the leading Western oil and gas companies. The article also scrutinizes competition between Chinese and Indian companies so as to find out if it is able to affect political relations between Beijing and Delhi, exacerbates existing conflicts or cause the emergence of the new ones. To address this issue the author analyzes some cases of Sino-Indian clash of energy interests in different regions of the world.

Impact of beta thalassemia on maxillary sinuses and sino-nasal passages: A case control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ragab, Ahmed; Ragab, Seham Mohammed; Shawki, Mohammed

2015-12-01

Skeletal changes among beta (β) thalassemia children are well documented, but without available data regarding sino-nasal passages alterations. The authors investigated the maxillary sinuses and sino-nasal passages changes in β-thalassemia children and correlated such changes with the amount of transfused red cells and the erythroid marrow activity. Clinical analyses including otorhinolaryngical examination (ORL) were obtained in twenty β-thalassemia children and 20 matched healthy controls. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels and bone mineral density of the lumbar spine (BMD ls) were assayed. The two groups were analyzed for the CT image parameters: bone thickness, anterior and posterior choanae diameters, extramedullary hematopoiesis and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) RESULTS: Nasal congestion/obstruction was identified in 14 (70%) children. Eight patients (40%) had criteria of chronic rhinosinusitis. In comparison with the normal controls, the increase in the roof, floor, medial, anterior, lateral and posterior maxillary bony walls thickness was significantly higher (1.26, 2.46, 2.6, 2.9, 3.23 and 5.34-folds, respectively). The mean posterior choanae horizontal, vertical diameters and their surface area were significantly reduced in the patients compared to the controls. The mean anterior maxillary wall bone thickness directly correlated with sTfR (P=0.047) while that of the posterior wall correlated inversely with Hb level (P=0.013). The mean vertical posterior choanae diameter had positive correlation with the amount of transfused red cells (P=0.001) and negative correlation with sTfR (P=0.001). The Hounsfield unit of maxillary sinus wall had direct relation with BMDls (P=0.003) CONCLUSIONS: Thalassemia children are at risk of different folds increase of maxillary sinuses walls thicknesses utmost at posterior and lateral walls. Other sino-nasal morbidities include diminished posterior choanal diameter, nasal obstruction

How Lacan's Ethics Might Improve Our Understanding of Nietzsche's Critique of Platonism: The Neurosis and Nihilism of a ‘Life’ Against Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim Themi

2008-10-01

Full Text Available his paper sets to answering the question of how Lacanrsquo;s 1959-60 Seminar on emThe Ethics of Psychoanalysis/em, with its recurring critique of the Platonic idea of a moral Sovereign Good, might contribute to and improve our understanding of the Nietzschean project to diagnose the moral metaphysics instigated by Plato in philosophy, and by Christianity in religion, as a history of untruth and nihilismndash;ndash;emopposed to life/emndash;ndash;in preparation for its overcoming. I explore the possibility that Lacanrsquo;s emEthics/em might make such a contribution by i its tripartite ontology of the real, the symbolic and the imaginary serving as an additional frame of reference for examining the nature of the Good and our configurations of desire beneath it; and ii by its more detailed elaboration of the archaic, polymorphous perversity at the instinctual base of the drives, what Lacan in his emEthics/em will call emdas Ding/em, the somewhat diabolical Freudian Thing. I also attempt to indicate how Nietzschersquo;s own ethics might make a contribution to those of the Lacanian, for the purposes of further combating what I will take to be the contemporary neurosis and nihilism of a lsquo;lifersquo; emagainst/em lifendash;ndash;as indicated today for instance by such phenomena as the physical destruction of the environment, along with us as amongst its earthly inhabitants.

From “Customary” to “Illegal”: Yao Ethnic Marriages on the Sino-Vietnamese Border

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Barabantseva

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article examines changing governing practices in the context of the Sino-Vietnamese border in the Guangxi Autonomous Region of China. The groups inhabiting the mountainous ranges of this ethnically diverse part of Southeast Asia evaded the reach of the state until the 1970s, when China and Vietnam started tightening control over the land border after the border war. With an increasingly rigid and clearly delimited Sino-Vietnamese borderland, binary forms of classification began to replace earlier fluid identifications, and the room for diverse social and cultural expressions became restricted. It is within this context that the ethnic marriage practices straddling the borders of China and its southern neighboring states discussed in this article took place. Cross-border ethnic Yao marriages have gone from customary to illegal in recent years as a result of China’s strict population control, its changing demography, and the accelerated shortage of manual labor in its border area. Border politics have permeated the private sphere, transforming common ethnic marriage partners into illegal migrants. Although ethnic marriage partners are relegated to an illegal status, they are indispensible in the local labor market and moral economy as mothers, caretakers, translators, guides, and manual workers. This article argues that, despite being antithetical to the bordering logic of state sovereignty, they are important agents who depend on and capitalize on the border economy.

Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural, and Educational Challenges of Administering a Sino-US Joint Venture Campus in China

Science.gov (United States)

Ozturgut, Osman

2008-01-01

This qualitative study explored the political, economic, socio-cultural, and educational challenges of administering a Sino-U.S. joint-venture campus in the People's Republic of China. China American University (CAU) is an educational joint venture between China Investment Company (CIC) and American University (AU) in the U.S. that resulted in…

Why do We Need ‘Myth-Busting’ in the Study of Sino-African Relations?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hirono, Miwa; Suzuki, Shogo

2014-01-01

The literature on Sino-African relations has debated whether or not China’s growing presence is a threat to Western or African interests, and has come to the conclusion that China’s behavior is not particularly unique. Many countries, including Western liberal democracies, similarly give aid...... exclusive concern with the idea of a China threat; second, Eurocentrism in IR has led to the view that non-European/Western powers are different entities that would somehow threaten the moral fabric of the international order....

Assessment of three risk evaluation systems for patients aged ≥70 in East China: performance of SinoSCORE, EuroSCORE II and the STS risk evaluation system.

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Lingtong; Ge, Wen; Pu, Yiwei; Cheng, Hong; Cang, Zhengqiang; Zhang, Xing; Li, Qifan; Xu, Anyang; Wang, Qi; Gu, Chang; Zhang, Yangyang

2018-01-01

To assess and compare the predictive ability of three risk evaluation systems (SinoSCORE, EuroSCORE II and the STS risk evaluation system) in patients aged ≥70, and who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in East China. Three risk evaluation systems were applied to 1,946 consecutive patients who underwent isolated CABG from January 2004 to September 2016 in two hospitals. Patients were divided into two subsets according to their age: elderly group (age ≥70) with a younger group (age evaluation system were 0.78(0.64)%, 1.43(1.14)% and 0.78(0.77)%, respectively. SinoSCORE achieved the best discrimination (the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.829), followed by the STS risk evaluation system (AUC = 0.790) and EuroSCORE II (AUC = 0.769) in the entire cohort. In the elderly group, the observed mortality rate was 4.82% while it was 1.38% in the younger group. SinoSCORE (AUC = .829) also achieved the best discrimination in the elderly group, followed by the STS risk evaluation system (AUC = .730) and EuroSCORE II (AUC = 0.640) while all three risk evaluation systems all had good performances in the younger group. SinoSCORE, EuroSCORE II and the STS risk evaluation system all achieved positive calibrations in the entire cohort and subsets. The performance of the three risk evaluation systems was not ideal in the entire cohort. In the elderly group, SinoSCORE appeared to achieve better predictive efficiency than EuroSCORE II and the STS risk evaluation system.

Reestruturação industrial, desemprego e autogestão: as cooperativas do Vale do Sinos Industrial restructuring, unemployment and self-management: the cooperatives in the Sinos Valley

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob Carlos Lima

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Este artigo objetiva analisar uma situação típica do quadro de multiplicação de cooperativas de trabalho que atuam como empresas terceirizadas: a organização de cooperativas por sindicatos de trabalhadores como forma de reação ao desemprego decorrente da reestruturação industrial do setor calçadista. Foram pesquisadas cinco cooperativas de um total de nove, nos municípios de Novo Hamburgo e Parobé no Vale do Rio dos Sinos, no Rio Grande do Sul, que trabalham para grandes indústrias sediadas na região. Procurou-se analisar o processo de reestruturação do setor, suas conseqüências em termos de desemprego, o papel dos sindicatos na organização e suporte das cooperativas e a percepção dos trabalhadores acerca da autogestão, da sua situação de proprietário-gestor-trabalhador em face de a experiências anteriores de trabalho assalariado.This article intends to analyze a situation typical of the increasing structure of work cooperatives that act as outsourcing companies: the organization of cooperatives by workers' unions as a reaction to the unemployment that followed the industrial restructuring of the footwear sector. This research examines five of nine cooperatives that work for large local industries in the municipalities of Novo Hamburgo and Parobé, in the Sinos Valley, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The aim is to analyze the industry's restructuring process, its consequences in terms of unemployment, the unions' role in the organization and support of cooperatives, and the workers' perception of the self-management, their situation as owners-managers-workers, as opposed to their previous experiences as employees.

Explanations for Special Neighbourhood Preferences among Ethnic Minorities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Hans Skifter

2015-01-01

In this paper is examined if preferences exist among ethnic minorities for living close to an ethnic social network, in so-called ethnic enclaves, or living in neighbourhoods with many residents belonging to different ethnic minorities. It is analysed to what extent these preferences can be expla......In this paper is examined if preferences exist among ethnic minorities for living close to an ethnic social network, in so-called ethnic enclaves, or living in neighbourhoods with many residents belonging to different ethnic minorities. It is analysed to what extent these preferences can...

Quantitative comparison of volumetric modulated arc therapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy plan quality in sino-nasal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sankaralingam, Marimuthu; Glegg, Martin; Smith, Suzanne; James, Allan; Rizwanullah, Mohammed

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare various dosimetric parameters of dynamic mlc intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans for sino-nasal cancers, which are rare and complex tumors to treat with radiotherapy. IMRT using five fields, coplanar in the sagittal plane and VMAT employing two coplanar arc plans were created for five patients. The plans were assessed by comparing Conformity Index and Sigma Index (dose homogeneity) in the Planning Target Volume (PTV) and through comparison of dose-volume characteristics to the following organs at risk (OARs): Spinal cord, brainstem, eye, ipsilateral and contralateral optic nerve and the volume of brain receiving 10% of the prescribed dose (V 10% ). The total monitor units required to deliver the plan were also compared. Conformity Index was found to be superior in VMAT plans for three patients and in IMRT plans for two patients. Dose homogeneity within the PTV was better with VMAT plans for all five cases. The mean difference in Sigma Index was 0.68%. There was no significant difference in dose between IMRT and VMAT plans for any of the OARs assessed in these patients. The monitor units were significantly reduced in the VMAT plan in comparison to the IMRT plan for four out of five patients, with mean reduction of 66%. It was found in this study that for the treatment of sino-nasal cancer, VMAT produced minimal, and statistically insignificant improvement in dose homogeneity within the PTV when compared with IMRT. VMAT plans were delivered using significantly fewer monitor units. We conclude in this study that VMAT does not offer significant improvement of treatment for sino-nasal cancer over the existing IMRT techniques, but the findings may change with a larger sample of patients in this rare condition. (author)

Restoring Historicity and Multiplicity to Sino-Japanese Relations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine L. Phipps

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Marius Jansen, a pioneer in English-language studies on Sino-Japanese relations, stated in 1992 that, “despite the importance of the subject for Chinese and Japanese history, writings in Western languages on the relations between Japan and China are surprisingly few” (Jansen 2000, 123. Since that time, however, this body of work has grown to include publications aimed at understanding wartime diplomacy (Howland 2008; Paine 2003; the framework of imperialism that governed relations among China, Japan, and the Western powers (Cassel 2012; national discourse on military activities (Middleton 2007; and moments of mutual cooperation (Harrell 2012. Especially prominent among such research endeavors have been the abundant contributions by Joshua Fogel on topics ranging from historiography and travel to art and exchange. Fogel and Eric Han have now offered two more fine contributions to this expanding literature. Han’s ambitious Rise of a Japanese Chinatown aims to reveal the complexities of national identity formation within the local Yokohama Chinese community in Japan. By contrast, Fogel’s Maiden Voyage, a meticulous re-creation of the Senzaimaru’s officially sanctioned journey to Shanghai in 1862, details the ship's Japanese members’ encounters with the city and its people....

Rapid Field Response to a Cluster of Illnesses and Deaths - Sinoe County, Liberia, April-May, 2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Doedeh, John; Frimpong, Joseph Asamoah; Yealue, Kwuakuan D M; Wilson, Himiede W; Konway, Youhn; Wiah, Samson Q; Doedeh, Vivian; Bao, Umaru; Seneh, George; Gorwor, Lawrence; Toe, Sylvester; Ghartey, Emmanuel; Larway, Lawrence; Gweh, Dedesco; Gonotee, Philemon; Paasewe, Thomas; Tamatai, George; Yarkeh, James; Smith, Samuel; Brima-Davis, Annette; Dauda, George; Monger, Thomas; Gornor-Pewu, Leleh W; Lombeh, Siafa; Naiene, Jeremias; Dovillie, Nathaniel; Korvayan, Mark; George, Geraldine; Kerwillain, Garrison; Jetoh, Ralph; Friesen, Suzanne; Kinkade, Carl; Katawera, Victoria; Amo-Addae, Maame; George, Roseline N; Gbanya, Miatta Z; Dokubo, E Kainne

2017-10-27

On April 25, 2017, the Sinoe County Health Team (CHT) notified the Liberia Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia of an unknown illness among 14 persons that resulted in eight deaths in Sinoe County. On April 26, the National Rapid Response Team and epidemiologists from CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) in Liberia were deployed to support the county-led response. Measures were immediately implemented to identify all cases, ascertain the cause of illness, and control the outbreak. Illness was associated with attendance at a funeral event, and laboratory testing confirmed Neisseria meningitidis in biologic specimens from cases. The 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) outbreak in West Africa devastated Liberia's already fragile health system, and it took many months for the country to mount an effective response to control the outbreak. Substantial efforts have been made to strengthen Liberia's health system to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats. The rapid and efficient field response to this outbreak of N. meningitidis resulted in implementation of appropriate steps to prevent a widespread outbreak and reflects improved public health and outbreak response capacity in Liberia.

Job satisfaction and preference drift.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maassen van den Brink, H.; Groot, W.J.N.

1999-01-01

Most empirical studies do not find that higher wages lead to more job satisfaction. In this paper we argue that the insignificant effect of wages on job satisfaction is due to preference drift. We adapt the standard ordered response model to allow for preference shifts. The empirical results support

Prostrating Walk in the Campaign against Sino-Hong Kong Express Railway: Collective Identity of Native Social Movement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steve Kwok-Leung Chan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Occupation, blockage and storming are not rare in social movements a decade after China resuming sovereignty in Hong Kong. The organizers and participants usually involve locally born young people. Some of them are secondary school students in their teens. They are known as the fourth generation or post-1980s born Hongkongers. The paper examines the cultural context of social movements involving these youth activists. It mainly studied the campaign against the Sino-Hong Kong Express Railway development project. The project called for the demolition of the Tsoi Yuen Village, a small rural village located on its designed route. Since then, the role of younger generation in social movements has been generally recognized. Social media are widely employed in all stages of the movements with citizen journalists actively involved. The impressive ‘prostrating walk’ imitating Tibetan pilgrims becomes the symbol of these youth activists. It keeps appearing in other campaigns including Occupy Central in Hong Kong in 2014. This paper argues that the rise of nativism, advancement in ICT technology and shifting towards new social movements contribute to the dominant role of youth in recent social movements of Hong Kong. Collective identity of Hongkonger in response to the top-down assimilation by China, strengthens the movement.

Preferences, Paths, Power, Goals and Norms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oren, N.; Van Riemsdijk, M.B.; Vasconcelos, W.

2013-01-01

This paper seeks to address the question of preference alignment in normative systems. We represent detached obligations and goals as preferences over outcomes, and describe when deterministic behaviour will occur within a MAS under specific system instantiations. We then investigate what

Revealed smooth nontransitive preferences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keiding, Hans; Tvede, Mich

2013-01-01

In the present paper, we are concerned with the behavioural consequences of consumers having nontransitive preference relations. Data sets consist of finitely many observations of price vectors and consumption bundles. A preference relation rationalizes a data set provided that for every observed...... consumption bundle, all strictly preferred bundles are more expensive than the observed bundle. Our main result is that data sets can be rationalized by a smooth nontransitive preference relation if and only if prices can normalized such that the law of demand is satisfied. Market data sets consist of finitely...... many observations of price vectors, lists of individual incomes and aggregate demands. We apply our main result to characterize market data sets consistent with equilibrium behaviour of pure-exchange economies with smooth nontransitive consumers....

Students Prefer Audience Response System for Lecture Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph W Turban

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Student evaluation of courses is an important component of overall course evaluation. The extent of student participation in the evaluation may be related to the ease of the evaluation process. The standard evaluation format is a paper form. This study examines medical students preference of utilizing Audience Response System compared to a paper method. Methods: Following several medical school lectures, students were queried if they preferred Audience Response System versus a paper method, and if they would prefer using Audience Response System more for future course evaluations. Results: 391 students were queried. Overall response rate was 94%. Using a five point Likert scale, 299 out of 361 (82% responded they agreed, or strongly agreed with the statement “We should use ARS more. . .” When asked which format they preferred to use for evaluation, 299/367 (81% responded Audience Response System, 31 (8% preferred paper, and 37 (10% were not sure, or had no opinion (chi squared = 378.936, df2, p<0.0001. Conclusion: The medical students surveyed showed a strong preference for utilizing Audience Response System as a course evaluation modality, and desired its continued use in medical school. Audience Response System should be pursued as a lecture evaluation modality, and its use in medical school education should be encouraged.

Cigarette Brand Preferences among Adolescents. Monitoring the Future Occasional Paper No. 45.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Lloyd D.; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Bachman, Jerald G.; Schulenberg, John E.

This report discusses findings from the Monitoring the Future study in relation to adolescent cigarette preferences. Results show that in 1998, 19.1% of the eighth graders, 27.6% of the tenth graders, and 35.1% of the twelfth graders reported smoking within 30 days prior to the survey. By the time they finish high school, 65.2% of American young…

Hare's preference utilitarianism: an overview and critique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauro Cardoso Simões

2013-08-01

Full Text Available My purpose in this paper is to summarize some aspects of utilitarianism and to provide a general overview of Hare's preference utilitarianism, followed by a critique of Hare's preference theory.

Preferences of young people on the milk market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grażyna Adamczyk

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to present results of research related to preferences of young people (students on the milk market. The paper focuses on aspects connected with milk consumption, as well as the process of choice – preferred type, package, brand and place of purchase.

[Scenario analysis on sustainable development of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city based on emergy and system dynamics].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chun-fa; Cao, Ying-ying; Yang, Jian-cho; Yang, Qi-qi

2015-08-01

Dynamic evaluation of sustainable development is one of the key fundamental parts of the success of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, which is the first eco-city in China constructed by international cooperation. Based on the analysis of nature and economy, function and structure, planning control indices and so on, we constructed a sustainable development evaluation index system and a system dynamics model of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city to explore dynamic trends of its population, material and currency by comprehensive utilization of emergy analysis and system dynamics method. Five scenarios were set up and simulated, including inertial scenario, scientific and technological scenario, economic scenario, environmental scenario and harmonious development scenario. Then, the sustainability of the 5 scenarios was evaluated and compared. The results showed that in the economy and environment sustainable development scenario, there was a steady growth trend of GDP, accumulation of both emergy and currency, and relatively lower values in emergy waste ratio, emergy ratio of waste, and emergy loading ratio. Although both sustainable evaluation indices, such as ESI and UEI, were relatively low, the economy and environment sustainable development scenario was still the best development scenario which was more active than others.

Preferences in Data Production Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Golden, Keith; Brafman, Ronen; Pang, Wanlin

2005-01-01

This paper discusses the data production problem, which consists of transforming a set of (initial) input data into a set of (goal) output data. There are typically many choices among input data and processing algorithms, each leading to significantly different end products. To discriminate among these choices, the planner supports an input language that provides a number of constructs for specifying user preferences over data (and plan) properties. We discuss these preference constructs, how we handle them to guide search, and additional challenges in the area of preference management that this important application domain offers.

Preference clustering in customer satisfaction measurement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eskildsen, Jacob Kjær; Kristensen, Kai

2006-01-01

The scope of this paper is to analyze whether or not segments with different customer preferences and customer satisfaction can be identified. This analysis is based on customer satisfaction data from the Danish banking industry from the years 2004 and 2005. The analysis showed that the preference...

Organizational management in family businesses in the Vale do Rio dos Sinos Gestión organizacional en empresas familiares en el Vale do Rio dos Sinos Gestão organizacional em empresas familiares no Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ernani Cesar de Freitas

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In the context of business changes, family businesses have often been observed and studied because of their potential for development. Furthermore, these are organizations that have contributed much, and will continue to contribute, to development of the region and the communities, while occupying a prominent position in the business scenario. The organizational practices of management by these businesses in the region of the Vale do Rio dos Sinos were identified and described to provide considerations and potential actions for improving the organizational models adopted. The methodology of exploratory and field research was applied to develop this study. For analysis, the qualitative approach was used to interpret data collected. Results suggest that the family businesses studied implement changes and improvements in their management practices so that organizational models adopted are flexible and adjusted to the globalized world today thereby contributing to growth of the business and also to local, regional and national development as well.En el contexto de las mudanzas empresariales, las empresas familiares han sido objeto frecuente de observación y estudio en consecuencia del potencial de desarrollo que poseen, además del hecho de que esas organizaciones han contribuido y todavía contribuyen para el desarrollo regional y de las comunidades, ocupando una posición de destaque en el escenario de los negocios. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo identificar y caracterizar prácticas organizacionales de gestión en empresas familiares en la región del Vale do Rio dos Sinos, en el sentido de propiciar reflexiones y posibles acciones que visen el perfeccionamiento de los modelos organizacionales adoptados. Para desarrollar este estudio se aplicó la metodología de investigación exploratoria y de campo. El análisis se realizó mediante el abordaje cualitativo, para la interpretación de los datos averiguados en la investigación. Los

Teachers' preferences towards textbook

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanojević Darko D.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, using the method named Conjoint analysis, and with the goal of determining teacher's preferences in the process of textbook selection, and also defining the prototype of quality textbook which will could be used in the classroom. With consideration of criteria defined in the previous researches on this topic, an continuing the work on those results, we will create clear hypothetical prototype of the textbook which will satisfy the teacher's preference.

Immigrants' location preferences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damm, Anna Piil

This paper exploits a spatial dispersal policy for refugee immigrants to estimate the importance of local and regional factors for refugees' location preferences. The main results of a mixed proportional hazard competing risks model are that placed refugees react to high regional unemployment...

Neurotransmission of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex in the nucleus tractus solitarii of sino-aortic deafferentated rats.

OpenAIRE

Chianca Júnior, Deoclécio Alves; Bonagamba, Leni Gomes Heck; Machado, Beniro Honório

1997-01-01

The Bezold-Jarisch _B-J. reflex was activated by serotonin _5-HT, i.v.. before and 10 min after bilateral microinjection of increasing doses of kynurenic acid, a non-selective antagonist of excitatory amino acid _EAA. receptors, into the commissural nucleus tractus solitarii _NTS. of sino-aortic deafferentated _SAD. and sham-operated _SO. unanesthetized rats. Increasing doses of kynurenic acid produced a dose-dependent blockade of the bradycardic and hypotensive responses to B-J reflex activa...

Astyanax fasciatus as bioindicator of water pollution of Rio dos Sinos, RS, Brazil

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U. H. SCHULZ

Full Text Available The effects of an increasing downriver pollution gradient on the reproductive system of Astyanax fasciatus were investigated in the Rio dos Sinos, RS. The comparison of mean oocyte diameters, gonadal indices and gonado-somatic relationships of specimens captured in polluted areas with individuals from unpolluted reference sites revealed a significant decrease of these parameters with increasing water pollution. High loads of organic and industrial sewage are considered responsible for these effects. Condition factors showed an inverse relationship, and increased significantly in downriver polluted areas. The declining gonadal indices showed that energy was allocated to somatic growth. The results of the study recommend the use of A. fasciatus in biomonitoring essays.

Astyanax fasciatus as bioindicator of water pollution of Rio dos Sinos, RS, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SCHULZ U. H.

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of an increasing downriver pollution gradient on the reproductive system of Astyanax fasciatus were investigated in the Rio dos Sinos, RS. The comparison of mean oocyte diameters, gonadal indices and gonado-somatic relationships of specimens captured in polluted areas with individuals from unpolluted reference sites revealed a significant decrease of these parameters with increasing water pollution. High loads of organic and industrial sewage are considered responsible for these effects. Condition factors showed an inverse relationship, and increased significantly in downriver polluted areas. The declining gonadal indices showed that energy was allocated to somatic growth. The results of the study recommend the use of A. fasciatus in biomonitoring essays.

Redescription of 13 holotypes of Rheocricotopus Brundin, 1956 (Diptera: Chironomidae) from the Sino-Indian Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yue; Huang, Jingli; Liu, Wenbin; Fang, Xiangliang; Wang, Xinhua

2016-05-24

Thirteen holotypes of the orthoclad genus Rheocricotopus from Sino-Indian Region: R. (Psilocricotopus) hidakadeeus Sasa & Suzuki, R. (P.) isigadeeus Sasa & Suzuki, R. (P.) kurocedeus Sasa, R. (P.) tokarakeleus Sasa & Suzuki, R. (P.) tobatervicesimus Kikuchi & Sasa, R. (Rheocricotopus) inaquereus Sasa, Kitami & Suzuki, R. (R.) inaxeyeus Sasa, Kitami & Suzuki, R. (R.) shoufukusecundus Sasa, R. (R.) tamahumeralis Sasa, R. (R.) tatequintus Sasa, R. (R.) tedorisecundus Sasa, R. (R.) togapeniculus Sasa & Okazawa and R. (R.) yakulemeus Sasa & Suzuki are re-examined and illustrated, Some additional descriptions, corrections and a key of these thirteen holotypes are given.

Evaluation of water quality at the source of streams of the Sinos River Basin, southern Brazil

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T Benvenuti

Full Text Available The Sinos River Basin (SRB is located in the northeastern region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (29º20' to 30º10'S and 50º15' to 51º20'W, southern Brazil, and covers two geomorphologic provinces: the southern plateau and the central depression. It is part of the Guaíba basin, has an area of approximately 800 km2 and contains 32 counties. The basin provides drinking water for 1.6 million inhabitants in one of the most important industrial centres in Brazil. This study describes different water quality indices (WQI used for the sub-basins of three important streams in the SRB: Pampa, Estância Velha/Portão and Schmidt streams. Physical, chemical and microbiological parameters assessed bimonthly using samples collected at each stream source were used to calculate the Horton Index (HI, the Dinius Index (DI and the water quality index adopted by the US National Sanitation Foundation (NSF WQI in the additive and multiplicative forms. These indices describe mean water quality levels at the streams sources. The results obtained for these 3 indexes showed a worrying scenario in which water quality has already been negatively affected at the sites where three important sub-basins in the Sinos River Basin begin to form.

Preference of Social Choice in Mathematical Economics

OpenAIRE

Islam, Jamal; Mohajan, Haradhan; Moolio, Pahlaj

2008-01-01

Mathematical Economics is closely related with Social Choice Theory. In this paper, an attempt has been made to show this relation by introducing utility functions, preference relations and Arrow’s impossibility theorem with easier mathematical calculations. The paper begins with some definitions which are easy but will be helpful to those who are new in this field. The preference relations will give idea in individual’s and social choices according to their budget. Economists want to create ...

Learning space preferences of higher education students

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beckers, R.; van der Voordt, Theo; Dewulf, G

2016-01-01

This paper aims to address higher education students' learning space preferences. The study is based on a survey that involved 697 business management students of a Dutch University of Applied Sciences. The research focuses on preferred learning spaces for individual study activities, which

Learning space preferences of higher education students

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beckers, Ronald; van der Voordt, Theo; Dewulf, Geert P.M.R.

2016-01-01

This paper aims to address higher education students’ learning space preferences. The study is based on a survey that involved 697 business management students of a Dutch University of Applied Sciences. The research focuses on preferred learning spaces for individual study activities, which require

Preference-Based Recommendations for OLAP Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Jerbi, Houssem; Ravat, Franck; Teste, Olivier; Zurfluh, Gilles

This paper presents a framework for integrating OLAP and recommendations. We focus on the anticipatory recommendation process that assists the user during his OLAP analysis by proposing to him the forthcoming analysis step. We present a context-aware preference model that matches decision-makers intuition, and we discuss a preference-based approach for generating personalized recommendations.

BLOG CORPORATIVO COMO FERRAMENTA DE MARKETING DE RELACIONAMENTO: ESTUDO DE CASO NA REGIÃO METROPOLITANA DE PORTO ALEGRE E NO VALE DO SINOS

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Sandra Portella Montardo

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Este artigo consiste no levantamento das ações de relacionamento digital em empresas da região do Vale do Rio dos Sinos e região metropolitana de Porto Alegre. O objetivo é analisar a utilização de blogs por empresas destas regiões como ferramenta de promoção da imagem institucional e de relacionamento com seu público-alvo. Este tema é relevante porque trará à discussão o uso dos blogs como estratégia de relacionamento digital pelas empresas da Região do Vale do Rio dos Sinos e da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre. Via Marte, Firezze e Gang foram as empresas selecionadas para esta análise. Palavras-chave: Relacionamento digital. Blogs coorporativos. Interatividade.

An Identification and Evaluation of the Various Types and Forms of Personal Relationships within a Sino Foreign University Strategic Alliance Context

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Mike

2008-01-01

This article identifies a range of personal relationships observable in Sino foreign strategic alliances. Guanxi relationships remained the key to a successful alliance; and encompassed various levels, stages, and dimensions--making them complex and changeable forms of human behavior. Other types of relationships identified included "basic…

Values and marginal preferences in international business

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maseland, Robbert; van Hoorn, Andre

2010-01-01

In a recent paper in this journal, Maseland and van Hoorn argued that values surveys tend to conflate values and marginal preferences. This assertion has been challenged by Brewer and Venaik, who claim that the wording of most survey items does not suggest that these elicit marginal preferences.

تطبيقات المثالية الأفلاطونية في الرسم الأوربي الحديث المدرسة التجريدية أنموذجاً Platonic ideal applications in the Modern European painting abstract school as a model

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Maher Kamel Nafeeh Al-Nassery م.د. ماهر كامل نافع الناصري

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Find addresses marked: (Platonic ideal applications in modern European painting -almadrsh abstract model provide the nature of the effect of thought on the Platonic ideal orientations school abstract aesthetic that made the beauty of a goal. The contained four chapters: the first chapter interested in the methodological framework for representing the search: Find which dealt with the problem of identifying the impact of Platonic philosophy in the school abstract. The search was confined to the limits of the study of philosophy and its impact on the school and abstract pictorial analysis models for the drawings of the year (1900-1950 m. The second chapter contained two sections, taking the first section: (Platonic philosophy by eating the views of philosophical idealism and attainable beauty ideal of absolute, while Me second section (b Schools of Modern Art through a review of artistic movements beginner Baromantekah and Impressionism through symbolism and Alouhoshih and Cubism and Expressionism and future Dadaism and Surrealism ending with stylized promised that references poignant. The third chapter Me Platonic ideal applications in drawing global online research procedures, which included: the research community and appointed, and research methodology, research and analysis of samples amounting to (5 of the plate. Contained in Chapter IV, on the search results, and conclusions, as well as recommendations and suggestions, the researchers have come to a number of findings and conclusions, including: I worked at 1- abstract (Mondrian to unforeseen forces through its focus on geometric shape as a form is open, and her cognitive effects of gaining character totally not partially. Figure 2 The abstract carries prescription beauty essence, what has the laws of repetition and symmetry, harmony, and Find College (sample No. 4 by stripping the shape neighborhood divisions based systems engineering, which serves as the essence and origin of the samples

Preference-based segmentation : a study of food category and meal preferences among Vietnamese teenagers

OpenAIRE

Vu, Thi Hoa

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of preference-based segmentation for a broad array of meals and food categories in the context of teenagers in Vietnam. A convenience sample of 413 Vietnamese teenagers in secondary and high schools provided an evaluation on the preference of 30 items of food categories and 36 common meals was collected based on structured questionnaires and then used as inputs for the analyses. A five-cluster solution for the food category segmentati...

Fragmented Production in East Asia: What are Their Implications for the Sino-U.S. Trade

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Lin Feiting

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fragmented production means organization of production in which different stages of production are divided among different suppliers that are located in different countries. East Asia is one of the most important manufacturing centers in the world, China imports components from other East Asian economies for processing and then exports to the United States. The volume of export from China to the United States increase in traditional international trade statistics. Therefore, the solution of Sino-U.S. trade imbalance should pay attention to the relationship between the United States, China, and other East Asian economies.

Channels Coordination Game Model Based on Result Fairness Preference and Reciprocal Fairness Preference: A Behavior Game Forecasting and Analysis Method

OpenAIRE

Ding, Chuan; Wang, Kaihong; Huang, Xiaoying

2014-01-01

In a distribution channel, channel members are not always self-interested, but altruistic in some conditions. Based on this assumption, this paper adopts a behavior game method to analyze and forecast channel members’ decision behavior based on result fairness preference and reciprocal fairness preference by embedding a fair preference theory in channel research of coordination. The behavior game forecasts that a channel can achieve coordination if channel members consider behavior elemen...

Pathophysiological mechanisms of sino-atrial dysfunction and ventricular conduction disease associated with SCN5A deficiency: insights from mouse models

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Christopher L-H Huang

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Genetically modified mice provide a number of models for studying cardiac channelopathies related to cardiac Na+ channel (SCN5A abnormalities. We review key pathophysiological features in these murine models that may underlie clinical features observed in sinus node dysfunction and progressive cardiac conduction disease, thereby providing insights into their pathophysiological mechanisms. We describe loss of Na+ channel function and fibrotic changes associated with both loss and gain-of-function Na+ channel mutations. Recent reports further relate the progressive fibrotic changes to upregulation of TGF-β1 production and the transcription factors, Atf3, a stress-inducible gene, and Egr1, to the presence of heterozygous Scn5a inactivation. Both changes are thus directly implicated in the clinically observed disruptions in sino-atrial node pacemaker function, and sino-atrial and ventricular conduction, and their progression with age. Murine systems with genetic modifications in Scn5a thus prove a useful tool to address questions concerning roles of genetic and environmental modifiers on human SCN5A disease phenotypes.

Lo peculiar de los seres humanos no es la razón, sino la voluntad libre

OpenAIRE

PASCUAL F. MARTÍNEZ-FREIRE

2015-01-01

Mi tesis es que los seres humanos son agentes racionales pero no pueden ser definidos como los agentes racionales. Las ciencias cognitivas (psicología y neurociencia, y también la inteligencia artificial) nos dicen que algunos animales y algunas máquinas son asimismo agentes racionales. En mi opinión el rasgo más característico de mujeres y hombres no es su dimensión racional sino su dimensión volicional, es decir, su aspecto de ser agentes libres. Es precisamente en este aspecto volicional d...

Stochastic modeling of consumer preferences for health care institutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Malhotra, N K

1983-01-01

This paper proposes a stochastic procedure for modeling consumer preferences via LOGIT analysis. First, a simple, non-technical exposition of the use of a stochastic approach in health care marketing is presented. Second, a study illustrating the application of the LOGIT model in assessing consumer preferences for hospitals is given. The paper concludes with several implications of the proposed approach.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONSUMER PREFERENCES RESEARCH PROCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MIRELA-CRISTINA VOICU

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Information is one of the most important resources that a company must possess. Some information is hidden deep in the black box - the mind of the consumer, as in the case of information about consumer preferences. Although it seems a concept difficult to grasp, it was shown that consumer preferences can be effectively measured and their research may provide a deeper understanding of the choices that consumers make when deciding to select an offer against another and when deciding to continue in time the relationship with one supplier. The following paper reveals some important aspects regarding the use of information regarding consumer preferences, the fundamentals behind consumer preferences research and the milestones in the consumer preferences research process.

Characteristics of the consumer preferences research process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirela-Cristina Voicu

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Information is one of the most important resources that a company must possess. Some information is hidden deep in the black box - the mind of the consumer, as in the case of information about consumer preferences. Although it seems a concept difficult to grasp, it was shown that consumer preferences can be effectively measured and their research may provide a deeper understanding of the choices that consumers make when deciding to select an offer against another and when deciding to continue in time the relationship with one supplier. The following paper reveals some important aspects regarding the use of information regarding consumer preferences, the fundamentals behind consumer preferences research and the milestones in the consumer preferences research process.

The discovered preference hypothesis - an empirical test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundhede, Thomas; Ladenburg, Jacob; Olsen, Søren Bøye

Using stated preference methods for valuation of non-market goods is known to be vulnerable to a range of biases. Some authors claim that these so-called anomalies in effect render the methods useless for the purpose. However, the Discovered Preference Hypothesis, as put forth by Plott [31], offers...... an nterpretation and explanation of biases which entails that the stated preference methods need not to be completely written off. In this paper we conduct a test for the validity and relevance of the DPH interpretation of biases. In a choice experiment concerning preferences for protection of Danish nature areas...... as respondents evaluate more and more choice sets. This finding supports the Discovered Preference Hypothesis interpretation and explanation of starting point bias....

LATER RETIREMENT? PATTERNS, PREFERENCES, POLICIES

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Martin Kohli

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Pension systems are a major part of the political economy of current societies – much beyond providing old-age income security. The well-known demographics of population aging as well as globalization today challenge their financial viability. Later retirement seems to be a good way to meet these challenges. However, it is not only unpopular but also inequitable in terms of differential longevity. The paper first discusses these problems, with a particular focus on the social stratification of mortality. It then analyzes the preferences towards retirement age at several levels:  in terms of attitudes towards public spending on pensions or towards the state’s responsibility in this matter, of support for pension policy alternatives, and of preferred individual age of retirement. Results show that large majorities across all age groups are in favour of more government spending on pensions. There is a substantial amount of ‘involuntary retirement’, meaning that people would have preferred to work longer than they actually did, as well as a somewhat lower amount of ‘involuntary work’, but the preferred ages are everywhere below 65, and in some countries still below 60. Finally, the paper examines the policies of raising the retirement age adopted during the last two decades. What has especially been lacking in these policies is a consideration of socially differentiated longevity.

Patients prefer electronic medical records - fact or fiction?

Science.gov (United States)

Masiza, Melissa; Mostert-Phipps, Nicky; Pottasa, Dalenca

2013-01-01

Incomplete patient medical history compromises the quality of care provided to a patient while well-kept, adequate patient medical records are central to the provision of good quality of care. According to research, patients have the right to contribute to decision-making affecting their health. Hence, the researchers investigated their views regarding a paper-based system and an electronic medical record (EMR). An explorative approach was used in conducting a survey within selected general practices in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The majority of participants thought that the use of a paper-based system had no negative impact on their health. Participants expressed concerns relating to the confidentiality of their medical records with both storage mediums. The majority of participants indicated they prefer their GP to computerise their consultation details. The main objective of the research on which this poster is based was to investigate the storage medium of preference for patients and the reasons for their preference. Overall, 48% of the 85 participants selected EMRs as their preferred storage medium and the reasons for their preference were also uncovered.

Game theory, conditional preferences, and social influence.

Science.gov (United States)

Stirling, Wynn C; Felin, Teppo

2013-01-01

Neoclassical noncooperative game theory is based on a simple, yet powerful synthesis of mathematical and logical concepts: unconditional and immutable preference orderings and individual rationality. Although this structure has proven useful for characterizing competitive multi-player behavior, its applicability to scenarios involving complex social relationships is problematic. In this paper we directly address this limitation by the introduction of a conditional preference structure that permits players to modulate their preference orderings as functions of the preferences of other players. Embedding this expanded preference structure in a formal and graphical framework provides a systematic approach for characterizing a complex society. The result is an influence network that allows conditional preferences to propagate through the community, resulting in an emergent social model which characterizes all of the social relationships that exist and which leads to solution concepts that account for both group and individual interests. The Ultimatum game is presented as an example of how social influence can be modeled with conditional preferences.

The liquidity preference theory: a critical analysis

OpenAIRE

Giancarlo Bertocco; Andrea Kalajzic

2014-01-01

Keynes in the General Theory, explains the monetary nature of the interest rate by means of the liquidity preference theory. The objective of this paper is twofold. First, to point out the limits of the liquidity preference theory. Second, to present an explanation of the monetary nature of the interest rate based on the arguments with which Keynes responded to the criticism levelled at the liquidity preference theory by supporters of the loanable funds theory such as Ohlin and Robertson. It ...

Proclus' Elaboration of Platonic Remarks on the Problem of Evils, and their Relation to Divine Providence and Efficiency

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Reza korrang beheshti

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Although there is not a fully developed theory of evil in Plato, some various remarks are interspersed throughout his dialogues which provided the main materials for subsequent Platonists to elaborate a systematic doctrine of evil. Proclus is the most distinguished philosopher of the later Neoplatonism whose view became authoritative within the School and thus is most representative of the Neoplatonic doctrine of evil. By a critical assessment of the antecedent theories of evil, Proclus attempts to give a monistic interpretation of Platonic remarks on the problem of evil. According to his explanation, the higher degrees and principles of Being are only and purely good and are not the causes of evils but the good things for all things alone. Evils, however, exist necessarily but only among particular beings in a relative, parasitic, accidental way and dependent upon the good. The parasitic accidental existence of evil does not have a real efficient cause. It arises due to an asymmetry between the activities of the several faculties or powers of a complex particular being. Moreover, the existence of evil is so mixed with and dependent upon the good that despite its opposition to the good, contributes, in its own manner, to the fulfillment of goodness of the whole Universe, being thus reconcilable with Divine Providence and Efficiency.

Parental background and other-regarding preferences in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bauer, Michal; Chytilova, Julie; Pertold-Gebicka, Barbara

2014-01-01

Other-regarding preferences are important for establishing and maintaining cooperative outcomes. In this paper, we study how the formation of other-regarding preferences during childhood is related to parental background. Our subjects, aged 4–12 years, are classified into other-regarding types...

Sino-Canadian collaborations in stem cell research: a scientometric analysis.

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Sarah E Ali-Khan

Full Text Available International collaboration (IC is essential for the advance of stem cell research, a field characterized by marked asymmetries in knowledge and capacity between nations. China is emerging as a global leader in the stem cell field. However, knowledge on the extent and characteristics of IC in stem cell science, particularly China's collaboration with developed economies, is lacking.We provide a scientometric analysis of the China-Canada collaboration in stem cell research, placing this in the context of other leading producers in the field. We analyze stem cell research published from 2006 to 2010 from the Scopus database, using co-authored papers as a proxy for collaboration. We examine IC levels, collaboration preferences, scientific impact, the collaborating institutions in China and Canada, areas of mutual interest, and funding sources. Our analysis shows rapid global expansion of the field with 48% increase in papers from 2006 to 2010. China now ranks second globally after the United States. China has the lowest IC rate of countries examined, while Canada has one of the highest. China-Canada collaboration is rising steadily, more than doubling during 2006-2010. China-Canada collaboration enhances impact compared to papers authored solely by China-based researchers This difference remained significant even when comparing only papers published in English.While China is increasingly courted in IC by developed countries as a partner in stem cell research, it is clear that it has reached its status in the field largely through domestic publications. Nevertheless, IC enhances the impact of stem cell research in China, and in the field in general. This study establishes an objective baseline for comparison with future studies, setting the stage for in-depth exploration of the dynamics and genesis of IC in stem cell research.

Sino-Canadian collaborations in stem cell research: a scientometric analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali-Khan, Sarah E; Ray, Monali; McMahon, Dominique S; Thorsteinsdóttir, Halla

2013-01-01

International collaboration (IC) is essential for the advance of stem cell research, a field characterized by marked asymmetries in knowledge and capacity between nations. China is emerging as a global leader in the stem cell field. However, knowledge on the extent and characteristics of IC in stem cell science, particularly China's collaboration with developed economies, is lacking. We provide a scientometric analysis of the China-Canada collaboration in stem cell research, placing this in the context of other leading producers in the field. We analyze stem cell research published from 2006 to 2010 from the Scopus database, using co-authored papers as a proxy for collaboration. We examine IC levels, collaboration preferences, scientific impact, the collaborating institutions in China and Canada, areas of mutual interest, and funding sources. Our analysis shows rapid global expansion of the field with 48% increase in papers from 2006 to 2010. China now ranks second globally after the United States. China has the lowest IC rate of countries examined, while Canada has one of the highest. China-Canada collaboration is rising steadily, more than doubling during 2006-2010. China-Canada collaboration enhances impact compared to papers authored solely by China-based researchers This difference remained significant even when comparing only papers published in English. While China is increasingly courted in IC by developed countries as a partner in stem cell research, it is clear that it has reached its status in the field largely through domestic publications. Nevertheless, IC enhances the impact of stem cell research in China, and in the field in general. This study establishes an objective baseline for comparison with future studies, setting the stage for in-depth exploration of the dynamics and genesis of IC in stem cell research.

Discrete choice experiments to measure consumer preferences for health and healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Viney, Rosalie; Lancsar, Emily; Louviere, Jordan

2002-08-01

To investigate the impact of health policies on individual well-being, estimate the value to society of new interventions or policies, or predict demand for healthcare, we need information about individuals' preferences. Economists usually use market-based data to analyze preferences, but such data are limited in the healthcare context. Discrete choice experiments are a potentially valuable tool for elicitation and analysis of preferences and thus, for economic analysis of health and health programs. This paper reviews the use of discrete choice experiments to measure consumers' preferences for health and healthcare. The paper provides an overview of the approach and discusses issues that arise when using discrete choice experiments to assess individuals' preferences for health and healthcare.

The Consistency of Consumer's Stated Preference and Revealed Preference : Evidence from Agricultural Product Market in China

OpenAIRE

Han, Qing; Zhou, Hui; Nanseki, Teruaki; Wang, Jimin; 南石, 晃明

2012-01-01

This paper analyzes the consistency of consumer's stated preference (SP) and revealed preference (RP) for fresh certified pork by using Beijing urban residents' questionnaire survey data in December 2010. It models the factors of the consistency of SP–RP and calculates the marginal effect coefficients. The results indicate that these factors of whether consumer's household have children under 18 years old, consumer's knowledge about certified products and searching frequency about food qualit...

The effect of preference modality on self-control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klesse, Anne-Kathrin; Levav, J.; Goukens, C.

2015-01-01

The marketplace affords consumers various modalities to express their preferences (e.g., by pressing a button on a vending machine or making an oral request at a restaurant). In this paper, we compare speaking to manual preference expression modalities (button pressing, writing, and taking) and

Computing Preferred Extensions for Argumentation Systems with Sets of Attacking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Søren Holbech; Parsons, Simon

2006-01-01

The hitherto most abstract, and hence general, argumentation system, is the one described by Dung in a paper from 1995. This framework does not allow for joint attacks on arguments, but in a recent paper we adapted it to support such attacks, and proved that this adapted framework enjoyed the same...... formal properties as that of Dung. One problem posed by Dung's original framework, which was neglected for some time, is how to compute preferred extensions of the argumentation systems. However, in 2001, in a paper by Doutre and Mengin, a procedure was given for enumerating preferred extensions...... for these systems. In this paper we propose a method for enumerating preferred extensions of the potentially more complex systems, where joint attacks are allowed. The method is inspired by the one given by Doutre and Mengin....

Social Preferences and Strategic Uncertainty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cabrales, Antonio; Miniaci, Raffaele; Piovesan, Marco

This paper reports experimental evidence on a stylized labor market. The experiment is designed as a sequence of three phases. In the first two phases, P1 and P2; agents face simple games, which we use to estimate subjects' social and reciprocity concerns, together with their beliefs. In the last......, for both principals and agents. Finally, we also see that social preferences explain, to a large extent, matching between principals and agents, since agents display a marked propensity to work for principals with similar social preferences...

Pupils Learning Preferences and Interest Development in Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Arikpo, Ofem U.; Domike, Grace

2015-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the extent pupils learning preference and interest development influences their learning in schools. Interest is refers to an individual's relatively enduring psychological predisposition (preference) to re-engage in particular classes of objects, available evidence indicates that, there are many factors that…

Mass Media’s Impact on Confidence in Political Institutions: The Moderating Role of Political Preferences. A Preferences-Perceptions Model of Media Effects

OpenAIRE

Floss, Daniela

2008-01-01

This paper focuses on mass media’s impact on citizens’ confidence in political institutions. Drawing on research within the field of political science that builds on the discrepancy theory from cognitive psychology, the paper argues that citizens’ preferences of how political institutions should work and the outcomes they should produce moderate mass media’s impact. Building on research of media framing effects on political attitudes an preference-perception model of media effects is develope...

Beyond an energy deal: Impacts of the Sino-Australia uranium agreement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Jiaping; Garnett, Stephen T.; Barnes, Tony

2008-01-01

Is the spectacular growth of Sino-Australian trade compelling Australian policy-makers to strengthen strategic support for China in the face of traditional alliances? The recently signed trade agreement under which Australia will annually export 20,000 tonnes of uranium to China for power generation for the next 20 years, will feed China's increased energy demand, allow a reduction in dependence on coal-based energy and ameliorate environmental deterioration, all matters that have become critical to China's economic growth. Yet the uranium trade will contribute only slightly to China's energy needs, and to the Australian economy. However, the trade deal was signed even though China, as a nuclear military power, is a potential threat to Australia's strongest military ally, the US. At the same time it reignited a divisive debate in Australia, covering a wide range of political, social, economic, health and environmental policy areas that reach well beyond strategic relationships. That the Australian Government will risk both internal and external criticism seems to be further recognition that Australia is becoming increasingly dependent on the continued growth of China's economy for its prosperity

The Effect of Answering in a Preferred Versus a Non-Preferred Survey Mode on Measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jolene Smyth

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Previous research has shown that offering respondents their preferred mode can increase response rates, but the effect of doing so on how respondents process and answer survey questions (i.e., measurement is unclear. In this paper, we evaluate whether changes in question format have different effects on data quality for those responding in their preferred mode than for those responding in a non-preferred mode for three question types (multiple answer, open-ended, and grid. Respondents were asked about their preferred mode in a 2008 survey and were recontacted in 2009. In the recontact survey, respondents were randomly assigned to one of two modes such that some responded in their preferred mode and others did not. They were also randomly assigned to one of two questionnaire forms in which the format of individual questions was varied. On the multiple answer and open-ended items, those who answered in a non-preferred mode seemed to take advantage of opportunities to satisfice when the question format allowed or encouraged it (e.g., selecting fewer items in the check-all than the forced-choice format and being more likely to skip the open-ended item when it had a larger answer box, while those who answered in a preferred mode did not. There was no difference on a grid formatted item across those who did and did not respond by their preferred mode, but results indicate that a fully labeled grid reduced item missing rates vis-à-vis a grid with only column heading labels. Results provide insight into the effect of tailoring to mode preference on commonly used questionnaire design features.

Paired preference data with a no-preference option – Statistical tests for comparison with placebo data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Rune Haubo Bojesen; Ennis, John M.; Ennis, Daniel M.

2014-01-01

/preference responses or ties in choice experiments. Food Quality and Preference, 23, 13–17) noted that this proportion can depend on the product category, have proposed that the expected proportion of preference responses within a given category be called an identicality norm, and have argued that knowledge...... of such norms is valuable for more complete interpretation of 2-Alternative Choice (2-AC) data. For instance, these norms can be used to indicate consumer segmentation even with non-replicated data. In this paper, we show that the statistical test suggested by Ennis and Ennis (2012a) behaves poorly and has too...... when ingredient changes are considered for cost-reduction or health initiative purposes....

Color preferences for four different types of spaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Voordt, Theo; Bakker, I.C.; de Boon, J

2017-01-01

Purpose: Studies on color preferences for different types of spaces are scarce and show ambiguous results. This paper aims to present data about preferred colors for two work environments: the office and a meeting room, and two residential spaces: the living room and the bedroom. The authors also

Androgynes et gynandres : la relecture péladanienne du Banquet de Platon // Androgynes and gynandres : The Péladan’s reinterpretation of the Symposium by Plato

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Voldřichová Beránková

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The Symposium alias The Banquet belongs to those hypotexts by Plato which have been constantly reread and reinterpreted by the authors of French decadence. This article is focused on the Péladan’s reinterpretation of one of its parts, the famous Aristophanes’s speech about love. It implies on one hand the masculine notion of “androgyne”, heavily valorised in the fin de siècle novels, and, on the other hand, the feminine concept of “gynandre”, perceived negatively, feared and mocked. Why in Péladan’s (1858–1918 eyes and according to many others decadent authors man is gorgeous and intelligent enough to realize on his own the platonic ideal of the union of the two sexes? And what about the woman, henceforth outmoded and “useless”? The decadent misogyny ties itself in knots over its fanciful theories which are reflective of the spirit of this historical period.

Aspects of Sino-Japan Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Development on the Traditional Uighur Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Yusup, Abdiryim

2009-01-01

Two consecutive conferences on ‘Sino-Japan Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Development on the Traditional Uighur Medicine’ were held in Xinjiang Medical University on July 3 and Kanazawa Medical University on October 6, 2007. The Vice president Halmurat Upur presided over the meeting and gave congratulatory address on holding of the conference. In order to understand mutually and discuss the possibility of the Uighur Medicine as CAM and the situation of medicine in the global sense, specialist scholars of Traditional Uighur Medicine and postgraduates attended this conference. In the meeting of the CAM, the achievements on the research of Traditional Uighur Medicine were exchanged and warmly discussed. Presentations were made in the consecutive conference. PMID:19470524

THE EFFECT OF TAX PREFERENCES ON HEALTH SPENDING

Science.gov (United States)

Cogan, John F.; Hubbard, R. Glenn; Kessler, Daniel P.

2011-01-01

In this paper, we estimate the effect of the tax preference for health insurance on health care spending using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys from 1996–2005. We use the fact that Social Security taxes are only levied on earnings below a statutory threshold to identify the impact of the tax preference. Because employer-sponsored health insurance premiums are excluded from Social Security payroll taxes, workers who earn just below the Social Security tax threshold receive a larger tax preference for health insurance than workers who earn just above it. We find a significant effect of the tax preference, consistent with previous research. PMID:22500056

Lighting preferences in individual offices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Roberto Gomes de Faria

Full Text Available Abstract Workplaces with good daylighting offer visual comfort to users, give them a series of physiological and psychological benefits and allow good performance of visual activities, besides saving energy. However, this solution is not always adopted: lighting type preferences involve many variables besides the availability of daylight. This paper explores a case study through the analysis of questionnaire answers and computer simulations of a series of metrics related to quality of lighting with the aim of finding explanations for the lighting preferences of individual office users. The results show that, although the offices present good daylighting conditions and no glare potential, and users are satisfied with daylighting, these parameters are not sufficient to explain the predominant lighting preferences. The findings have also shown that there is no consensus about which parameters potentially cause visual comfort, while the parameters that cause discomfort are clearly identified. In addition, in this study, 49% of the preference for mixed lighting (daylight plus electrical light can be explained by the fact that mixed lighting produces better modeling than daylighting alone.

Tablet, web-based, or paper questionnaires for measuring anxiety in patients suspected of breast cancer: patients' preferences and quality of collected data.

Science.gov (United States)

Barentsz, Maarten W; Wessels, Hester; van Diest, Paul J; Pijnappel, Ruud M; Haaring, Cees; van der Pol, Carmen C; Witkamp, Arjen J; van den Bosch, Maurice A; Verkooijen, Helena M

2014-10-31

Electronic applications are increasingly being used in hospitals for numerous purposes. Our aim was to assess differences in the characteristics of patients who choose paper versus electronic questionnaires and to evaluate the data quality of both approaches. Between October 2012 and June 2013, 136 patients participated in a study on diagnosis-induced stress and anxiety. Patients were asked to fill out questionnaires at six different moments during the diagnostic phase. They were given the opportunity to fill out the questionnaires on paper or electronically (a combination of tablet and Web-based questionnaires). Demographic characteristics and completeness of returned data were compared between groups. Nearly two-thirds of patients (88/136, 64.7%) chose to fill out the questionnaires on paper, and just over a third (48/136, 35.3%) preferred the electronic option. Patients choosing electronic questionnaires were significantly younger (mean 47.3 years vs mean 53.5 in the paper group, P=.01) and higher educated (P=.004). There was significantly more missing information (ie, at least one question not answered) in the paper group during the diagnostic day compared to the electronic group (using a tablet) (28/88 vs 1/48, Pquestionnaires) compared to the paper group (41/48 vs 38/88, Pquestionnaires electronically. In the hospital, a tablet is an excellent medium for patients to fill out questionnaires with very little missing information. However, for filling out questionnaires at home, paper questionnaires resulted in a better response than Web-based questionnaires.

Customer Preference-Based Information Retrieval to Build Module Concepts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongxing Cao

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Preference is viewed as an outer feeling of a product, also as a reflection of human's inner thought. It dominates the designers' decisions and affects our purchase intention. In the paper, a model of preference elicitation from customers is proposed to build module concepts. Firstly, the attributes of customer preference are classified in a hierarchy and make the surveys to build customer preference concepts. Secondly, the documents or catalogs of design requirements, perhaps containing some textual description and geometric data, are normalized by using semantic expressions. Some semantic rules are developed to describe low-level features of customer preference to construct a knowledge base of customer preference. Thirdly, designers' needs are used to map customer preference for generating module concepts. Finally, an empirical study of the stapler is surveyed to illustrate the validity of module concept generation.

General Education Oral Communication Assessment and Student Preferences for Learning: E-Textbook versus Paper Textbook

Science.gov (United States)

Dwyer, Karen Kangas; Davidson, Marlina M.

2013-01-01

As part of a yearly university mandated assessment of a large basic communication course that fulfills the oral communication general education requirement, this study examined student preferences for textbooks, reading, and learning. Specifically, basic course students ("N"=321) at a large state university in the Midwest were asked to…

The value of customer preference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herig, C.; Houston, A.

1996-01-01

Customer preference (CP), or green pricing, may be the financial hedge for electric supply industry integration of photovoltaics. CP is currently defined as a voluntary contribution for energy generated with renewable resources. Several utilities have examined the CP financing of renewables through experimental or implemented programs and market research. This paper first expands the concept of customer preference to include both voluntary and involuntary customer contributions. It then categorizes the features of existing and proposed CP programs. The connections between these features and market research and marketing strategies for new product development from a competitive industry are analyzed

The value of customer preference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herig, C.; Houston, A. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

1996-05-01

Customer preference (CP), or green pricing, may be the financial hedge for electric supply industry integration of photovoltaics. CP is currently defined as a voluntary contribution for energy generated with renewable resources. Several utilities have examined the CP financing of renewables through experimental or implemented programs and market research. This paper first expands the concept of customer preference to include both voluntary and involuntary customer contributions. It then categorizes the features of existing and proposed CP programs. The connections between these features and market research and marketing strategies for new product development from a competitive industry are analyzed.

Risk preferences over small stakes: Evidence from deductible choice

OpenAIRE

Janko Gorter; Paul Schilp

2012-01-01

This paper provides new field evidence on risk preferences over small stakes. Using unique population and survey data on deductible choice in Dutch universal health insurance, we find that risk preferences are a dominant factor in decision aking. In fact, our results indicate that risk preferences are both statistically and quantitatively more significant in explaining deductible choice behavior than risk type. This finding contrasts with classical expected utility theory, as it implies risk ...

The Dimensions of Customer Preference in the Foodservice Industry

OpenAIRE

Abdullah, Firdaus; Abang Abdurahman, Abang Zainoren; Hamali, Jamil

2013-01-01

Today's foodservice industry management must place a high priority on understanding the growing markets resulting from rapid urbanization and rising numbers of tourists. This industry has a huge impact on the global economy but it is affected by customers' ever-changing preferences. Managers need to gain and sustain strategic advantage in this highly competitive industry, thus a local customer preference assessment is crucial. This paper presents the dimensions of customer preference in the f...

Preferences for Alternative Fuel Vehicles of Company Car Drivers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koetse, M.J.; Hoen, A.

2014-01-01

Costs of car ownership for company cars drivers and private car owners are very different. Car use, car choice decisions and preferences for car characteristics may therefore differ substantially between these two markets. In this paper, we present results of a study on the preferences of company

Preferences, behaviour and the design of financial contracts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordfang, Maj-Britt

of insurance customers may lower the premiums of the high-risk customers without aecting the premium level of the low-risk customers when a solvency capital requirement is imposed. The papers highlight how the risk preferences of individual consumers relate to the design of nancial contracts and the regulation......Today's insurance and nancial markets are characterized by and ever increasing complexity and product choice. How do we assist individual household consumers in making informed choices about their nancial positions in these markets? This thesis consists of ve separate research papers that are all...... in some way concerned with the design and regulation of nancial contracts in relation to consumer preferences under uncertainty. First, the design of mortgage products in relation to consumer preferences in a market with a stochastic interest rate is examined. We derive the (extreme) characteristics...

Fixed Costs and the Product Market Treatment of Preference Minorities

OpenAIRE

Steven Berry; Alon Eizenberg; Joel Waldfogel

2014-01-01

It is well documented that, in the presence of substantial fixed costs, markets offer preference majorities more variety than preference minorities. This fact alone, however, does not demonstrate the market outcome is in any way biased against preference minorities. In this paper, we clarify the sense in which the market outcome may in fact be biased against preference minorities, and we provide some conditions for such bias to occur. We then estimate the degree of bias in a particular indust...

A systematic review of stated preference studies reporting public preferences for healthcare priority setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitty, Jennifer A; Lancsar, Emily; Rixon, Kylie; Golenko, Xanthe; Ratcliffe, Julie

2014-01-01

There is current interest in incorporating weights based on public preferences for health and healthcare into priority-setting decisions. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the extent to which public preferences and trade-offs for priority-setting criteria have been quantified, and to describe the study contexts and preference elicitation methods employed. A systematic review was performed in April 2013 to identify empirical studies eliciting the stated preferences of the public for the provision of healthcare in a priority-setting context. Studies are described in terms of (i) the stated preference approaches used, (ii) the priority-setting levels and contexts, and (iii) the criteria identified as important and their relative importance. Thirty-nine studies applying 40 elicitation methods reported in 41 papers met the inclusion criteria. The discrete choice experiment method was most commonly applied (n = 18, 45.0 %), but other approaches, including contingent valuation and the person trade-off, were also used. Studies prioritised health systems (n = 4, 10.2 %), policies/programmes/services/interventions (n = 16, 41.0 %), or patient groups (n = 19, 48.7 %). Studies generally confirmed the importance of a wide range of process, non-health and patient-related characteristics in priority setting in selected contexts, alongside health outcomes. However, inconsistencies were observed for the relative importance of some prioritisation criteria, suggesting context and/or elicitation approach matter. Overall, findings suggest caution in directly incorporating public preferences as weights for priority setting unless the methods used to elicit the weights can be shown to be appropriate and robust in the priority-setting context.

Beyond an energy deal: Impacts of the Sino-Australia uranium agreement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu Jiaping [School for Social and Policy Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909 (Australia)], E-mail: jiaping.wu@cdu.edu.au; Garnett, Stephen T.; Barnes, Tony [School for Social and Policy Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909 (Australia)

2008-01-15

Is the spectacular growth of Sino-Australian trade compelling Australian policy-makers to strengthen strategic support for China in the face of traditional alliances? The recently signed trade agreement under which Australia will annually export 20,000 tonnes of uranium to China for power generation for the next 20 years, will feed China's increased energy demand, allow a reduction in dependence on coal-based energy and ameliorate environmental deterioration, all matters that have become critical to China's economic growth. Yet the uranium trade will contribute only slightly to China's energy needs, and to the Australian economy. However, the trade deal was signed even though China, as a nuclear military power, is a potential threat to Australia's strongest military ally, the US. At the same time it reignited a divisive debate in Australia, covering a wide range of political, social, economic, health and environmental policy areas that reach well beyond strategic relationships. That the Australian Government will risk both internal and external criticism seems to be further recognition that Australia is becoming increasingly dependent on the continued growth of China's economy for its prosperity.

Beyond an energy deal: Impacts of the Sino-Australia uranium agreement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Jiaping; Garnett, Stephen T.; Barnes, Tony [School for Social and Policy Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909 (Australia)

2008-01-15

Is the spectacular growth of Sino-Australian trade compelling Australian policy-makers to strengthen strategic support for China in the face of traditional alliances? The recently signed trade agreement under which Australia will annually export 20,000 tonnes of uranium to China for power generation for the next 20 years, will feed China's increased energy demand, allow a reduction in dependence on coal-based energy and ameliorate environmental deterioration, all matters that have become critical to China's economic growth. Yet the uranium trade will contribute only slightly to China's energy needs, and to the Australian economy. However, the trade deal was signed even though China, as a nuclear military power, is a potential threat to Australia's strongest military ally, the US. At the same time it reignited a divisive debate in Australia, covering a wide range of political, social, economic, health and environmental policy areas that reach well beyond strategic relationships. That the Australian Government will risk both internal and external criticism seems to be further recognition that Australia is becoming increasingly dependent on the continued growth of China's economy for its prosperity. (author)

Seeing the People’s Republic of China through the Eyes of Montesquieu: Why Sino-European Collaboration on Eco City Development Suffers from European Misinterpretations of “Good Governance”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin de Jong

2017-02-01

Full Text Available China faces a number of impressive challenges in dealing with climate change: rising energy use, growing emission levels of greenhouse gases, dangerous levels of air pollution over cities and low resilience against flood and drought. Sustainable urbanization has been adopted as a keyword in handling these challenges. The Chinese central government has undertaken a variety of measures, including the launch of large Sino-European programs to learn from ‘developed nations’. In the wake of these partnerships, a great variety of cross-national and cross-city agreements were signed. Sino-European cooperation does not often run as smoothly as initially hoped because of diverging interests, cultural misunderstandings and practical limitations. In the background, a mismatch in normative conceptions Chinese and European participants have of ‘good governance’ plays a role. In this contribution, insights taken from Montesquieu’s ‘The Spirit of Laws’ regarding checks and balances and trias politica (updated to ‘sextas politica’ for the 21st century are used to comprehend how the exertion of power is distributed and expected to be distributed differently in Chinese than in European administrative traditions. The article will end with conclusions on how European misconceptions of Chinese governance complicate Sino-European collaboration in sustainable urbanization policies.

Premium Auctions and Risk Preferences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hu, A.; Offerman, T.J.S.; Zou, L.

2010-01-01

In a premium auction, the seller offers some "pay back", called premium, to the highest bidders. This paper investigates how the performance of such premium tactic is related to the participant's risk preferences. By developing an English premium auction model with symmetric interdependent values,

Preferred viewing distance and screen angle of electronic paper displays.

Science.gov (United States)

Shieh, Kong-King; Lee, Der-Song

2007-09-01

This study explored the viewing distance and screen angle for electronic paper (E-Paper) displays under various light sources, ambient illuminations, and character sizes. Data analysis showed that the mean viewing distance and screen angle were 495 mm and 123.7 degrees. The mean viewing distances for Kolin Chlorestic Liquid Crystal display was 500 mm, significantly longer than Sony electronic ink display, 491 mm. Screen angle for Kolin was 127.4 degrees, significantly greater than that of Sony, 120.0 degrees. Various light sources revealed no significant effect on viewing distances; nevertheless, they showed significant effect on screen angles. The screen angle for sunlight lamp (D65) was similar to that of fluorescent lamp (TL84), but greater than that of tungsten lamp (F). Ambient illumination and E-paper type had significant effects on viewing distance and screen angle. The higher the ambient illumination was, the longer the viewing distance and the lesser the screen angle. Character size had significant effect on viewing distances: the larger the character size, the longer the viewing distance. The results of this study indicated that the viewing distance for E-Paper was similar to that of visual display terminal (VDT) at around 500 mm, but greater than normal paper at about 360 mm. The mean screen angle was around 123.7 degrees, which in terms of viewing angle is 29.5 degrees below horizontal eye level. This result is similar to the general suggested viewing angle between 20 degrees and 50 degrees below the horizontal line of sight.

Testing the slope model of scheduling preferences on stated preference data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abegaz, Dereje Fentie; Hjorth, Katrine; Rich, Jeppe

2017-01-01

are expected to yield similar results. We use stated preference data to compare the valuation of travel time variability under a structural model where trip-timing preferences are defined in terms of time-dependent utility rates, the “slope model”, against its reduced-form model. Two choice experiments...... are used that are identical except one has a fixed departure time while the other allows respondents to choose departure time freely. The empirical results in this paper do not support the theoretical equivalence of the two models as the implied value of travel time variability under the reduced-form model......The valuation of travel time variability is derived either from a structural model, given information on departure time, or directly from a reduced-form model where departure time is assumed to be optimally chosen. The two models are theoretically equivalent under certain assumptions, hence...

HOW BRAND PERSONALITY INFLUENCES CONSUMER'S BRAND PREFERENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Țichindelean

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present paper is to identify if the congruence of the consumers personality with the perceived brand per-sonality increases their brand preferences. To achieve this purpose, the paper was structured in two parts; the first part contains a general literature review of the consumer behaviour theory and its influence factors and a more specific one regarding the consumer’s and brand personality concepts. The second part describes the used research methodology for achieving the paper’s purpose. The results of the underlying exploratory research confirmed the hypothesis that an overlapping of the consumers’ personality and the brand personality they perceive is positively correlated with their brand preferences.

Preference towards Control in Risk Taking: Control, No Control, or Randomize?

OpenAIRE

Li, King King

2010-01-01

This paper experimentally investigates preference towards different methods of control in risk taking. Participants are asked to choose between different ways for choosing which numbers to bet on for a gamble. They can choose the numbers themselves (control), let the experimenter choose (no control), or randomize. It is found that in addition to the more conventional preference for control, some participants prefer not to control, or randomization. These preferences are robust as participants...

Preferred skin color enhancement for photographic color reproduction

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Huanzhao; Luo, Ronnier

2011-01-01

Skin tones are the most important colors among the memory color category. Reproducing skin colors pleasingly is an important factor in photographic color reproduction. Moving skin colors toward their preferred skin color center improves the color preference of skin color reproduction. Several methods to morph skin colors to a smaller preferred skin color region has been reported in the past. In this paper, a new approach is proposed to further improve the result of skin color enhancement. An ellipsoid skin color model is applied to compute skin color probabilities for skin color detection and to determine a weight for skin color adjustment. Preferred skin color centers determined through psychophysical experiments were applied for color adjustment. Preferred skin color centers for dark, medium, and light skin colors are applied to adjust skin colors differently. Skin colors are morphed toward their preferred color centers. A special processing is applied to avoid contrast loss in highlight. A 3-D interpolation method is applied to fix a potential contouring problem and to improve color processing efficiency. An psychophysical experiment validates that the method of preferred skin color enhancement effectively identifies skin colors, improves the skin color preference, and does not objectionably affect preferred skin colors in original images.

Lo peculiar de los seres humanos no es la razón, sino la voluntad libre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PASCUAL F. MARTÍNEZ-FREIRE

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Mi tesis es que los seres humanos son agentes racionales pero no pueden ser definidos como los agentes racionales. Las ciencias cognitivas (psicología y neurociencia, y también la inteligencia artificial nos dicen que algunos animales y algunas máquinas son asimismo agentes racionales. En mi opinión el rasgo más característico de mujeres y hombres no es su dimensión racional sino su dimensión volicional, es decir, su aspecto de ser agentes libres. Es precisamente en este aspecto volicional donde encontramos los procesos mentales que muy probablemente son no-físicos (y quizás espirituales.

Windows of the Soul in the Worldview of Philo of Alexandria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Botica Aurelian

2017-10-01

Full Text Available One of the most important paradigm shifts in the history of Greek philosophy was the ‘rediscovery’ of transcendence in the movement of Intermediate Platonism. Less than a century before the birth of Hellenism (late 4th century BC, Plato had advocated an intentional preoccupation with the life of the mind / soul, encouraging the individual to avoid being entrapped in the material limitations of life and instead discover its transcendental dimension. The conquest of Athens by the Macedonians, followed by the invasion of the Orient by Alexander the Great, set in motion sociological and cultural changes that challenged the relevance of Platonic philosophy. The transcendental vision of Platonism left the individual still struggling to find happiness in the world created by Alexander the Great. This was the context in which the schools the of Cynicism, Stoicism, Epicureanism and Skepticism challenged Platonism with their call to happiness in this world and by means of the Hellenistic dominance and the rise of Roman supremacy stirred a renewed spiritual and philosophical effort to rediscover the world beyond; that is, the transcendental world of Plato. This was Middle Platonism and the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria was one of its most prolific writers. In this paper, we will examine the concept of the soul in the writings of Philo, with an emphasis on the role that the soul plays in the act of approaching God through the means of the external / material cult (Temple, sacrifices, priests, etc.. Philo offers a complex vision of the soul, one that remains critically relevant to understanding the Greek, Jewish, and Christian thought that emerged after Philo.

MAGDM linear-programming models with distinct uncertain preference structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zeshui S; Chen, Jian

2008-10-01

Group decision making with preference information on alternatives is an interesting and important research topic which has been receiving more and more attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to investigate multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems with distinct uncertain preference structures. We develop some linear-programming models for dealing with the MAGDM problems, where the information about attribute weights is incomplete, and the decision makers have their preferences on alternatives. The provided preference information can be represented in the following three distinct uncertain preference structures: 1) interval utility values; 2) interval fuzzy preference relations; and 3) interval multiplicative preference relations. We first establish some linear-programming models based on decision matrix and each of the distinct uncertain preference structures and, then, develop some linear-programming models to integrate all three structures of subjective uncertain preference information provided by the decision makers and the objective information depicted in the decision matrix. Furthermore, we propose a simple and straightforward approach in ranking and selecting the given alternatives. It is worth pointing out that the developed models can also be used to deal with the situations where the three distinct uncertain preference structures are reduced to the traditional ones, i.e., utility values, fuzzy preference relations, and multiplicative preference relations. Finally, we use a practical example to illustrate in detail the calculation process of the developed approach.

Preference learning with evolutionary Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abou-Zleikha, Mohamed; Shaker, Noor; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll

2015-01-01

This paper introduces a novel approach for pairwise preference learning through combining an evolutionary method with Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS). Collecting users' feedback through pairwise preferences is recommended over other ranking approaches as this method is more appealing...... for function approximation as well as being relatively easy to interpret. MARS models are evolved based on their efficiency in learning pairwise data. The method is tested on two datasets that collectively provide pairwise preference data of five cognitive states expressed by users. The method is analysed...

Organisational Values in Higher Education: Perceptions and Preferences of Staff

Science.gov (United States)

Kleijnen, Jan; Dolmans, Diana; Muijtjens, Arno; Willems, Jos; Van Hout, Hans

2009-01-01

In this paper, staff members' perceptions about the organisational culture are measured. The questions addressed are: what are their opinions about the current and preferred organisational culture? Are there differences between the current and preferred situation? Do the perceptions differ per department? The Organisational Culture Assessment…

Employment preferences of Lithuanian MA graduates in economic studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaitiekus Novikevičius

2009-12-01

Full Text Available People may demonstrate preferences for different alternatives when choosing a workplace, for example: wages, career opportunities or workplace location. It is therefore important to determine which of the alternatives provides the maximum performance for the respondents. For this purpose, the authors have carried out extensive research of utility functions, originated theoretical models and / or employed practically. Unfortunately, there has been a lack of such research in Lithuania. The paper aims to examine the preferences and financial incentives based on the utility aspect Lithuanian master’s graduates in economic studies, including financial incentives, when they choose a workplace. The paper formulates the definition of the utility functions and the analysis its types. Moreover, it analyzes the utility functions of the MA graduates in economic studies from four universities, distinguishes their preferences and major financial incentives which give them the maximum utility.

Statistical analysis of subjective preferences for video enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Russell L.; Satgunam, PremNandhini; Bronstad, P. Matthew; Peli, Eli

2010-02-01

Measuring preferences for moving video quality is harder than for static images due to the fleeting and variable nature of moving video. Subjective preferences for image quality can be tested by observers indicating their preference for one image over another. Such pairwise comparisons can be analyzed using Thurstone scaling (Farrell, 1999). Thurstone (1927) scaling is widely used in applied psychology, marketing, food tasting and advertising research. Thurstone analysis constructs an arbitrary perceptual scale for the items that are compared (e.g. enhancement levels). However, Thurstone scaling does not determine the statistical significance of the differences between items on that perceptual scale. Recent papers have provided inferential statistical methods that produce an outcome similar to Thurstone scaling (Lipovetsky and Conklin, 2004). Here, we demonstrate that binary logistic regression can analyze preferences for enhanced video.

The Search for True Love in John Donne’s “The Extasie”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamemd Albalawi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available “The Extasie” is one of John Donne's most well known poems that demonstrate his distinctive understanding of love. Critics have argued over the interpretations of “The Extasie”. Some critics have conceived it as an expression of spiritual love and others looked at it as a satirical criticism. This paper attempts to show how “The Extasie” presents an example of great satirical poetry. The poem takes advocates of Platonic love in a mesmerizing journey when reading the first two-thirds of the poem. Ironically, the poem ends with a criticism of Platonisms who exclude the body from the notion of love.

Bayesian framework for managing preferences in decision-making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maes, Marc A.; Faber, Michael H.

2006-01-01

A rational decision-making process does not exclude the possibility of decision makers expressing different preferences and disagreeing regarding the effects of consequences and optimal course of actions. This point of view is explored in depth in this paper. A framework is developed that includes several decision makers (instead of just one) and allows for the variability of preferences among these decision makers. The information provided by the varying opinions of decision makers can be used to optimize our own decision-making. To achieve this, likelihood functions are developed for stated preferences among both discrete and continuous alternatives, and stated preference rankings of alternatives. Two applications are pursued: the optimization of the lifecycle utility of a structural system subject to consequences of failure proportional to the intensity of hazards exceeding a variable threshold, and to follow-up consequences. Also, the problem of tight decisions or close calls is investigated in order to explore the efficiency of a Bayesian approach using stated preferences and stated rankings

The Vocational Preference Inventory Scores and Environmental Preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Kunce, Joseph T.; Kappes, Bruno Maurice

1976-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between vocational interest measured by the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and preferences of 175 undergraduates for structured or unstructured environments. Males having clear-cut preferences for structured situations had significantly higher Realistic-Conventional scores than those without…

The impact of customer attractiveness and supplier satisfaction on becoming a preferred customer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pulles, Niels Jaring; Schiele, Holger; Veldman, Jasper; Hüttinger, Lisa

2015-01-01

This paper discusses how a firm can become preferred customer, defined as a particular buying firm to whom the supplier allocates better resources than less preferred buyers. Two concepts play a central role for a firm aiming to become preferred customer: (i) customer attractiveness and (ii)

The tell-tale look: viewing time, preferences, and prices.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian C Gunia

Full Text Available Even the simplest choices can prompt decision-makers to balance their preferences against other, more pragmatic considerations like price. Thus, discerning people's preferences from their decisions creates theoretical, empirical, and practical challenges. The current paper addresses these challenges by highlighting some specific circumstances in which the amount of time that people spend examining potential purchase items (i.e., viewing time can in fact reveal their preferences. Our model builds from the gazing literature, in a purchasing context, to propose that the informational value of viewing time depends on prices. Consistent with the model's predictions, four studies show that when prices are absent or moderate, viewing time provides a signal that is consistent with a person's preferences and purchase intentions. When prices are extreme or consistent with a person's preferences, however, viewing time is a less reliable predictor of either. Thus, our model highlights a price-contingent "viewing bias," shedding theoretical, empirical, and practical light on the psychology of preferences and visual attention, and identifying a readily observable signal of preference.

The tell-tale look: viewing time, preferences, and prices.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunia, Brian C; Murnighan, J Keith

2015-01-01

Even the simplest choices can prompt decision-makers to balance their preferences against other, more pragmatic considerations like price. Thus, discerning people's preferences from their decisions creates theoretical, empirical, and practical challenges. The current paper addresses these challenges by highlighting some specific circumstances in which the amount of time that people spend examining potential purchase items (i.e., viewing time) can in fact reveal their preferences. Our model builds from the gazing literature, in a purchasing context, to propose that the informational value of viewing time depends on prices. Consistent with the model's predictions, four studies show that when prices are absent or moderate, viewing time provides a signal that is consistent with a person's preferences and purchase intentions. When prices are extreme or consistent with a person's preferences, however, viewing time is a less reliable predictor of either. Thus, our model highlights a price-contingent "viewing bias," shedding theoretical, empirical, and practical light on the psychology of preferences and visual attention, and identifying a readily observable signal of preference.

Learning User Preferences for Sets of Objects

Science.gov (United States)

desJardins, Marie; Eaton, Eric; Wagstaff, Kiri L.

2006-01-01

Most work on preference learning has focused on pairwise preferences or rankings over individual items. In this paper, we present a method for learning preferences over sets of items. Our learning method takes as input a collection of positive examples--that is, one or more sets that have been identified by a user as desirable. Kernel density estimation is used to estimate the value function for individual items, and the desired set diversity is estimated from the average set diversity observed in the collection. Since this is a new learning problem, we introduce a new evaluation methodology and evaluate the learning method on two data collections: synthetic blocks-world data and a new real-world music data collection that we have gathered.

On the nature of voters' coalition preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Plescia, Carolina; Aichholzer, Julian

2017-07-03

An expanding literature indicates that in multiparty systems with coalition governments, citizens consider the post-electoral bargaining process among parties when casting their vote. Yet, we know surprisingly little about the nature of voters' coalition preferences. This paper uses data from the Austrian National Election Study to examine the determinants as well as the independence of preferences for coalitions as political object. We find that coalition preferences are strongly informed by spatial considerations; but additional non-ideological factors, such as party and leader preferences, also play a fundamental role. We also find that coalitions enjoy a certain degree of independence from other objects of vote choice and they do not always represent a simple average score on the feeling thermometer of the constituent parties. There are, however, substantial differences among voters, with party identifiers and those with extreme ideology being less likely to consider coalitions as separate entities from their component parties.

On the nature of voters’ coalition preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Plescia, Carolina; Aichholzer, Julian

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT An expanding literature indicates that in multiparty systems with coalition governments, citizens consider the post-electoral bargaining process among parties when casting their vote. Yet, we know surprisingly little about the nature of voters’ coalition preferences. This paper uses data from the Austrian National Election Study to examine the determinants as well as the independence of preferences for coalitions as political object. We find that coalition preferences are strongly informed by spatial considerations; but additional non-ideological factors, such as party and leader preferences, also play a fundamental role. We also find that coalitions enjoy a certain degree of independence from other objects of vote choice and they do not always represent a simple average score on the feeling thermometer of the constituent parties. There are, however, substantial differences among voters, with party identifiers and those with extreme ideology being less likely to consider coalitions as separate entities from their component parties. PMID:28824702

Market mechanisms and customer preferences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boethius, O. [Volvo Car Corporation, Goeteborg (Sweden)

1995-12-31

The paper relates to market mechanisms and customer preferences regarding alternative fuels for road transports. Globally, road transports are to 99% dependent on crude oil. According to the author, one third of the crude oil is consumed for road transports. The use of natural gas as an alternative fuel is discussed in this connection

The Survival and Welfare Implications of Altruism when Preferences are Endogenous

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Anders

This paper is a contribution to the economic literature studying altruism. In a simple evolutionary model of endogenous preferences we show that individuals with altruistic preferences can survive. We also analyze the material welfare implications of altruism. Policies that promote altruism in th...

The Multimedia Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale 2: Its Psychometric Properties, Equivalence with the Paper-and-Pencil Version, and Respondent Preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Flahive, Mon-hsin Wang; Chuang, Ying-Chih; Li, Chien-Mo

2015-01-01

A multimedia version of Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale 2 (Piers-Harris 2) was created with audio and cartoon animation to facilitate the measurement of self-concept among younger children. This study aimed to assess the psychometric qualities of the computer version of Piers-Harris 2 scores, examine its score equivalence with the paper-and-pencil version, and survey the respondent preference of the two versions. Two hundred and forty eight Taiwanese students from the first to fourth grade were recruited. In regard to the psychometric properties, high internal consistency (α = .91) was found for the total score of multimedia Piers-Harris 2. High interscale correlations (.77 to .83) of the multimedia Piers-Harris 2 scores and the results of confirmatory factor analysis suggested the multimedia Piers-Harris 2 contained good structural characteristics. The scores of the multimedia Piers-Harris 2 also had significant correlations with the scores of the Elementary School Children's Self Concept Scale. The equality of convergence and criterion-related validities of Piers-Harris 2 scores for the multimedia and paper-and-pencil versions and the results of ICCs between the scores of the multimedia and paper-and-pencil Piers-Harris 2 suggested their high level of equivalence. Participants showed more positive attitudes towards the multimedia version.

The Multimedia Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale 2: Its Psychometric Properties, Equivalence with the Paper-and-Pencil Version, and Respondent Preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Flahive, Mon-hsin Wang; Chuang, Ying-Chih; Li, Chien-Mo

2015-01-01

A multimedia version of Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale 2 (Piers-Harris 2) was created with audio and cartoon animation to facilitate the measurement of self-concept among younger children. This study aimed to assess the psychometric qualities of the computer version of Piers-Harris 2 scores, examine its score equivalence with the paper-and-pencil version, and survey the respondent preference of the two versions. Two hundred and forty eight Taiwanese students from the first to fourth grade were recruited. In regard to the psychometric properties, high internal consistency (α = .91) was found for the total score of multimedia Piers-Harris 2. High interscale correlations (.77 to .83) of the multimedia Piers-Harris 2 scores and the results of confirmatory factor analysis suggested the multimedia Piers-Harris 2 contained good structural characteristics. The scores of the multimedia Piers-Harris 2 also had significant correlations with the scores of the Elementary School Children’s Self Concept Scale. The equality of convergence and criterion-related validities of Piers-Harris 2 scores for the multimedia and paper-and-pencil versions and the results of ICCs between the scores of the multimedia and paper-and-pencil Piers-Harris 2 suggested their high level of equivalence. Participants showed more positive attitudes towards the multimedia version. PMID:26252499

Toward a better understanding of the relation between music preference, listening behavior, and personality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dunn, Greg; Ruyter, de B.E.R.; Bouwhuis, D.G.

2012-01-01

Previous research relating personality and music preferences has often measured such reported preferences according to genre labels. To support previous research, the current paper has expanded investigation of the relation between personality and music preferences to include direct measurement of

Music playlist recommendation based on user heartbeat and music preference

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, H.; Hu, J.; Rauterberg, G.W.M.

2009-01-01

In this paper, we present a new user heartbeat and preference aware music recommendation system. The system can not only recommend a music playlist based on the user’s music preference but also the music playlist is generated based on the user’s heartbeat. If the user’s heartbeat is higher than the

Preference dominance reasoning for conversational recommender systems: a comparison between a comparative preferences and a sum of weights approach

OpenAIRE

Trabelsi, Walid; Wilson, Nic; Bridge, Derek G.; Ricci, Francesco

2011-01-01

A conversational recommender system iteratively shows a small set of options for its user to choose between. In order to select these options, the system may analyze the queries tried by the user to derive whether one option is dominated by others with respect to the user's preferences. The system can then suggest that the user try one of the undominated options, as they represent the best options in the light of the user preferences elicited so far. This paper describes a framework for prefe...

Tractable Pareto Optimization of Temporal Preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Robert; Morris, Paul; Khatib, Lina; Venable, Brent

2003-01-01

This paper focuses on temporal constraint problems where the objective is to optimize a set of local preferences for when events occur. In previous work, a subclass of these problems has been formalized as a generalization of Temporal CSPs, and a tractable strategy for optimization has been proposed, where global optimality is defined as maximizing the minimum of the component preference values. This criterion for optimality, which we call 'Weakest Link Optimization' (WLO), is known to have limited practical usefulness because solutions are compared only on the basis of their worst value; thus, there is no requirement to improve the other values. To address this limitation, we introduce a new algorithm that re-applies WLO iteratively in a way that leads to improvement of all the values. We show the value of this strategy by proving that, with suitable preference functions, the resulting solutions are Pareto Optimal.

The effect of personal experience on choice-based preferences for wildfire protection programs

Science.gov (United States)

Tom Holmes; Armando Gonzalez-Caban; John Loomis; Jose Sanchez

2013-01-01

In this paper, we investigate homeowner preferences and willingness to pay for wildfire protection programs using a choice experiment with three attributes: risk, loss and cost. Preference heterogeneity among survey respondents was examined using three econometric models and risk preferences were evaluated by comparing willingness to pay for wildfire protection...

Extinction, Spontaneous Recovery and Renewal of Flavor Preferences Based on Taste-Taste Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Estrella; De la Casa, L. G.

2011-01-01

This paper presents evidence of extinction, spontaneous recovery and renewal in a conditioned preferences paradigm based on taste-taste associations. More specifically, in three experiments rats exposed to a simultaneous compound of citric acid-saccharin solution showed a preference for the citric solution when the preference was measured with a…

Decision heuristic or preference? Attribute non-attendance in discrete choice problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Heidenreich, Sebastian; Watson, Verity; Ryan, Mandy; Phimister, Euan

2018-01-01

This paper investigates if respondents' choice to not consider all characteristics of a multiattribute health service may represent preferences. Over the last decade, an increasing number of studies account for attribute non-attendance (ANA) when using discrete choice experiments to elicit individuals' preferences. Most studies assume such behaviour is a heuristic and therefore uninformative. This assumption may result in misleading welfare estimates if ANA reflects preferences. This is the first paper to assess if ANA is a heuristic or genuine preference without relying on respondents' self-stated motivation and the first study to explore this question within a health context. Based on findings from cognitive psychology, we expect that familiar respondents are less likely to use a decision heuristic to simplify choices than unfamiliar respondents. We employ a latent class model of discrete choice experiment data concerned with National Health Service managers' preferences for support services that assist with performance concerns. We present quantitative and qualitative evidence that in our study ANA mostly represents preferences. We also show that wrong assumptions about ANA result in inadequate welfare measures that can result in suboptimal policy advice. Future research should proceed with caution when assuming that ANA is a heuristic. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Are the streams of the Sinos River basin of good water quality? Aquatic macroinvertebrates may answer the question

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Bieger

Full Text Available Macroinvertebrate communities are one of the most used groups in assessments of water quality, since they respond directly to the level of contamination of aquatic ecosystems. The main objective of this study was the assessment of the water quality of the Sinos River basin (Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil through biotic indices based on the macroinvertebrate community ("Family Biotic Index - FBI", and "Biological Monitoring Working Party Score System - BMWP". Three lower order streams (2nd order were selected in each one of three main regions of the basin. In each stream, the samplings were performed in three reaches (upper, middle, and lower, totalling 27 reaches. Two samplings were carried in each reach over one year (winter and summer. A total of 6,847 macroinvertebrates distributed among 54 families were sampled. The streams from the upper region were of better water quality than the lower region. The water quality did not change between the upper, middle and lower reaches of the streams. However, the upper reaches of the streams were of better water quality in all the regions of the basin. The water quality of the streams did not vary between the summer and the winter. This result demonstrated that water quality may be analysed in both studied seasons (summer and winter using biotic indices. The analysis of the results allows us to conclude that the biotic indices used reflected the changes related to the water quality along the longitudinal gradient of the basin. Thus, aquatic macroinvertebrates were important bioindicators of the water and environmental quality of the streams of the Sinos River basin.

Rivas y Verdi: Las trampas de la libertad en La fuerza del sino y La forza del destino

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Egido, Aurora

2012-06-01

Full Text Available A comparative analysis between Duque de Rivas’Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino and La forza del destino by Giuseppe Verdi shows, even in their very titles, the close relationship between Spain and Italy since the days of the Golden Age. Both works posit the old theological problem of compatibility between predestination and free will, while adding new social and political insights into social and racial differences and highlighting the narrowness of the code of honour. Otherwise, as far as the admixture of genres or the treatment of costumbrismo and nationalism are concerned, the difference between both works increases in the second version of Verdi´s opera, in which the alteration of the denouement wipes out the tragical dimension of the spanish play.Un análisis comparativo entre Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino del duque de Rivas y La forza del destino de Giuseppe Verdi demuestra, ya desde sus títulos, un viaje de y vuelta entre España e Italia que tiene como fondo la literatura del Siglo de Oro. Ambas obras plantean el viejo problema entre providencia y libertad, añadiendo nuevos relieves sociales y políticos sobre las diferencias de clase y raza que ponen en evidencia las estrecheces del código del honor. Las diferencias entre ambas —más allá de la mezcla genérica, el tratamiento costumbrista y el nacionalismo— se acentúan en la segunda versión de la ópera verdiana, que, al cambiar el desenlace, destruyó el sentido trágico del drama español.

Constructing a Measurement Method of Differences in Group Preferences Based on Relative Entropy

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Shiyu Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the research and data analysis of the differences involved in group preferences, conventional statistical methods cannot reflect the integrity and preferences of human minds; in particular, it is difficult to exclude humans’ irrational factors. This paper introduces a preference amount model based on relative entropy theory. A related expansion is made based on the characteristics of the questionnaire data, and we also construct the parameters to measure differences in the data distribution of different groups on the whole. In this paper, this parameter is called the center distance, and it effectively reflects the preferences of human minds. Using the survey data of securities market participants as an example, this paper analyzes differences in market participants’ attitudes toward the effectiveness of securities regulation. Based on this method, differences between groups that were overlooked by analysis of variance are found, and certain aspects obscured by general data characteristics are also found.

Urban and suburban lifestyles and residential preferences in a highly urbanized society

OpenAIRE

Pisman, Ann; Allaert, Georges; Lombaerde, Piet

2013-01-01

It is widely recognized that cities nowadays are confronted with (new) challenges like segregation and suburbanisation. This paper explores the idea that these processes are related with residential choices (or preferences) made by residents with divergent lifestyles and value patterns. The paper focuses on differences between urban and suburban lifestyles and residential preferences. Firstly the concept of lifestyles in general, and urban and suburban lifestyles more specifically, are approa...

Independent preferences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vind, Karl

1991-01-01

A simple mathematical result characterizing a subset of a product set is proved and used to obtain additive representations of preferences. The additivity consequences of independence assumptions are obtained for preferences which are not total or transitive. This means that most of the economic ...... theory based on additive preferences - expected utility, discounted utility - has been generalized to preferences which are not total or transitive. Other economic applications of the theorem are given...

Consumer Preferences Toward Marine Tourism Area

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Silvy Fauziah

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The marine zone tourism is growing attracting more tourists. Pramuka Island is marine conservation area enriched with marine biodiversity in coral reefs and other natural resources. To develop this potential tourist destination, a customer-based marketing program is required to attract domestic and foreign tourists. The main vision is to understand tourist preferences for marine tourism activities and facilities. A research was conducted on Pramuka Island as a well-known marine tourism zone. The objective was to determine the key tourist preferences for marine tourism destination. Research methods utilized Cochran Q test and Conjoint analysis where the primary data were obtained from tourist respondents. The result showed that there was a tourist preference based on the five attributes considered most important, namely tourism activities, tourist attractions, types of accommodation, food and souvenirs types. This study provided marine tourism destination management with useful guidance for broader implications of the implementation of marketing programs and tourism attraction. Moreover, the results of this study consolidated the learning of a variety of academic and industrial research papers in particular for the measurement of customer preferences towards marine tourism destination.

Ontologies and Epistemologies to Achieve Knowledge in Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz’s Poem «Primero Sueño»

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Lydia Deni Gamboa López

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this article, I propose reading one section of sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s poem «Primero Sueño» as a philosophical reflexion about the discussion between realists and nominalists, on the one hand, and as a reflexion about the preferable based realist/nominalist methodology on the other hand. The realist perspective presented in this poem has a Platonic-Augustinian character. The nominalist perspective —an ontology which sor Juana seems to have preferred— has an Ockhamist vein.

LONG-RUN OPERATING PERFORMANCE OF PREFERRED STOCK ISSUERS

OpenAIRE

Devrim Yaman

2011-01-01

In this paper, we study the long-run operating performance of preferred stock issuers. We use three different measures of operating performance; pre-tax cash flows, profit margin and return on assets. We study the performance of industrial firms, financial firms, and utilities separately, as well as the performance of the whole sample. Our results indicate that the operating performance of preferred stock issuers as a whole declines in the three-years before the issue. We find that profitabil...

Traveler Preference for Park-and-Ride Facilities: Empirical Evidence of Generalizability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bos, D.M.; Heijden, R.E.C.M. van der; Molin, E.; Timmermans, H.

2005-01-01

This paper reports the main findings of a study, conducted in the Netherlands, aimed at testing whether preference functions for park-and-ride facilities, estimated from data collected in a specific Dutch region, can be generalized to a nationwide sample. Preference data in both samples were

Beyond the goodness of fit: A preference-based account of Europeanization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mastenbroek, E.; Keulen, M. van; Haverland, M; Holzhacker, R

2006-01-01

This paper is concerned with formulating and testing a preference-based explanation of EU implementation. The hypothesis is that, rather than the ‘goodness of fit’ with existing policies, the fit with national preferences predicts the ease of implementation of new EU legislation. This hypothesis is

Explorations of the Effect of Experience on Preferences for a Health-Care Service

OpenAIRE

Neuman, Einat; Neuman, Shoshana

2007-01-01

The standard assumption in economic theory is that preferences do not change as a result of experience with the commodity/service/event. Behavioural scientists have challenged this assumption, claiming that preferences constantly do change as experience is accumulated. This paper tests the effect of experience with a health-care service on preferences for maternity-ward attributes. In order to explore the effect of experience on preferences, the research sample was decomposed into three sub-s...

Effect of capital constraints on risk preference behavior of commercial banks

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Li Ma; Junxun Dai; Xian Huang

2011-01-01

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the financial supervision authority utilizes the restrictions of capital constraints imposing on commercial banks the need to develop the macro economy.Design/methodology/approach-This paper uses multilateral game to deduce the loan characteristics of banks,vector and void coordinates to analyze the behavior choices of banks under capital supervision,sets up an index to describe the risk preference of banks,and analyzes the process with Chinese data empirically.Findings-This paper finds big banks have a loan preference for big enterprises and small banks have a preference for establishing a bank syndicate to pursue large projects.Further,the paper notes the conditions by which the heterology banks choose loans across the border and proves that changes of capital requirements would force the credit structure of the commercial banks to adjust along an efficient frontier broken line or an efficient frontier plane under the conditions of interest rate regulation or interest rate marketization,respectively.Research limitations/implications-It is very complex to describe the choices of risk behavior of banks and the simple supervision method needs to be adjusted.Practical implications-This paper finds that banks show risk preferences of credit structure,and capital constraints would affect it greatly;regulators should guard against capital constraint softening.Originality/value-It is the first time that the conditions of banks beyond the loan border have been studied and the behavior adjustment of banks using the vector and void coordinate analyzed.

Preferred vs Actual Working Hours in Couple Households

OpenAIRE

Yi-Ping Tseng; Mark Wooden

2005-01-01

Working hours in Australia are quite widely distributed around the population mean. That is, there are relatively many people working both relatively short hours and relatively long hours each week. From a welfare perspective, however, it is not the actual number of hours worked that is of importance, but whether the hours being worked are consistent with individual preferences. In this paper the question of how closely hours preferences are being met is examined using data collected in the f...

Water quality assessment of the Sinos River – RS, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Steffens

Full Text Available Worldwide environmental pollution is increasing at the same rate as social and economic development. This growth, however, is disorganized and leads to increased degradation of water resources. Water, which was once considered inexhaustible, has become the focus of environmental concerns because it is essential for life and for many production processes. This article describes monitoring of the water quality at three points along the Sinos River (RS, Brazil, one in each of the upper, middle and lower stretches. The points were sampled in 2013 and again in 2014. The water samples were analyzed to determine the following physical and chemical parameters plus genotoxicity to fish: metals (Cr, Fe, Al, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, chlorides, conductivity, total suspended solids, total phosphorous, total and fecal coliforms, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, total Kjeldahl nitrogen nitrate and ammoniacal nitrogen. Genotoxicity was tested by exposing individuals of the species Astyanax jacuhiensis to water samples and then comparing them with a control group exposed to water from the public water supply. The results confirmed the presence of substances with genotoxic potential at the sample points located in the middle and lower stretches of the river. The results for samples from the upper stretch, at P1, did not exhibit differences in relation to the control group. The physical and chemical analyses did not detect reductions in water quality in the lower stretch, as had been expected in view of the large volumes of domestic and industrial effluents discharged into this part of the river.

Measuring customer preferences in the German statutory health insurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Pendzialek, Jonas B; Simic, Dusan; Stock, Stephanie

2017-09-01

This paper investigates consumer preferences in the German statutory health insurance market. It further aims to test whether preferences differ by age and health status. Evidence is provided by a discrete choice experiment conducted in 2014 using the six most important attributes in sickness fund competition and ten random generated choice sets per participant. Price is found to be the most important attribute followed by additional benefits, managed care programmes, and distance to nearest branch. Other positive attributes of sickness funds are found to balance out a higher price, which would allow a sickness fund to position itself as high quality. However, significant differences in preferences were found between age and health status group. In particular, compromised health is associated with higher preference for illness-related additional benefits and less distance to the lowest branch, but lower preference for a lower price. Based on these differences, a distinct sickness fund offer could be constructed that would allow passive risk selection.

Phylogenetic analyses of Begonia sect. Coelocentrum and allied limestone species of China shed light on the evolution of Sino-Vietnamese karst flora.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Kuo-Fang; Leong, Wai-Chao; Rubite, Rosario Rivera; Repin, Rimi; Kiew, Ruth; Liu, Yan; Peng, Ching-I

2014-12-01

The picturesque limestone karsts across the Sino-Vietnamese border are renowned biodiversity hotspot, distinguished for extremely high endemism of calciphilous plants restricted to caves and cave-like microhabitats that have functioned as biological refugia on the otherwise harsh habitats. To understand evolutionary mechanisms underlying the splendid limestone flora, dated phylogeny is reconstructed for Asian Begonia, a species-rich genus on limestone substrates represented by no less than 60 species in southern China, using DNA sequences of nrITS and chloroplast rpL16 intron. The sampling includes 94 Begonia species encompassing most major Asian clades with a special emphasized on Chinese species. Except for two tuberous deciduous species and a species with upright stems, a majority of Sino-Vietnamese limestone Begonia (SVLB), including sect. Coelocentrum (19 species sampled) and five species of sect. Diploclinium, Leprosae, and Petermannia, are rhizomatous and grouped in a strongly supported and yet internally poorly resolved clade (Clade SVLB), suggesting a single evolutionary origin of the adaptation to limestone substrates by rhizomatous species, subsequent species radiation, and a strong tendency to retain their ancestral niche. Divergence-time estimates indicate a late Miocene diversification of Clade SVLB, coinciding with the onset of the East Asian monsoon and the period of extensive karstification in the area. Based on our phylogenetic study, Begonia sect. Coelocentrum is recircumscribed and expanded to include other members of the Clade SVLB (sect. Diploclinium: B. cavaleriei, B. pulvinifera, and B. wangii; sect. Leprosae: B. cylindrica and B. leprosa; sect. Petermannia: B. sinofloribunda). Because species of Clade SVLB have strong niche conservatism to retain in their ancestral habitats in cave-like microhabitats and Begonia are generally poor dispersers prone to diversify allopatrically, we propose that extensive and continuous karstification of the

Preference effects on friendship choice: Evidence from an online field experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Siyu; Xie, Yu

2017-08-01

Observed friendship choices are constrained by social structures and thus problematic indicators for underlying personal preferences. In this paper, we report on a study demonstrating the causal effects of preference in friendship choice based on an online field experiment. Specifically, we tested two important forces that govern friendship choices: preference for shared group identity (operationalized as the desire to befriend others sharing the same place-of-origin identity) and preference for high status (operationalized as the desire to befriend others from high-status institutions). Using an online field experiment in one of the largest social network service websites in China, we investigated the causal preference effects of these two forces free from structural constraints. The results of our study confirm the preference effects on friendship choice in both of the two dimensions we tested. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Transitivity of Preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Regenwetter, Michel; Dana, Jason; Davis-Stober, Clintin P.

2011-01-01

Transitivity of preferences is a fundamental principle shared by most major contemporary rational, prescriptive, and descriptive models of decision making. To have transitive preferences, a person, group, or society that prefers choice option "x" to "y" and "y" to "z" must prefer "x" to…

Circles, Materiality and Movement

Science.gov (United States)

Chorney, Sean

2017-01-01

This paper approaches the concept of the circle through the framework of mathematics-as-becoming. This paper focuses specifically on how a concept can be thought of as a process, and on the implications that this might have for mathematics learning. Contrary to long-standing assumptions about mathematical concepts as ideal, inert, Platonic forms,…

Risk-averse and Risk-seeking Investor Preferences for Oil Spot and Futures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.H. Lean (Hooi Hooi); M.J. McAleer (Michael); W.-K. Wong (Wing-Keung)

2013-01-01

textabstractThis paper examines risk-averse and risk-seeking investor preferences for oil spot and futures prices by using the mean-variance (MV) criterion and stochastic dominance (SD) approach. The MV findings cannot distinguish between the preferences of spot and futures markets. However, the SD

Consumers´ purchasing preferences towards organic food in Slovakia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdenka Kádeková

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Submitted paper deals with the consumers´ purchasing preferences towards organic food in Slovakia, pointing at the situation on the organic food market in Slovakia finding the consumers' preferences when buying organic food. The results of the questionnaire survey identified the preferences and opinions of respondents about organic food. Paper analyses the questionnaire survey by 227 respondents concerning the purchasing preferences towards organic food in Slovakia. In order to achieve given aim and to ensure deeper analysis of the results, there had been stated 3 assumptions and 5 hypothesis. As the results of the survey proved, 65% of respondents buy organic food, of which 39% of respondents buy organic food at least once a week. Up to 98% of respondents have already met the concept of organic food and know what it means. 37 % of respondents buy mostly organic fruit and vegetables, 18% of respondents buy the most the meat and meat products in organic quality and 13% of respondents prefer dairy products in organic quality. The most preferred place to buy organic food are specialized stores (36 %,to buy organic food directly from the producer is the most popular way for 29 % of respondents, hypermarket and supermarkets are favorite place to buy organic food for 19% of respondents, and 12% of respondents buy organic food mostly in farmers´ markets. Only 4% of respondents prefer another way to buy organic food. Quality of organic food and not using the pesticides is the most important criteria for buying organic food (36%. Price has also really strong influence on purchasing decision, when 34% of respondents are the most affected by the price when purchasing organic food. Package is considered as the least important criteria when buying organic food by 72% of respondents. On the basis of provided results of our survey and formulated hypothesis which were evaluated by Chi-square goodness of fit test, Chi square test of the square contingency and

Estimating the Preferences of Central Bankers : An Analysis of Four Voting Records

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eijffinger, S.C.W.; Mahieu, R.J.; Raes, L.B.D.

2013-01-01

Abstract: This paper analyzes the voting records of four central banks (Sweden, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic) with spatial models of voting. We infer the policy preferences of the monetary policy committee members and use these to analyze the evolution in preferences over time and the

Adoção de Alianças Estratégicas por Empresas dos Pólos Calçadistas do Vale do Rio dos Sinos-RS e de Franca-SP: um estudo exploratórioAdoption of Strategic Alliances by Shoes Industries of the Vale do Rio dos Sinos-RS and Franca-SP clusters: an exploratory studyAdopción de Alianzas Estratégicas por Empresas de los Polos Calzadistas del Vale do Rio dos Sinos-RS y de Franca-SP: un estudio exploratorio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ALMEIDA, Lauro Brito de

2008-03-01

Full Text Available RESUMOA nova configuração ambiental das empresas, fruto da relativa abertura de mercado provocada pela globalização, tem se constituído em mais um desafio para assegurar a continuidade dos negócios. Estratégias competitivas têm sido implementadas visando superar tal desafio e, dentre elas, as alianças estratégicas têm se revelado uma alternativa viável. Nesse contexto, este artigo tem como objetivo investigar o grau de utilização de alianças estratégicas por médias e grandes empresas que compõem os pólos calçadistas do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (RS e de Franca (SP. A pesquisa, classificada como exploratória e descritiva, teve a participação de 54 empresas, sendo 33 do Vale do Rio dos Sinos e 21 de Franca, as quais responderam a um questionário elaborado com perguntas em sua maioria fechadas. A análise dos dados deu-se através da estatística descritiva, aplicando-se freqüência percentual relativa, identificando-se a representativa das respostas obtidas em relação ao conjunto. Principais conclusões: a maioria das empresas tem atividades conjuntas; as empresas estão mais próximas das alianças transacionais do que das estratégicas; as alianças com concorrentes são inexpressivas – predominam fornecedores e clientes; o controle do resultado das alianças é insuficiente; confiança e parceiro adequado são fatores determinantes.ABSTRACTThe new environment of the companies, result of the relative opening of the market caused by the globalization has set a new challenge to assure the continuity of the businesses. Competitive strategies have been implemented aiming to overcome such challenge and, amongst them, strategic alliances have shown to be a viable alternative. In this context, this article has as objective to investigate the degree of use of strategic alliances by the medium and large companies of the shoes industries located in clusters of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (RS and Franca (SP. This exploratory and

Citizen preference assessment for power supply visions using choice experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakatani, Jun; Tahara, Kiyotaka; Tanaka, Koji; Matsumoto, Shinya; Mizuno, Tateki

2015-01-01

In this paper, citizen preferences for power supply visions were assessed using choice experiments. In particular, preferences for the composition of power generation including renewable energy and nuclear power were analyzed. We also investigated how the need and consciousness for electricity saving affected the preferences for power supply visions. The results indicated that a respondent group who felt negative about resuming the operations at nuclear power plants had discriminative preferences for attributes of the power supply visions, and that the priority of carbon dioxide emissions as a criterion for evaluating the power supply visions became lower when the composition of power generation was presented. Consciousness for electricity saving, as well as preferences for nuclear power generation, differed depending on regions of residence, while their relationship was similar among respondent groups who lived in the jurisdictional areas of the electric power companies that had experienced risks of demand-supply gaps. (author)

The C-300 soft X-ray power measurement on Sino-Russian joint Z-pinch experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ning Jiamin; Jiang Shilun; Xu Rongkun; Guo Cun

2008-06-01

The measurement system for soft X-ray radiation power was introduced which applied in Sino-Russia joint Z-pinch experiments on C-300. The system measured the soft X-ray radiation power and energy, investigated relation between radiation power and time, and provided the time-relating signals. The type of experimental wire array loads were tungsten wire array single layer, aluminum wire array and nested wire array, and obtained the radiation wave, power and energy. Radiation peak of double wire array generally lower than that of single wire, radial radiation synchronization didn't obviously affected radiation front, fast pulse front may reflect better homogenous of plasma inner explosive which generally produced higher radiation power. There are no direct relationship between wide and power of radiation pulse. The micro-structures of wire array load were a very important factor for radiation power. Increasing the homogenous of wire array gap could optimize radiation synchronization and obviously increased the radiation power. (authors)

Building bridges to operationalise one health – A Sino-Swedish collaboration to tackle antibiotic resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Otto Cars

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Antibiotic resistance is a complex global health challenge. The recent Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance highlights the importance of adopting One Health approaches that can cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. We report on the early experiences of a multisectoral Sino-Swedish research project that aims to address gaps in our current knowledge and seeks to improve the situation through system-wide interventions. Our research project is investigating antibiotic use and resistance in a rural area of China through a combination of epidemiological, health systems and laboratory investigations. We reflect here on the challenges inherent in conducting long distance cross-disciplinary collaborations, having now completed data and sample collection for a baseline situation analysis. In particular, we recognise the importance of investing in aspects such as effective communication, shared conceptual frameworks and leadership. We suggest that our experiences will be instructive to others planning to develop similar international One Health collaborations.

Estimating the preferences of central bankers : an analysis of four voting records

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eijffinger, S.C.W.; Mahieu, R.J.; Raes, L.

2013-01-01

This paper analyzes the voting records of four central banks (Sweden, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic) with spatial models of voting. We infer the policy preferences of the monetary policy committee members and use these to analyze the evolution in preferences over time and the differences in

Personal traits underlying environmental preferences: a discrete choice experiment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Soliño

Full Text Available Personality plays a role in human behavior, and thus can influence consumer decisions on environmental goods and services. This paper analyses the influence of the big five personality dimensions (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness in a discrete choice experiment dealing with preferences for the development of an environmental program for forest management in Spain. For this purpose, a reduced version of the Big Five Inventory survey (the BFI-10 is implemented. Results show a positive effect of openness and extraversion and a negative effect of agreeableness and neuroticism in consumers' preferences for this environmental program. Moreover, results from a latent class model show that personal traits help to explain preference heterogeneity.

Elicitation of preferences for improvements in ostomy pouches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonnichsen, Ole

This paper attempts to examine and measure ostomates’ preferences for improvements in ostomy pouches. Described are the study design, elicitation procedure and resulting preference structure of the Swedish ostomate sample. The method used to elicit the preferences is a Discrete Choice Experiment...... (DCE), where respondents are asked to choose between alternatives in choice sets. Each alternative is comprised of a number of attributes relating to the adhesive, filter and flexibility of ostomy pouches. The choice between alternatives made by the respondent implies an implicit trade-off between...... the attributes and allows for the estimation of individuals’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) for the attributes of ostomy pouches when cost is included as an attribute. The data consists of 254 ostomates responding to the survey. The respondents have positive WTP for all improvement attributes presented to them...

Preferences of Moravian consumers when buying food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana Turčínková

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents results of research of preferences of Moravian consumers when buying food. The research focuses on characteristics of consumer behavior on the market with food, the preferences of product characteristics, price characteristics, convenient distribution and influence of selected marketing communication tools. The data collection was conducted via questionnaire in April through June 2010 on a sample of 2017 respondents by a research team of Department of Marketing and Trade at FBE MENDELU in Brno. The results suggest that Moravian consumers prefer retail stores with fresh food (mean = 7.99 and wider assortment (7.71, their choice of outlet is also influenced by the convenience of its location – the most preferred are the ones nearest to respondents’ homes or job (7.31, nevertheless, there is greater variability in level of agreement with this behavior among respondents. Respondents develop a certain level of loyalty, most of them have their favorite store and do no alternate much (7.26. However, they tend to be as savvy as possible (6.89 and take their time to consider their final choice (6.52.

Hesitant Probabilistic Multiplicative Preference Relations in Group Decision Making

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Zia Bashir

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The preference of one alternative over another is a useful way to express the opinion of the decision-maker. In the process of group decision-making, preference relations are used in preference modeling of the alternatives under given criteria. The probability is an important tool to deal with uncertainty and, in many scenarios of decision-making problems, the probabilities of different events affect the decision-making process directly. In order to deal with this issue, the hesitant probabilistic multiplicative preference relation (HPMPR is defined in this paper. Furthermore, consistency of the HPMPR and consensus among decision makers are studied here. In this respect, many algorithms are developed to achieve consistency of HPMPRs, reasonable consensus between decision-makers and a final algorithm is proposed comprehending all other algorithms, presenting a complete decision support model for group decision-making. Lastly, we present a case study with complete illustration of the proposed model and discuss the effects of probabilities on decision-making validating the importance of the introduction of probability in hesitant multiplicative preference relations.

Factors Influencing Parents' Preferences and Parents' Perceptions of Child Preferences of Picturebooks

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Laura

2017-01-01

This study examined factors influencing parents' preferences and their perceptions of their children's preferences for picturebooks. First, a content analysis was conducted on a set of picturebooks (N = 87) drawn from the sample described in Wagner (2013); Then, parents (N = 149) rated the books and several content properties were examined for their ability to predict parents' preferences and their perception of their children's preferences. The initial content analysis found correlated clusters of disparate measures of complexity (linguistic, cognitive, narrative) and identified a distinctive sub-genre of modern books featuring female protagonists. The experimental preference analysis found that parents' own preferences were most influenced by the books' age and status; parents' perceptions of their children's preferences were influenced by gender, with parents perceiving their sons (but not daughters) as dis-preferring books with female protagnoists. In addition, influences of the child's reading ability and the linguistic complexity of the book on preferences suggested a sensitivity to the cultural practice of joint book-reading. PMID:28919869

Students’ Media Preferences in Online Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michiko KOBAYASHI

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This study examined students’ preferred media in online learning and its relationship with learner characteristics and online technology self-efficacy. One hundred six college students in a mid-size U.S. university responded to a survey. The frequency analysis showed that students did not necessarily favor rich media over lean media in online learning. They preferred recorded online slide presentations with audio to Internet-based live video lectures in two-way video and audio interactions. Online discussion boards and chat groups were less favored than other types of media. As expected, online technology self-efficacy was correlated with a type of media requiring a relatively higher level of technology skills. The paper presents the results and discusses their implications of the study.

Retirement Age: Preferences of Employees Representing Various Age Groups

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Iwona Mendryk

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Prolonging professional activity constitutes one of the possible solutions for alleviating negative consequences of demographic changes/population ageing. Devising effective tools motivating employees to remain professionally active must take into account preferences associated with retirement age. The following constitute the objectives of the present paper: 1 identification of preferences in the retirement age for various age groups; 2 indication of potential consequences behind particular preferences; 3 formulation of guidelines for human resources management in organizations. In order to achieve these objectives, the results of the study encompassing 2076 respondents, specialists employed in various departments of Polish innovative companies, were analysed. On average, for each evaluated age group, the preferred retirement age was much lower than the statutory retirement age in Poland (65 years . In case of women in 45+ age groups, the average retirement age was observed to be higher than 60 years (the new statutory threshold.

Effect of lower limb preference on local muscular and vascular function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fahs, Christopher A; Rossow, Lindy M; Thiebaud, Robert S; Loenneke, Jeremy P; Kim, Daeyeol; Bemben, Michael G; Abe, Takashi

2014-01-01

Unilateral physical training can enhance muscular size and function as well as vascular function in the trained limb. In non-athletes, the preferred arm for use during unilateral tasks may exhibit greater muscular strength compared to the non-preferred arm. It is unclear if lower limb preference affects lower limb vascular function or muscular endurance and power in recreationally active adults. To examine the effect of lower limb preference on quadriceps muscle size and function and on lower limb vascular function in middle-aged adults. Twenty (13 men, 7 women) recreationally-active middle-aged (55 ± 7 yrs) adults underwent measurements of quadriceps muscle thickness, strength, mean power, endurance, and arterial stiffness, calf venous compliance, and calf blood flow in the preferred and non-preferred lower limb. The preferred limb exhibited greater calf vascular conductance (31.6 ± 15.5 versus 25.8 ± 13.0 units flow/mmHg; p = 0.011) compared to the non-preferred limb. The interlimb difference in calf vascular conductance was negatively related to weekly aerobic activity (hrs/week) (r = −0.521; p = 0.019). Lower limb preference affects calf blood flow but not quadriceps muscle size or function. Studies involving unilateral lower limb testing procedures in middle-aged individuals should consider standardizing the testing to either the preferred or non-preferred limb rather than the right or left limb. (paper)

Toxicity effects of nickel electroplating effluents treated by photoelectrooxidation in the industries of the Sinos River Basin.

Science.gov (United States)

Benvenuti, T; Rodrigues, Mas; Arenzon, A; Bernardes, A M; Zoppas-Ferreira, J

2015-05-01

The Sinos river Basin is an industrial region with many tanneries and electroplating plants in southern Brazil. The wastewater generated by electroplating contains high loads of salts and metals that have to be treated before discharge. After conventional treatment, this study applied an advanced oxidative process to degrade organic additives in the electroplating bright nickel baths effluent. Synthetic rinsing water was submitted to physical-chemical coagulation for nickel removal. The sample was submitted to ecotoxicity tests, and the effluent was treated by photoelectrooxidation (PEO). The effects of current density and treatment time were evaluated. The concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) was 38% lower. The toxicity tests of the effluent treated using PEO revealed that the organic additives were partially degraded and the concentration that is toxic for test organisms was reduced.

Toxicity effects of nickel electroplating effluents treated by photoelectrooxidation in the industries of the Sinos River Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T Benvenuti

Full Text Available The Sinos river Basin is an industrial region with many tanneries and electroplating plants in southern Brazil. The wastewater generated by electroplating contains high loads of salts and metals that have to be treated before discharge. After conventional treatment, this study applied an advanced oxidative process to degrade organic additives in the electroplating bright nickel baths effluent. Synthetic rinsing water was submitted to physical-chemical coagulation for nickel removal. The sample was submitted to ecotoxicity tests, and the effluent was treated by photoelectrooxidation (PEO. The effects of current density and treatment time were evaluated. The concentration of total organic carbon (TOC was 38% lower. The toxicity tests of the effluent treated using PEO revealed that the organic additives were partially degraded and the concentration that is toxic for test organisms was reduced.

Fuzzy relations for the analysis of traders' preferences in an information market game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van de Walle, B.A.; Turoff, M.

2009-01-01

In this paper we focus on preference and decision data gathered during a computer-supported information market game in which 35 students participated during seven consecutive trading sessions. The participants’ individual preferences on the market shares are collected to calculate a collective

Preferences based Control Design of Complex Fed-batch Cultivation Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuri Pavlov

2009-08-01

Full Text Available In the paper is presented preferences based control design and stabilization of the growth rate of fed-batch cultivation processes. The control is based on an enlarged Wang-Monod-Yerusalimsky kinetic model. Expected utility theory is one of the approaches for utilization of conceptual information (expert preferences. In the article is discussed utilization of stochastic machine learning procedures for evaluation of expert utilities as criteria for optimization.

Analysis of Preference of Incentives to Innovation of Dominican Manufacturing and Service Firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Gómez-Valenzuela

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper is analyzed  the structure of preference of incentives to innovation of Dominican manufacturing and services firms.  The analysis of preference was  carried out using a Conjoint Analysis. In  total  326 firms were surveyed across the country.   According to the main findings,   Dominican firms prefer combinations of incentives to minimize tax liabilities but also to reduce uncertainty related to innovation activities.   In terms of preference, no statistically significant differences between manufacturing and service firms were found.

Women's preferences for children in Shifang County, Sichuan, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J

1990-01-01

Fertility preference being related to government policy in China, women generally understate their desired family size when questioned directly. A binomial probit model is, therefore, presented to estimate the probability that family-size preferences in Shifang County, Sichuan, China, are understated. The model provides estimates on the percentage of respondent understatement along with the number of children, women of different ages and social characteristics truly desire. Women's preferences for sons versus daughters are also examined. The study found that women desire on average 1/2 more children than that which they state. Understating was in greatest evidence among urban, educated, and younger women more sensitive to the government's 1-child policy. Preference for sons was found to be weaker than expected, yet strong nonetheless in rural areas among women desiring only 1 child. Sons are considered to cause more worry for parents in China due to an aggressive, risk-taking nature. Possible explanations for the decline of son preference include increasing familial costs for sons' betrothment and marriage, changing household structures, and increasing status of and job opportunities for women in Chinese society. In closing, the paper highlights that couples restrict marital fertility out of interest for national prosperity and the welfare of future generations, not personal preference for small families. Were government policy to relax, fertility would rise to preferred levels.

Modeling commuter preferences for the proposed bus rapid transit in Dar-es-Salaam

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nkurunziza, A.; Zuidgeest, M.H.P.; Brussel, M.J.G.; van Maarseveen, M.F.A.M.

2012-01-01

The paper analyzes individual commuter preferences towards the proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. The objective of the survey was to identify how commuters perceive and value the proposed BRT service quality attributes. A stated preference survey of potential users

Deleting 'irrational' responses from discrete choice experiments: a case of investigating or imposing preferences?

Science.gov (United States)

Lancsar, Emily; Louviere, Jordan

2006-08-01

Investigation of the 'rationality' of responses to discrete choice experiments (DCEs) has been a theme of research in health economics. Responses have been deleted from DCEs where they have been deemed by researchers to (a) be 'irrational', defined by such studies as failing tests for non-satiation, or (b) represent lexicographic preferences. This paper outlines a number of reasons why deleting responses from DCEs may be inappropriate after first reviewing the theory underpinning rationality, highlighting that the importance placed on rationality depends on the approach to consumer theory to which one ascribes. The aim of this paper is not to suggest that all preferences elicited via DCEs are rational. Instead, it is to suggest a number of reasons why it may not be the case that all preferences labelled as 'irrational' are indeed so. Hence, deleting responses may result in the removal of valid preferences; induce sample selection bias; and reduce the statistical efficiency and power of the estimated choice models. Further, evidence suggests random utility theory may be able to cope with such preferences. Finally, we discuss a number of implications for the design, implementation and interpretation of DCEs and recommend caution regarding the deletion of preferences from stated preference experiments. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Community detection using preference networks

Science.gov (United States)

Tasgin, Mursel; Bingol, Haluk O.

2018-04-01

Community detection is the task of identifying clusters or groups of nodes in a network where nodes within the same group are more connected with each other than with nodes in different groups. It has practical uses in identifying similar functions or roles of nodes in many biological, social and computer networks. With the availability of very large networks in recent years, performance and scalability of community detection algorithms become crucial, i.e. if time complexity of an algorithm is high, it cannot run on large networks. In this paper, we propose a new community detection algorithm, which has a local approach and is able to run on large networks. It has a simple and effective method; given a network, algorithm constructs a preference network of nodes where each node has a single outgoing edge showing its preferred node to be in the same community with. In such a preference network, each connected component is a community. Selection of the preferred node is performed using similarity based metrics of nodes. We use two alternatives for this purpose which can be calculated in 1-neighborhood of nodes, i.e. number of common neighbors of selector node and its neighbors and, the spread capability of neighbors around the selector node which is calculated by the gossip algorithm of Lind et.al. Our algorithm is tested on both computer generated LFR networks and real-life networks with ground-truth community structure. It can identify communities accurately in a fast way. It is local, scalable and suitable for distributed execution on large networks.

Trends in preference, programming and design of concert halls for symphonic music

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gade, Anders Christian

2008-01-01

This paper discusses the evolution in taste regarding concert hall acoustics and how this can be reflected in the new halls being built today. The clients' and listener's preferences are not only based on listening in existing halls; but also on listening to reproduced music recorded with microph......This paper discusses the evolution in taste regarding concert hall acoustics and how this can be reflected in the new halls being built today. The clients' and listener's preferences are not only based on listening in existing halls; but also on listening to reproduced music recorded...

Personalized summarization using user preference for m-learning

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sihyoung; Yang, Seungji; Ro, Yong Man; Kim, Hyoung Joong

2008-02-01

As the Internet and multimedia technology is becoming advanced, the number of digital multimedia contents is also becoming abundant in learning area. In order to facilitate the access of digital knowledge and to meet the need of a lifelong learning, e-learning could be the helpful alternative way to the conventional learning paradigms. E-learning is known as a unifying term to express online, web-based and technology-delivered learning. Mobile-learning (m-learning) is defined as e-learning through mobile devices using wireless transmission. In a survey, more than half of the people remarked that the re-consumption was one of the convenient features in e-learning. However, it is not easy to find user's preferred segmentation from a full version of lengthy e-learning content. Especially in m-learning, a content-summarization method is strongly required because mobile devices are limited to low processing power and battery capacity. In this paper, we propose a new user preference model for re-consumption to construct personalized summarization for re-consumption. The user preference for re-consumption is modeled based on user actions with statistical model. Based on the user preference model for re-consumption with personalized user actions, our method discriminates preferred parts over the entire content. Experimental results demonstrated successful personalized summarization.

[Analyzing consumer preference by using the latest semantic model for verbal protocol].

Science.gov (United States)

Tamari, Yuki; Takemura, Kazuhisa

2012-02-01

This paper examines consumers' preferences for competing brands by using a preference model of verbal protocols. Participants were 150 university students, who reported their opinions and feelings about McDonalds and Mos Burger (competing hamburger restaurants in Japan). Their verbal protocols were analyzed by using the singular value decomposition method, and the latent decision frames were estimated. The verbal protocols having a large value in the decision frames could be interpreted as showing attributes that consumers emphasize. Based on the estimated decision frames, we predicted consumers' preferences using the logistic regression analysis method. The results indicate that the decision frames projected from the verbal protocol data explained consumers' preferences effectively.

The alien paradox.

OpenAIRE

Tugby, Matthew

2015-01-01

Platonism delivers a theory of possibility that is distinct from both Lewisian modal realism and ersatz modal theories. By putting the topic of alien properties at centre stage in our modal theorizing, a strong preliminary case for platonism can be made. A puzzle about alien properties is created by modern truthmaker theory and some plausible assumptions about properties and existence. But this puzzle is one that platonism is able to solve in a simple and conservative way.

A Reformulation of Normative Economics for Models with Endogenous Preferences

OpenAIRE

Vipul Bhatt; Masao Ogaki; Yuichi Yaguchi

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a framework to balance considerations of welfarism and virtue ethics in the normative analysis of economic models with endogenous preferences. We introduce the moral evaluation function (MEF), which ranks alternatives based purely on virtue ethics, and define the social objective function (SOF), which combines the Social Welfare Function (SWF) and the MEF. In a model of intergenerational altruism with endogenous time preference, using numerical simulations we show that max...

checkCIF/PLATON report Datablock: I

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

If you wish to submit your CIF for publication in Acta Crystallographica Section C or E, you should upload your CIF via the web. If your CIF is to form part of a submission to another IUCr journal, you will be asked, either during electronic submission or by the Co-editor handling your paper, to upload your CIF via our web site.

The invention of the indepence condition for preferences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wakker, P.P.; Fishburn, P.C.

1995-01-01

This paper discusses the history and interrelations of three central ideas in preference theory: the independence condition in decision making under risk, the sure-thing principle in decision making under uncertainty, and independence in consumer theory. Independence and the sure-thing principle are

Prioritising health service innovation investments using public preferences: a discrete choice experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Erdem, Seda; Thompson, Carl

2014-08-28

Prioritising scarce resources for investment in innovation by publically funded health systems is unavoidable. Many healthcare systems wish to foster transparency and accountability in the decisions they make by incorporating the public in decision-making processes. This paper presents a unique conceptual approach exploring the public's preferences for health service innovations by viewing healthcare innovations as 'bundles' of characteristics. This decompositional approach allows policy-makers to compare numerous competing health service innovations without repeatedly administering surveys for specific innovation choices. A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) was used to elicit preferences. Individuals chose from presented innovation options that they believe the UK National Health Service (NHS) should invest the most in. Innovations differed according to: (i) target population; (ii) target age; (iii) implementation time; (iv) uncertainty associated with their likely effects; (v) potential health benefits; and, (vi) cost to a taxpayer. This approach fosters multidimensional decision-making, rather than imposing a single decision criterion (e.g., cost, target age) in prioritisation. Choice data was then analysed using scale-adjusted Latent Class models to investigate variability in preferences and scale and valuations amongst respondents. Three latent classes with considerable heterogeneity in the preferences were present. Each latent class is composed of two consumer subgroups varying in the level of certainty in their choices. All groups preferred scientifically proven innovations, those with potential health benefits that cost less. There were, however, some important differences in their preferences for innovation investment choices: Class-1 (54%) prefers innovations benefitting adults and young people and does not prefer innovations targeting people with 'drug addiction' and 'obesity'. Class- 2 (34%) prefers innovations targeting 'cancer' patients only and has

Introducing the e-newspaper - Audience Preferences and Demands

OpenAIRE

C.Ihlström Eriksson; M.Å. kesson

2007-01-01

This paper adds to the overall understanding of new media adoption in general and the promotion of the e-newspaper in particular by empirically studying the preferences and demands of the potential users. The e-newspaper is a newspaper published on e-paper technology. The findings in this paper is based on the results from two studies, i.e. an online questionnaire with 3626 respondents and an evaluation in real life settings with 10 families over a two week period. Our initial hypothesis was ...

The growing need for take-over entrepreneurs: how Threshold Theory may direct students’ preferences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lex van Teeffelen; Lorraine Uhlaner

2013-01-01

There is a strong need for successors in SMEs in Western innovative economies. This research paper investigates qualitatively if students change their entrepreneurial entry preference if they are presented different kinds of entrepreneurial entry options. We propose that students’ preferences are

How Love for the Image Cast out Fear of It in Early Christianity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalie Carnes

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Iconoclastic and iconophilic impulses have long vied for pre-eminence in Christianity, coming to one particularly fraught crisis point in the Byzantine Iconomachy of the eighth and ninth centuries. Funding both impulses, this paper argues, is a profound Platonic ambivalence about the image. For Plato, the image not only deceives and enslaves; it also reveals and inspires. Plotinus, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, John of Damascus, and Theodore of Stoudios articulate their own iterations of Plato’s hopes and fears about the image as they attempt different strategies for resolving these dueling inclinations. This paper traces the evolution of image theory across these thinkers to illumine how Theodore of Stoudios’ approach magnifies Platonic image hopes and quells fears in a way that prepares for the ongoing resolution of image anxiety in the iconographic tradition. More than a purely historical interest, this arc of image thought have continuing relevance for image theory today.

Happy faces are preferred regardless of familiarity--sad faces are preferred only when familiar.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Hsin-I; Shimojo, Shinsuke; Yeh, Su-Ling

2013-06-01

Familiarity leads to preference (e.g., the mere exposure effect), yet it remains unknown whether it is objective familiarity, that is, repetitive exposure, or subjective familiarity that contributes to preference. In addition, it is unexplored whether and how different emotions influence familiarity-related preference. The authors investigated whether happy or sad faces are preferred or perceived as more familiar and whether this subjective familiarity judgment correlates with preference for different emotional faces. An emotional face--happy or sad--was paired with a neutral face, and participants rated the relative preference and familiarity of each of the paired faces. For preference judgment, happy faces were preferred and sad faces were less preferred, compared with neutral faces. For familiarity judgment, happy faces did not show any bias, but sad faces were perceived as less familiar than neutral faces. Item-by-item correlational analyses show preference for sad faces--but not happy faces--positively correlate with familiarity. These results suggest a direct link between positive emotion and preference, and argue at least partly against a common cause for familiarity and preference. Instead, facial expression of different emotional valence modulates the link between familiarity and preference.

Preferred Learning Styles in the Second Language Classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

Cincotta, Madeline Strong

1998-01-01

Outlines the preferred learning styles of students studying second languages, offering suggestions for their application in second-language classrooms. The paper describes the right-brain/left-brain theory and how the two brain hemispheres are involved in learning; presents four classroom strategies (diversification, contextualization,…

Transport and low-carbon fuel: A study of public preferences in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loureiro, Maria L.; Labandeira, Xavier; Hanemann, Michael

2013-01-01

Transport is essential for the control of future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and thus a target for active policy intervention in the future. Yet, social preferences for policies are likely to play an important role. In this paper we first review the existing literature on preferences regarding low-GHG car fuels, but also covering policy instruments and strategies in this area. We then present the results of a survey of Spanish households aimed at measuring preferences for climate change policies. We find a positive willingness to pay (WTP) (in the form of higher car fuel prices) for a policy to reduce GHG emissions through biofuels. There is, however, significant heterogeneity in public preferences due to personal motivations (accounted for via factor analysis of responses to attitudinal questions) and to socio-demographic variables. - Highlights: • Road transport is the cause of important energy-related problems, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases and local pollution. • This paper explores public attitudes and preferences towards low-carbon fuel policies in Spain via contingent valuation. • A factor analysis is performed, showing the existence of pro-social and economic factors related to preferences for policies. • Drivers were willing to pay an extra of 115.5 Euros per year for low-carbon fuels, roughly an extra 0.07 (0.08) Euros/liter for gasoline (diesel). • The results encourage the use of these low-GHG policies as feasible alternatives for climate policies in the transport area

Rich preference-based argumentation frameworks

OpenAIRE

Amgoud , Leila; Vesic , Srdjan

2014-01-01

International audience; An argumentation framework is seen as a directed graph whose nodes are arguments and arcs are attacks between the arguments. Acceptable sets of arguments, called extensions, are computed using a semantics. Existing semantics are solely based on the attacks and do not take into account other important criteria like the intrinsic strengths of arguments. The contribution of this paper is three fold. First, we study how preferences issued from differences in strengths of a...

Economic Beliefs and Party Preference

OpenAIRE

Michael W.M. Roos; Andreas Orland

2014-01-01

This paper reports the results of a questionnaire study used to explore the economic understanding, normative positions along the egalitarian-libertarian spectrum, and the party preferences of a large student sample. The aim of the study is both to find socio-economic determinants of normative and positive beliefs and to explore how beliefs about the economy influence party support. We find that positive beliefs of lay people differ systematically from those of economic experts. Positive beli...

A predictive model of music preference using pairwise comparisons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Bjørn Sand; Gallego, Javier Saez; Larsen, Jan

2012-01-01

Music recommendation is an important aspect of many streaming services and multi-media systems, however, it is typically based on so-called collaborative filtering methods. In this paper we consider the recommendation task from a personal viewpoint and examine to which degree music preference can...... be elicited and predicted using simple and robust queries such as pairwise comparisons. We propose to model - and in turn predict - the pairwise music preference using a very flexible model based on Gaussian Process priors for which we describe the required inference. We further propose a specific covariance...

Do Investor Preferences Drive Corporate Dividend Policy?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konieczka Przemysław

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This research paper aims at assessing whether managers adapt their dividend policies to the changing preferences of investors, as predicted by the catering theory of dividends. To answer this question, we used an modified approach based on the method proposed by Baker and Wurgler [2004a] in their studies on dividend catering.

Geochronologic Constraints on the Location of the Sino-Korean/Yangtze Suture and Evolution of the Northern Dabie Shan

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, D. L.; Ayers, J. C.; Gao, S.; Miller, C. F.; Zhang, H.

2002-05-01

The Northern Dabie Complex (NDC) has been proposed to be either a Paleozoic magmatic arc, an exhumed piece of subducted continental crust, or young crust produced almost entirely by Cretaceous extensional magmatism. Ion microprobe zircon 238U-206Pb ages of separates from NDC gneisses center around 689Ma (+/- 31(95%CL)), consistent with the characteristic zircon dates of the Yangtze Craton [1]. Field observations also show that these gneisses, ranging from granitic to dioritic composition, make up a sizeable area ( ~30%) of the NDC. Zircon separates from the Baimajian granitoid, the largest of the widespread Cretaceous intrusions in the NDC, have yielded ages clustered around 677Ma (+/- 79), and 120Ma (+/- 3.4), the latter of which agrees with ion probe Th-Pb monazite ages. The ~700Ma age indicates that this intrusion may be linked with partial melting of underlying Yangtze crust, while the 120Ma age is the age of its crystallization. Granitic intrusions from Sanzushi and Yerenshai in the Dabie ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) region also show clusters of ages at 714Ma (+/- 55) from zircon cores, as well as rims around 250Ma (+/- 38), which is interpreted as the time of collision of the two continental blocks. These age data support the hypothesis set forth by Zhang et al. [2] using Sm-Nd and Pb isotopic data, that the Yangtze block lies beneath the exhumed UHP belt and outcrops as the NDC, which lies between the UHP belt and the Sino-Korean/Yangtze suture. The Baimajian granitoid, however, also shows a range of older zircon core ages from 1.4-2.0Ga, which may represent the early stages of formation of the Yangtze craton. Zhang et al. [2] suggested craton formation at 1.6-2.4Ga but few such ages have been reported for rocks of the Yangtze or Sino-Korean cratons. 1. Hacker, et al. (2000) Journal of Geophysical Research. Vol. 105. p. 13,339. 2. Zhang, et al. (In press) Chemical Geology.

A Taxonomy of Consumer Motives through Preferred Brand Personality : Empirical Findings for 11 Countries

OpenAIRE

N. GEEROMS; I. VERMEIR; P. VAN KENHOVE; H. HENDRICKX

2005-01-01

This paper presents a circumplex taxonomy of related consumer motives based on valence ratings of 34 preferred brand personality traits. Results of INDSCAL analysis reveal a consistent, replicable preferred brand personality structure across 11 different countries and four different product categories. As preferred brand personality dimensions are considered as behavioral expressions of underlying motives, the found structure was reformulated in terms of a taxonomy of eight fundamental consum...

Possible use of psychological corrective measures for people with abnormal sexual preferences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Babina S.V.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The paper studies the possibility of psychological corrective measures aimed at persons with abnormal sexual preferences. We reviewed domestic and foreign scientific publications described the treatment of sexual disorders and the basic directions of the therapy, and indicated its positive and negative aspects. We have studied progress notes and etiology of "personality disorders and behavior in adulthood" disease class, "disorders of sexual preference" disease subsection and analyzed the efficiency of the psychopharmacological treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and psychotherapy for each violation of sexual preference. The most productive methods of therapeutic intervention are identified. This analysis allows making the most appropriate scheme of psychological correction and treatment for persons with abnormalities of sexual preference.

Identifying online user reputation in terms of user preference

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Lu; Guo, Qiang; Liu, Xiao-Lu; Liu, Jian-Guo; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2018-03-01

Identifying online user reputation is significant for online social systems. In this paper, taking into account the preference physics of online user collective behaviors, we present an improved group-based rating method for ranking online user reputation based on the user preference (PGR). All the ratings given by each specific user are mapped to the same rating criteria. By grouping users according to their mapped ratings, the online user reputation is calculated based on the corresponding group sizes. Results for MovieLens and Netflix data sets show that the AUC values of the PGR method can reach 0.9842 (0.9493) and 0.9995 (0.9987) for malicious (random) spammers, respectively, outperforming the results generated by the traditional group-based method, which indicates that the online preference plays an important role for measuring user reputation.

Consumer Preferences Expressed via Shopping in Alternative Food Chains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Miškolci

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years an increasing consumer interest in shopping in alternative food chains can be observed also in the Czech Republic. For the successful development of alternative food networks, it is important to understand what motivates consumers to shop there. This paper is aimed to define and discuss the key aspects of the preference determinants of AFN shoppers. The empirical analysis was conducted on 333 shoppers at two alternative food chains in Brno, Czech Republic. The consumer survey was designed to examine cognitive, normative and affective determinants of preference for purchased food. First findings confirm, that by the shopping at alternative food chains consumers demonstrate preferences not only for fresh and tasty food, but also their normative position of willingness to support local production and community.

Combining product attributes with recommendation and shopping location attributes to assess consumer preferences for insect-based food products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alemu, Mohammed Hussen; Olsen, Søren Bøye; Vedel, Suzanne Elizabeth

2017-01-01

into consumers' preferences for termite-based food products (TBFPs) using data from a choice experiment survey in Kenya. A novel feature of this paper is that it investigates the combined effects of product-related and contextual attributes, as well as consumer attitudes on preferences for TBFPs. In addition......, the paper focuses on the extent to which preferences may be affected depending on the meal formats, i.e. whether the termites are introduced either as whole insects or as a processed component in a typical daily meal. The results suggest that consumers prefer TBFPs with high nutritional value and especially...... when they are recommended by officials. Results further indicate that affirmative recommendations are particularly important for the processed TBFP, and consumers prefer to buy this type of product in kiosks or supermarkets than at local marketplaces. Despite a considerable degree of preference...

Preference Mining Using Neighborhood Rough Set Model on Two Universes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Kai

2016-01-01

Preference mining plays an important role in e-commerce and video websites for enhancing user satisfaction and loyalty. Some classical methods are not available for the cold-start problem when the user or the item is new. In this paper, we propose a new model, called parametric neighborhood rough set on two universes (NRSTU), to describe the user and item data structures. Furthermore, the neighborhood lower approximation operator is used for defining the preference rules. Then, we provide the means for recommending items to users by using these rules. Finally, we give an experimental example to show the details of NRSTU-based preference mining for cold-start problem. The parameters of the model are also discussed. The experimental results show that the proposed method presents an effective solution for preference mining. In particular, NRSTU improves the recommendation accuracy by about 19% compared to the traditional method.

Carer preferences for home support services in later stage dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kampanellou, Eleni; Chester, Helen; Davies, Linda; Davies, Sue; Giebel, Clarissa; Hughes, Jane; Challis, David; Clarkson, Paul

2017-11-01

To examine the relative importance of different home support attributes from the perspective of carers of people with later-stage dementia. Preferences from 100 carers, recruited through carers' organisations, were assessed with a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) survey, administered online and by paper questionnaire. Attributes were informed by an evidence synthesis and lay consultations. A conditional logit model was used to estimate preference weights for the attributes within a home support 'package'. The most preferred attributes were 'respite care, available regularly to fit your needs' (coefficient 1.29, p = home care provided regularly for as long as needed' (coefficient 0.93, p = home support interventions for dementia. Respite care, home care and training on managing difficulties provided at home are important components. Carers' preferences revealed the daily challenges of caring for individuals with later stage dementia and the need for tailored and specialised home support.

Discourse, Dialectic and Intrapersonal Rhetoric: A Reinterpretation of Plato's Rhetorical Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Hikins, James W.

The idea that rhetoric might operate in epistemologically significant ways was first presented by Plato. This paper argues that the heart of Plato's conception of epistemic discourse is a recognition of the centrality of intrapersonal rhetoric. Through a careful study of Platonic writing, particularly the "Phaedrus," three principal…

Preferences over Social Risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrison, Glenn W.; Lau, Morten; Rutström, E. Elisabet

2013-01-01

that subjects systematically reveal different risk attitudes in a social setting with no prior knowledge about the risk preferences of others compared to when they solely bear the consequences of the decision. However, we also find that subjects are significantly more risk averse when they know the risk......We elicit individual preferences over social risk. We identify the extent to which these preferences are correlated with preferences over individual risk and the well-being of others. We examine these preferences in the context of laboratory experiments over small, anonymous groups, although...... the methodological issues extend to larger groups that form endogenously (e.g., families, committees, communities). Preferences over social risk can be closely approximated by individual risk attitudes when subjects have no information about the risk preferences of other group members. We find no evidence...

A Preference Model for Supplier Selection Based on Hesitant Fuzzy Sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhexuan Zhou

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The supplier selection problem is a widespread concern in the modern commercial economy. Ranking suppliers involves many factors and poses significant difficulties for decision makers. Supplier selection is a multi-criteria and multi-objective problem, which leads to decision makers forming their own preferences. In addition, there are both quantifiable and non-quantifiable attributes related to their preferences. To solve this problem, this paper presents a preference model based on hesitant fuzzy sets (HFS to select suppliers. The cost and service quality of suppliers are the main considerations in the proposed model. HFS with interactive and multi-criteria decision making are used to evaluate the non-quantifiable attributes of service quality, which include competitive display, qualification ability, suitability and competitiveness of solutions, and relational fitness and dynamics. Finally, a numerical example of supplier selection for a high-end equipment manufacturer is provided to illustrate the applicability of the proposed model. The preferences of a decision maker are then analyzed by altering preference parameters.

Investor preferences for oil spot and futures based on mean-variance and stochastic dominance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.H. Lean (Hooi Hooi); M.J. McAleer (Michael); W.-K. Wong (Wing-Keung)

2010-01-01

textabstractThis paper examines investor preferences for oil spot and futures based on mean-variance (MV) and stochastic dominance (SD). The mean-variance criterion cannot distinct the preferences of spot and market whereas SD tests leads to the conclusion that spot dominates futures in the downside

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanan, Deirdre [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom); Burnley, Stephen, E-mail: s.j.burnley@open.ac.uk [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom); Cooke, David [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Isolated communities have particular problems in terms of waste management. ► An MCDA tool allowed a group of non-experts to evaluate waste management options. ► The group preferred local waste management solutions to export to the mainland. ► Gasification of paper was the preferred option followed by recycling. ► The group concluded that they could be involved in the decision making process. - Abstract: The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making.

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanan, Deirdre; Burnley, Stephen; Cooke, David

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Isolated communities have particular problems in terms of waste management. ► An MCDA tool allowed a group of non-experts to evaluate waste management options. ► The group preferred local waste management solutions to export to the mainland. ► Gasification of paper was the preferred option followed by recycling. ► The group concluded that they could be involved in the decision making process. - Abstract: The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making

Random preferences towards bioenergy environmental externalities: a case study of woody biomass based electricity in the Southern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Andres Susaeta; Pankaj Lal; Janaki Alavalapati; Evan Mercer

2011-01-01

This paper contrasts alternate methodological approaches of investigating public preferences, the random parameter logit (RPL) where tastes and preferences of respondents are assumed to be heterogeneous and the conditional logit (CL) approach where tastes and preferences remain fixed for individuals. We conducted a choice experiment to assess preferences for woody...

An axiomatic approach to the estimation of interval-valued preferences in multi-criteria decision modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Franco de los Ríos, Camilo; Hougaard, Jens Leth; Nielsen, Kurt

In this paper we explore multi-dimensional preference estimation from imprecise (interval) data. Focusing on different multi-criteria decision models, such as PROMETHEE, ELECTRE, TOPSIS or VIKOR, and their extensions dealing with imprecise data, preference modeling is examined with respect...

Cascade-robustness optimization of coupling preference in interconnected networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xue-Jun; Xu, Guo-Qiang; Zhu, Yan-Bo; Xia, Yong-Xiang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A specific memetic algorithm was proposed to optimize coupling links. • A small toy model was investigated to examine the underlying mechanism. • The MA optimized strategy exhibits a moderate assortative pattern. • A novel coupling coefficient index was proposed to quantify coupling preference. - Abstract: Recently, the robustness of interconnected networks has attracted extensive attentions, one of which is to investigate the influence of coupling preference. In this paper, the memetic algorithm (MA) is employed to optimize the coupling links of interconnected networks. Afterwards, a comparison is made between MA optimized coupling strategy and traditional assortative, disassortative and random coupling preferences. It is found that the MA optimized coupling strategy with a moderate assortative value shows an outstanding performance against cascading failures on both synthetic scale-free interconnected networks and real-world networks. We then provide an explanation for this phenomenon from a micro-scope point of view and propose a coupling coefficient index to quantify the coupling preference. Our work is helpful for the design of robust interconnected networks.

Preference or fat? Revisiting opioid effects on food intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Taha, Sharif A

2010-07-14

It is well established that opioid signaling in the central nervous system constitutes a powerful stimulus for food intake. The role of opioids in determining food preference, however, is less well defined. Opioids have been proposed to promote intake of preferred foods, or, alternatively, to preferentially increase consumption of fat. In the present manuscript, I comprehensively review results from previous studies investigating this issue. Data from these studies suggests a mechanism for opioid action that may reconcile the previously proposed hypotheses: opioid effects on food intake do appear to be largely specific for fat consumption, but individual animals' sensitivity to this effect may be dependent on baseline food preferences. In addition, I highlight the possibility that the selectivity of endogenous opioid effects may importantly differ from that of exogenous agonists in the degree to which baseline preferences, rather than macronutrient intake, are altered. The paper represents an invited review by a symposium, award winner or keynote speaker at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior [SSIB] Annual Meeting in Portland, July 2009. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Residential Location Preferences. The Significance of Socio-Cultural and Religious Attributes

OpenAIRE

Gobi Krishna Sinniah; Muhammad Zaly Shah; Geoff Vigar; Paulus Teguh Aditjandrad

2014-01-01

The objective of this paper is to explore residential location preferences and how they are related to travel behavior. The literature focuses on the preferences in relation to physical and demographic aspects, such as land uses, facilities, transportation facilities, transportation services, car ownership, income, household size and travel accessibility. However, this study suggests social and cultural issue such as racial diversity which is literally to be a significance context. The case s...

On Sparse Multi-Task Gaussian Process Priors for Music Preference Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jens Brehm; Jensen, Bjørn Sand; Larsen, Jan

In this paper we study pairwise preference learning in a music setting with multitask Gaussian processes and examine the effect of sparsity in the input space as well as in the actual judgments. To introduce sparsity in the inputs, we extend a classic pairwise likelihood model to support sparse...... simulation shows the performance on a real-world music preference dataset which motivates and demonstrates the potential of the sparse Gaussian process formulation for pairwise likelihoods....

Family-friendly policies: general nurses' preferences and experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Sarah; Davey, Barbara; Murrells, Trevor

2003-01-01

While European Union policy emphasises that one of the aims of family-friendly working arrangements is to increasing gender equality, in the UK the focus has been primarily on workforce retention. Drawing on a study of Registered General Nurses who returned to work after breaks for maternity leave, this paper considers their preferences and experiences in light of current UK family-friendly policies and the implications of the findings for increasing gender equality. Questionnaires were completed by respondents in three regional health authorities and focused on the four to eight year period after qualification. The following topics were investigated: views about length of maternity break and reasons for returning to work sooner than preferred; hours sought after a return and hours obtained; the availability of preferred patterns of work and of flexible hours; retention of grade on return; the availability and use of workplace crèches, and childcare arrangements when children were unwell.

Preferred and actual relative height among homosexual male partners vary with preferred dominance and sex role.

Science.gov (United States)

Valentova, Jaroslava Varella; Stulp, Gert; Třebický, Vít; Havlíček, Jan

2014-01-01

Previous research has shown repeatedly that human stature influences mate preferences and mate choice in heterosexuals. In general, it has been shown that tall men and average height women are most preferred by the opposite sex, and that both sexes prefer to be in a relationship where the man is taller than the woman. However, little is known about such partner preferences in homosexual individuals. Based on an online survey of a large sample of non-heterosexual men (N = 541), we found that the majority of men prefer a partner slightly taller than themselves. However, these preferences were dependent on the participant's own height, such that taller men preferred shorter partners, whereas shorter men preferred taller partners. We also examined whether height preferences predicted the preference for dominance and the adoption of particular sexual roles within a couple. Although a large proportion of men preferred to be in an egalitarian relationship with respect to preferred dominance (although not with respect to preferred sexual role), men that preferred a more dominant and more "active" sexual role preferred shorter partners, whereas those that preferred a more submissive and more "passive" sexual role preferred taller partners. Our results indicate that preferences for relative height in homosexual men are modulated by own height, preferred dominance and sex role, and do not simply resemble those of heterosexual women or men.

Preferred and actual relative height among homosexual male partners vary with preferred dominance and sex role.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaroslava Varella Valentova

Full Text Available Previous research has shown repeatedly that human stature influences mate preferences and mate choice in heterosexuals. In general, it has been shown that tall men and average height women are most preferred by the opposite sex, and that both sexes prefer to be in a relationship where the man is taller than the woman. However, little is known about such partner preferences in homosexual individuals. Based on an online survey of a large sample of non-heterosexual men (N = 541, we found that the majority of men prefer a partner slightly taller than themselves. However, these preferences were dependent on the participant's own height, such that taller men preferred shorter partners, whereas shorter men preferred taller partners. We also examined whether height preferences predicted the preference for dominance and the adoption of particular sexual roles within a couple. Although a large proportion of men preferred to be in an egalitarian relationship with respect to preferred dominance (although not with respect to preferred sexual role, men that preferred a more dominant and more "active" sexual role preferred shorter partners, whereas those that preferred a more submissive and more "passive" sexual role preferred taller partners. Our results indicate that preferences for relative height in homosexual men are modulated by own height, preferred dominance and sex role, and do not simply resemble those of heterosexual women or men.

Preferred and Actual Relative Height among Homosexual Male Partners Vary with Preferred Dominance and Sex Role

Science.gov (United States)

Valentova, Jaroslava Varella; Stulp, Gert; Třebický, Vít; Havlíček, Jan

2014-01-01

Previous research has shown repeatedly that human stature influences mate preferences and mate choice in heterosexuals. In general, it has been shown that tall men and average height women are most preferred by the opposite sex, and that both sexes prefer to be in a relationship where the man is taller than the woman. However, little is known about such partner preferences in homosexual individuals. Based on an online survey of a large sample of non-heterosexual men (N = 541), we found that the majority of men prefer a partner slightly taller than themselves. However, these preferences were dependent on the participant’s own height, such that taller men preferred shorter partners, whereas shorter men preferred taller partners. We also examined whether height preferences predicted the preference for dominance and the adoption of particular sexual roles within a couple. Although a large proportion of men preferred to be in an egalitarian relationship with respect to preferred dominance (although not with respect to preferred sexual role), men that preferred a more dominant and more “active” sexual role preferred shorter partners, whereas those that preferred a more submissive and more “passive” sexual role preferred taller partners. Our results indicate that preferences for relative height in homosexual men are modulated by own height, preferred dominance and sex role, and do not simply resemble those of heterosexual women or men. PMID:24466136

Learning preferences and attitudes by multi-criteria overlap dominance and relevance functions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Franco de los Ríos, Camilo; Hougaard, Jens Leth; Nielsen, Kurt

2018-01-01

This paper proposes an interval-valued multi-criteria method for learning preferences and attitudes, identifying priorities with maximal robustness for decision support. The method is based on the notion of weighted overlap dominance, formalized by means of aggregation operators and interval......-valued fuzzy sets. The procedure handles uncertainty by estimating the likelihood of dominance among pairs of alternatives, inducing an attitude-based system of dominance and indifference relations. This system allows conflicting situations of indifference/dependency to arise, which need to be resolved...... for properly identifying preferences under any attitude. In order to do so, relevance functions are examined over the whole system of relations, obtaining a weak preference order together with its associated attitude and robustness index. As a result, the proposed method allows learning preferences...

When I Grow Up: The Relationship of "Science Learning Activation" to STEM Career Preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Dorph, Rena; Bathgate, Meghan E.; Schunn, Christian D.; Cannady, Matthew A.

2018-01-01

This paper proposes three new measures of components STEM career preferences (affinity, certainty, and goal), and then explores which dimensions of "science learning activation" (fascination, values, competency belief, and scientific sensemaking) are predictive of STEM career preferences. Drawn from the ALES14 dataset, a sample of 2938…

VIERS- User Preference Service

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Veterans Affairs — The Preferences service provides a means to store, retrieve, and manage user preferences. The service supports definition of enterprise wide preferences, as well as...

Approximate dynamic programming approaches for appointment scheduling with patient preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xin; Wang, Jin; Fung, Richard Y K

2018-04-01

During the appointment booking process in out-patient departments, the level of patient satisfaction can be affected by whether or not their preferences can be met, including the choice of physicians and preferred time slot. In addition, because the appointments are sequential, considering future possible requests is also necessary for a successful appointment system. This paper proposes a Markov decision process model for optimizing the scheduling of sequential appointments with patient preferences. In contrast to existing models, the evaluation of a booking decision in this model focuses on the extent to which preferences are satisfied. Characteristics of the model are analysed to develop a system for formulating booking policies. Based on these characteristics, two types of approximate dynamic programming algorithms are developed to avoid the curse of dimensionality. Experimental results suggest directions for further fine-tuning of the model, as well as improving the efficiency of the two proposed algorithms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparing expressed and revealed preferences for risk reduction: different hazards and question frames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDaniels, T.L.

1988-01-01

Studies often note the wide differences that exist in costs per death avoided across US federal programs and regulatory contexts. This paper explores two new, related explanations for these differences. First, it argues that the patterns of revealed preferences (public allocations) may be related to public values, which are measured here through subjects' expressed preference responses to a contingent valuation survey regarding risk reduction. Subjects' expressed values are compared to actual (and proposed) costs of safety regulations for a similar set of hazards. The authors discover strong congruence in the ranking of expressed values and actual values. Second, the paper presents the results of a subsequent survey that investigates why the patterns observed in the first survey might occur. It suggests that one reason for the observed similarities between revealed and expressed preferences may be in how choices are framed. The paper hypothesizes that both subjects and decision makers may frame valuation decisions in the same way: as percentage changes from the reference point provided by the base rate of deaths for that hazard

"Paideia," Progress, Puzzlement

Science.gov (United States)

Hrachovec, Herbert

2018-01-01

Platonic "paideia" is a mainstream concept in traditional philosophy and humanistic circles generally. It is closely connected with social progress brought about by the dynamics of enlightenment and self-fulfillment, symbolized by the allegory of the cave. The main contention of this paper is that the philosophical grammar of this simile…

Technical use stated preference: a study in residential sector for college students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cláudio Sonaglio Albano

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In a dynamic and competitive market for a product or service to be chosen, it is very important to understand the needs of consumers. Some market research techniques are recommended to investigate consumer preferences. This paper reports on research of declared preference, with specific application to the process of choosing the location of housing for university students. Data collection was performed with students from a federal university, through a questionnaire composed of structured cards, where students would indicate their preferences. The composition of the sample was random, according to the students’ availability. The results reveal the preferences of this consumer segment, making possible a better understanding of the factors that are prevalent when choosing the site for housing. Another contribution of this work is to demonstrate the methodological procedures developed for the use of the declared preference technique and their respective results.

Vehicle-to-Grid Automatic Load Sharing with Driver Preference in Micro-Grids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yubo; Nazaripouya, Hamidreza; Chu, Chi-Cheng; Gadh, Rajit; Pota, Hemanshu R.

2014-10-15

Integration of Electrical Vehicles (EVs) with power grid not only brings new challenges for load management, but also opportunities for distributed storage and generation. This paper comprehensively models and analyzes distributed Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) for automatic load sharing with driver preference. In a micro-grid with limited communications, V2G EVs need to decide load sharing based on their own power and voltage profile. A droop based controller taking into account driver preference is proposed in this paper to address the distributed control of EVs. Simulations are designed for three fundamental V2G automatic load sharing scenarios that include all system dynamics of such applications. Simulation results demonstrate that active power sharing is achieved proportionally among V2G EVs with consideration of driver preference. In additional, the results also verify the system stability and reactive power sharing analysis in system modelling, which sheds light on large scale V2G automatic load sharing in more complicated cases.

Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for the health aspects of food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Miškolci

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Agri-food systems in the Czech Republic are currently undergoing a profound transformation toward high-value products. Appropriate policies are needed to guide this transformation, presupposing good understanding of consumer preferences. Having established a general framework for the analysis of food choice and quality perception, second part of the paper gives overview of results of stated preference evaluation studies conducted in the Czech Republic. The objective of secondary data analysis is to evaluate consumer preferences and willingness to pay for the food quality with the special attention to an evaluation of consumer preferences for health aspects of the food. The consumers’ relative preferences toward the different dimensions of a product’s quality are measured from the consumers’ perspective via their preference scores on various dimensions of quality derived from Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP. Price premium consumers are willing to pay for the high quality product is investigated using Contingent valuation method (CV. In general, the empirical evidence supports the hypothesis that health ensuring and enhancing characteristics together with sensorial characteristics significantly affect consumers’ preferences for food and most consumers are willing to pay a price premium in order to ensure required quality of food.

Monte Carlo methods for preference learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Viappiani, P.

2012-01-01

Utility elicitation is an important component of many applications, such as decision support systems and recommender systems. Such systems query the users about their preferences and give recommendations based on the system’s belief about the utility function. Critical to these applications is th...... is the acquisition of prior distribution about the utility parameters and the possibility of real time Bayesian inference. In this paper we consider Monte Carlo methods for these problems....

Revealed preference for taxation and spending

OpenAIRE

McDowell, Moore

1993-01-01

This paper analyses some of the results of a survey of public opinion carried out in Ireland in the early Autumn of 1989. The survey itself was an innovation in the political economy of taxation and public spending in Ireland in that it was the first time a fully articulated exercise was mounted to establish the actual preferences of the population over specified areas of the economics of the public sector.[extract

What is it consumers really want, and how can their preferences be influenced?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Laura Mørch; Smed, Sinne

2013-01-01

In this paper we investigate preferences for fat in milk through a structural characteristics model. The data includes information about daily purchases and social and demographic characteristics of more than 1,100 households. We find that consumers who prefer milk with a high fat content do...... not react to information about health effects, but can be influenced by prices, while consumers who prefer milk with a low share of fat are influenced by information, but are less price sensitive. Therefore, when attempting to decrease consumption of fat from milk, prices are more efficient than information....

Social class & risk preferences and behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Kish-Gephart, Jennifer J

2017-12-01

This paper reviews recent work regarding the link between one's societal ranking (or social class), and risk preferences and behavior. While the topic of social class and its relationship to risk has been studied only tentatively in psychology, preliminary evidence suggests that experiences with rank, access to resources, and movement between classes have a meaningful impact on people's risk preferences and behaviors. Yet, a clear pattern of results remains elusive. Some studies suggest that lower social class standing is related to risk aversion, while others suggest it is related to risk taking. These mixed results highlight the need for future research that examines when and why lower social class standing is related to more or less risky decisions. By shedding light on this important phenomenon, the hope is to offer intervention opportunities that influence policies and mitigate inequality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Choice Experiment on Alternative Fuel Vehicle Preferences of Private Car Owners in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoen, A.; Koetse, M.J.

2014-01-01

This paper presents results of an online stated choice experiment on preferences of Dutch private car owners for alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and their characteristics. Results show that negative preferences for alternative fuel vehicles are large, especially for the electric and fuel cell car,

Collaborative Paper-Based Annotation of Lecture Slides

Science.gov (United States)

Steimle, Jurgen; Brdiczka, Oliver; Muhlhauser, Max

2009-01-01

In a study of notetaking in university courses, we found that the large majority of students prefer paper to computer-based media like Tablet PCs for taking notes and making annotations. Based on this finding, we developed CoScribe, a concept and system which supports students in making collaborative handwritten annotations on printed lecture…

A Conjoint Analysis Framework for Evaluating User Preferences in Machine Translation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirchhoff, Katrin; Capurro, Daniel; Turner, Anne M

2014-03-01

Despite much research on machine translation (MT) evaluation, there is surprisingly little work that directly measures users' intuitive or emotional preferences regarding different types of MT errors. However, the elicitation and modeling of user preferences is an important prerequisite for research on user adaptation and customization of MT engines. In this paper we explore the use of conjoint analysis as a formal quantitative framework to assess users' relative preferences for different types of translation errors. We apply our approach to the analysis of MT output from translating public health documents from English into Spanish. Our results indicate that word order errors are clearly the most dispreferred error type, followed by word sense, morphological, and function word errors. The conjoint analysis-based model is able to predict user preferences more accurately than a baseline model that chooses the translation with the fewest errors overall. Additionally we analyze the effect of using a crowd-sourced respondent population versus a sample of domain experts and observe that main preference effects are remarkably stable across the two samples.

Learning large-scale dynamic discrete choice models of spatio-temporal preferences with application to migratory pastoralism in East Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Understanding spatio-temporal resource preferences is paramount in the design of policies for sustainable development. Unfortunately, resource preferences are often unknown to policy-makers and have to be inferred from data. In this paper we consider the problem of inferring agents’ preferences fro...

Explaining Religious Differentials in Family Size Preferences: Evidence from Nepal in 1996

Science.gov (United States)

Pearce, Lisa D.; Brauner-Otto, Sarah; Ji, Yingchun

2015-01-01

This paper presents an examination of how religio-ethnic identity, individual religiosity, and family members’ religiosity are related to preferred family size in Nepal. Analyses of survey data from the Chitwan Valley Family Study show that socioeconomic characteristics and individual experiences can suppress, as well as largely account for, religio-ethnic differences in fertility preferences. These religio-ethnic differentials are associated with variance in particularized religious theologies or general value orientations (like son preference) across groups. In addition, individual and family religiosity are both positively associated with preferred family size, seemingly because of their association with religious beliefs that are likely to shape fertility strategies. These findings suggest improvements in how we conceptualize and empirically measure supra-individual religious influence in a variety of settings and for a range of demographically interesting outcomes. PMID:25685878

2. Sino-German workshop on fuel cells. Book of abstracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

The CD-ROM contains the content of 13 lectures and 19 proposals for joint projects, which were presented on the second Sino-German Workshop on fuel cells. The topics of the 13 lectures are: Ab-initio calculations of oxygen species on low-index platinum surfaces (Pachenko, M.T.M. Koper, T.E. Shubina, S.J. Mitchell, E. Roduner). Cross-Linked (Composite) Polyaryl Blend Membranes for Membrane Fuel Cells. (J.A. Kerres, A. Ullrich, W. Zhang, M. Hein, V. Gogel, L. Joerissen, Th. Frey, A. Friedrich). Performance and Methanol Permeation of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells: Dependence on Operating Conditions and on Electrode Structure(V. Gogel, Th. Frey, K.A. Friedrich, L. Joerissen, J. Garche, Z. Yongsheng). Experimental Investigation of Flow Bed Configuration Effect on Performance of Liquid Feed Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. (H. Guo, C.F. Ma, M.H. Wang, F. Ye, J. Yu, Y. Wang, C.Y. Wang). Improvement of MEAs for DMFC by a tuned production sequence assisted by mathematical modelling (Lindermeir, G. Rosenthal, U. Kunz, U. Hoffmann). Performance of the self-breathing air DMFC with solution grafted PVDF-g-PSSA membranes (X. Qiu, G. Guo, W. Li, W. Zhu, L. Chen). Modeling the Effects of Methanol Crossover on DMFC (J. Zhang, Y. Wang). The characteristics of 40 kW PEM fuel cell engine for vehicle(M. Hou, P. Ming, H. Zhang). A New and Simple Method for Preparing Biocathode in Biofuel Cells (D. Sun, C. Cai, X. Li, W. Xing, T. Lu). Nonlinear Model Reduction of a Dynamic Two-dimensional Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Model (M. Mangold, M. Sheng). Recent Advances in Design and Fabrication of Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (C. Xia, G. Meng). Novel CVD Techniques for Micro- and IT-SOFC Fabrication (G. Meng, H. Song, Q. Dong, D. Peng). Fundamental properties of La{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}Co{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} at high temperatures (S. Wang, T.-L. Wen).

How Preferences for Public Participation are Linked to Perceptions of the Context, Preferences for Outcomes, and Individual Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Tuler, Seth; Webler, Thomas

2010-08-01

Practitioners and stakeholders involved in environmental and risk assessment and decision-making efforts have access to a growing list of policies and guidance for implementing good process. The advice is often general. There is little understanding of how situation specific features are relevant in new circumstances. In a series of ten case studies we investigated how people’s (a) perceptions of the context, (b) preferences for outcomes, and (c) affiliations, experiences and motivations are related to their preferences for process features in a particular situation. The cases are in three policy areas: watershed management, forestry management, and clean-up and public health management of radioactively contaminated sites. We conclude this paper with a discussion of how the results can inform process design. Process design should be based on a diagnostic approach that specifically assesses relevant situational characteristics.

Antonio Tabucchi between postmodernism and impegno

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cecchini, Leonardo

-political commitment) in literature. However this has not prevented him from taking position in his writing on important civil and social-political issues in Italy and Europe. This paper focuses on Tabucchi’s stance about the question of impegno, - particularly as discussed by him in La gastrite di Platone and L’oca...

Regional differences of consumer preferences when shopping for regional products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jitka Kalábová

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents partial results of a research on consumer preferences when shopping for groceries. It is focused on regional products and consumer preferences in relation to the country of origin of food products. The main objective of this paper is to find the existence of spatial relationships between spatial deployment of regional products and consumer preferences for regional products. It will be necessary to create a data model for monitoring the deployment of regional products and also a data model for tracking important indicators of consumer behavior in all regions of the Czech Republic. The results are based on questionnaire survey that was conducted within the period from October 2010 to January 2011 on a sample of 3767 respondents from the Czech Republic, via both online questionnaires and their printed version. For the data collection the questionnaire system ReLa, developed by the Department of Marketing and Trade at Faculty of Business and Economics at Mendel University in Brno, was used. Data was processed with statistical software STATISTICA (ver. 10. Spatial visualisation was processed with GIS software ArcGIS (ver. 10.1. Preferences for food of Czech origin were analysed in relation to identification criteria. The research results show that the origin of food has an important role in consumer purchase decision-making. There is no significant difference in importance of this factor based on gender of consumers, however, we could prove moderate dependence on respondent’s occupation, education and age. We could also experience regional differences in levels of preferences of local products or products of Czech origin in regard of 14 regions of the Czech Republic. χ2 (N = 3767 = 245.25; p < 0.001. Value of Pearson’s coefficient of contingency is 0.334.

Color preferences are not universal.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Chloe; Clifford, Alexandra; Franklin, Anna

2013-11-01

Claims of universality pervade color preference research. It has been argued that there are universal preferences for some colors over others (e.g., Eysenck, 1941), universal sex differences (e.g., Hurlbert & Ling, 2007), and universal mechanisms or dimensions that govern these preferences (e.g., Palmer & Schloss, 2010). However, there have been surprisingly few cross-cultural investigations of color preference and none from nonindustrialized societies that are relatively free from the common influence of global consumer culture. Here, we compare the color preferences of British adults to those of Himba adults who belong to a nonindustrialized culture in rural Namibia. British and Himba color preferences are found to share few characteristics, and Himba color preferences display none of the so-called "universal" patterns or sex differences. Several significant predictors of color preference are identified, such as cone-contrast between stimulus and background (Hurlbert & Ling, 2007), the valence of color-associated objects (Palmer & Schloss, 2010), and the colorfulness of the color. However, the relationship of these predictors to color preference was strikingly different for the two cultures. No one model of color preference is able to account for both British and Himba color preferences. We suggest that not only do patterns of color preference vary across individuals and groups but the underlying mechanisms and dimensions of color preference vary as well. The findings have implications for broader debate on the extent to which our perception and experience of color is culturally relative or universally constrained. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Left preference for sport tasks does not necessarily indicate left-handedness: sport-specific lateral preferences, relationship with handedness and implications for laterality research in behavioural sciences.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian Loffing

Full Text Available In the elite domain of interactive sports, athletes who demonstrate a left preference (e.g., holding a weapon with the left hand in fencing or boxing in a 'southpaw' stance seem overrepresented. Such excess indicates a performance advantage and was also interpreted as evidence in favour of frequency-dependent selection mechanisms to explain the maintenance of left-handedness in humans. To test for an overrepresentation, the incidence of athletes' lateral preferences is typically compared with an expected ratio of left- to right-handedness in the normal population. However, the normal population reference values did not always relate to the sport-specific tasks of interest, which may limit the validity of reports of an excess of 'left-oriented' athletes. Here we sought to determine lateral preferences for various sport-specific tasks (e.g., baseball batting, boxing in the normal population and to examine the relationship between these preferences and handedness. To this end, we asked 903 participants to indicate their lateral preferences for sport-specific and common tasks using a paper-based questionnaire. Lateral preferences varied considerably across the different sport tasks and we found high variation in the relationship between those preferences and handedness. In contrast to unimanual tasks (e.g., fencing or throwing, for bimanually controlled actions such as baseball batting, shooting in ice hockey or boxing the incidence of left preferences was considerably higher than expected from the proportion of left-handedness in the normal population and the relationship with handedness was relatively low. We conclude that (i task-specific reference values are mandatory for reliably testing for an excess of athletes with a left preference, (ii the term 'handedness' should be more cautiously used within the context of sport-related laterality research and (iii observation of lateral preferences in sports may be of limited suitability for the

Left preference for sport tasks does not necessarily indicate left-handedness: sport-specific lateral preferences, relationship with handedness and implications for laterality research in behavioural sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Loffing, Florian; Sölter, Florian; Hagemann, Norbert

2014-01-01

In the elite domain of interactive sports, athletes who demonstrate a left preference (e.g., holding a weapon with the left hand in fencing or boxing in a 'southpaw' stance) seem overrepresented. Such excess indicates a performance advantage and was also interpreted as evidence in favour of frequency-dependent selection mechanisms to explain the maintenance of left-handedness in humans. To test for an overrepresentation, the incidence of athletes' lateral preferences is typically compared with an expected ratio of left- to right-handedness in the normal population. However, the normal population reference values did not always relate to the sport-specific tasks of interest, which may limit the validity of reports of an excess of 'left-oriented' athletes. Here we sought to determine lateral preferences for various sport-specific tasks (e.g., baseball batting, boxing) in the normal population and to examine the relationship between these preferences and handedness. To this end, we asked 903 participants to indicate their lateral preferences for sport-specific and common tasks using a paper-based questionnaire. Lateral preferences varied considerably across the different sport tasks and we found high variation in the relationship between those preferences and handedness. In contrast to unimanual tasks (e.g., fencing or throwing), for bimanually controlled actions such as baseball batting, shooting in ice hockey or boxing the incidence of left preferences was considerably higher than expected from the proportion of left-handedness in the normal population and the relationship with handedness was relatively low. We conclude that (i) task-specific reference values are mandatory for reliably testing for an excess of athletes with a left preference, (ii) the term 'handedness' should be more cautiously used within the context of sport-related laterality research and (iii) observation of lateral preferences in sports may be of limited suitability for the verification of

Left Preference for Sport Tasks Does Not Necessarily Indicate Left-Handedness: Sport-Specific Lateral Preferences, Relationship with Handedness and Implications for Laterality Research in Behavioural Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Loffing, Florian; Sölter, Florian; Hagemann, Norbert

2014-01-01

In the elite domain of interactive sports, athletes who demonstrate a left preference (e.g., holding a weapon with the left hand in fencing or boxing in a ‘southpaw’ stance) seem overrepresented. Such excess indicates a performance advantage and was also interpreted as evidence in favour of frequency-dependent selection mechanisms to explain the maintenance of left-handedness in humans. To test for an overrepresentation, the incidence of athletes' lateral preferences is typically compared with an expected ratio of left- to right-handedness in the normal population. However, the normal population reference values did not always relate to the sport-specific tasks of interest, which may limit the validity of reports of an excess of ‘left-oriented’ athletes. Here we sought to determine lateral preferences for various sport-specific tasks (e.g., baseball batting, boxing) in the normal population and to examine the relationship between these preferences and handedness. To this end, we asked 903 participants to indicate their lateral preferences for sport-specific and common tasks using a paper-based questionnaire. Lateral preferences varied considerably across the different sport tasks and we found high variation in the relationship between those preferences and handedness. In contrast to unimanual tasks (e.g., fencing or throwing), for bimanually controlled actions such as baseball batting, shooting in ice hockey or boxing the incidence of left preferences was considerably higher than expected from the proportion of left-handedness in the normal population and the relationship with handedness was relatively low. We conclude that (i) task-specific reference values are mandatory for reliably testing for an excess of athletes with a left preference, (ii) the term ‘handedness’ should be more cautiously used within the context of sport-related laterality research and (iii) observation of lateral preferences in sports may be of limited suitability for the

An Experimental Study of Gender and Cultural Differences in Hue Preference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulrahman Saud Al-Rasheed

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the influence of both gender and culture on colour preference. Inspection of previous studies of colour preference reveals that many of these studies have poor control over the colours that are shown – the chromatic co-ordinates of colours are either not noted or the illuminant that colours are shown under is not controlled. This means that conclusions about colour preference are made using subjective terms for hue with little knowledge about the precise colours that were shown. However, recently, a new quantitative approach to investigating colour preference has been proposed, where there is no need to summarise colour preference using subjective terms for hue (Ling et al., 2007; Hurlbert & Ling, 2007. This approach aims to quantitatively summarise hue preference in terms of weights on the two channels or ‘cardinal axes’ underlying colour vision. Here I further extend Hurlbert and Ling’s (2007 approach to investigating colour preference, by replicating their study but with Arabic and English participants, and to answer several questions: First, are there cultural differences in the shape of the overall preference curve for English and Arabic participants? Second, are there gender differences in the shape of the overall preference curve for English and Arabic participants?. Thirty eight British and 71 Saudi Arabian (Arabic participants were compared. Results revealed that Arabic and English preference curves were found to differ, yet there was greater similarity for Arabic and English males than Arabic and English females. There was also a sex difference that was present for both Arabic and English participants. The male curve is fairly similar for both samples: peak-preference is in the blue-green region, and a preference minimum is in the red-pink/purple region. For Arabic females the preference peak appears to be in the red-pink region, whilst for English females it is shifted towards purple/blue-green.

Endocrine disruptors in water filters used in the Rio dos Sinos Basin region, Southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CM Furtado

Full Text Available The activated carbon filter is used in residences as another step in the treatment of drinking water, based on a physical-chemical process to absorb pollutants that are not removed in conventional treatment. Endocrine disruptors (EDCs are exogenous substances or mixtures of substances that acts on the endocrine system similarly to the endogenously produced hormones, triggering malfunctions and harmful changes to human and animal health. The objective of the present work was to study EDCs through semi-quantitative analysis of residential water filters collected in the region of Rio dos Sinos basin, focusing on two specific classes: hormones and phenols. The solid phase extraction principle was used for the extraction of compounds and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for the separation and characterization of EDCs. Four samples of residential filters collected from public water distribution and artesian wells, from the cities of Novo Hamburgo and São Leopoldo were analysed. Using the developed methodology, it was possible to detect and comparatively quantify selected EDCs in all studied samples, which indicates the presence of these contaminants in drinking water from different sources.

Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22: Translation, Cross-cultural Adaptation, and Validation in Hebrew-Speaking Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapira Galitz, Yael; Halperin, Doron; Bavnik, Yosef; Warman, Meir

2016-05-01

To perform the translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire to the Hebrew language. A single-center prospective cross-sectional study. Seventy-three chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients and 73 patients without sinonasal disease filled the Hebrew version of the SNOT-22 questionnaire. Fifty-one CRS patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery, out of which 28 filled a postoperative questionnaire. Seventy-three healthy volunteers without sinonasal disease also answered the questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest reproducibility, validity, and responsiveness of the questionnaire were evaluated. Questionnaire reliability was excellent, with a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient, 0.91-0.936) and test-retest reproducibility (Spearman's coefficient, 0.962). Mean scores for the preoperative, postoperative, and control groups were 50.44, 29.64, and 13.15, respectively (P < .0001 for CRS vs controls, P < .001 for preoperative vs postoperative), showing validity and responsiveness of the questionnaire. The Hebrew version of SNOT-22 questionnaire is a valid outcome measure for patients with CRS with or without nasal polyps. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

A preference for migration

OpenAIRE

Stark, Oded

2007-01-01

At least to some extent migration behavior is the outcome of a preference for migration. The pattern of migration as an outcome of a preference for migration depends on two key factors: imitation technology and migration feasibility. We show that these factors jointly determine the outcome of a preference for migration and we provide examples that illustrate how the prevalence and transmission of a migration-forming preference yield distinct migration patterns. In particular, the imitation of...

Assessing Women's Preferences and Preference Modeling for Breast Reconstruction Decision-Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Clement S; Cantor, Scott B; Reece, Gregory P; Crosby, Melissa A; Fingeret, Michelle C; Markey, Mia K

2014-03-01

Women considering breast reconstruction must make challenging trade-offs amongst issues that often conflict. It may be useful to quantify possible outcomes using a single summary measure to aid a breast cancer patient in choosing a form of breast reconstruction. In this study, we used multiattribute utility theory to combine multiple objectives to yield a summary value using nine different preference models. We elicited the preferences of 36 women, aged 32 or older with no history of breast cancer, for the patient-reported outcome measures of breast satisfaction, psychosocial well-being, chest well-being, abdominal well-being, and sexual wellbeing as measured by the BREAST-Q in addition to time lost to reconstruction and out-of-pocket cost. Participants ranked hypothetical breast reconstruction outcomes. We examined each multiattribute utility preference model and assessed how often each model agreed with participants' rankings. The median amount of time required to assess preferences was 34 minutes. Agreement among the nine preference models with the participants ranged from 75.9% to 78.9%. None of the preference models performed significantly worse than the best performing risk averse multiplicative model. We hypothesize an average theoretical agreement of 94.6% for this model if participant error is included. There was a statistically significant positive correlation with more unequal distribution of weight given to the seven attributes. We recommend the risk averse multiplicative model for modeling the preferences of patients considering different forms of breast reconstruction because it agreed most often with the participants in this study.

Residential preferences towards urban and suburban areas and their relationship with demographic characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petrić Jasna

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Urban sprawl is, among all, also the result of voluntary or induced resettlement of population from the inner city to urban periphery, or by in-migration to peripheral parts of cities where the origin of migrants is in other settlements. The focus of this paper is on the influence that residential preferences have on suburbanization, with the emphasis on analysis of the residential choice and certain population groups' tendencies to prioritise living in suburbs or the inner-city living. Theoretical considerations which are set in this paper initiate with residential preference components and the hypothesis of change in dominant motives for residential choice throughout family and individual's lifecycle. Then, the demographic data have been analysed according to the latest Census results in the two pilot-areas of urban and suburban type in Belgrade. Additional research on residential preferences are founded on preparation of specific questionnaire which would enable application of more powerful statistical techniques, especially a wider use of measuring scales for the variables deriving from the questionnaire, and formulation of a model for prediction of different population groups' residential preferences in urban and suburban settings.

The geometry of distributional preferences and a non-parametric identification approach: The Equality Equivalence Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerschbamer, Rudolf

2015-05-01

This paper proposes a geometric delineation of distributional preference types and a non-parametric approach for their identification in a two-person context. It starts with a small set of assumptions on preferences and shows that this set (i) naturally results in a taxonomy of distributional archetypes that nests all empirically relevant types considered in previous work; and (ii) gives rise to a clean experimental identification procedure - the Equality Equivalence Test - that discriminates between archetypes according to core features of preferences rather than properties of specific modeling variants. As a by-product the test yields a two-dimensional index of preference intensity.

Fuzzy preference based interactive fuzzy physical programming and its application in multi-objective optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xu; Huang, Hong Zhong; Yu, Lanfeng

2006-01-01

Interactive Fuzzy Physical Programming (IFPP) developed in this paper is a new efficient multi-objective optimization method, which retains the advantages of physical programming while considering the fuzziness of the designer's preferences. The fuzzy preference function is introduced based on the model of linear physical programming, which is used to guide the search for improved solutions by interactive decision analysis. The example of multi-objective optimization design of the spindle of internal grinder demonstrates that the improved preference conforms to the subjective desires of the designer

Financing Preference Behaviour for Private Finance Initiative (PFI Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yati Md Lasa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Project Financing Initiative (PFI projects require the private sector to invest an enormous amount of capital for the development of public projects. The private sector has to seek cost-effective financing sources for their survival in the long-term concession. Conventional financing uses widely; however, Islamic financing promises better financing through profit and loss sharing. This paper reviews financing preferences for PFI projects and the factors influencing the choice of funding. The results show that religious perspective, quality of services, financing facilities and reputation are the factors that are expected will influence the financing preference behaviour, either Islamic or conventional finance.

A Study on Evaluation of Living Environment by Students' Preferences in Residences

OpenAIRE

鶴崎, 直樹; 坂井, 猛; 上野, 武; 有馬, 隆文; Tsurusaki, Naoki; Sakai, Takeru; Ueno, Takeshi; Arima, Takafumi

2006-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to construct a living quarters environment evaluation method by surveying students' preferences in residences and to apply the evaluation method to the Kyushu University Hakozaki campus so as to inspect the method's efficacy and applicability to a new campus. The obtained results included: 1)information about preferences in residence selection by students attending Kyushu University. 2)proof of efficacy from the viewpoint of students in the Kyushu University Hako...

Preferred Formats for References | Editor | Ghana Journal of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Preferred Formats for References. References made in the notes or in the text should include author's last name, the date of publication and the relevant page number(s), e.g. (Chomsky 1972: 63-4). There should be a separate list of references at the end of the paper, but before any appendices, in which all and only items ...

Does a Least-Preferred Candidate Win a Seat? A Comparison of Three Electoral Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoichi Hizen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the differences between two variations of proportional representation (PR, open-list PR and closed-list PR, are analyzed in terms of their ability to accurately reflect voter preference. The single nontransferable vote (SNTV is also included in the comparison as a benchmark. We construct a model of voting equilibria with a candidate who is least preferred by voters in the sense that replacing the least-preferred candidate in the set of winners with any loser is Pareto improving, and our focus is on whether the least-preferred candidate wins under each electoral system. We demonstrate that the least-preferred candidate never wins under the SNTV, but can win under open-list PR, although this is less likely than winning under closed-list PR.

Dynamic electricity pricing—Which programs do consumers prefer?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dütschke, Elisabeth; Paetz, Alexandra-Gwyn

2013-01-01

Dynamic pricing is being discussed as one method of demand side management (DSM) which could be crucial for integrating more renewable energy sources into the electricity system. At the same time, there have been very few analyses of consumer preferences in this regard: Which type of pricing program are consumers most likely to choose and why? This paper sheds some light on these issues based on two empirical studies from Germany: (1) A questionnaire study including a conjoint analysis-design and (2) A field experiment with test-residents of a smart home laboratory. The results show that consumers are open to dynamic pricing, but prefer simple programs to complex and highly dynamic ones; smart home technologies including demand automation are seen as a prerequisite for DSM. The study provides some indications that consumers might be more willing to accept more dynamic pricing programs if they have the chance to experience in practice how these can be managed in everyday life. At the same time, the individual and societal advantages of such programs are not obvious to consumers. For this reason, any market roll-out will need to be accompanied by convincing communication and information campaigns to ensure that these advantages are perceived. - Highlights: • Little is known about consumer preferences on dynamic pricing. • Two studies are conducted to analyze this topic. • A survey shows that consumers without experience prefer conventional programs. • Test residents of a smart home were more open to dynamic pricing. • They also prefer well-structured programs

Mission Operations Planning with Preferences: An Empirical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Bresina, John L.; Khatib, Lina; McGann, Conor

2006-01-01

This paper presents an empirical study of some nonexhaustive approaches to optimizing preferences within the context of constraint-based, mixed-initiative planning for mission operations. This work is motivated by the experience of deploying and operating the MAPGEN (Mixed-initiative Activity Plan GENerator) system for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Responsiveness to the user is one of the important requirements for MAPGEN, hence, the additional computation time needed to optimize preferences must be kept within reasonabble bounds. This was the primary motivation for studying non-exhaustive optimization approaches. The specific goals of rhe empirical study are to assess the impact on solution quality of two greedy heuristics used in MAPGEN and to assess the improvement gained by applying a linear programming optimization technique to the final solution.

Risk preference, option pricing and portfolio hedging with proportional transaction costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xiao-Tian; Li, Zhe; Zhuang, Le

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Scaling is a key factor in option pricing. • The model is theoretically analyzed and the results are new. • Some numerical examples are performed. • The implied-volatility-frown is affected by the risk preference and scaling. - Abstract: This paper is concerned in the option pricing and portfolio hedging in a discrete time case with the proportional transaction costs. Through the Monte Carlo simulations it has been shown that the fractal scaling and risk preference of traders have an important influence on the hedging performances in both option pricing and portfolio hedging in a discrete time case. In addition, the relation between preference of traders and implied volatility frown is discussed. We conclude that the risk preferences of traders play an important role in determining the shape of the implied-volatility-frown and the different options having the different hedging frequencies is another reason for the implied volatility frown.

"Chalepa Ta Kala," "Fine Things Are Difficult": Socrates' Insights into the Psychology of Teaching and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Mintz, Avi I.

2010-01-01

The proverb "chalepa ta kala" ("fine things are difficult") is invoked in three dialogues in the Platonic corpus: "Hippias Major," "Cratylus" and "Republic." In this paper, I argue that the context in which the proverb arises reveals Socrates' considerable pedagogical dexterity as he uses the proverb to rebuke his interlocutor in one dialogue but…

Farmers' Risk Preferences in Rural China: Measurements and Determinants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Jianjun; He, Rui; Gong, Haozhou; Xu, Xia; He, Chunyang

2017-06-30

This study measures farmers' risk attitudes in rural China using a survey instrument and a complementary experiment conducted in the field with the same sample of subjects. Using a question asking people about their willingness to take risks "in general", we found that the average response of our sample is slightly risk averse. Farmers' exogenous factors (age, gender, and height) and self-reported happiness have a significant impact on farmers' willingness to take risks. The experiment results show that approximately 44% of farmers in the study area are risk averse. We compare farmers' self-reported measures of risk preferences derived from the survey instrument to preferences elicited through the experimental task. Results show that answers to the general risk attitude question in the survey can predict farmers' behaviors in the experiment to a statistically significant degree. This paper can contribute to the empirical literature on comparing local farmers' risk attitudes across different risk preference measurement methods in the developing world.

Classification and characterization of Japanese consumers' beef preferences by external preference mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Keisuke; Ooi, Motoki; Nagura, Naoto; Motoyama, Michiyo; Narita, Takumi; Oe, Mika; Nakajima, Ikuyo; Hagi, Tatsuro; Ojima, Koichi; Kobayashi, Miho; Nomura, Masaru; Muroya, Susumu; Hayashi, Takeshi; Akama, Kyoko; Fujikawa, Akira; Hokiyama, Hironao; Kobayashi, Kuniyuki; Nishimura, Takanori

2017-08-01

Over the past few decades, beef producers in Japan have improved marbling in their beef products. It was recently reported that marbling is not well correlated with palatability as rated by Japanese consumers. This study sought to identify the consumer segments in Japan that prefer sensory characteristics of beef other than high marbling. Three Wagyu beef, one Holstein beef and two lean imported beef longissimus samples were subjected to a descriptive sensory test, physicochemical analysis and a consumer (n = 307) preference test. According to consumer classification and external preference mapping, four consumer segments were identified as 'gradual high-fat likers', 'moderate-fat and distinctive taste likers', 'Wagyu likers' and 'distinctive texture likers'. Although the major trend of Japanese consumers' beef preference was 'marbling liking', 16.9% of the consumers preferred beef samples that had moderate marbling and distinctive taste. The consumers' attitudes expressed in a questionnaire survey were in good agreement with the preference for marbling among the 'moderate-fat and distinctive taste likers'. These results indicate that moderately marbled beef is a potent category in the Japanese beef market. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Sour Taste preferences of children relate to preference of novel and intense stimuli

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liem, D.G.; Westerbeek, A.; Wolterink, S.; Kok, F.J.; Graaf, de C.

2004-01-01

Previous research has suggested that some children have a preference for sour tastes. The origin of this preference remains unclear. We investigated whether preference for sour tastes is related to a difference in rated sour intensity due to physiological properties of saliva, or to an overall

The preferences of the electors and the importance of the Mexican 2006 election campaigns

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Gonzalo Castañeda Ramos

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the econometric results that validate the relevance of an election campaign on the elector’s preferences change among the candidates. The preferences are defined from the declared voting intentions from two rounds of an enquiry panel on the 2006 Mexican presidential elections. The estimated models support the hypothesis that local influence (political discussion networks and the media influence (television’s audience, debates, negative campaigns have a statistically significant impact on the voter’s preferences. Furthermore, it is shown that the impact on the change of the preferences is differentiated, whereas the social networks, media and partisan ideology/identity influence the very different forms for the adherents of the various candidates.

Text or talk? Social anxiety, loneliness, and divergent preferences for cell phone use.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Donna J; Reid, Fraser J M

2007-06-01

This paper investigates whether social anxiety and loneliness lead to contrasting beliefs and preferences among cell phone users towards texting and talking on their cell phones. Three hypotheses are examined: (1) that social anxiety and loneliness are differentially associated with generalized preferences either for texting or for talking on the cell phone, (2) that these preferences are linked to contrasting beliefs concerning the social functionality of the short message service (SMS), and (3) that these divergent beliefs mediate the effects of social anxiety and loneliness on cell phone users' generalized preferences for texting or talking. Results from an Internet questionnaire (N=158) showed that, whilst lonely participants preferred making voice calls and rated texting as a less intimate method of contact, anxious participants preferred to text, and rated it a superior medium for expressive and intimate contact. These divergent beliefs accounted for 36% and 16% of the variance in preference for texting and voice calls, respectively, and significantly attenuated the influence of loneliness and social anxiety when they were added to the regression equations for these measures. Results are discussed in terms of the hyperpersonal possibilities of mobile communications technologies.

The Measurement of Housing Preferences in the Analytic Hierarchy Process

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Gawlik Remigiusz

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on an adaptation of the AHP method to elicit housing preferences on the rental market. To assess the applicability of the AHP method for residential market analyses, a survey was conducted on a group of students from Cracow University of Economics, Poland. The students were asked to evaluate the importance of particular criteria when selecting an apartment. We identified the major methodological difficulties of the utilization of the AHP method in applied research on preferences and decision-making on the housing market. Potential solutions to the mentioned limitations were also presented.

Platonic Dialogue, Maieutic Method and Critical Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Leigh, Fiona

2007-01-01

In this paper I offer a reading of one of Plato's later works, the "Sophist", that reveals it to be informed by principles comparable on the face of it with those that have emerged recently in the field of critical thinking. As a development of the famous Socratic method of his teacher, I argue, Plato deployed his own pedagogical method, a…

A novel approach based on preference-based index for interval bilevel linear programming problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Aihong; Wang, Yuping; Xue, Xingsi

2017-01-01

This paper proposes a new methodology for solving the interval bilevel linear programming problem in which all coefficients of both objective functions and constraints are considered as interval numbers. In order to keep as much uncertainty of the original constraint region as possible, the original problem is first converted into an interval bilevel programming problem with interval coefficients in both objective functions only through normal variation of interval number and chance-constrained programming. With the consideration of different preferences of different decision makers, the concept of the preference level that the interval objective function is preferred to a target interval is defined based on the preference-based index. Then a preference-based deterministic bilevel programming problem is constructed in terms of the preference level and the order relation [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, the concept of a preference δ -optimal solution is given. Subsequently, the constructed deterministic nonlinear bilevel problem is solved with the help of estimation of distribution algorithm. Finally, several numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

A novel approach based on preference-based index for interval bilevel linear programming problem

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Aihong Ren

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract This paper proposes a new methodology for solving the interval bilevel linear programming problem in which all coefficients of both objective functions and constraints are considered as interval numbers. In order to keep as much uncertainty of the original constraint region as possible, the original problem is first converted into an interval bilevel programming problem with interval coefficients in both objective functions only through normal variation of interval number and chance-constrained programming. With the consideration of different preferences of different decision makers, the concept of the preference level that the interval objective function is preferred to a target interval is defined based on the preference-based index. Then a preference-based deterministic bilevel programming problem is constructed in terms of the preference level and the order relation ⪯ m w $\\preceq_{mw}$ . Furthermore, the concept of a preference δ-optimal solution is given. Subsequently, the constructed deterministic nonlinear bilevel problem is solved with the help of estimation of distribution algorithm. Finally, several numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Rituels, territoires et pouvoirs dans les marges sino-indiennes

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Grégoire Schlemmer

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Faisant suite à l’idée de Paul Mus concernant l’existence d’une « religion cadastrale » constitutive de l’organisation socio-religieuse du « socle asien », nous proposons d’approcher de manière comparative les rituels liés à la prospérité du territoire des populations vivant en marge des pouvoirs étatiques des régions sinisées et indianisées, ce que nous appelons ici les « marges sino-indiennes ». Ces rituels s’organisent autour d’un schéma récurrent dont nous analysons les détails et les variantes. Il s’agit d’une force du lieu, naturelle et sauvage, pacifiée par un ancêtre fondateur, lequel en devient avec ses descendants les sacrificateurs représentant la communauté toute entière. En légitimant l’occupation d’un espace par un groupe et en favorisant sa fertilité, ces rituels sont le lieu de cristallisation de nombreux enjeux imbriqués qui impliquent tout à la fois les sources de la subsistance, la légitimité d’occuper un territoire, mais aussi les formes d’appartenance et l’exercice du pouvoir interne au groupe et dans sa relation avec ses voisins et les centres de pouvoir qui les englobent.Taking Paul Mus’s idea of a “cadastral religion” as part of the socio-religious organisation of the “Asian base” further, we propose approaching rituals linked to the territorial prosperity of groups living on the margins of state power in the Chinese and Indian worlds in a comparative way. These rituals are organised around the recurring schema of a force of place, both natural and wild, which was pacified by a founding ancestor who, along with his descendants, became the sacrificers representing the entire community—a schema the details and variations of which we have analysed. By legitimising the occupation of a space by one group and promoting its fertility, these rituals are where many interlocking stakes are crystallised. These involve the sources of subsistence and the

Choosing Europe? Why Voter Preferences (sometimes) are not Reflected in National Positions in EU Constitutional Negotiations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beach, Derek

’; in other words the process whereby voter preferences are translated into actual national positions in EU constitutional negotiations. Using data drawn from the 1996-97 negotiation of the Treaty of Amsterdam, this paper attempts to explain why voter preferences are often not reflected in national positions...

"We Don't Understand English That Is Why We Prefer English": Primary School Students' Preference for the Language of Instruction in Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Ernest Kofi; Bishop, Alan J.; Seah, Wee Tiong

2015-01-01

This paper reports on a study which sought to investigate how social and political influences affect students' preference for language of instruction in mathematics in Ghana, where the language of instruction from grade 4 onwards in school is not the students' main language. 4 focus group interviews were carried out with 16 primary school…

Great apes prefer cooked food.

Science.gov (United States)

Wobber, Victoria; Hare, Brian; Wrangham, Richard

2008-08-01

The cooking hypothesis proposes that a diet of cooked food was responsible for diverse morphological and behavioral changes in human evolution. However, it does not predict whether a preference for cooked food evolved before or after the control of fire. This question is important because the greater the preference shown by a raw-food-eating hominid for the properties present in cooked food, the more easily cooking should have been adopted following the control of fire. Here we use great apes to model food preferences by Paleolithic hominids. We conducted preference tests with various plant and animal foods to determine whether great apes prefer food items raw or cooked. We found that several populations of captive apes tended to prefer their food cooked, though with important exceptions. These results suggest that Paleolithic hominids would likewise have spontaneously preferred cooked food to raw, exapting a pre-existing preference for high-quality, easily chewed foods onto these cooked items. The results, therefore, challenge the hypothesis that the control of fire preceded cooking by a significant period.

TOPSIS-based consensus model for group decision-making with incomplete interval fuzzy preference relations.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fang; Zhang, Wei-Guo

2014-08-01

Due to the vagueness of real-world environments and the subjective nature of human judgments, it is natural for experts to estimate their judgements by using incomplete interval fuzzy preference relations. In this paper, based on the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution method, we present a consensus model for group decision-making (GDM) with incomplete interval fuzzy preference relations. To do this, we first define a new consistency measure for incomplete interval fuzzy preference relations. Second, a goal programming model is proposed to estimate the missing interval preference values and it is guided by the consistency property. Third, an ideal interval fuzzy preference relation is constructed by using the induced ordered weighted averaging operator, where the associated weights of characterizing the operator are based on the defined consistency measure. Fourth, a similarity degree between complete interval fuzzy preference relations and the ideal one is defined. The similarity degree is related to the associated weights, and used to aggregate the experts' preference relations in such a way that more importance is given to ones with the higher similarity degree. Finally, a new algorithm is given to solve the GDM problem with incomplete interval fuzzy preference relations, which is further applied to partnership selection in formation of virtual enterprises.

a New Model for Fuzzy Personalized Route Planning Using Fuzzy Linguistic Preference Relation

Science.gov (United States)

Nadi, S.; Houshyaripour, A. H.

2017-09-01

This paper proposes a new model for personalized route planning under uncertain condition. Personalized routing, involves different sources of uncertainty. These uncertainties can be raised from user's ambiguity about their preferences, imprecise criteria values and modelling process. The proposed model uses Fuzzy Linguistic Preference Relation Analytical Hierarchical Process (FLPRAHP) to analyse user's preferences under uncertainty. Routing is a multi-criteria task especially in transportation networks, where the users wish to optimize their routes based on different criteria. However, due to the lake of knowledge about the preferences of different users and uncertainties available in the criteria values, we propose a new personalized fuzzy routing method based on the fuzzy ranking using center of gravity. The model employed FLPRAHP method to aggregate uncertain criteria values regarding uncertain user's preferences while improve consistency with least possible comparisons. An illustrative example presents the effectiveness and capability of the proposed model to calculate best personalize route under fuzziness and uncertainty.

An Analysis of the Agency and Providence in Platonic, Aristotelian and Avicennan Metaphysics

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Vahideh Hadad

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The questions as to whether the cosmic order of this world is based on action/agent or not? And if an agent is involved and the world and what it contains have to be seen as action, could we declare the cosmic order a providential order? are among the problems which have always occupied the mind of philosophers.      Reading through Platonic corpse leads us to the conclusion that he has founded his metaphysics upon the very idea of world of ideas. According to his works and words, Plato is a proponent of the theory of ideas. As a matter of fact, Plato's metaphysics lies in the theory of ideas. Plato illustrates the general makeup of the world of ideas and the way sensible objects stand in relation with the beings dwelling in the latter world by the well-known cave allegory in the seventh book of Republic. In his view, whatever we find around ourselves not only are not authentic realities but rather they are merely shadows of the truth. Every phenomenon has an essence or reality which is known as its form. The idea of Good overshadows the other ideas insofar as these latter ideas or forms are seen as the effects of the former. It seems we can take God, the One, Absolute Good, Absolute Beauty and Good in itself as expressions of the same reality which Plato has used in different contexts through his works. Along these terms some other notions have also been brought up like intellect, divine intellect, Demiurge, ideas and the particulars of material world. By explaining Plato's taking of these notions and terms, we believe, one can discover Platonic ontological system.    In Republic, Plato argues that God is the creator of ideal bed and all other things, and he is the creator of intelligible entities (ideas. The One or reality as a whole not only contains ideas but the spirit too. The One is the final principle and the source of ideas and is beyond all human attributes. Having said these, it is not clear how reason gets itself related to the

An Analysis of the Agency and Providence in Platonic, Aristotelian and Avicennan Metaphysics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Mahdi Emamijomeh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The questions as to whether the cosmic order of this world is based on action/agent or not? And if an agent is involved and the world and what it contains have to be seen as action, could we declare the cosmic order a providential order? are among the problems which have always occupied the mind of philosophers.      Reading through Platonic corpse leads us to the conclusion that he has founded his metaphysics upon the very idea of world of ideas. According to his works and words, Plato is a proponent of the theory of ideas. As a matter of fact, Plato's metaphysics lies in the theory of ideas. Plato illustrates the general makeup of the world of ideas and the way sensible objects stand in relation with the beings dwelling in the latter world by the well-known cave allegory in the seventh book of Republic. In his view, whatever we find around ourselves not only are not authentic realities but rather they are merely shadows of the truth. Every phenomenon has an essence or reality which is known as its form. The idea of Good overshadows the other ideas insofar as these latter ideas or forms are seen as the effects of the former. It seems we can take God, the One, Absolute Good, Absolute Beauty and Good in itself as expressions of the same reality which Plato has used in different contexts through his works. Along these terms some other notions have also been brought up like intellect, divine intellect, Demiurge, ideas and the particulars of material world. By explaining Plato's taking of these notions and terms, we believe, one can discover Platonic ontological system.    In Republic, Plato argues that God is the creator of ideal bed and all other things, and he is the creator of intelligible entities (ideas. The One or reality as a whole not only contains ideas but the spirit too. The One is the final principle and the source of ideas and is beyond all human attributes. Having said these, it is not clear how reason gets itself related to the

Validity of WTP measures under preference uncertainty

OpenAIRE

Kniebes, Carola; Rehdanz, Katrin; Schmidt, Ulrich

2014-01-01

This paper establishes a new method for eliciting Willingness to Pay (WTP) in contingent valuation (CV) studies with an open-ended elicitation format: the Range-WTP method. In contrast to the traditional approach for eliciting Point-WTP, Range-WTP explicitly allows for preference uncertainty in responses. Using data from two novel large-scale surveys on the perception of solar radiation management (SRM), a little-known technique for counteracting climate change, we compare the performance of ...

CIÊNCIA E MATEMÁTICA, NA REPÚBLICA, DE PLATÃO

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Hugo Filgueiras de Araújo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This article aims to analyze how the Republic of the Plato discusses the concepts of math and science, more specifically in books V, VI and VII of this dialogue. Were first raised some preliminary issues considered in relation to the peculiar way in which Plato developed his writing, if the dialogical style that asks a whole care in their reading, but also arose the problem of translations made from Greek to Portuguese that sometimes hinders its understanding. In a second moment was approached understanding of the term science in Greek, making a relationship with mathematics. As a starting point, was taken the assumption that for Plato the math does not fit the classification of science. This research seeks to understand these concepts in the Platonic philosophy, and there is no way to accomplish such a purpose without resorting to the issues that are most relevant in the Platonic philosophy (epistemology and ontology, considering the arguments of Reminiscence and the Theory of Forms. The paper ends by concluding that science is only considered in the Platonic philosophy that we can have knowledge of the reality, and that, according to the philosopher, is the dialectic; getting the math therefore framed within a framework of knowledge that Plato says in the Republic be among the opinion (doxa and science itself (epistême that is the understanding (dianoia.

Retirement Date Effects on Saving Bahavior: The Case of Non-Separable Preferences

OpenAIRE

Aylit Tina Romm

2013-01-01

In this paper we demonstrate that the magnitude of the reaction of saving behavior to a change in the anticipated retirement date is largely determined by the degree to which utility is additively separable in consumption and leisure. We show that the relative decrease in saving in response to a later anticipated retirement date is larger when preferences are non-separable in consumption and leisure, and the cross-derivative of the utility function is negative, than when preferences are separ...

Evolving Random Forest for Preference Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abou-Zleikha, Mohamed; Shaker, Noor

2015-01-01

This paper introduces a novel approach for pairwise preference learning through a combination of an evolutionary method and random forest. Grammatical evolution is used to describe the structure of the trees in the Random Forest (RF) and to handle the process of evolution. Evolved random forests ...... obtained for predicting pairwise self-reports of users for the three emotional states engagement, frustration and challenge show very promising results that are comparable and in some cases superior to those obtained from state-of-the-art methods....

Screen vs. paper: what is the difference for reading and learning?

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Caroline Myrberg

2015-07-01

Full Text Available We have all seen the newspaper headlines: screens make us read slower, learn less deeply, remember less and sleep worse. Is this why students prefer to print out their electronic textbooks? We suspected it was habit and attitude rather than measurable cognitive effort during reading that made people prefer print texts, but we needed evidence. We decided to find out what recent research had to say on the subject and read scholarly articles addressing the issues of the actual reading and/or learning processes involved in reading on screen compared to on paper. We then considered these results in relation to our own experience of using tablets and teaching scholars and students how to use their tablets/smartphones in their work. Habit and attitude appeared to be important, and a digitally born textbook is by far the best alternative to a print textbook when it comes to studying. But even those who prefer to read on screens are originally native paper readers, and as long as the existing application interfaces cannot address the shortcomings of screens regarding spatial landmarks, we will keep returning to paper under certain circumstances. We would like to see developers make more user-friendly e-readers, and authors and publishers learn to fully utilize of the potential of the e-book.

Color preference in red–green dichromats

Science.gov (United States)

Álvaro, Leticia; Moreira, Humberto; Lillo, Julio; Franklin, Anna

2015-01-01

Around 2% of males have red–green dichromacy, which is a genetic disorder of color vision where one type of cone photoreceptor is missing. Here we investigate the color preferences of dichromats. We aim (i) to establish whether the systematic and reliable color preferences of normal trichromatic observers (e.g., preference maximum at blue, minimum at yellow-green) are affected by dichromacy and (ii) to test theories of color preference with a dichromatic sample. Dichromat and normal trichromat observers named and rated how much they liked saturated, light, dark, and focal colors twice. Trichromats had the expected pattern of preference. Dichromats had a reliable pattern of preference that was different to trichromats, with a preference maximum rather than minimum at yellow and a much weaker preference for blue than trichromats. Color preference was more affected in observers who lacked the cone type sensitive to long wavelengths (protanopes) than in those who lacked the cone type sensitive to medium wavelengths (deuteranopes). Trichromats’ preferences were summarized effectively in terms of cone-contrast between color and background, and yellow-blue cone-contrast could account for dichromats’ pattern of preference, with some evidence for residual red–green activity in deuteranopes’ preference. Dichromats’ color naming also could account for their color preferences, with colors named more accurately and quickly being more preferred. This relationship between color naming and preference also was present for trichromat males but not females. Overall, the findings provide novel evidence on how dichromats experience color, advance the understanding of why humans like some colors more than others, and have implications for general theories of aesthetics. PMID:26170287

Evaluation of genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of water samples from the Sinos River Basin, southern Brazil

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E Bianchi

Full Text Available Some water bodies in the Sinos River Basin (SRB have been suffering the effects of pollution by residential, industrial and agroindustrial wastewater. The presence of cytotoxic and genotoxic compounds could compromise the water quality and the balance of these ecosystems. In this context, the research aimed to evaluate the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of the water at four sites along the SRB (in the cities of Santo Antônio da Patrulha, Parobé, Campo Bom and Esteio, using bioassays in fish and cell culture. Samples of surface water were collected and evaluated in vitro using the Astyanax jacuhiensis fish species (micronucleus test and comet assay and the Vero lineage of cells (comet assay and cytotoxicity tests, neutral red - NR and tetrazolium MTT. The micronucleus test in fish showed no significant differences between the sampling sites, and neither did the comet assay and the MTT and NR tests in Vero cells. The comet assay showed an increase in genetic damage in the fish exposed to water samples collected in the middle and lower sections of the basin (Parobé, Campo Bom and Esteio when compared to the upper section of the basin (Santo Antônio da Patrulha. The results indicate contamination by genotoxic substances starting in the middle section of the SRB.

Tears or Fears? Comparing Gender Stereotypes about Movie Preferences to Actual Preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Wühr, Peter; Lange, Benjamin P; Schwarz, Sascha

2017-01-01

This study investigated the accuracy of gender-specific stereotypes about movie-genre preferences for 17 genres. In Study 1, female and male participants rated the extent to which 17 movie genres are preferred by women or men. In Study 2, another sample of female and male participants rated their own preference for each genre. There were three notable results. First, Study 1 revealed the existence of gender stereotypes for the majority of genres (i.e., for 15 of 17 genres). Second, Study 2 revealed the existence of actual gender differences in preferences for the majority of genres (i.e., for 11 of 17 genres). Third, in order to assess the accuracy of gender stereotypes on movie preferences, we compared the results of both studies and found that the majority of gender stereotypes were accurate in direction, but inaccurate in size. In particular, the stereotypes overestimated actual gender differences for the majority of movie genres (i.e., 10 of 17). Practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Tears or Fears? Comparing Gender Stereotypes about Movie Preferences to Actual Preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Wühr, Peter; Lange, Benjamin P.; Schwarz, Sascha

2017-01-01

This study investigated the accuracy of gender-specific stereotypes about movie-genre preferences for 17 genres. In Study 1, female and male participants rated the extent to which 17 movie genres are preferred by women or men. In Study 2, another sample of female and male participants rated their own preference for each genre. There were three notable results. First, Study 1 revealed the existence of gender stereotypes for the majority of genres (i.e., for 15 of 17 genres). Second, Study 2 revealed the existence of actual gender differences in preferences for the majority of genres (i.e., for 11 of 17 genres). Third, in order to assess the accuracy of gender stereotypes on movie preferences, we compared the results of both studies and found that the majority of gender stereotypes were accurate in direction, but inaccurate in size. In particular, the stereotypes overestimated actual gender differences for the majority of movie genres (i.e., 10 of 17). Practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:28392774

The Causes of Preference Reversal.

OpenAIRE

Tversky, Amos; Slovic, Paul; Kahneman, Daniel

1990-01-01

Observed preference reversal cannot be adequately explained by violations of independence, the reduction axiom, or transitivity. The primary cause of preference reversal is the failure of procedure invariance, especially the overpricing of low-probability, high-payoff bets. This result violates regret theory and generalized (nonindependent) utility models. Preference reversal and a new reversal involving time preferences are explained by scale compatibility, which implies that payoffs are wei...

'Beauty is no quality in things themselves': epistemic motivation affects implicit preferences for art.

Science.gov (United States)

Chirumbolo, Antonio; Brizi, Ambra; Mastandrea, Stefano; Mannetti, Lucia

2014-01-01

Art preferences are affected by a number of subjective factors. This paper reports two studies which investigated whether need for closure shapes implicit art preferences. It was predicted that higher need for closure would negatively affect implicit preferences for abstract art. In study one, 60 participants were tested for dispositional need for closure and then completed an Implicit Association Test (IAT) task to measure their implicit preference for abstract (vs. figurative) paintings. In study two, 54 participants completed the same IAT task. In this experiment need for closure was both manipulated by cognitive load and tapped as a dispositional trait. Results of the studies converged in showing that after controlling for other important individual factors such as participants'expertise and cognitive ability, need for closure, both as a dispositional trait and as a situationally induced motivational state, was negatively associated with implicit preference for abstract art.

'Beauty is no quality in things themselves': epistemic motivation affects implicit preferences for art.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Chirumbolo

Full Text Available Art preferences are affected by a number of subjective factors. This paper reports two studies which investigated whether need for closure shapes implicit art preferences. It was predicted that higher need for closure would negatively affect implicit preferences for abstract art. In study one, 60 participants were tested for dispositional need for closure and then completed an Implicit Association Test (IAT task to measure their implicit preference for abstract (vs. figurative paintings. In study two, 54 participants completed the same IAT task. In this experiment need for closure was both manipulated by cognitive load and tapped as a dispositional trait. Results of the studies converged in showing that after controlling for other important individual factors such as participants'expertise and cognitive ability, need for closure, both as a dispositional trait and as a situationally induced motivational state, was negatively associated with implicit preference for abstract art.

Role of liability preferences in societal technology choices: results of a pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cantor, R.; Rayner, S.; Braid, B.

1985-01-01

At the 1984 Annual Meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Steve Rayner presented a paper that challenged the conventional wisdom of risk management research. In that paper, he argued that resolving the question, ''How safe is safe enough.'' is less important in making societal technology choices than ''How fair is safe enough.'' Adopting the fairness question as the concern of risk management would imply that the process of technology choice explicitly recognize the preferred principles different parties hold with respect to obtaining consent from those affected by the risks, distributing the liabilities, and justifying trust in the relevant institutions. This paper discusses a recent empirical pilot study which explored the fairness hypothesis in the context of nuclear power. Individual interviews and focus groups were conducted to examine whether or not preferred principles for liability distributions were consistent with those suggested by the cultural characteristics of the constituency. The results suggest that for this type of societal technology choice, violation of these preferred principles may be a major source of the conflict between different constituencies. Additionally, the study contributes towards the development of a new approach in risk management that combines the cultural model of risk perceptions with the decision-theoretic approaches found in economics and psychology

Beyond the treatment effect: Evaluating the effects of patient preferences in randomised trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, S D; Turner, R; Macaskill, P; McCaffery, K J; Irwig, L

2017-02-01

The treatments under comparison in a randomised trial should ideally have equal value and acceptability - a position of equipoise - to study participants. However, it is unlikely that true equipoise exists in practice, because at least some participants may have preferences for one treatment or the other, for a variety of reasons. These preferences may be related to study outcomes, and hence affect the estimation of the treatment effect. Furthermore, the effects of preferences can sometimes be substantial, and may even be larger than the direct effect of treatment. Preference effects are of interest in their own right, but they cannot be assessed in the standard parallel group design for a randomised trial. In this paper, we describe a model to represent the impact of preferences on trial outcomes, in addition to the usual treatment effect. In particular, we describe how outcomes might differ between participants who would choose one treatment or the other, if they were free to do so. Additionally, we investigate the difference in outcomes depending on whether or not a participant receives his or her preferred treatment, which we characterise through a so-called preference effect. We then discuss several study designs that have been proposed to measure and exploit data on preferences, and which constitute alternatives to the conventional parallel group design. Based on the model framework, we determine which of the various preference effects can or cannot be estimated with each design. We also illustrate these ideas with some examples of preference designs from the literature.

Using the deductible for patient channeling: did preferred providers gain patient volume?

Science.gov (United States)

van der Geest, Stéphanie A; Varkevisser, Marco

2016-06-01

In market-based health care systems, channeling patients to designated preferred providers can increase payer's bargaining clout, other things being equal. In the unique setting of the new Dutch health care system with regulated competition, this paper evaluates the impact of a 1-year natural experiment with patient channeling on providers' market shares. In 2009 a large regional Dutch health insurer designated preferred providers for two different procedures (cataract surgery and varicose veins treatment) and gave its enrollees a positive financial incentive for choosing them. That is, patients were exempted from paying their deductible when they went to a preferred provider. Using claims data over the period 2007-2009, we apply a difference-in-difference approach to study the impact of this channeling strategy on the allocation of patients across individual providers. Our estimation results show that, in the year of the experiment, preferred providers of varicose veins treatment on average experienced a significant increase in patient volume relative to non-preferred providers. However, for cataract surgery no significant effect is found. Possible explanations for the observed difference between both procedures may be the insurer's selection of preferred providers and the design of the channeling incentive resulting in different expected financial benefits for both patient groups.

The Consumer’s Behavior after the Preferences Nature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catalin Angelo Ioan

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The paper treats the consumer behavior after the nature of its preferences. There areanalyzed in terms of Marshall demand, the perfectlysubstitutable, the perfectly complementary, thecase of independently goods in the meaning of utility, the case of separable goods in the meaning ofutility and the neutral goods. Significant for theresults is that n goods are treated simultaneouslywithgeneralized utility functions instead the classicaltheory.

Aristotle vs. Plato: The Balkans' Paradoxical Enlightenment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Michalopoulos

2007-09-01

Full Text Available As it occurred in West, Aristotle’s thought was in Byzantium the main organon of philosophical meditation within the frame of the Christian Faith. Nonetheless, from the ninth century on it was a revival of Platonism that took place – of Neo-Platonism at the beginning and of Platonism itself at the end. The Church, initially indifferent, became suspicious only when, at the turning of the fourteenth to the fifteenth century, the Platonism seemed to engender somewhat a latent paganism; but the Patriarchate was not then able to fight that tendency. So only after the 1453 capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans, Gennadius Scholarius managed to root out from the Greek lands Platonism and its crypto-pagan extension. Be that as it may; the main paradox of the Balkan history is that in the early seventeenth century some leading Greek scholars endorsed the materialist interpretation of Aristotle’s thought – as it was taught in the University of Padua by Cesare Cremonini; and as a corollary this materialistic philosophical system began being taught in both Constantinople and Athens. It was that very way that the Enlightenment took birth in the Balkans – and somehow became a State ideology - long before its prevalence in France. And of course all this had as a result a turn toward Physics and Chemistry with far-reaching consequences

Car drivers’ knowledge and preferences regarding additional services at parking facilities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Waerden, P.J.H.J.; de Bruin - Verhoeven, M.; Rodrigues da Silva, A.N.

2017-01-01

The paper presents a study on car drivers’ knowledge and preferences regarding additional services at parking facilities. The following eight services are investigated the presence of public toilets, parking spaces for challenged people, lockers, refreshment machines, elevators, charging points for

Shelley’s Unknown Eros: Post-Secular Love in Epipsychidion

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Michael Tomko

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Whether Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Epipsychidion—a Platonic poem on love addressed to the patriarchally imprisoned Theresa Viviani or “Emily”—receives praise or blame has generally been determined by two focal passages: a secular sermon on free love and a planetary allegorical thinly veiling his own imbroglio. This essay re-reads Shelley’s 1821 work drawing on two recent arguments: Stuart Curran’s Dantean call to take the poem’s Florentine narrator seriously as a character, not just as an autobiographical cypher, and Colin Jager’s outline of Shelley’s move beyond the assumptions of his professed atheism after 1816. Based on the poem’s structure and imagery, the paper argues that Epipsychidion critiques the false sense of revolutionary ascent and dualistic escape offered to Emily, who is commodified and erased by the narrator’s egocentric, “counterfeit divinization of eros” (Benedict XVI. Turning from this Radical Enlightenment Platonism, the poem momentarily realizes an embodied, hylomorphic romantic union akin to the Christian nuptial mystery of two becoming “one flesh” (Mark 10:8. This ideal, however, collapses back into solipsism when the narrator cannot understand or accept love as a “unity in duality” (Benedict XVI. This paper thus claims Epipsychidion as a post-secular inquiry into the problem of love whose philosophic limits and theological horizons are both surprising and instructive. It also reclaims Shelley as a phenomenological poet who can open up the world to Christian and non-Christian readers, one whose Platonic and Dantean formation lend him an openness to transcendence and one whose countercultural path through life makes him wary of inhumane appropriations of religion.

Osobnostní hodnotové preference a organizační kultura

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Milan Jermář

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on exploration of desired organizational culture of future potential managers. It introduces the concept of investigations in which attention was devoted to analyzing the important features of an organizational culture that respondents mentioned as suitable for their potential work career. Survey was based on the theory of competing values, which is usually widely used for research of organizational culture. The results obtained revealed preference of Clan organizational culture. Low preference were connected with Market organizational culture. The findings may be a source for formulating some implications for organizational practice. It is necessary to deal with the organizational culture as it helps to create relations between the employee and the organization. It is desirable to explore not only skills and knowledge of new employees, but their value preferences with relation to the preferred organizational culture too. It is necessary not only to present the appropriate organizational values, but also to reduce discrepancies between proclaimed and espoused values in organizational practice. Management practices and interventions should be interpreted in terms of their organizational value content.

Modelling a Nurse Shift Schedule with Multiple Preference Ranks for Shifts and Days-Off

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun-Cheng Lin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available When it comes to nurse shift schedules, it is found that the nursing staff have diverse preferences about shift rotations and days-off. The previous studies only focused on the most preferred work shift and the number of satisfactory days-off of the schedule at the current schedule period but had few discussions on the previous schedule periods and other preference levels for shifts and days-off, which may affect fairness of shift schedules. As a result, this paper proposes a nurse scheduling model based upon integer programming that takes into account constraints of the schedule, different preference ranks towards each shift, and the historical data of previous schedule periods to maximize the satisfaction of all the nursing staff's preferences about the shift schedule. The main contribution of the proposed model is that we consider that the nursing staff’s satisfaction level is affected by multiple preference ranks and their priority ordering to be scheduled, so that the quality of the generated shift schedule is more reasonable. Numerical results show that the planned shifts and days-off are fair and successfully meet the preferences of all the nursing staff.

Preference Handling for Artificial Intelligence

OpenAIRE

Goldsmith, Judy; University of Kentucky; Junker, Ulrich; ILOG

2009-01-01

This article explains the benefits of preferences for AI systems and draws a picture of current AI research on preference handling. It thus provides an introduction to the topics covered by this special issue on preference handling.

Moving past the rhetoric: Policy considerations that can make Sino-African relations to improve Africa's climate change resilience and the attainment of the sustainable development goals

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Dumisani Chirambo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Climate change is a threat to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs in sub-Saharan Africa as its impacts can lead to increased incidences of poverty and inequality which can subsequently lead to a 12% decline in the Human Development Index (HDI for sub-Saharan Africa. Emerging countries such as China have the potential to support Africa to achieve the SDGs by pioneering South–South Climate Finance (SSCF modalities. In order to increase knowledge on climate informed development and the role of China in global climate governance, the paper examined various research articles, case studies, policy briefs and project reports. Sino-African aid, investments and trade were noted as essential in mitigating Africa's climate change vulnerabilities which induce poverty traps and inequality. Some African countries were noted to have a comparative advantage in environmental standards over China but lacked the initiative to use this comparative advantage to enhance the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC and assist China to have a sustainable growth trajectory. The paper concludes that SSCF modalities can enhance climate risk management in Africa if they focus on improving financial inclusion and improving climate finance flows towards climate change adaptation activities in Africa. Additionally, to increase the effectiveness and impact of Chinese climate finance support to Africa, African policymakers should not allow political and market forces to decide how climate related support from China should be allocated as decisions based on political and market forces could potentially promote an inequitable distribution of funds and ignore the most vulnerable countries and regions.

Are Electronic and Paper Questionnaires Equivalent to Assess Patients with Overactive Bladder?

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Cristina; Farhan, Bilal; Nguyen, Nobel; Zhang, Lishi; Do, Rebecca; Nguyen, Danh V; Ghoniem, Gamal

2018-03-30

Overactive bladder syndrome is defined as urinary urgency, usually accompanied by frequency and nocturia, with or without urgency urinary incontinence in the absence of urinary tract infection or another obvious pathological condition. Electronic questionnaires have been used in a few specialties with the hope of improving treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction. However, they have not been widely used in the urological field. When treating overactive bladder, the main outcome is to improve patient quality of life. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate whether electronic questionnaires would be equally accepted as or preferred to paper questionnaires. The secondary objective was to look at the preference in relation to patient age, education and iPad® tablet familiarity. We prospectively evaluated the iList® electronic questionnaire application using a friendly iPad tablet in patients with overactive bladder who presented to the urology clinic at our institution. Each of the 80 patients who were recruited randomly completed the validated OABSS (Overactive Bladder Symptom Score) and the PPBC (Patient Perception of Bladder Condition) questionnaires in paper and electronic format on the tablet. Variables potentially associated with the outcomes of interest included demographic data, questionnaire method preference, patient response rate and iPad familiarity. We used the 2-sided Z-test to determine whether the proportion of patients who considered the tablet to be the same, better or much better than paper was significantly greater than 50%. The 2-sided chi-square test was applied to assess whether the intervention effect significantly differed among the demographic subgroups. A total of 80 patients 21 to 87 years old were enrolled in the study from November 2015 to August 2016. Of the patients 53% were female and 49% were 65 years or younger. The incidence of those who considered the tablet to be the same or better than paper was 82.5% (95% CI 74

Assessing the impact of a Christmas advertisement campaign on Catalan wine preference using Choice Experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Kallas, Zein; Escobar, Cristina; Gil, José Maria

2012-02-01

Our paper seeks to assess the impact of information and advertisement on consumers' preference for wines in special occasions (Christmas) in Catalonia (Spain). We apply the Choice Experiments method to study the relative importance of attributes that describe consumers' decision to purchase wine by using the Heteroskedastic Extreme Value (HEV) model. Data were obtained from two questionnaires applied to a pre and post spot samples formed by 299 and 400 individuals, respectively. Results suggest that the proposed spot does not affect the ranking of the preferred attributes, nevertheless this preference is heterogeneous. After advertising preferences scores have revealed significant differences. The relative importance of the "Catalan" wine has increased compared to the "Spanish" wine. The most preferred product is a Catalan wine made from the "Cabernet Sauvignon" variety. Wines that have been previously tasted by the consumer seem to be preferred over recommended or prestigious wines. However, advertising increases the relative importance of prestigious wines. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age Preferences for Professional Helpers.

Science.gov (United States)

Furchtgott, Ernest; Busemeyer, Jerome R.

1981-01-01

For all occupations except clergyman, a relationship between the age of the respondent and preferred age of the professional existed. Older individuals preferred older service providers with one exception, their physician. Highly educated respondents preferred younger physicians. (Author)

Assessing patient preferences in heart failure using conjoint methodology

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Pisa G

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Giovanni Pisa,1 Florian Eichmann,1 Stephan Hupfer21Kantar Health GmbH, Munich, Germany; 2Novartis Pharma GmbH, Nuernberg, GermanyAim: The course of heart failure (HF is characterized by frequent hospitalizations, a high mortality rate, as well as a severely impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL. To optimize disease management, understanding of patient preferences is crucial. We aimed to assess patient preferences using conjoint methodology and HRQoL in patients with HF.Methods: Two modules were applied: an initial qualitative module, consisting of in-depth interviews with 12 HF patients, and the main quantitative module in 300 HF patients from across Germany. Patients were stratified according to the time of their last HF hospitalization. Each patient was presented with ten different scenarios during the conjoint exercise. Additionally, patients completed the generic HRQoL instrument, EuroQol health questionnaire (EQ-5D™.Results: The attribute with the highest relative importance was dyspnea (44%, followed by physical capacity (18%. Of similar importance were exhaustion during mental activities (13%, fear due to HF (13%, and autonomy (12%. The most affected HRQoL dimensions according to the EQ-5D questionnaire were anxiety/depression (23% with severe problems, pain/discomfort (19%, and usual activities (15%. Overall average EQ-5D score was 0.39 with stable, chronic patients (never hospitalized having a significantly better health state vs the rest of the cohort.Conclusion: This paper analyzed patient preference in HF using a conjoint methodology. The preference weights resulting from the conjoint analysis could be used in future to design HRQoL questionnaires which could better assess patient preferences in HF care.Keywords: heart failure, quality of life, conjoint analysis, utility, patient preference

Datablock: hd141

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-15

Jan 15, 2016 ... checkCIF/PLATON page 2 http://checkcif.iucr.org/cgibin/checkcif_hkl.pl. 1/3. checkCIF (basic structural check) running. checkCIF/PLATON (basic structural check). Structure factors have been supplied for datablock(s) hd141. THIS REPORT IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. IF USED AS PART OF A REVIEW.

Liquidity preference as rational behaviour under uncertainty

OpenAIRE

Mierzejewski, Fernando

2006-01-01

An important concern of macroeconomic analysis is how interest rates affect the cash balance demanded at a certain level of nominal income. In fact, the interest-rate- elasticity of the liquidity demand determines the effectiveness of monetary policy, which is useless under absolute liquidity preference, i.e. when the money demand is perfectly elastic. An actuarial approach is developed in this paper for dealing with random income. Assuming investors face liquidity constraints, a level of sur...

Heterogeneous social preferences, screening, and employment contracts

OpenAIRE

Ferdinand A. von Siemens

2011-01-01

This paper studies a monopsonistic firm's optimal employment contracts if workers have private information on both their propensity for social comparisons and their ability. Employees of the firm are taken to form their own distinct reference group. It is shown that screening workers with equal ability according to their social preferences is then not possible within the firm. In consequence, the firm distorts production by its employees with low ability, or it excludes workers with low abili...

What parents prefer and children like

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Helle Alsted; Edelenbos, Merete

2007-01-01

The inherent challenge of investigating food choice of new products for children is that more than one person is involved in the longterm decision-making. Parents decide in the purchase situation while children pass their verdict when they consume the meal. In this paper we suggest linking family...... fairly well what children like. Sharing the meal experience with their children and having meal variation options are important benefits for parents. Parents are more concerned about health while children prefer products that look familiar. However, after tasting an unfamiliar product children are less...

Tears or Fears? Comparing Gender Stereotypes about Movie Preferences to Actual Preferences

OpenAIRE

Wühr, Peter; Lange, Benjamin P.; Schwarz, Sascha

2017-01-01

This study investigated the accuracy of gender-specific stereotypes about movie-genre preferences for 17 genres. In Study 1, female and male participants rated the extent to which 17 movie genres are preferred by women or men. In Study 2, another sample of female and male participants rated their own preference for each genre. There were three notable results. First, Study 1 revealed the existence of gender stereotypes for the majority of genres (i.e., for 15 of 17 genres). Second, Study 2 re...

People’s Preferences of Urban Design Qualities for Walking on a Commercial Street

Science.gov (United States)

Ernawati, J.; Surjono; Sudarmo, B. S.

2018-03-01

This research aims to explore people’s preferences of urban design qualities for walking on a commercial street, with Kawi Street located in a commercial neighborhood in the town of Malang Indonesia as the case study. Based on a literature review, this study used eight urban design qualities, i.e., enclosure, legibility, human scale, transparency, complexity, coherence, linkage, and imageability. This study applied a survey research method using a self-administered paper-pencil questionnaire applying two measurement techniques: Likert scale was used to explore people’s evaluations of urban design qualities of the street, while multiple-rating scales were used to measure people’s preference for walking on the street. One hundred and ten people randomly selected as respondents. Regression analysis was employed to explore the influence of urban design qualities on people preference for walking. Results indicated four urban design qualities that affect people’s choice for walking on a commercial street, i.e., transparency, coherence, linkage, and imageability. Implications of the findings will be discussed in the paper.

Preferences for Pink and Blue: The Development of Color Preferences as a Distinct Gender-Typed Behavior in Toddlers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Wang I; Hines, Melissa

2015-07-01

Many gender differences are thought to result from interactions between inborn factors and sociocognitive processes that occur after birth. There is controversy, however, over the causes of gender-typed preferences for the colors pink and blue, with some viewing these preferences as arising solely from sociocognitive processes of gender development. We evaluated preferences for gender-typed colors, and compared them to gender-typed toy and activity preferences in 126 toddlers on two occasions separated by 6-8 months (at Time 1, M = 29 months; range 20-40). Color preferences were assessed using color cards and neutral toys in gender-typed colors. Gender-typed toy and activity preferences were assessed using a parent-report questionnaire, the Preschool Activities Inventory. Color preferences were also assessed for the toddlers' parents using color cards. A gender difference in color preferences was present between 2 and 3 years of age and strengthened near the third birthday, at which time it was large (d > 1). In contrast to their parents, toddlers' gender-typed color preferences were stronger and unstable. Gender-typed color preferences also appeared to establish later and were less stable than gender-typed toy and activity preferences. Gender-typed color preferences were largely uncorrelated with gender-typed toy and activity preferences. These results suggest that the factors influencing gender-typed color preferences and gender-typed toy and activity preferences differ in some respects. Our findings suggest that sociocognitive influences and play with gender-typed toys that happen to be made in gender-typed colors contribute to toddlers' gender-typed color preferences.

Elite Female Business Students in China and Norway: Job-Related Values and Preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Nordhaug, Odd; Gooderham, Paul; Zhang, Xian; Liu, Yali; Birkelund, Gunn Elisabeth

2010-01-01

The focus of this paper is on the work-related values, preferences, and future expectations among female students at two elite business schools in China and Norway. The paper argues that while gender theory predicts no significant differences between these two groups, both cultural and economic development theory imply fundamental differences. The…

Preference of stevia level in Coca Cola

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Panovská, Zdenka; Grosová, Stanislava; Sudzina, Frantisek

2017-01-01

Coca Cola Life was first introduced in Argentina in June 2013. In the following 15 months, it was launched also in Chile, Sweden, and the U.K. Since January 2015, it is available in many but not all countries. In the version of Coca Cola Life, which was produced till December 2016, 35% of sugar...... was replaced by stevia. In the version produced since January 2017, 45% of sugar is replaced by stevia. This opened a limited time-frame for studying preferences between regular Coca Cola, Coca Cola Life with 35% of stevia, and Coca Cola Life with 45% of stevia. The aim of the paper is to investigate if Big...... Five Inventory personality traits, gender, age, smoking, and drinking of any cola in general influence preferred amount of stevia. The research was conducted in the Czech Republic where Coca Cola Life is not available, so all respondents are equally unaware of (or equally not used to) the taste. All...

Estimating abundance and density of Amur tigers along the Sino-Russian border.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Wenhong; Feng, Limin; Mou, Pu; Miquelle, Dale G; Hebblewhite, Mark; Goldberg, Joshua F; Robinson, Hugh S; Zhao, Xiaodan; Zhou, Bo; Wang, Tianming; Ge, Jianping

2016-07-01

As an apex predator the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) could play a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of forest ecosystems in Northeast Asia. Due to habitat loss and harvest over the past century, tigers rapidly declined in China and are now restricted to the Russian Far East and bordering habitat in nearby China. To facilitate restoration of the tiger in its historical range, reliable estimates of population size are essential to assess effectiveness of conservation interventions. Here we used camera trap data collected in Hunchun National Nature Reserve from April to June 2013 and 2014 to estimate tiger density and abundance using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) methods. A minimum of 8 individuals were detected in both sample periods and the documentation of marking behavior and reproduction suggests the presence of a resident population. Using Bayesian SECR modeling within the 11 400 km(2) state space, density estimates were 0.33 and 0.40 individuals/100 km(2) in 2013 and 2014, respectively, corresponding to an estimated abundance of 38 and 45 animals for this transboundary Sino-Russian population. In a maximum likelihood framework, we estimated densities of 0.30 and 0.24 individuals/100 km(2) corresponding to abundances of 34 and 27, in 2013 and 2014, respectively. These density estimates are comparable to other published estimates for resident Amur tiger populations in the Russian Far East. This study reveals promising signs of tiger recovery in Northeast China, and demonstrates the importance of connectivity between the Russian and Chinese populations for recovering tigers in Northeast China. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Human preference for air movement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toftum, Jørn; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Tynel, A.

2002-01-01

Human preference for air movement was studied at slightly cool, neutral, and slightly warm overall thermal sensations and at temperatures ranging from 18 deg.C to 28 deg.C. Air movement preference depended on both thermal sensation and temperature, but large inter-individual differences existed...... between subjects. Preference for less air movement was linearly correlated with draught discomfort, but the percentage of subjects who felt draught was lower than the percentage who preferred less air movement....

Stair evacuation simulation based on cellular automata considering evacuees’ walk preferences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Ning; Luh, Peter B.; Zhang Hui; Chen Tao

2015-01-01

As a physical model, the cellular automata (CA) model is widely used in many areas, such as stair evacuation. However, existing CA models do not consider evacuees’ walk preferences nor psychological status, and the structure of the basic model is unapplicable for the stair structure. This paper is to improve the stair evacuation simulation by addressing these issues, and a new cellular automata model is established. Several evacuees’ walk preference and how evacuee’s psychology influences their behaviors are introduced into this model. Evacuees’ speeds will be influenced by these features. To validate this simulation, two fire drills held in two high-rise buildings are video-recorded. It is found that the simulation results are similar to the fire drill results. The structure of this model is simple, and it is easy to further develop and utilize in different buildings with various kinds of occupants. (paper)

Testing the rationality of DOE's energy price forecasts under asymmetric loss preferences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamatzakis, E.; Koutsomanoli-Filippaki, A.

2014-01-01

This paper examines the rationality of the price forecasts for energy commodities of the United States Department of Energy's (DOE), departing from the common assumption in the literature that DOE's forecasts are based on a symmetric underlying loss function with respect to positive vs. negative forecast errors. Instead, we opt for the methodology of Elliott et al. (2005) that allows testing the joint hypothesis of an asymmetric loss function and rationality and reveals the underlying preferences of the forecaster. Results indicate the existence of asymmetries in the shape of the loss function for most energy categories with preferences leaning towards optimism. Moreover, we also examine whether there is a structural break in those preferences over the examined period, 1997–2012. - Highlights: • Examine the rationality of DOE energy forecasts. • Departing from a symmetric underlying loss function. • Asymmetries exist in most energy prices. • Preferences lean towards optimism. • Examine structural breaks in those preferences

Tobacco brand preference among Mexican adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Joshua H; Hall, P Cougar; Page, Randy M; Trinidad, Dennis R; Lindsay, Gordon B

2012-01-01

Advertising plays a major role in smoking behavior and forming brand preferences. Additionally, the most advertised tobacco brands have also been the most preferred. Maintaining brand loyalty in Latin America remains a priority for the tobacco industry. The purpose of this study was to explore tobacco brand preference trends from 2003 to 2006, and explore marketing and advertising factors that might be associated with these trends. Data for this study came from Mexican adolescents residing in cities that participated in the Global Youth Tobacco Survey in both 2003 and 2006 and reported smoking either Marlboro or Camel cigarettes in the past 30 days. Respondents reported the brand name of their preferred cigarette during the past 30 days. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine differences by brand preference and exposure to tobacco marketing and advertising, which was assessed using six items. In 2003, most adolescents preferred Marlboro. By 2006, older boys preferred Camel cigarettes to Marlboro, while girls' preference for Camel was similar to their preference for Marlboro. Adolescents that preferred Camel cigarettes in 2003 also reported greater exposure to tobacco marketing and advertising. Findings indicate that there are ongoing shifts in youth brand preference in Mexico, and that these shifts might be related to marketing and advertising practices. There is an ongoing need for monitoring marketing and advertising practices in an effort to protect adolescents from tobacco company exploits.

Incomplete Information about Social Preferences Explains Equal Division and Delay in Bargaining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Kohler

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Two deviations of alternating-offer bargaining behavior from economic theory are observed together, yet have been studied separately. Players who could secure themselves a large surplus share if bargainers were purely self-interested incompletely exploit their advantage. Delay in agreement occurs even if all experimentally controlled information is common knowledge. This paper rationalizes both regularities coherently by modeling heterogeneous social preferences, either self-interest or envy, of one bargaining party as private information in a three period game of bargaining and preference screening and signaling.

Vascular epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest in the Sinos River basin, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: richness, floristic composition and community structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, M D; Becker, D F P; Cunha, S; Droste, A; Schmitt, J L

2015-05-01

The Atlantic Forest, which has a vast epiphytic richness, is a priority area for preservation, listed as one of the five most important world hotspots. Vascular epiphyte richness, composition and community structure were studied in two fragments, one of the ombrophilous (29º43'42"S and 50º22'00"W) and the other of the seasonal (29º40'54"S and 51º06'56"W) forest, both belonging to the Atlantic Forest biome in the Sinos River basin, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In each fragment, 40 trees, divided into four ecological zones, were analyzed. In each zone, the occurrence of the species was recorded, and the importance value of each species was calculated according to the frequency of phorophytes and intervals, and cover scores. The Shannon index was calculated for the two communities. In the fragment of the ombrophilous forest (F1), 30 epiphytic species were recorded, and in the seasonal forest (F2), 25. The highest importance value was found for Microgramma squamulosa (Kaulf.) de la Sota in both fragments. The diversity indexes for F1 (H'=2.72) and F2 (H'=2.55) were similar and reflected the subtropical location of the areas. The decrease in mean richness in both fragments in zone 3 (internal crown) to zone 4 (external crown) may be associated with time and space availability for epiphyte occupation and microclimate variations. Exclusive species were found in the areas, which suggest that a greater number of preserved fragments may result in a greater number of preserved epiphytic species in the Sinos River basin.

Psychiatric patients' preferences and experiences in clinical decision-making: examining concordance and correlates of patients' preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

De las Cuevas, Carlos; Peñate, Wenceslao; de Rivera, Luis

2014-08-01

To assess the concordance between patients' preferred role in clinical decision-making and the role they usually experience in their psychiatric consultations and to analyze the influence of socio-demographic, clinical and personality characteristics on patients' preferences. 677 consecutive psychiatric outpatients were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey and 507 accepted. Patients completed Control Preference Scale twice consecutively before consultation, one for their preferences of participation and another for the style they usually experienced until then, and locus of control and self-efficacy scales. Sixty-three percent of psychiatric outpatients preferred a collaborative role in decision-making, 35% preferred a passive role and only a 2% an active one. A low concordance for preferred and experienced participation in medical decision-making was registered, with more than a half of patients wanting a more active role than they actually had. Age and doctors' health locus of control orientation were found to be the best correlates for participation preferences, while age and gender were for experienced. Psychiatric diagnoses registered significant differences in patients' preferences of participation but no concerning experiences. The limited concordance between preferred and experienced roles in psychiatric patients is indicative that clinicians need to raise their sensitivity regarding patient's participation. The assessment of patient's attribution style should be useful for psychiatrist to set objectives and priority in the communication with their patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Tale of the Dragon and the Elephant: A Review on the Implications of Sino-Indian Border Disputes to Political Order in Asia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reymund B. Flores

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Asia is sitting on a tinderbox. Tensions such as involving China already grabbed enough headlines. One of which is the border dispute between this Asian Dragon with India. The formation of strong alliances and conflict escalation is very real. Rising aspirations and growing hunger for resources in a depleted continent that has been inhabited for millennia are leading to tension and instability. International system is maintained with its balanced structure, which is based on power. From the beginning of the colonial period to the height of western imperialism, and throughout the course of former colonies’ national independence, territorial disputes have been a root cause of war and conflict between states. As China shares a border with more countries than any other state, it exists within an extremely complicated geopolitical environment. The continuing border dispute between China and India, for instance, is a puzzle for many. Despite six decades of attempts at resolution, the dispute persists in the face of official bonhomie and booming trade relations between the two rising giants. This paper presents the discourses on Asia’s geopolitics, particularly the Sino-Indian border dispute and multilateral politics in acquiring assorted global resources, forming regional and global identity, and political order and security issues. India and China are playing an increasingly important role in the world economy. A better relationship would boost trade ties, investments and employment in the two countries, and even augment global growth.

Continuous Flattening of a Regular Tetrahedron with Explicit Mappings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-ichi Itoh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We proved in [10] that each Platonic polyhedron P can be folded into a flat multilayered face of P by a continuous folding process of polyhedra. In this paper, we give explicit formulas of continuous functions for such a continuous flattening process in R³ for a regular tetrahedron.The article is published in the author’s wording.

Measurement of sustainability index among paper manufacturing plants

Science.gov (United States)

Sharathkumar Reddy, V.; Jayakrishna, K.; Lal, Babu

2017-11-01

The paper manufacturing companies are facing challenges to implement sustainable manufacturing into their products and processes. Paper manufacturing has remarked as an intensive consumer of natural raw materials, energy and a major source of multiple pollutants. Thus, evaluating the sustainable manufacturing in these companies has become a necessity. This paper proposes a set of Performance Indicators (PIs) for evaluating the sustainable manufacturing appropriate to the paper manufacturing companies based on the triple bottom line of sustainability. The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), a multi-criteria decision analysis method is applied to prioritize the performance indicators by summarizing the opinions of stakeholders. It is hoped that the proposed PIs enables and assists the paper manufacturing companies to achieve the higher performance in sustainable manufacturing and so as to increase their competitiveness.

Aligning Learner Preferences for Information Seeking, Information Sharing and Mobile Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Leila A.; Knezek, Gerald; Khaddage, Ferial

2012-01-01

This paper reports on the development of a new information communications technology (ICT) learning preference survey, its cross-validation with attitudes towards mobile learning, and new perspectives on information seeking, information sharing, and mobile access derived from the relationships uncovered. The Information and Communications…

Compatibility of Mating Preferences

OpenAIRE

Bingol, Haluk O.; Basar, Omer

2016-01-01

Human mating is a complex phenomenon. Although men and women have different preferences in mate selection, there should be compatibility in these preferences since human mating requires agreement of both parties. We investigate how compatible the mating preferences of men and women are in a given property such as age, height, education and income. We use dataset of a large online dating site (N = 44, 255 users). (i) Our findings are based on the "actual behavior" of users trying to find a dat...

Valuing the reduction of floods: Public officials’ versus citizens’ preferences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elin Spegel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the preferences of public officials and citizens related to the impacts of floods in the Gothenburg region in Sweden. Citizens and public officials in the flood-prone region answered identical choice-experiment surveys characterized by the negative impacts of floods: property damage, traffic disturbances, and water supply security. By having citizens and public officials respond to identical surveys, it was possible to analyse whether and, if so, how priorities and monetary valuation differed in respect of the different negative effects of floods. The overall finding is that public officials’ and citizens’ preferences seem to converge, and that both citizens and public officials are willing to pay to reduce flood-related costs. Public officials have similar priorities to citizens, in that security of drinking water provision was given priority over property damage, while traffic disturbances were ranked lowest. In terms of their respective willingness to pay to avoid the negative impact of floods, public officials were willing to pay more than citizens to pay for securing the drinking water supply and for restoring damaged property, though these differences were not substantial. There are, however, some differences in preference between citizens and public officials: the latter preferred not to spend anything to reduce traffic disturbances caused by floods, whilst citizens were willing to do so. These results imply that decisions made within the public sector will not come to differ substantially from citizens’ preferences.

Spatial preference heterogeneity in forest recreation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abildtrup, Jens; Garcia, Serge; Olsen, Søren Bøye

2013-01-01

In this study, we analyze the preferences for recreational use of forests in Lorraine (Northeastern France), applying stated preference data. Our approach allows us to estimate individual-specific preferences for recreational use of different forest types. These estimates are used in a second stage...... in the estimation of welfare economic values for parking and picnic facilities in the analyzed model. The results underline the importance of considering spatial heterogeneity of preferences carrying out economic valuation of spatial-delineated environmental goods and that the spatial variation in willingness...... of the analysis where we test whether preferences depend on access to recreation sites. We find that there is significant preference heterogeneity with respect to most forest attributes. The spatial analysis shows that preferences for forests with parking and picnic facilities are correlated with having access...

Learning Style Preferences and the Perceived Usefulness of E-Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Mohr, Alexander Toni; Holtbrugge, Dirk; Berg, Nicola

2012-01-01

This paper uses data gathered from 953 students to investigate how far individuals' preferences for a particular learning style are associated with the perceived usefulness of e-learning. Our findings reveal the effect of individuals' learning styles as well as their gender and professional experience on the perceived usefulness of different forms…

‘Beauty Is No Quality in Things Themselves’: Epistemic Motivation Affects Implicit Preferences for Art

Science.gov (United States)

Chirumbolo, Antonio; Brizi, Ambra; Mastandrea, Stefano; Mannetti, Lucia

2014-01-01

Art preferences are affected by a number of subjective factors. This paper reports two studies which investigated whether need for closure shapes implicit art preferences. It was predicted that higher need for closure would negatively affect implicit preferences for abstract art. In study one, 60 participants were tested for dispositional need for closure and then completed an Implicit Association Test (IAT) task to measure their implicit preference for abstract (vs. figurative) paintings. In study two, 54 participants completed the same IAT task. In this experiment need for closure was both manipulated by cognitive load and tapped as a dispositional trait. Results of the studies converged in showing that after controlling for other important individual factors such as participants'expertise and cognitive ability, need for closure, both as a dispositional trait and as a situationally induced motivational state, was negatively associated with implicit preference for abstract art. PMID:25360697

Relationships Between the Vocational Preference Inventory and the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule

Science.gov (United States)

Wakefield, James A., Jr.; Cunningham, Claude H.

1975-01-01

The Vocational Preference Inventory and the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule were administered to 372 undergraduates. The two instruments were compared using canonical analysis. The analysis revealed three significant relationships between components of the two instruments. The relationships were viewed as supportive of Holland's theory of…

A prospective cohort study examining the preferred learning styles of acute care registered nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

McCrow, Judy; Yevchak, Andrea; Lewis, Peter

2014-03-01

This paper reports on the preferred learning styles of Registered Nurses practicing in acute care environments and relationships between gender, age, post-graduate experience and the identified preferred learning styles. A prospective cohort study design was used. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and the Felder-Silverman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire to determine preferred learning styles. Most of the Registered Nurse participants were balanced across the Active-Reflective (n = 77, 54%), and Sequential-Global (n = 96, 68%) scales. Across the other scales, sensing (n = 97, 68%) and visual (n = 76, 53%) were the most common preferred learning style. There were only a small proportion who had a preferred learning style of reflective (n = 21, 15%), intuitive (n = 5, 4%), verbal (n = 11, 8%) or global learning (n = 15, 11%). Results indicated that gender, age and years since undergraduate education were not related to the identified preferred learning styles. The identification of Registered Nurses' learning style provides information that nurse educators and others can use to make informed choices about modification, development and strengthening of professional hospital-based educational programs. The use of the Index of Learning Styles questionnaire and its ability to identify 'balanced' learning style preferences may potentially yield additional preferred learning style information for other health-related disciplines. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Semiorders, Intervals Orders and Pseudo Orders Preference Structures in Multiple Criteria Decision Aid Methods

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Fernández Barberis, Gabriela

2013-06-01

Full Text Available During the last decades, an important number of Multicriteria Decision Aid Methods (MCDA has been proposed to help the decision maker to select the best compromise alternative. Meanwhile, the PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations family of outranking method and their applications has attracted much attention from academics and practitioners. In this paper, an extension of these methods is presented, consisting of analyze its functioning under New Preference Structures (NPS. The preference structures taken into account are, namely: semiorders, intervals orders and pseudo orders. These structures outstandingly improve the modelization as they give more flexibility, amplitude and certainty at the preferences formulation, since they tend to abandon the Complete Transitive Comparability Axiom of Preferences in order to substitute it by the Partial Comparability Axiom of Preferences. It must be remarked the introduction of Incomparability relations to the analysis and the consideration of preference structures that accept the Indifference intransitivity. The NPS incorporation is carried out in three phases that the PROMETHEE Methodology takes in: preference structure enrichment, dominance relation enrichment and outranking relation exploitation for decision aid, in order to finally arrive at solving the alternatives ranking problem through the PROMETHEE I or the PROMETHEE II utilization, according to whether a partial ranking or a complete one, is respectively required under the NPS

A conjoint analysis of corporate preferences for the sectoral crediting mechanism: a case study of Shanxi Province in China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gao, S.; Smits, M.; Wang, C.

2016-01-01

It is crucial to understand corporate preferences in designing and planning new market-based instruments. Using the method of conjoint analysis, this paper evaluates corporate preferences for policy alternatives of the sectoral crediting mechanism aiming at supporting its discussions and

13 CFR 120.925 - Preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Preferences. 120.925 Section 120.925 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Development Company... Preference. (See § 120.10 for a definition of Preference.) [61 FR 3235, Jan. 31, 1996, as amended at 68 FR...

The role of interdisciplinary collaboration for stated preference methods to value marine environmental goods and ecosystem services

Science.gov (United States)

Börger, Tobias; Böhnke-Henrichs, Anne; Hattam, Caroline; Piwowarczyk, Joanna; Schasfoort, Femke; Austen, Melanie C.

2018-02-01

With the increasing use of environmental valuation methods in coastal, marine and deep-sea settings, there is a growing need for the collaboration of natural scientists and environmental economists. Stated preference valuation methods in particular need to be based on sound natural science information and translate such information to be used in social surveys. This paper uses three applications to make explicit the flow of information between different disciplines in the preparation and implementation of stated preference studies. One approach for facilitating this flow is to increase knowledge and understanding of natural scientists on these methods. To address this, this paper highlights key opportunities and pitfalls and demonstrates those in the context of three case studies. It therefore provides guidance on stated preference valuation for natural scientists rather than for economists.

"Paideia Platonikê": Does the Later Platonist Programme of Education Retain Any Validity Today?

Science.gov (United States)

Dillon, John

2018-01-01

During the Middle Platonic period, from the second-century CE on, and in a more elaborately structured way from the time of Iamblichus (early fourth-century CE) on, the Platonist Schools of later antiquity took their students through a fixed sequence of Platonic dialogues, beginning with the Alcibiades I, concerned as it was with the theme of…

Neoplatonismo y cristianismo en Pseudo-Dionisio Areopagita

OpenAIRE

Andía, Y. (Ysabel) de

2004-01-01

The author takes in the comprehension of Neoplatonism and Christianism in Dionisio the Areopagita in order to demonstrate what this philosopher owes to platonic and christian theology. She considers the work of Proclus (especially his Commentary to Parmenides and Platonic Theology) and its relation with Dionisio’s De divinis nominibus in order to expose the Theology of this author.

Valuing Mortality Risk Reductions for Environmental Policy: A White Paper (1999)

Science.gov (United States)

This white paper addresses current and recent U.S. EPA practices regarding the valuation of mortality risk reductions, focusing especially on empirical estimates of the “value of a statistical life” (VSL) from stated preference and hedonic wage studies.

Preferred axis of CMB parity asymmetry in the masked maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Cheng; Zhao, Wen; Huang, Qing-Guo; Santos, Larissa

2016-01-01

Both WMAP and Planck data show a significant odd-multipole preference in the large scales of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies. If this pattern originates from cosmological effects, then it can be considered a crucial clue for a violation in the cosmological principle. By defining various direction dependent statistics in the full-sky Planck 2015 maps (see, for instance, Naselsky et al. (2012); W. Zhao (2014)), we found that the CMB parity asymmetry has a preferred direction, which is independent of the choices of the statistics. In particular, this preferred axis is strongly aligned with those in the CMB quadrupole and octopole, as well as that in the CMB kinematic dipole, which hints to their non-cosmological origin. In realistic observations, the foreground residuals are inevitable, and should be properly masked out in order to avoid possible misinterpretation of the results. In this paper, we extend our previous analyses to the masked Planck 2015 data. By defining a similar direction dependent statistic in the masked map, we find a preferred direction of the CMB parity asymmetry, in which the axis also coincides with that found in the full-sky analysis. Therefore, our conclusions on the CMB parity violation and its directional properties are confirmed.

Changeability of consumer preferences concerning the methods of fruit production

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Eugenia Czernyszewicz

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the paper was to establish and compare consumer preferences concerning the methods of fruit production (traditional or organic ones in the years 2001, 2003 and 2006 and the relations between the preferences and the socio-economic and demographic features of the consumers. The analysis was conducted on the basis of the data from surveys carried out among the inhabitants of Lublin. Results of those surveys point out that certain features of the consumers such as the sex, incomes and the family type significantly differentiated preferences concerning the method of fruit production. Increased incomes were connected with greater acceptance of the organic method, and their decrease was related to greater frequency of indicating the conventional method. Interest in the method of production, while buying the fruit was significantly higher among men than among women. Declaring the willingness to pay more for organic fruit was also correlated with the consumers’ sex. Besides, in 2006 it was not too strongly related to the incomes of the respondents. In the years 2001 and 2006 changeability of preferences con-cerning the willingness to pay a higher price for organic fruit and no change in the interest in the technology of fruit production while purchasing the fruit were shown.

Preferred axis of CMB parity asymmetry in the masked maps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Cheng [State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100190 (China); Zhao, Wen, E-mail: wzhao7@ustc.edu.cn [CAS Key Laboratory for Researches in Galaxies and Cosmology, Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Huang, Qing-Guo [State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100190 (China); Santos, Larissa [CAS Key Laboratory for Researches in Galaxies and Cosmology, Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)

2016-06-10

Both WMAP and Planck data show a significant odd-multipole preference in the large scales of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies. If this pattern originates from cosmological effects, then it can be considered a crucial clue for a violation in the cosmological principle. By defining various direction dependent statistics in the full-sky Planck 2015 maps (see, for instance, Naselsky et al. (2012); W. Zhao (2014)), we found that the CMB parity asymmetry has a preferred direction, which is independent of the choices of the statistics. In particular, this preferred axis is strongly aligned with those in the CMB quadrupole and octopole, as well as that in the CMB kinematic dipole, which hints to their non-cosmological origin. In realistic observations, the foreground residuals are inevitable, and should be properly masked out in order to avoid possible misinterpretation of the results. In this paper, we extend our previous analyses to the masked Planck 2015 data. By defining a similar direction dependent statistic in the masked map, we find a preferred direction of the CMB parity asymmetry, in which the axis also coincides with that found in the full-sky analysis. Therefore, our conclusions on the CMB parity violation and its directional properties are confirmed.

Aluminium tolerance in rice is antagonistic with nitrate preference and synergistic with ammonium preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xue Qiang; Guo, Shi Wei; Shinmachi, Fumie; Sunairi, Michio; Noguchi, Akira; Hasegawa, Isao; Shen, Ren Fang

2013-01-01

Acidic soils are dominated chemically by more ammonium and more available, so more potentially toxic, aluminium compared with neutral to calcareous soils, which are characterized by more nitrate and less available, so less toxic, aluminium. However, it is not known whether aluminium tolerance and nitrogen source preference are linked in plants. This question was investigated by comparing the responses of 30 rice (Oryza sativa) varieties (15 subsp. japonica cultivars and 15 subsp. indica cultivars) to aluminium, various ammonium/nitrate ratios and their combinations under acidic solution conditions. indica rice plants were generally found to be aluminium-sensitive and nitrate-preferring, while japonica cultivars were aluminium-tolerant and relatively ammonium-preferring. Aluminium tolerance of different rice varieties was significantly negatively correlated with their nitrate preference. Furthermore, aluminium enhanced ammonium-fed rice growth but inhibited nitrate-fed rice growth. The results suggest that aluminium tolerance in rice is antagonistic with nitrate preference and synergistic with ammonium preference under acidic solution conditions. A schematic diagram summarizing the interactions of aluminium and nitrogen in soil-plant ecosystems is presented and provides a new basis for the integrated management of acidic soils.

Situational and gender comparisons of digital game players' preferences for game features and gratifications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reinhard, CarrieLynn D.; Dervin, Brenda

2009-01-01

As with “new media” fifty years ago, today's “new media” are scrutinized from the uses and gratifications perspective to understand peoples’ reasons for engaging with them. The new media of interest in this paper are digital games.  Research is in the early stages with this medium, exploring player...... gratifications from game playing and preferences for game playing features.  This research has consistently found gender differences for both, with men more preferring competition gratifications and violent games, and women preferring socializing gratifications and puzzles.  Past research has mostly looked...... preferences.  In addition, 64,3% of the gender by situation interactions were also significant, showing that introducing game playing situation complicated the picture with some gender differences disappearing depending on the game situation.  These results showed a tendency for male players to be receiving...

Characterizing Engineering Learners' Preferences for Active and Passive Learning Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Magana, Alejandra J.; Vieira, Camilo; Boutin, Mireille

2018-01-01

This paper studies electrical engineering learners' preferences for learning methods with various degrees of activity. Less active learning methods such as homework and peer reviews are investigated, as well as a newly introduced very active (constructive) learning method called "slectures," and some others. The results suggest that…

Processing companies' preferences for attributes of beef in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Boesch, Irene

2014-01-01

The aim of this work was to assess processing companies' preferences for attributes of Swiss beef. To this end, qualitative interviews were used to derive product attributes that determine the buying decision. Through an adaptive-choice based conjoint analysis survey and latent class analysis of choice data, we compute class preferences. Results show that there are two distinct classes. A smaller class emphasizes traceability back to the birth farm and low producer price, a larger class focuses on environmental effects and origin. Additionally we see that larger companies are more price-sensitive and smaller companies are more sensitive to origin of the animals. The results outlined in this paper may be used to target market segments and to derive differentiation strategies based on product characteristics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do Transitive Preferences Always Result in Indifferent Divisions?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin Makowski

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The transitivity of preferences is one of the basic assumptions used in the theory of games and decisions. It is often equated with the rationality of choice and is considered useful in building rankings. Intransitive preferences are considered paradoxical and undesirable. This problem is discussed by many social and natural scientists. A simple model of a sequential game in which two players choose one of the two elements in each iteration is discussed in this paper. The players make their decisions in different contexts defined by the rules of the game. It appears that the optimal strategy of one of the players can only be intransitive (the so-called relevant intransitive strategy! On the other hand, the optimal strategy for the second player can be either transitive or intransitive. A quantum model of the game using pure one-qubit strategies is considered. In this model, an increase in the importance of intransitive strategies is observed: there is a certain course of the game where intransitive strategies are the only optimal strategies for both players. The study of decision-making models using quantum information theory tools may shed some new light on the understanding of mechanisms that drive the formation of types of preferences.

Patients' self-interested preferences: empirical evidence from a priority setting experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Begoña; Rodríguez-Míguez, Eva

2011-04-01

This paper explores whether patients act according to self-interest in priority setting experiments. The analysis is based on a ranking experiment, conducted in Galicia (Spain), to elicit preferences regarding the prioritization of patients on a waiting list for an elective surgical intervention (prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia). Participants were patients awaiting a similar intervention and members of the general populations. All of them were asked to rank hypothetical patients on a waiting list. A rank-ordered logit was then applied to their responses in order to obtain a prioritization scoring system. Using these estimations, we first test for differences in preferences between patients and general population. Second, we implement a procedure based on the similarity between respondents (true patients) and the hypothetical scenarios they evaluate (hypothetical patients) to analyze whether patients provide self-interested rankings. Our results show that patient preferences differ significantly from general population preferences. The findings also indicate that, when patients rank the hypothetical scenarios on the waiting list, they consider not only the explicit attributes but also the similarity of each scenario to their own. In particular, they assign a higher priority to scenarios that more closely match their own states. We also find that such a preference structure increases their likelihood of reporting "irrational" answers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

READING HABITS AND PREFERENCES OF EFL POST GRADUATES: A CASE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noorizah Mohd. Noor

2011-07-01

Full Text Available In recent years, more emphasis has been given on the role of the learner in the language learning process considering that language learning is primarily a learner’s oriented activity. Thus, learners’ needs and interests should be taken into consideration for effective language learning and teaching to take place. One significant area where learners’ preferences influence their learning can be seen in reading. In any academic or higher learning context, reading is perceived as the most prominent academic language skill for all second and foreign language learners. It is through reading that these learners learn new information and become able to synthesize, evaluate and interpret in order to learn more about their subject matter. Pursuing a postgraduate study requires extensive reading practices which will enable the learners to extend their literacy development.  The present study examines the reading habits and preferences of a group of EFL graduate students. Data was collected through a questionnaire and analysed quantitatively. The findings will report on: i the types of reading materials preferred ii reasons for reading and iii the preferred language for reading. To conclude, the paper will further discuss the implications of the findings in terms of instructional materials development within an EFL context. Key words: EFL learners, reading habits, reading preferences, reading behaviour

Mining or Tourism: The Development Preference of Settlers Along Pagatban River in Negros Oriental, Philippines

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Enrique G. Oracion

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the development preference of settlers surveyed along the upstream, midstream, and downstream sections of Pagatban River in Negros Oriental in central Philippines. The majority of 120 respondents, equally distributed along the three sections of the river, are against the restoration of mining but are in favor of tourism development considering the ecological costs and economic benefits they have to bear with and enjoy, respectively. Specif ically, the data show that the number of respondents who do not prefer the restoration of mining is highest among downstream households while the number of those who do not prefer tourism development is highest among upstream households. The midstream respondents generally prefer both development projects. The chi-square test proves signif icant differences in the development preferences of respondents across settlements along the river. There are also significant differences in tourism preference according to the sex of the respondents, and in mining preference according to farm access, and monthly income of their households. The significant differences in household farm access and income relative to their locations further explain why economic and geographic variations result in divided preference for mining. Given that tourism development is preferred over restoration of mining, how the former’s benefits can be enjoyed across settlements should be looked into and planned with genuine community participation.

Preferences for behavioural, analytic and gestalt psychotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobel, H J

1979-09-01

This study investigated preferences for behavioural, analytic and gestalt psychotherapy among a sample of 40 SES class III and IV adult females and 67 college freshmen who had never been actual therapy patients. A scaled survey assessed general preference, preference given an imagined long-standing depressive disorder, preference given an imagined specific phobia, and preference for the therapist-patient relationship. Three audio tapes were designed, each describing one of the modalities. High inter-rater reliability and agreement were determined by three independent judges. Results showed that young females had a general preference for gestalt therapy. Young and old females, but not young males, significantly preferred behavioural therapy for a specific phobia. Under forced-choice conditions the group as a whole significantly preferred gestalt therapy. No differences were found for the relationship or preference given a depressive disorder. Preference was hypothesized as a cognitive structure with potential use in therapist-client matching.

Human preference for individual colors

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Stephen E.; Schloss, Karen B.

2010-02-01

Color preference is an important aspect of human behavior, but little is known about why people like some colors more than others. Recent results from the Berkeley Color Project (BCP) provide detailed measurements of preferences among 32 chromatic colors as well as other relevant aspects of color perception. We describe the fit of several color preference models, including ones based on cone outputs, color-emotion associations, and Palmer and Schloss's ecological valence theory. The ecological valence theory postulates that color serves an adaptive "steering' function, analogous to taste preferences, biasing organisms to approach advantageous objects and avoid disadvantageous ones. It predicts that people will tend to like colors to the extent that they like the objects that are characteristically that color, averaged over all such objects. The ecological valence theory predicts 80% of the variance in average color preference ratings from the Weighted Affective Valence Estimates (WAVEs) of correspondingly colored objects, much more variance than any of the other models. We also describe how hue preferences for single colors differ as a function of gender, expertise, culture, social institutions, and perceptual experience.

Prejudice, Ethnic Identity, Contact and Ethnic Group Preferences Among Dutch Young Adolescents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Masson, C.N.; M.J.A.M. Verkuyten (Maykel)

1993-01-01

textabstractSocial identity theory, the contact hypothesis, and prejudice research are three important perspectives for studying ingroup information and preferences in the context of ethnic groups. This paper studies the utility of the three perspectives in a particular interethnic group context

Comparison of China-US Engineering Ethics Educations in Sino-Western Philosophies of Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Gui Hong

2015-12-01

Ethics education has become essential in modern engineering. Ethics education in engineering has been increasingly implemented worldwide. It can improve ethical behaviors in technology and engineering design under the guidance of the philosophy of technology. Hence, this study aims to compare China-US engineering ethics education in Sino-Western philosophies of technology by using literature studies, online surveys, observational researches, textual analyses, and comparative methods. In my original theoretical framework and model of input and output for education, six primary variables emerge in the pedagogy: disciplinary statuses, educational goals, instructional contents, didactic models, teaching methods, and edificatory effects. I focus on the similarities and differences of engineering ethics educations between China and the U.S. in Chinese and Western philosophies of technology. In the field of engineering, the U.S. tends toward applied ethics training, whereas China inclines toward practical moral education. The U.S. is the leader, particularly in the amount of money invested and engineering results. China has quickened its pace, focusing specifically on engineering labor input and output. Engineering ethics is a multiplayer game effected at various levels among (a) lower level technicians and engineers, engineering associations, and stockholders; (b) middle ranking engineering ethics education, the ministry of education, the academy of engineering, and the philosophy of technology; and (c) top national and international technological policies. I propose that professional engineering ethics education can play many important roles in reforming engineering social responsibility by international cooperation in societies that are becoming increasingly reliant on engineered devices and systems. Significantly, my proposals contribute to improving engineering ethics education and better-solving engineering ethics issues, thereby maximizing engineering

EV Charging Algorithm Implementation with User Price Preference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Bin; Hu, Boyang; Qiu, Charlie; Chu, Peter; Gadh, Rajit

2015-02-17

in this paper, we propose and implement a smart Electric Vehicle (EV) charging algorithm to control the EV charging infrastructures according to users’ price preferences. EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment), equipped with bidirectional communication devices and smart meters, can be remotely monitored by the proposed charging algorithm applied to EV control center and mobile app. On the server side, ARIMA model is utilized to fit historical charging load data and perform day-ahead prediction. A pricing strategy with energy bidding policy is proposed and implemented to generate a charging price list to be broadcasted to EV users through mobile app. On the user side, EV drivers can submit their price preferences and daily travel schedules to negotiate with Control Center to consume the expected energy and minimize charging cost simultaneously. The proposed algorithm is tested and validated through the experimental implementations in UCLA parking lots.

A Comparative Study of Marketing Channel Multiagent Stackelberg Model Based on Perfect Rationality and Fairness Preference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaihong Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studies channel consisting of a manufacturer and two retailers. As a basis for comparison, the first, multiagent Stackelberg model has been structured based on perfect rationality. Further, fairness preference theory will be embedded in marketing channel multiagent Stackelberg model, and the results show that if the retailers have a jealous fairness preference, the manufacturer will reduce the wholesale price, retailers will increase the effort level, product sales will be increased, and the total channel utility and manufacturers’ utility will be pareto improvement, but the pareto improvement of retailers’ utility is associated with the interval of jealousy fairness preference coefficient. If the retailers have a sympathetic fairness preference, the manufacturer increases wholesale price, retailers reduce the effort level, and the total channel utility, manufacturer’s utility, and retailers’ utility are less than that of the no fairness preference utility.

Alcohol demand and risk preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Dave, Dhaval; Saffer, Henry

2008-12-01

Both economists and psychologists have studied the concept of risk preference. Economists categorize individuals as more or less risk-tolerant based on the marginal utility of income. Psychologists categorize individuals' propensity towards risk based on harm avoidance, novelty seeking and reward dependence traits. The two concepts of risk are related, although the instruments used for empirical measurement are quite different. Psychologists have found risk preference to be an important determinant of alcohol consumption; however economists have not included risk preference in studies of alcohol demand. This is the first study to examine the effect of risk preference on alcohol consumption in the context of a demand function. The specifications employ multiple waves from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which permit the estimation of age-specific models based on nationally representative samples. Both of these data sets include a unique and consistent survey instrument designed to directly measure risk preference in accordance with the economist's definition. This study estimates the direct impact of risk preference on alcohol demand and also explores how risk preference affects the price elasticity of demand. The empirical results indicate that risk preference has a significant negative effect on alcohol consumption, with the prevalence and consumption among risk-tolerant individuals being 6-8% higher. Furthermore, the tax elasticity is similar across both risk-averse and risk-tolerant individuals. This suggests that tax policies are as equally effective in deterring alcohol consumption among those who have a higher versus a lower propensity for alcohol use.

von Neumann Morgenstern Preferences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vind, Karl

von Neumann Morgenstern utility is generalized to von Neumann Morgenstern preferences. The proof is an application of simple hyperplane theorems......von Neumann Morgenstern utility is generalized to von Neumann Morgenstern preferences. The proof is an application of simple hyperplane theorems...

von Neumann Morgenstern Preferences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vind, Karl

2000-01-01

von Neumann Morgenstern utility is generalized to von Neumann Morgenstern preferences. The proof is an application of simple hyperplane theorems......von Neumann Morgenstern utility is generalized to von Neumann Morgenstern preferences. The proof is an application of simple hyperplane theorems...

Testing Preference Axioms in Discrete Choice experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard, Jens Leth; Østerdal, Lars Peter; Tjur, Tue

Recent studies have tested the preference axioms of completeness and transitivity, and have detected other preference phenomena such as unstability, learning- and tiredness effects, ordering effects and dominance, in stated preference discrete choice experiments. However, it has not been explicitly...... of the preference axioms and other preference phenomena in the context of stated preference discrete choice experiments, and examine whether or how these can be subject to meaningful (statistical) tests...

Focus Groups in Elderly Ophthalmologic Patients: Setting the Stage for Quantitative Preference Elicitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Danner, Marion; Vennedey, Vera; Hiligsmann, Mickaël; Fauser, Sascha; Stock, Stephanie

2016-02-01

Patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are rarely actively involved in decision-making, despite facing preference-sensitive treatment decisions. This paper presents a qualitative study to prepare quantitative preference elicitation in AMD patients. The aims of this study were (1) to gain familiarity with and learn about the special requirements of the AMD patient population for quantitative data collection; and (2) to select/refine patient-relevant treatment attributes and levels, and gain insights into preference structures. Semi-structured focus group interviews were performed. An interview guide including preselected categories in the form of seven potentially patient-relevant treatment attributes was followed. To identify the most patient-relevant treatment attributes, a ranking exercise was performed. Deductive content analyses were done by two independent reviewers for each attribute to derive subcategories (potential levels of attributes) and depict preference trends. The focus group interviews included 21 patients. The interviews revealed that quantitative preference surveys in this population will have to be interviewer assisted to make the survey feasible for patients. The five most patient-relevant attributes were the effect on visual function [ranking score (RS): 139], injection frequency (RS: 101), approval status (RS: 83), side effects (RS: 79), and monitoring frequency (RS: 76). Attribute and level refinement was based on patients' statements. Preference trends and dependencies between attributes informed the quantitative instrument design. This study suggests that qualitative research is a very helpful step to prepare the design and administration of quantitative preference elicitation instruments. It especially facilitated familiarization with the target population and its preferences, and it supported attribute/level refinement.

Since 2015 the SinoGerman research project SIGN supports water quality improvement in the Taihu region, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Kathrin Rachel; der Beek, Tim Aus; Dai, Xiaohu; Dong, Bingzhi; Dopp, Elke; Eichinger, Florian; Hammers-Wirtz, Monika; Haußmann, Regina; Holbach, Andreas; Hollert, Henner; Illgen, Marc; Jiang, Xia; Koehler, Jan; Koester, Stephan; Korth, Andreas; Kueppers, Stephan; Li, Aili; Lohmann, Matthias; Moldaenke, Christian; Norra, Stefan; Qin, Boqiang; Qin, Yanwen; Reese, Moritz; Riehle, Edmund; Santiago-Schuebel, Beatrix; Schaefer, Charlotte; Simon, Anne; Song, Yonghui; Staaks, Christian; Steinhardt, Joerg; Subklew, Guenter; Tao, Tao; Wu, Tingfeng; Yin, Daqiang; Zhao, Fangfang; Zheng, Binghui; Zhou, Meiyue; Zou, Hua; Zuo, Jiane; Tiehm, Andreas

2016-01-01

The Taihu (Tai lake) region is one of the most economically prospering areas of China. Due to its location within this district of high anthropogenic activities, Taihu represents a drastic example of water pollution with nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate), organic contaminants and heavy metals. High nutrient levels combined with very shallow water create large eutrophication problems, threatening the drinking water supply of the surrounding cities. Within the international research project SIGN (SinoGerman Water Supply Network, www.water-sign.de), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), a powerful consortium of fifteen German partners is working on the overall aim of assuring good water quality from the source to the tap by taking the whole water cycle into account: The diverse research topics range from future proof strategies for urban catchment, innovative monitoring and early warning approaches for lake and drinking water, control and use of biological degradation processes, efficient water treatment technologies, adapted water distribution up to promoting sector policy by good governance. The implementation in China is warranted, since the leading Chinese research institutes as well as the most important local stakeholders, e.g. water suppliers, are involved.

Intensive vs. free-range organic beef. A preference study through consumer liking and conjoint analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Torres, S; López-Gajardo, A; Mesías, F J

2016-04-01

This paper evaluates consumer liking and preferences towards organic beef from two production systems allowed by EU regulation: i) free-range and ii) intensive (fattened in feed-lot with organic feedstuff) as compared with conventionally produced beef. Data were obtained in April-May 2014 with a sample of 150 regular beef consumers who completed two tasks: firstly a sensory test where consumers tasted and rated the meats and secondly a conjoint analysis to study beef purchasing preferences. Willingness-to-pay for the different meats was also calculated from conjoint results. Results show that consumers preferred organic-from-concentrate beef at sensory level while organic beef from animals fed on grass was preferred when process characteristics (i.e. farming system) or attributes perceived at the point of purchase (i.e. colour) were evaluated. It was also found that the price-premium for organic beef is over 40%, with organic-fed-on grass beef preferred slightly over that fed-on-concentrate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Paper to Electronic Questionnaires: Effects on Structured Questionnaire Forms

Science.gov (United States)

Trujillo, Anna C.

2009-01-01

With the use of computers, paper questionnaires are being replaced by electronic questionnaires. The formats of traditional paper questionnaires have been found to effect a subject's rating. Consequently, the transition from paper to electronic format can subtly change results. The research presented begins to determine how electronic questionnaire formats change subjective ratings. For formats where subjects used a flow chart to arrive at their rating, starting at the worst and middle ratings of the flow charts were the most accurate but subjects took slightly more time to arrive at their answers. Except for the electronic paper format, starting at the worst rating was the most preferred. The paper and electronic paper versions had the worst accuracy. Therefore, for flowchart type of questionnaires, flowcharts should start at the worst rating and work their way up to better ratings.

What happens in recessions? A value-theoretic approach to Liquidity Preference

OpenAIRE

Freeman, Alan

1998-01-01

This paper develops the paper entitled ‘‘Time, the Value of Money and the Quantification of Value’ which was presented at the conference of the Middle East Technical University in September 1998. It presents the case for a value-theoretic treatment of liquidity preference in axiomatic form, based on a temporal analysis. It discusses why temporal analysis is universally excluded from economic discourse. It argues that economic thought is divided not by the schism between classical and marg...

Personality and music preferences: the influence of personality traits on preferences regarding musical elements.

Science.gov (United States)

Kopacz, Malgorzata

2005-01-01

The purpose of this scientific study was to determine how personality traits, as classified by Cattell, influence preferences regarding musical elements. The subject group consisted of 145 students, male and female, chosen at random from different Polish universities. For the purpose of determining their personality traits the participants completed the 16PF Questionnaire (Cattell, Saunders, & Stice, 1957; Russel & Karol, 1993), in its Polish adaptation by Choynowski (Nowakowska, 1970). The participants' musical preferences were determined by their completing a Questionnaire of Musical Preferences (specifically created for the purposes of this research), in which respondents indicated their favorite piece of music. Next, on the basis of the Questionnaire of Musical Preferences, a list of the works of music chosen by the participants was compiled. All pieces were collected on CDs and analyzed to separate out their basic musical elements. The statistical analysis shows that some personality traits: Liveliness (Factor F), Social Boldness (Factor H), Vigilance (Factor L), Openness to Change (Factor Q1), Extraversion (a general factor) have an influence on preferences regarding musical elements. Important in the subjects' musical preferences were found to be those musical elements having stimulative value and the ability to regulate the need for stimulation. These are: tempo, rhythm in relation to metrical basis, number of melodic themes, sound voluminosity, and meter.

Biharmonic split ring resonator metamaterial: Artificially dispersive effective density in thin periodically perforated plates

KAUST Repository

Farhat, Mohamed

2014-08-01

We present in this paper a theoretical and numerical analysis of bending waves localized on the boundary of a platonic crystal whose building blocks are Split Ring Resonators (SRR). We first derive the homogenized parameters of the structured plate using a three-scale asymptotic expansion in the linearized biharmonic equation. In the limit when the wavelength of the bending wave is much larger than the typical heterogeneity size of the platonic crystal, we show that it behaves as an artificial plate with an anisotropic effective Young modulus and a dispersive effective mass density. We then analyze dispersion diagrams associated with bending waves propagating within an infinite array of SRR, for which eigen-solutions are sought in the form of Floquet-Bloch waves. We finally demonstrate that this structure displays the hallmarks of All-Angle Negative Refraction (AANR) and it leads to superlensing and ultrarefraction effects, interpreted thanks to our homogenization model as a consequence of negative and vanishing effective density, respectively. © EPLA, 2014.

Biharmonic split ring resonator metamaterial: Artificially dispersive effective density in thin periodically perforated plates

KAUST Repository

Farhat, Mohamed; Enoch, Stefan; Guenneau, Sé bastien

2014-01-01

We present in this paper a theoretical and numerical analysis of bending waves localized on the boundary of a platonic crystal whose building blocks are Split Ring Resonators (SRR). We first derive the homogenized parameters of the structured plate using a three-scale asymptotic expansion in the linearized biharmonic equation. In the limit when the wavelength of the bending wave is much larger than the typical heterogeneity size of the platonic crystal, we show that it behaves as an artificial plate with an anisotropic effective Young modulus and a dispersive effective mass density. We then analyze dispersion diagrams associated with bending waves propagating within an infinite array of SRR, for which eigen-solutions are sought in the form of Floquet-Bloch waves. We finally demonstrate that this structure displays the hallmarks of All-Angle Negative Refraction (AANR) and it leads to superlensing and ultrarefraction effects, interpreted thanks to our homogenization model as a consequence of negative and vanishing effective density, respectively. © EPLA, 2014.

Preferred communication methods of abused women.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilroy, Heidi; McFarlane, Judith; Nava, Angeles; Maddoux, John

2013-01-01

To determine preferred communication methods of abused women. A naturalistic study utilizing principles of Community Based Participatory Research. A total of 300 first time users of criminal justice or safe shelter for abused women were interviewed in person. The Preferred Communication Questionnaire was used to determine preference. Given the choice of phone voice, face to face, phone text, e-mail, or Facebook, traditional methods of communication (face-to-face communication and phone voice) were the primary (80% combined) and secondary (58.6% combined) preferred sources among abused women. A total of 292 women (97.3%) gave at least two preferred methods of communication, 255 (85%) gave three preferred methods, 190 (63%) gave four, and 132 (44%) used all five methods. Public health nurses and other professionals who serve abused women should be aware of their preferred method of communication for contact. The women in the sample preferred face-to-face and phone-voice communication; however, many were open to newer forms of communication such as texting and Facebook. Caution should be used to protect the safety of abused women when using any kind of communication. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

'Green' preferences as regulatory policy instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brennan, Timothy J.

2006-01-01

We examine here the suggestion that if consumers in sufficient numbers are willing to pay the premium to have power generated using low-emission technologies, tax or permit policies become less necessary or stringent. While there are implementation difficulties with this proposal, our purpose is more fundamental: Can economics make sense of using preferences as a regulatory instrument? If 'green' preferences are exogenously given, to what extent can or should they be regarded as a substitute for other policies? Even with 'green' preferences, production and consumption of polluting goods continue to impose social costs not borne in the market. Moreover, if green preferences are regarded as a policy instrument, the 'no policy' baseline would require a problematic specification of counterfactual 'non-green' preferences. Viewing green preferences as a regulatory policy instrument is conceptually sensible if the benchmark for optimal emissions is based on value judgments apart from the preferences consumers happen to have. If so, optimal environmental protection would be defined by reference to ethical theory, or, even less favorably, by prescriptions from policy advocates who give their own preferences great weight while giving those of the public at large (and the costs they bear) very little consideration. (author)

New quantitative approaches reveal the spatial preference of nuclear compartments in mammalian fibroblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Weston, David J; Russell, Richard A; Batty, Elizabeth; Jensen, Kirsten; Stephens, David A; Adams, Niall M; Freemont, Paul S

2015-03-06

The nuclei of higher eukaryotic cells display compartmentalization and certain nuclear compartments have been shown to follow a degree of spatial organization. To date, the study of nuclear organization has often involved simple quantitative procedures that struggle with both the irregularity of the nuclear boundary and the problem of handling replicate images. Such studies typically focus on inter-object distance, rather than spatial location within the nucleus. The concern of this paper is the spatial preference of nuclear compartments, for which we have developed statistical tools to quantitatively study and explore nuclear organization. These tools combine replicate images to generate 'aggregate maps' which represent the spatial preferences of nuclear compartments. We present two examples of different compartments in mammalian fibroblasts (WI-38 and MRC-5) that demonstrate new knowledge of spatial preference within the cell nucleus. Specifically, the spatial preference of RNA polymerase II is preserved across normal and immortalized cells, whereas PML nuclear bodies exhibit a change in spatial preference from avoiding the centre in normal cells to exhibiting a preference for the centre in immortalized cells. In addition, we show that SC35 splicing speckles are excluded from the nuclear boundary and localize throughout the nucleoplasm and in the interchromatin space in non-transformed WI-38 cells. This new methodology is thus able to reveal the effect of large-scale perturbation on spatial architecture and preferences that would not be obvious from single cell imaging.

A Mobile Application Recommendation Framework by Exploiting Personal Preference with Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konglin Zhu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Explosive mobile applications (Apps are proliferating with the popularity of mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets. These Apps are developed to satisfy different function needs of users. Majority of existing App Stores have difficulty in recommending proper Apps for users. Therefore, it is of significance to recommend mobile Apps for users according to personal preference and various constraints of mobile devices (e.g., battery power. In this paper, we propose a mobile App recommendation framework by incorporating different requirements from users. We exploit modern portfolio theory (MPT to combine the popularity of mobile Apps, personal preference, and mobile device constraints for mobile App recommendation. Based on this framework, we discuss the recommendation approaches by constraints of phone power and limited mobile data plan. Extensive evaluations show that the proposed mobile App recommendation framework can well adapt to power and network data plan constraints. It satisfies the user App preference and mobile device constraints.

Residential Location Preferences. The Significance of Socio-Cultural and Religious Attributes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gobi Krishna Sinniah

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to explore residential location preferences and how they are related to travel behavior. The literature focuses on the preferences in relation to physical and demographic aspects, such as land uses, facilities, transportation facilities, transportation services, car ownership, income, household size and travel accessibility. However, this study suggests social and cultural issue such as racial diversity which is literally to be a significance context. The case study reported here is based on Iskandar Malaysia’s development region. Reliability Analysis and Factor Analysis are applied to determine that religious and culture are influential in terms of residential location preferences. These findings add a different perspective on travel behavior studies, which are heavily dominated by researches from Western Europe, North America and Australasia. It is suggested that transport researchers need to reject universal conclusions and be clearer about the contexts in which their findings most applied and in multi-cultural scenarios to consider cultural and religious factors more extensively.

Preference for olive oil consumption in the Spanish local market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernabéu, R.; Díaz, M.

2016-07-01

It is becoming ever more important for the olive oil industry in Spain to adopt a business strategy based on client orientation. In this sense, the objective of this paper is to identify the preferences of olive oil consumers and propose a series of business strategies for the producing sector. The methodology consisted in a survey of 404 olive oil consumers during the months of January and February 2013, whose preferences were determined through several multivariate techniques (conjoint analysis, consumer segmentation and a simulation of market share). The preferred olive oil is low priced, extra virgin and organic. The type of bottle does not appear to be relevant in the buying decision process, although it might be a factor in increasing market share. The current economic crisis has resulted in the emergence of two consumer segments; 67.1% of consumers selected the olive oil they buy on the basis of price and 32.9% were guided by the product’s specific attributes, which include, for example, organic production, which can be another differentiating element for producing companies.

Preference for olive oil consumption in the Spanish local market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernabéu, R.; Díaz, M.

2016-01-01

It is becoming ever more important for the olive oil industry in Spain to adopt a business strategy based on client orientation. In this sense, the objective of this paper is to identify the preferences of olive oil consumers and propose a series of business strategies for the producing sector. The methodology consisted in a survey of 404 olive oil consumers during the months of January and February 2013, whose preferences were determined through several multivariate techniques (conjoint analysis, consumer segmentation and a simulation of market share). The preferred olive oil is low priced, extra virgin and organic. The type of bottle does not appear to be relevant in the buying decision process, although it might be a factor in increasing market share. The current economic crisis has resulted in the emergence of two consumer segments; 67.1% of consumers selected the olive oil they buy on the basis of price and 32.9% were guided by the product’s specific attributes, which include, for example, organic production, which can be another differentiating element for producing companies.

Preference for olive oil consumption in the Spanish local market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodolfo Bernabéu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available It is becoming ever more important for the olive oil industry in Spain to adopt a business strategy based on client orientation. In this sense, the objective of this paper is to identify the preferences of olive oil consumers and propose a series of business strategies for the producing sector. The methodology consisted in a survey of 404 olive oil consumers during the months of January and February 2013, whose preferences were determined through several multivariate techniques (conjoint analysis, consumer segmentation and a simulation of market share. The preferred olive oil is low priced, extra virgin and organic. The type of bottle does not appear to be relevant in the buying decision process, although it might be a factor in increasing market share. The current economic crisis has resulted in the emergence of two consumer segments; 67.1% of consumers selected the olive oil they buy on the basis of price and 32.9% were guided by the product’s specific attributes, which include, for example, organic production, which can be another differentiating element for producing companies.

Effects of Heterogeneity in Residential Preferences on an Agent-Based Model of Urban Sprawl

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel G. Brown

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The ability of agent-based models (ABMs to represent heterogeneity in the characteristics and behaviors of actors enables analyses about the implications of this heterogeneity for system behavior. The importance of heterogeneity in the specification of ABMs, however, creates new demands for empirical support. An earlier analysis of a survey of residential preferences within southeastern Michigan revealed seven groups of residents with similar preferences on similar characteristics of location. In this paper, we present an ABM that represents the process of residential development within an urban system and run it for a hypothetical pattern of environmental variation. Residential locations are selected by residential agents, who evaluate locations on the basis of preference for nearness to urban services, including jobs, aesthetic quality of the landscape, and their similarity to their neighbors. We populate our ABM with a population of residential preferences drawn from the survey results in five different ways: (1 preferences drawn at random; (2 equal preferences based on the mean from the entire survey sample; (3 preferences drawn from a single distribution, whose mean and standard deviation are derived from the survey sample; (4 equal preferences within each of seven groups, based on the group means; and (5 preferences drawn from distributions for each of seven groups, defined by group means and standard deviations. Model sensitivity analysis, based on multiple runs of our model under each case, revealed that adding heterogeneity to agents has a significant effect on model outcomes, measured by aggregate patterns of development sprawl and clustering.

Empirical study of travel mode forecasting improvement for the combined revealed preference/stated preference data–based discrete choice model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanfu Qiao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The combined revealed preference/stated preference data–based discrete choice model has provided the actual choice-making restraints as well as reduced the prediction errors. But the random error variance of alternatives belonging to different data would impact its universality. In this article, we studied the traffic corridor between Chengdu and Longquan with the revealed preference/stated preference joint model, and the single stated preference data model separately predicted the choice probability of each mode. We found the revealed preference/stated preference joint model is universal only when there is a significant difference between the random error terms in different data. The single stated preference data would amplify the travelers’ preference and cause prediction error. We proposed a universal way that uses revealed preference data to modify the single stated preference data parameter estimation results to achieve the composite utility and reduce the prediction error. And the result suggests that prediction results are more reasonable based on the composite utility than the results based on the single stated preference data, especially forecasting the mode share of bus. The future metro line will be the main travel mode in this corridor, and 45% of passenger flow will transfer to the metro.

Diet-induced mating preference in Drosophila

OpenAIRE

Rosenberg, Eugene; Zilber-Rosenberg, Ilana; Sharon, Gil; Segal, Daniel

2018-01-01

Diet-induced mating preference was initially observed by Dodd (1). Subsequently, we reported that diet-induced mating preference occurred in Drosophila melanogaster. Treatment of the flies with antibiotics abolished the mating preference, suggesting that fly-associated commensal bacteria were responsible for the phenomenon (2). The hypothesis was confirmed when it was shown that colonizing antibiotic-treated flies with Lactobacillus plantarum reestablished mating preference in multiple-choice...

Eye tracking social preferences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jiang, Ting; Potters, Jan; Funaki, Yukihiko

We hypothesize that if people are motivated by a particular social preference, then choosing in accordance with this preference will lead to an identifiable pattern of eye movements. We track eye movements while subjects make choices in simple three-person distribution experiments. We characterize