Consumer uncertainty,revisited

Uncertainty is an important concept within consumer behavior which to date is under‐theorized, especially in relation to important downstream variables such as information search intention and purchase intention, and can therefore lead to a loss of utility. The authors propose a new multidimensional conceptualization of consumer uncertainty and develop a theoretical model of uncertainty within two consumer behavior contexts, namely avoidance of sweatshop apparel and avoidance of food additives. Drawing on literature‐based insights as well as qualitative research and Expected Utility Theory, the authors develop hypotheses that offer insight into the potential antecedents (ambiguity and credibility) and consequences (search intention and purchase intention) of uncertainty. Using survey data, the authors test the hypotheses, finding strong support for many relationships hypothesized. Research and managerial implications are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

De beteekenis van de Brusselsche suiker-overeenkomst voor Nederland

Dit opstel werd geschreven in den zomer van 1911.     

机遇连连——关于我的电影创作之路

此文是关于我何以进入创作艺术电影的世界。这个想法源自于我遇见了一些亚洲人,他们像我自己一样着迷于实验电影史,并受到启发而开始创作自己的电影作品。对我来说,这可真是一趟孤单的旅程。从我决定开始创作电影开始,一路连连遇到机遇和巧合——加上偶然的关键步骤,让我走到今天。     

高盛：为私利不择手段

高盛首席执行官贝兰克梵在5月份的年度会议上说：＂人们已经把矛头指向高盛的核心价值观——我们如何对待客户。＂真实的谎言2007年初,房市危机恶化,高盛却忙于出售其长期客户华盛顿互惠银行所发行的,极具风险的抵押贷款相关证券。     

The burden associated with thrombocytopenia and platelet transfusions among patients with chronic liver disease

Abstract

Background: Thrombocytopenia (TCP), a common complication of chronic liver disease (CLD), can cause uncontrolled bleeding during procedures. As such, CLD patients with TCP and platelet counts <50,000/μL often receive prophylactic platelet transfusions before invasive procedures. However, platelet transfusions are associated with clinical complications, which may result in increased healthcare utilization and costs.

Objective: This retrospective database analysis describes the clinical and economic burden in CLD patients with TCP, CLD patients without TCP, and CLD patients with TCP who receive platelet transfusions.

Methods: Adult CLD patients with or without TCP were identified in the IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Medicare Supplemental data from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2015. CLD patients with or without TCP were propensity-score matched (1:1) for the analysis of annual healthcare utilization and costs. Platelet transfusions among CLD patients with TCP were identified using procedure codes.

Results: Of the 601,626 patients with CLD, 8,292 (1.4%) patients with TCP were matched to patients without TCP. Among CLD patients with TCP, 981 (11.8%) patients received ≥1 platelet transfusions and met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Compared to patients without TCP, CLD patients with TCP had more complications, including higher prevalence of neutropenia (11.4% vs 2.9%) and bleeding events (21.4% vs 10.9%), greater resource utilization including greater average hospital admissions (1.2 vs 0.7, p?<?.01), greater average ER visits (2.1 vs 1.3, p?<?.01), higher average outpatient office visits (20.1 vs 18.4, p?<?.01), and higher average healthcare costs including total costs (p?<?.01), inpatient costs (p?<?.01), ER visit costs (p?<?.01), and outpatient office visit costs (p?<?.01). The mean annual total costs in CLD and TCP patients with platelet transfusions were $206,396.

Conclusions: CLD patients with TCP, and particularly those who received platelet transfusions, experienced significantly greater clinical and economic burden compared to CLD patients without TCP. Safer and more cost-effective treatments to increase platelets are necessary.     

A content analysis of auditors' reports on IT internal control weaknesses: The comparative advantages of an automated approach to control weakness identification

We employ an automated content analysis approach to provide a snapshot of the terminology auditors actually use to describe information technology weaknesses (ITWs). We develop and use a dictionary based on textual analysis of auditors' reports on internal control filed under Section 404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act from 2004 to 2009. Using the dictionary with content analysis software led to the identification of 14 categories of ITWs in order of decreasing frequency of occurrence: (1) access, (2) monitoring, (3) design issues, (4) change and development, (5) end-user computing, (6) segregation of incompatible functions, (7) policies, (8) documentation, (9) masterfiles, (10) backup, (11) staffing sufficiency and competency, (12) security (other than over access), (13) outsourcing and (14) operations. The use of automated content analysis methodology also helped us identify potential disconnects between terminology used in auditors' reports and that used in published frameworks and guidelines. We provide the dictionary and discuss the methodology used in creating and applying the dictionary to the analysis of the textual content of auditors' reports on internal control, including the advantages and limitations of automated ITW identification.     

Using Patents In Growth Models

This paper argues that macroeconomic models of endogenous growth driven by technological change could be much improved by drawing lessons from the microeconomic literature of intellectual property design. Growth models use overly simplistic and sometimes incorrect assumptions regarding the intellectual property regime. Microeconomic theory and empirical work are reviewed to demonstrate that determining optimal intellectual property design is complex and has important implications for firm behavior and performance. Considering the question of intellectual property design in a dynamic general equilibrium model should yield important insights about how intellectual property impacts growth and welfare.     

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