Improving the Connection between Theory and Empirical Analysis of Stated Preference and Conjoint Data: Improving Statistical Efficiency and Testing Robustness of Conjoint Marginal Valuations

We investigate the effect of panel estimators and sample weighting to improve efficiency of coefficient estimates and confidence intervals on marginal values. Panel estimators are appropriate because most conjoint studies have respondents rate multiple product profiles. Using a random effects ordered probit model increases significance levels on two forest health attribute coefficients and results in substantial tightening of confidence intervals on marginal values. To mitigate the effects of low response rate, we weight the returned surveys using Census data to match the sample to the population. Two of the four marginal values from this weighted ordered probit model are substantially different.     

更好的营养会促进农民的劳动参与吗？——基于CHNS面板数据的实证分析

基于中国健康与营养调查（CHNS）1989—2011年的面板数据，使用Logit模型，从热量和主要营养素摄入两个方面实证分析营养对我国农民劳动参与的影响及结构性差异，结果表明：营养对农民的劳动参与有显著影响，热量、碳水化合物、蛋白质摄入具有正向影响，脂肪摄入则具有负面影响；营养对农民劳动参与的影响存在性别、年龄和时间差异，对女性农民的影响要高于男性农民，对老年农民的影响要高于中青年农民；热量、脂肪和蛋白质摄入的影响随时间变化逐渐增强，碳水化合物摄入的影响则呈现出先增强后减弱的变化趋势。扩大农民的劳动参与率应从改善农民的营养水平和营养结构入手，并且应注意根据不同的性别、年龄特征制订有针对性的政策措施。     

Sensation seeking and the prediction of attitudes and behaviours of wine tourists

Although socio-economic variables are commonly used for market segmentation and are widely applied in describing winery visitors, increasing awareness is evident in the literature that personality might also be useful for that purpose. The present study examined whether, compared with socio-economic variables (age, gender, education level, personal income, and household income), the personality variable sensation seeking adds to the ability to predict differences in various attitudes and behaviours of wine tourists. With the effects of the former controlled, sensation seeking was observed to be significantly related to spending on wine, and wine drinking, as well as to the frequency of visits to wineries and the number of activities engaged in at wineries, the use of the internet as a source of information about wineries, venturing off the beaten track during a visit to a wine region, and the strength of opportunity for learning, stimulation, or indulgence as incentives to visit a wine region. Sensation seeking was also observed to be significantly related to all but one of those variables when the effects of another variable which is receiving increasing attention as a means by which to characterize wine tourists, “involvement”, were controlled. The practical significance of the results for winery and wine region marketing and management is discussed, and several requirements for further research are identified.     

社会支持系统与大学生心理健康的关系

为了探讨大学生所感受到的社会支持情况与其心理健康的关系，采用社会关系网络问卷和症状自评量表（SCL-90）对哈尔滨市两所高校430名大学生进行了施测。结果表明，大学生感受到来自重要他人的肯定与支持、陪伴与亲密感、满意度等，主要与SCL-90的抑郁、精神病性、人际关系敏感呈显著负相关；来自重要他人的冲突和惩罚与SCL-90的9个维度都存在显著正相关。因此，在高校心理健康教育中，要重视学生良好社会关系网络的建立与利用。     

Foods and natural health products: Gaps and ambiguities in the Canadian regulatory regime

Canadian regulations have different rules for foods and natural health products (NHPs) regarding allowable health claims, requirements for use in clinical trials and good manufacturing standards and labeling requirements. How these rules apply to products at the food–NHP interface is often unclear. This paper describes the regulatory environment and explores two product examples – probiotic yogurt and green tea – to illustrate the issue. In addition, results from a qualitative study of NHP/food researchers highlights the confusion and frustration of those working in the field. Interim agreements between the NHP and Foods Directorate of Health Canada regarding products reviews provide a temporary response but regulatory amendments, accompanied by clear guidance to stakeholders, are needed.     

大学新生心理健康状况及教育途径分析

关注大学新生的心理特点,是分析其心理问题及其原因、开展心理健康教育的基础。本文根据大学新生存在的一些心理问题,提出解决途径和方法,同时表明,在大学新生心理健康教育中,只有把教育和自我教育有机地结合起来,才能增强实效性和科学性。     

Trading Activity,Trade Costs and Informed Trading for Acquisition Targets and Acquirers

Abstract

Microstructure effects of tender offer acquisitions on targets and acquirers differentiated by listing venue and payment method are examined. Trading activity increases more for targets than for acquirers upon offer announcement. Investors are more likely to sell targets upon announcement using direct market orders against ask limit orders for cash payment offers. While target liquidity improves as spread costs fall and quoted depths increase, acquirer liquidity falls continuously to successful offer completion. Due to increased trading differences, temporary trade costs fall more for targets than for acquirers. Permanent trade costs decline over the tender offer cycle for both parties, and especially for targets for cash tender offers and for acquirers for shares tender offers. The probability of informed trading declines (remains constant) for targets (acquirers) because increased trading intensity is greater (the same) for uninformed versus informed traders. As expected, abnormal returns and changes in own-firm permanent return volatility are negatively (but weakly) and positively (and strongly) related, respectively, to changes in information asymmetry upon announcement.     

同伴关系与大学生心理健康

大学生同伴关系问题是大学生在其身心发展过程中常感到困惑的问题,也是高校心理咨询工作者经常面对的棘手问题。本文从大学生同伴关系现状分析入手,对影响大学生同伴关系的相关因素进行了全方位的分析,说明同伴关系是影响大学生心理健康的重要因素之一,并提出了通过改善同伴关系增进大学生心理健康的有效途径。对改善大学生的同伴关系进行了理论和实践的有益探索。     

Firm heterogeneity in productivity across Europe: evidence from multilevel models

This paper analyses the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) heterogeneity of a sample of manufacturing firms operating in seven EU countries (Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and the UK). TFP data refer to 2008. The empirical setting is based on the multilevel modeling which provides two main results. Firstly, we show that TFP heterogeneity is largely due to firm-specific features (85% of TFP variability in the empty model). Interestingly, we find that some key-drivers of firm performance (size, family management, group membership, innovations and human capital) are significantly related to TFP, but do not, on the whole, absorb much of firm TFP variance, implying that differences in productivity are due to notable yet unobservable firm characteristics. Secondly, as far the role of localization is concerned, we demonstrate that the country effect is more influential than region effect in explaining individual productivity. Net of the country effect, the localization in different European regions explains about 5% of TFP firm heterogeneity. When considering the case of three individual countries, France, Italy and Spain, location in different regions explains 5.3% of TFP heterogeneity in Italy, while this proportion is lower (3.6%) in France and higher (9.9%) in Spain.     

借鉴国外经验基础上发展我国国家基本药物制度

为满足大部分人口卫生保健需要,各国在WHO的带领下纷纷开展基本药物制度的相关行动。我国自1979年开始实行基本药物政策,效果一般,在学习世界各国优良经验、借鉴各国犯过的错误的基础上,结合本国实际情况,2009年在新医改政策指导下,找到一条较为成功的路。如今三年的施行,成果显现,但各种各样的问题同样存在,本文结合国内外研究发展现状,找出我国基本药物制度实施中存在的问题,并试图寻求合理的解决之道。