Older Drivers Retiring From the Road: An Application of the Selection,Optimization, and Compensation Model

Purpose: This study uses the selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) model to compare older adults who have given up driving, those who still drive, and those who drive less to identify differences in the three groups. Design and Methods: This cross-sectional study of 281 older adults is part of the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Demonstration Project. Study participants completed interviews that included questions on demographics, health and functioning, mental health, social support, and current levels of engagement in activities including current driving status. Results: Data suggest that driving retirement is a process and that a substantial number of people are in the transitional stage, where they are less functional than those who still drive and more similar to those who have retired from the road. Implications: Given the similarity of those who drive less to those who have given up driving, front-line professionals and policy makers must work together to ease the transition to driving retirement for those without adequate ability to effectively compensate for their inability to continue to drive safely.     

Generalized Trust and Trust in Institutions in Confucian Asia

This study examines generalized trust and trust in institutions in Confucian Asia, covering six countries namely, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, and one dependent region, Hong Kong. Using data from the 2006 AsiaBarometer Survey, our study affirms the reliability and validity of using a two-item scale to measure generalized trust. Our analysis suggests that due to demographic differences, there are variations in the level of generalized trust of countries in Confucian Asia, despite the fact that these societies share a similar background in Confucian philosophy. The relationships between generalized trust and political trust, and between generalized trust and trust in public institutions, are weak but positive. The positive relationship between generalized trust and trust in economic institutions is only significant for some of the economies, while trust in international institutions has the weakest relationship with generalized trust for all societies. We conclude the paper with research implications.     

《道德经》文本研究视阈下大学生道德情怀教育

改革开放以来,大学生道德教育成果显著,但道德教育活动依旧有巨大的提升空间。近年来,伴随着经济高速发展,各种社会负面信息一次次冲击大学生道德心理,大学生道德教育也变得有些吃力,因此,大学生道德教育急需回归本真。现如今是讲求情怀的年代,大学生道德情怀教育理应走进高校,结合《道德经》经典名著,讲习道德情怀含义、描述道德情怀形态、分析道德情怀教育着力点、提出道德情怀教育要求,应该成为改革开放新时期大学生道德教育研究的众多范畴之一。     

A framework for food supply chain digitalization: lessons from Thailand

Abstract

The promise of digitalization is enormous and nowhere is it more critical than in its potential to transform food supply chain. Consumers have become more educated and are demanding real-time updated information on foods they consumed through digital media. They are also increasingly demanding to know if the foods they consume are environmentally and socially sustainable or not. As a result, food product traceability, safety, and sustainability issues have become crucial concerns to food retailers, distributors, processors, and farmers. Digitalization allows food supply chains to be highly connected, efficient, and responsive to customer needs and regulation requirements. However, digitalizing a traditional food supply chain is challenging and resource demanding. This is more so for developing countries where moving food from farms to consumers can take months as it travels through an array of middlemen. Unfortunately, little is available in the existing literature on food supply chain digitalization. So far, current researchers mainly explore the benefits of digitalization. Using cases in three companies, this paper explores the practices, challenges, and opportunities faced by Thailand food manufacturers in digitalizing their food supply chains. A framework for food supply chain digitalization is proposed and its implications for research and practices are discussed.     

安徽省印刷企业"十五"宏观调控基本方略的思考

顺应市场经济发展的规律,对印刷企业的发展进行总量、结构、布局宏观调控,规划出"十五"后三年的发展框架,有益于改进目前印刷企业低水平重复、整体效益不高,竞争秩序不规范等问题,以便形成一个公平竞争、经营规范、布局合理、建康有序的安徽印刷市场的新型体系.     

“三个代表”与社会主义法律价值追求

“三个代表”的思想不仅是全面加强新时期党的建设的伟大纲领 ,也是与社会主义的法律价值追求是一致的 ,社会主义法律存在和完善的合理性在于其是保护中国先进生产力发展的法律 ,是保障中国先进文化前进方向的法律 ,是保障中国最广大人民根本利益的法律     

Development of a Screening Approach to Interpret Human Biomonitoring Data on Volatile Organic Compounds: Reverse Dosimetry on Biomonitoring Data for Trichloroethylene

A screening approach is developed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to estimate exposures that correspond to levels measured in fluids and/or tissues in human biomonitoring studies. The approach makes use of a generic physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model coupled with exposure pattern characterization, Monte Carlo analysis, and quantitative structure property relationships (QSPRs). QSPRs are used for VOCs with minimal data to develop chemical-specific parameters needed for the PBPK model. The PBPK model is capable of simulating VOC kinetics following multiple routes of exposure, such as oral exposure via water ingestion and inhalation exposure during shower events. Using published human biomonitoring data of trichloroethylene (TCE), the generic model is evaluated to determine how well it estimates TCE concentrations in blood based on the known drinking water concentrations. In addition, Monte Carlo analysis is conducted to characterize the impact of the following factors: (1) uncertainties in the QSPR-estimated chemical-specific parameters; (2) variability in physiological parameters; and (3) variability in exposure patterns. The results indicate that uncertainty in chemical-specific parameters makes only a minor contribution to the overall variability and uncertainty in the predicted TCE concentrations in blood. The model is used in a reverse dosimetry approach to derive estimates of TCE concentrations in drinking water based on given measurements of TCE in blood, for comparison to the U.S. EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level in drinking water. This example demonstrates how a reverse dosimetry approach can be used to facilitate interpretation of human biomonitoring data in a health risk context by deriving external exposures that are consistent with a biomonitoring data set, thereby permitting comparison with health-based exposure guidelines.     

Online coupon consumption problem

Nowadays, it is popular that the dealer makes profits by selling a kind of discount coupons, which can be used as money to purchase commodities with total cost less than or equal to the face value of the coupon. We can purchase a coupon at a price of 0<s≤1 times its face value and the number of potential purchasable coupons is a given integer l. The customer has the option to buy the goods by cash completely or by a discount coupon. However, each piece of goods can only use one coupon and the coupon used must have enough balance for the goods. The objective is to minimize the total cost for purchasing all the goods. In this paper, we reduce the problem to a special bin packing model. We consider the online problems for all 0<s≤1 and 1≤l≤∞. We present optimal online algorithms for all 0<s≤1 when l=∞ and l=1. For 2≤l<∞, we give both a lower bound and an algorithm, and show the algorithm is optimal for l=2. A preliminary version of this paper appeared in the proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Combinatorics, Algorithms, Probabilistic and Experimental Methodologies, Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Y. Jiang supported by Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (Y605316). Z. Tan supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (10671177, 60021201).     

《挂枝儿》语词拾零

明代冯梦龙编辑的民歌集<挂枝儿>保留了相当数量的新兴的口语成分原貌,是研究明代词语的宝库.这些材料虽经学者发明,但仍有新词新义值得作进一步梳理.例如"波""一向""的当""寡茶""闯寡门""统口""一丢"等等.这些词语不仅大型语言词典失收,其他论文论著也少提及.此文训释词语10条.     

动态需求下高峰负荷定价模型研究

针对Ｍａｃｈａｅｌ．Ｒ关于动态需求下高峰负荷定价过于理想化假设的问题，建立了新的调控定价模型，并进行了具体的分析，得到不同阶段应采取不同的定价策略，培育和引导了消费市场，由此深化了Ｍａｃｈａｅｌ．Ｒ的结论。