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Relative Advantage (relative + advantage)
Selected Abstracts"Honey, Have You Seen Our Hamster?"THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2003Consumer Evaluations of Autonomous Domestic Products Several autonomous products have been launched in the marketplace in the past few years. These autonomous products do not need any human intervention but operate on their own. An example of such an autonomous product is the self-initiating, independent vacuum cleaner that determines when a floor or room needs to be vacuumed, and does the job by itself, returning to the charging station when it needs to recharge its battery. It is unclear, however, to what extent consumers appreciate this autonomy. Autonomous products take over tasks from the user, which leaves the user the opportunity to take part in other activities. However, consumers may also consider these products complex and the use and purchase of such products risky. In addition, people often show a desire for control and may be reluctant to hand over some control to autonomous products. The advantages of autonomous products may thus be partly compensated by several disadvantages. The present study aims to explain overall consumer appreciation for autonomous products by integrating the above-mentioned factors in a conceptual model. This conceptual framework was tested in an experiment (N=77). The results reveal that consumers perceive highly autonomous products as more risky and complex than less autonomous products. Perceived risk negatively influenced overall consumer appreciation whereas complexity did not affect consumers' appreciation. Relative advantage, however, compensates the negative effect of perceived risk on overall consumer appreciation. Also, contrary to our expectations, we found that people with a high desire for control perceive less risk. We conclude with managerial implications for developers and marketers of autonomous domestic products. [source] Bilingual experience and executive functioning in young childrenDEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008Stephanie M. Carlson Advanced inhibitory control skills have been found in bilingual speakers as compared to monolingual controls (Bialystok, 1999). We examined whether this effect is generalized to an unstudied language group (Spanish-English bilingual) and multiple measures of executive function by administering a battery of tasks to 50 kindergarten children drawn from three language groups: native bilinguals, monolinguals (English), and English speakers enrolled in second-language immersion kindergarten. Despite having significantly lower verbal scores and parent education/income level, Spanish-English bilingual children's raw scores did not differ from their peers. After statistically controlling for these factors and age, native bilingual children performed significantly better on the executive function battery than both other groups. Importantly, the relative advantage was significant for tasks that appear to call for managing conflicting attentional demands (Conflict tasks); there was no advantage on impulse-control (Delay tasks). These results advance our understanding of both the generalizability and specificity of the compensatory effects of bilingual experience for children's cognitive development. [source] Carp (Cyprinus carpio) as a powerful invader in Australian waterwaysFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2004John D. Koehn Summary 1. The invasion of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) in Australia illustrates how quickly an introduced fish species can spread and dominate fish communities. This species has become the most abundant large freshwater fish in south-east Australia, now distributed over more than 1 million km2. 2. Carp exhibit most of the traits predicted for a successful invasive fish species. In addition, degradation of aquatic environments in south-east Australia has given them a relative advantage over native species. 3. Derivation of relative measures of 13 species-specific attributes allowed a quantitative comparison between carp and abundant native fish species across five major Australian drainage divisions. In four of six geographical regions analysed, carp differed clearly from native species in their behaviour, resource use and population dynamics. 4. Climate matching was used to predict future range expansion of carp in Australia. All Australian surface waters appear to be climatically suitable for carp. 5. This assessment strongly reinforces the need for immediate management of carp in Australia to include targeted control of human-assisted dispersal, such as use of carp as bait by anglers, distribution to new locations by anglers and the use of the ,Koi' strain in the aquarium industry. 6. Given their historical spread, dispersal mechanisms and ecological requirements, the expansion of carp across most of the remainder of Australia is to be expected. [source] Prediction of triple-orbital diversity performance in Earth-space communicationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING, Issue 3 2002A. D. Panagopoulos Abstract Orbital diversity is considered to be an effective technique to overcome large fade margins in satellite communication links. This paper discusses triple-orbital diversity, which uses three satellites and an Earth receiving site. A method for calculating the outage probability of a triple-orbital diversity protection scheme is proposed. It is based on a model for convective raincells and the lognormal assumption for point rainfall rate statistics. Numerical results are compared with an available set of experimental data taken from a VSAT Earth-station located in Japan. The agreement was found to be quite encouraging. Some useful conclusions, concerning the relative advantage of using triple- against the double-orbital diversity scheme are also deduced. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Parental Influences on the Educational Outcomes of Immigrant Youth,INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION REVIEW, Issue 2 2004Grace Kao Recent research suggests that children with immigrant parents tend to outperform their counterparts with native-born parents. This article examines whether the relative advantage of children of immigrants can be traced to differences in the character of parent-child relationships. Using the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), I examine whether parent-child interaction varies among racial and generational groups. Descriptive tabulations suggest that immigrant parents are less likely to share decisionmaking power and to talk about school in general than are native-born parents. However, immigrant parents are more likely to talk about college, and their children report that they are closer to their parents than youth of native-born parents. While differences in parent-child interaction account for some of the differences in educational achievement between racial and generational groups, significant variation by race and generational status remains. Finally, I found significant variation between parenting behavior and its impact on GPA by race and ethnicity. [source] On fusion of PCA and a physical model-based predictive control strategy for efficient load-cycling operation of a thermal power plantOPTIMAL CONTROL APPLICATIONS AND METHODS, Issue 4 2007Girijesh Prasad Abstract Controlling a thermal power plant optimally during load-cycling operation is a very challenging control problem. The control complexity is enhanced further by the possibility of simultaneous occurrence of sensor malfunctions and a plethora of system disturbances. This paper proposes and evaluates the effectiveness of a sensor validation and reconstruction approach using principal component analysis (PCA) in conjunction with a physical plant model. For optimal control under severe operating conditions in the presence of possible sensor malfunctions, a predictive control strategy is devised by appropriate fusion of the PCA-based sensor validation and reconstruction approach and a constrained model predictive control (MPC) technique. As a case study, the control strategy is applied for thermal power plant control in the presence of a single sensor malfunction. In particular, it is applied to investigate the effectiveness and relative advantage of applying rate constraints on main steam temperature and heat-exchanger tube-wall temperature, so that faster load cycling operation is achieved without causing excessive thermal stresses in heat-exchanger tubes. In order to account for unstable and non-minimum phase boiler,turbine dynamics, the MPC technique applied is an infinite horizon non-linear physical model-based state-space MPC strategy, which guarantees asymptotic stability and feasibility in the presence of output and state constraints. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Outcomes in work-related injuries: A comparison of older and younger workersAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2005Glenn S. Pransky MD, MOCCH Abstract Background The "graying of the workforce" has generated concerns about the physical capacity of older workers to maintain their health and productivity on the job, especially after an injury occurs. There is little detailed research on age-related differences in work outcomes after an occupational injury. Methods A self-report survey about occupational, health, and financial outcomes, and related factors was administered 2,8 weeks post-injury to workers aged <,55 and ,,55 who had lost time due to a work injury. Results Despite more severe injuries in older workers, most outcomes were similar in both age groups. In multivariate models, age was unrelated or inversely related to poor outcomes. Injury severity, physical functioning, and problems upon return to work were associated with adverse work injury outcomes. Conclusions Older workers appear to fare better than younger workers after a work injury; their relative advantage may be primarily due to longer workplace attachment and the healthy worker effect. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:104,112, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The moderating effect of manipulative intent and cognitive resources on the evaluation of narrative ads,PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 5 2010Daniel Wentzel This research examines how salience of manipulative intent affects the evaluation of ads that are presented in a narrative or expository format. Study 1 shows that when manipulative intent is not salient, narrative ads are evaluated more positively than expository ads because they trigger a narrative processing style. When manipulative intent is salient, however, consumers regard the advertiser's tactics more suspiciously and adopt an analytical processing style to evaluate both narrative and expository ads. As a result, the relative advantage of narrative ads over expository ads disappears. A mediational analysis reveals that these effects are mediated by inferences of manipulative intent. Furthermore, Study 2 shows that cognitive load moderates these effects and that the negative impact of manipulative intent is significantly attenuated when cognitive load is high. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] A Theory of Dividends Based on Tax ClientelesTHE JOURNAL OF FINANCE, Issue 6 2000Franklin Allen This paper explains why some firms prefer to pay dividends rather than repurchase shares. When institutional investors are relatively less taxed than individual investors, dividends induce "ownership clientele" effects. Firms paying dividends attract relatively more institutions, which have a relative advantage in detecting high firm quality and in ensuring firms are well managed. The theory is consistent with some documented regularities, specifically both the presence and stickiness of dividends, and offers novel empirical implications, e.g., a prediction that it is the tax difference between institutions and retail investors that determines dividend payments, not the absolute tax payments. [source] How Today's Consumers Perceive Tomorrow's Smart Products,THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2009Serge A. Rijsdijk This paper investigates consumer responses to new smart products. Due to the application of information technology, smart products are able to collect, process, and produce information and can be described as "thinking" for themselves. In this study, 184 consumers respond to smart products that are characterized by two different combinations of smartness dimensions. One group of products shows the smartness dimensions of autonomy, adaptability, and reactivity. Another group of smart products are multifunctional and able to cooperate with other products. Consumer responses to these smart products are measured in terms of the innovation attributes of relative advantage, compatibility, observability, complexity, and perceived risk. The study shows that products with higher levels of smartness are perceived to have both advantages and disadvantages. Higher levels of product smartness are mainly associated with higher levels of observability and perceived risk. The effects of product smartness on relative advantage, compatibility, and complexity vary across product smartness dimensions and across product categories. For example, higher levels of product autonomy are perceived as increasingly advantageous whereas a high level of multifunctionality is perceived disadvantageous. The paper discusses the advantages and pitfalls for each of the five product smartness dimensions and their implications for new product development and concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the study and suggestions for further research. [source] Impact of feral water buffalo and fire on growth and survival of mature savanna trees: An experimental field study in Kakadu National Park, northern AustraliaAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2005PATRICIA A. WERNER Abstract The impact of feral Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and season of fire on growth and survival of mature trees was monitored over 8 years in the eucalypt savannas of Kakadu National Park. Permanently marked plots were paired on either side of a 25-km-long buffalo-proof fence at three locations on an elevational gradient, from ridge-top to the edge of a floodplain; buffalo were removed from one side of the fence. All 750 trees ,,1.4 m height were permanently marked; survival and diameter of each tree was measured annually; 26 species were grouped into four eco-taxonomic groups. The buffalo experiment was maintained for 7 years; trees were monitored an additional year. Fires were excluded from all sites the first 3 years, allowed to occur opportunistically for 4 years and excluded for the final year. Fires were of two main types: low-intensity early dry season and high-intensity late dry season. Growth rates of trees were size-specific and positively related to diameters as exponential functions; trees grew slowest on the two ends of the gradient. Eucalypt mortality rates were 1.5 and 3 times lower than those of pantropics and of arborescent monocots, respectively, but the relative advantage was lost with fires or buffalo grazing. Without buffalo grazing, ground level biomass was 5,8 t ha,1 compared with 2,3 t ha,1, within 3 years. In buffalo-absent plots, trees grew significantly slower on the dry ridge and slope, and had higher mortality across the entire gradient, compared with trees in buffalo-present plots. At the floodplain margin, mortality of small palms was higher in buffalo-present sites, most likely due to associated heavy infestations of weeds. Low-intensity fires produced tree growth and mortality values similar to no-fire, in general, but, like buffalo, provided a ,fertilization' effect for Eucalyptus miniata and Eucalyptus tetrodonta, increasing growth in all size classes. High-intensity fires reduced growth and increased mortality of all functional groups, especially the smallest and largest (>35 cm d.b.h.) trees. When buffalo and fires were excluded in the final year, there were no differences in growth or mortality between paired sites across the environmental gradient. After 8 years, the total numbers of trees in buffalo-absent plots were only 80% of the number in buffalo-present plots, due to relatively greater recruitment of new trees in buffalo-present plots; fire-sensitive pantropics were particularly disadvantaged. Since the removal of buffalo is disadvantageous, at least over the first years, to savanna tree growth and survival due to a rebound effect of the ground-level vegetation and subsequent changes in fire-vegetation interactions, process-orientated management aimed at reducing fuel loads and competitive pressure may be required in order to return the system to a previous state. The ,footprint' of 30 years of heavy grazing by buffalo has implications for the interpretation of previous studies on fire-vegetation dynamics and for current research on vegetation change in these savannas. [source] Sources and Models for Moving Research Evidence Into Clinical PracticeJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 5 2002Barbara L. Davies RN High quality research evidence for nursing practice is available from the Cochrane Library and in clinical practice guidelines produced by professional associations. The transfer of research evidence into practice is a complex process, and changing provider behavior is a challenge, even when the relative advantages are strong. An active approach with multifaceted interventions based on the assessment of barriers has been found most effective. An array of interventions for implementing research findings in practice is included, and promising organizational and theoretical perspectives on increasing the use of research evidence for nursing practice are described. [source] Inference in molecular population geneticsJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES B (STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY), Issue 4 2000Matthew Stephens Full likelihood-based inference for modern population genetics data presents methodological and computational challenges. The problem is of considerable practical importance and has attracted recent attention, with the development of algorithms based on importance sampling (IS) and Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling. Here we introduce a new IS algorithm. The optimal proposal distribution for these problems can be characterized, and we exploit a detailed analysis of genealogical processes to develop a practicable approximation to it. We compare the new method with existing algorithms on a variety of genetic examples. Our approach substantially outperforms existing IS algorithms, with efficiency typically improved by several orders of magnitude. The new method also compares favourably with existing MCMC methods in some problems, and less favourably in others, suggesting that both IS and MCMC methods have a continuing role to play in this area. We offer insights into the relative advantages of each approach, and we discuss diagnostics in the IS framework. [source] Confucian Capitalism and the Paradox of Closure and Structural Holes in East Asian FirmsMANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION REVIEW, Issue 1 2010Sun-Ki Chai abstract A long-standing debate has taken place in the organizational sociology and social network literatures about the relative advantages of network closure versus structural holes in the generation of social capital. There is recent evidence that these advantages differ across cultures and between East Asia and the West in particular, but existing network models are unable to explain why or address cultural variation in general. This paper seeks to provide a solution by integrating a culture-embedded rational model of action into the social network model of structure, using this not only to re-examine the closure versus structural hole debate, but also to tie it to the literature on Confucian capitalism and the ,East Asian Model' of the firm. We argue that this integrated approach allows us to systematically analyse the relationship between culture and behaviour in networks and, more specifically, to explain why closure has been a more powerful source of productivity in East Asia than the West. [source] Experimental Models To Investigate Inflammatory Processes in Chronic Venous InsufficiencyMICROCIRCULATION, Issue S1 2000RONALD J. KORTHUIS ABSTRACT Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is characterized by leukocyte adhesion and infiltration, venous hypertension and dilatation, and valvular dysfunction. The fact that activated white cells can direct a powerful cytotoxic arsenal at parenchymal cells following their extravasation into the tissues led to the original proposal that leukocytes may play a causative role in the pathogenesis of venous disease. A large body of subsequent work indicates that white blood cells are indeed activated in CVI. However, identification of the factors responsible for initiating leukosequestration and activation in such disorders and determination of whether these activated cells then contribute to the progression of venous disease have been hampered by the lack of appropriate animal models that accurately mimic the human condition. Tantalizing evidence suggesting that cyclical periods of ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) may occur in diseased regions of the skin is beginning to accumulate. As is the case with CVI, leukocyte infiltration is a prominent feature in I/R and activated neutrophils play a causative role in the reperfusion component of tissue injury via the targeted release of reactive oxygen metabolites and hydrolytic enzymes. In light of these considerations, many investigators have suggested that examining the mechanisms of I/R injury in skin and skeletal muscle, where ischemia is produced by arterial occlusion, may provide a relevant model for studying the pathogenesis of CVI. Others have suggested that venous occlusion may represent a more appropriate model, as this approach also produces the venous hypertension that is characteristic of the disease. The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence pointing to the involvement of I/R and venous hypertension as causative factors in CVI-induced leukocyte recruitment. In addition, we will describe the evidence in favor of the view that white blood cells contribute to the pathogenesis of CVI. Finally, we will describe several different experimental models that have been used to examine the role of I/R-induced microvascular dysfunction as it may pertain to the development of CVI, together with a discussion of the relative advantages and limitations of the various models. [source] Social funds and decentralisation: optimal institutional designPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2006Jean-Paul Faguet Abstract Most of the 60+ developing countries that have established social funds (SFs) are decentralising their governments as well. But the question of how to tailor SFs,originally a highly centralised model,for a decentralising context has received relatively little attention in the literature. We first examine evidence on the ability of SFs to adapt to a decentralised context. We then lay out the implications of decentralisation for SF institutional design step-by-step through the project cycle. The topic is doubly important because social funds can increase their effectiveness, and the sustainability of their investments, by reorganising internal processes to take advantage of the political and civic institutions that decentralisation creates. Local government has an informational advantage in local needs and characteristics (time and place), whereas SFs have access to better technology and knowledge of sectoral best practice. The key is to create institutional incentives that best combine these relative advantages. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Gaits of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) on a horizontal ladder and arboreal stabilityAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Yasuo Higurashi Abstract Most primates use diagonal sequence (DS), diagonal couplets (DC) gaits when they walk or run quadrupedally, and it has been suggested that DSDC gaits contribute to stability in their natural arboreal habitats compared to other symmetrical gaits. However, this postulate is based solely on studies of primate gaits using continuous terrestrial and arboreal substrates. A particular species may select suitable gaits according to the substrate properties. Here, we analyzed the gaits of Japanese macaques moving on a horizontal ladder with rung intervals ranging from 0.40 to 0.80 m to elucidate the relative advantages of each observed form of gait. The rung arrangement forced our macaques to choose either diagonal coupling or DS gaits. One macaque consistently used diagonal coupling (i.e., DSDC and LSDC gaits) across narrow and intermediate rung intervals, whereas the other macaque used DS gaits (i.e., DSDC and DSLC gaits). At wider rung intervals, both macaques shifted to a two-one sequence (TOS), which is characterized by two nearly simultaneous touchdowns of both forelimbs and one touchdown of each hind limb in a stride. The transition to the TOS sequence increased the duration of support on multiple limbs, but always included periods of a whole-body aerial phase. These results suggest that Japanese macaques prefer DSDC gaits, because the diagonal coupling and DS contribute separately to stability on complex supports compared to the lateral coupling and lateral sequence. We also postulate that stability triggers the transition from symmetrical gaits to the TOS sequence. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Correction of mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA somatic and central nervous system pathology by lentiviral-mediated gene transferTHE JOURNAL OF GENE MEDICINE, Issue 9 2010Chantelle McIntyre Abstract Background The hallmark of lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) is microscopically demonstrable lysosomal distension. In mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA (MPS IIIA), this occurs as a result of an inherited deficiency of the lysosomal hydrolase sulphamidase. Consequently, heparan sulphate, a highly sulphated glycosaminoglycan, accumulates primarily within the cells of the reticulo-endothelial and monocyte-macrophage systems and, most importantly, neurones. Children affected by MPS IIIA experience a severe, progressive neuropathology that ultimately leads to death at around 15 years of age. Methods MPS IIIA pathology was addressed in a mouse model using two separate methods of therapeutic gene delivery. A lentiviral vector expressing murine sulphamidase was delivered to 6-week-old MPS IIIA affected mice either by intravenous injection, or by intraventricular infusion. Therapeutic outcomes were assessed 7 months after gene transfer. Results After intravenous gene delivery, liver sulphamidase was restored to approximately 30% of wild-type levels. The resultant widespread delivery of enzyme secreted from transduced cells to somatic tissues via the peripheral circulation corrected most somatic pathology. However, unlike an earlier study, central nervous system (CNS) pathology remained unchanged. Conversely, intraventricular gene delivery resulted in widespread sulphamidase gene delivery in (and reduced lysosomal storage throughout) the brain. Improvements in behaviour were observed in these mice, and interestingly, pathological urinary retention was prevented. Conclusions The CNS remains the last major barrier to effective therapy for children affected by LSDs. The blood,brain barrier (BBB) limits the uptake of lysosomal enzymes from the peripheral circulation into the CNS, making direct gene delivery to the brain a reasonable, albeit more challenging, therapeutic option. Future work will further assess the relative advantages of directly targeting the brain with somatic gene delivery with sulphamidase modified to increase the efficiency of transport across the BBB. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Customization of Product Technology and International New Product Success: Mediating Effects of New Product Development and Rollout TimelinessTHE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2000George M. Chryssochoidis Offering a standardized product for different country markets may enable companies to accomplish fast product development and multicountry rollout, whereas also enjoying substantial cost benefits. However, not all manufacturers serving multicountry markets can adopt a standardized product strategy. Where technological requirements, standards, and approval procedures vary substantially across countries, manufacturers invariably must adapt the product's technology to fit individual country requirements. Extensive customization may lead to longer new product development and rollout times and increase the likelihood of delays in the entire project, hence adversely affecting overall new product outcome. This study examines the relationships between product technology customization, the timeliness in completion of both the new product development effort and international market launches, and new product success. The study that reports on new product launches across European markets, is based on personal interviews with senior managers in 30 multinational companies. The authors show that timeliness in new product development and timeliness in rolling out the new product into different country markets mediate the link between product technology customization and overall new product success. Customization of product technology increases the likelihood of delays in the completion of new product development projects and multicountry rollout. Additionally, the timeliness in new product development mediates the relationship between product technology customization and timeliness in international new product rollout. This means that if the NPD project runs behind schedule, a fault-free multicountry rollout program becomes increasingly unlikely, as problems encountered during product development spillover into the rollout program. The results imply that international product managers must assign greater priority to assessing the relative advantages of customizing new product technology and to consider the timing implications for both the NPD effort and subsequent rollout. Managers must set realistic schedules and allocate sufficient resources to ensure both tasks can be accomplished within planned time scales. Finally, managers should not underestimate the complexities and time involved in customizing new product technologies, including the completion of disparate country technical approval procedures. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||