A Study on the Growth and Formation of Single Person Households and Their Housing Decisions in Taiwan

The number of single person households has dramatically increased in Taiwan in the past several decades as it has elsewhere in the world, but this phenomenon has been largely neglected in the literature. This research explores the factors that affect the formation of single person households and their housing decisions. Taiwan¡¦s population census data for 1980, 1990 and 2000 are used. Some interesting trends can be found. First of all, people who are married or cohabiting have exhibited an increasing tendency to live alone census by census. This shows the increasing need in a modern society for the husband and wife to live separately due to employment or other reasons. Secondly, unmarried and widowed elderly persons have had an increasing probability of living alone over the decades. Thirdly, the number of female single person households has been increasing rapidly, and there is a higher probability that they are homeowners and also occupying a larger living space than their male counterparts. To sum up, the results of this study show that the demand for housing among single person households will continue to increase as their numbers increase. Their demand for homeownership and living space are also increasing.Single person household formation; Tenure choice; Living space; Binary probit model; Sample selection model

Why people keep watching: neurophysiologic immersion during video consumption increases viewing time and influences behavior

Streaming services provide people with a seemingly infinite set of entertainment choices. This large set of options makes the decision to view alternative content or stop consuming content altogether compelling. Yet, nearly all experimental studies of the attributes of video content and their ability to influence behavior require that participants view stimuli in their entirety. The present study measured neurophysiologic responses while participants viewed videos with the option to stop viewing without penalty in order to identify signals that capture the neural value of content. A post-video behavioral choice was included to reduce the likelihood that measured neurophysiologic responses were noise rather than signal. We found that a measure derived from neurophysiologic Immersion predicted how long participants would watch a video. Further, the time spent watching a video increased the likelihood that it influenced behavior. The analysis indicates that the neurologic value one receives helps explain why people continue to watch videos and why they are influenced by them

Investigating the Knowledge-Sharing Behavior ina Professional Virtual Community

This research aims at investigating the knowledge sharing-behaviors in a teachers’ professional virtual community. Logs data in the entire community and in special interest groups (SIGs) were analyzed. Some typical behaviors were identified by the clustering analysis in this study. The largest group of member belongs to inactive users. They rarely log in the system, are passive in uploading or downloading teaching materials, and almost never post or reply messages. Another group is active in receiving knowledge while reluctant to give knowledge or to respond. The third group frequently login the system, is the most active in sharing knowledge, and actively searching knowledge. However, the third group contains only a small number of members. Furthermore, fifty-five members of the knowledge-sharing group were interviewed using focus group technique to find out qualitative information as to why they are willing to share information and what are their concerns in sharing information. The results indicated that knowledge sharing is not a common behavior in professional virtual community, and knowledge-sharing culture is difficult to promote even in non-competitive professional communities. Secondly, knowledge cannot flow easily throughout the community even when certain knowledge flow promoting mechanism is provided. Thirdly, professional autonomy may hinder the frequency of interactions with others in professional virtual community. Fourthly, attitudes regarding information ownership are important factors in knowledge sharing of a professional virtual community. Finally, teaching and IT usage experiences are not major factors affecting knowledge-sharing behavior in pro fessional virtual communities

Case Study of Altruistic Behavior and Relational Network with Business Value on Local Travel Agency

The present study based on a local travel agency in Tainan, investigation how does the altruistic behavior affected the relational network and created the business value. The case company’s CEO had voluntary participated in charity societies more than 20 years. The present study first showed how the case company’s CEO to build an emotional relational network through altruistic behavior. Second, how does the emotional relational network form mixed relational network based on the key features demonstrated by altruistic behavior. Finally, also showed how the mixed relational network is transfer into an instrumental relational network. The results showed that the altruistic behavior can help local travel agency develop and increase their business value via relational network. The key factors to maximize the business value are the professional knowledge and altruistic behavior

Unusual case of spontaneous uterine rupture in a single gestational primipara

AbstractSpontaneous rupture of the primiparous uterus is a rare but catastrophic obstetrical emergency. It is usually associated with prior uterine surgery, trauma, or placental abnormality. To remind physicians to include this condition in their differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain in pregnant patients, we describe an interesting case of spontaneous uterine rupture that clinically mimicked bowel perforation. A 27-year-old single primiparous pregnant woman presented with sudden onset of severe abdominal pain and peritoneal signs, with absence of vaginal bleeding at 26 weeks’ gestation. The usual risk factors for uterine rupture, such as advanced maternal age, scarred uterus due to mode of previous delivery, or unusual pregnancy, were not present in our patient. Based on clinical examination, abdominal sonography and magnetic resonance imaging, uterine rupture was suspected and eventually confirmed at exploratory laparotomy. No uterine pathological abnormality was noted on the microscopic examination The preterm newborn expired after surgery. Since surgical intervention is the only definitive treatment, emergency physicians should be aware of this rare complication. Emergency physicians should be aware of spontaneous uterine rupture in pregnant patients, even in the absence of risk factors

A Global Decision Support System for Garment Manufacturing by Using Genetic Algorithm

In the recent years, each industry has to face the situation of making the decisions from global markets, especially the industries within lower technicality. These industries earn money hardly in the perfectly competitive markets. Sometimes, decision makers have to decide how to allot orders in the different factories because of distinctive requests from individual consumer. It is necessary to find a way to help managers with making a decision and allotting orders effectively. The purpose of this study tries to develop a decision support system (DSS) to help the managers and decision makers of a real garment industry In Taiwan to decide order allocation, and we used genetic algorithm (GA) for analysis tools and results would be showed by visual graphs to assist managers in decision making. By decision support systems, managers and decision makers might decide order allocation quickly and save the costs. Finally, the decision support system results in a visional frame within lowest cost, and managers decide order allocation with effectiveness by graphs. With this information, decision makers might make different decisions in unlike situations for dissimilar goals. The system had developed to be used easily and suitable to the garment industries and other similar manufacturing industries

A Case Study for Exploring Dental Patients’ Preferred Roles in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to explore the dental patients’ preferred roles in Taiwan. A convenience sample of 66 patients, 26 recruited from one dental clinic, and 40 from one medical center, were interviewed and their preferences for participation in treatment decision making were established using a measurement tool designed to elicit decision-making preferences. Patients’ preferences for participation in treatment decision making were established using Control Preference Scale (CPS) tool. In addition, Unfolding theory provided a means of analyzing the data so that the degree of control preferred by each patient could be established. This study found that nearly 70% clinic patients perceived passive role in treatment decision making whereas 50% patients in medical centre. Further, the collaborative role was most commonly preferred, but an active role was more commonly perceived in clinics than in medical centre. Finally, the implications of the results for patient participation are discussed