Housing Demand with Random Group Effects

This paper examines the random group effect, which has usually not been considered in traditional housing demand studies. Frequently, group level variables are used in housing demand estimation due to the data constraint. For instance, the US Index of Housing Price per administrative area is often used to measure the housing price when estimating the US price elasticity of demand for housing, and the average household income is often used as a proxy for the individual income in Taiwan when estimating the income elasticity of demand for housing. Econometricians argue that the traditional OLS estimation, when the random group effect is ignored, has been considered to have a downward bias in the estimated standard error. By following Amemiya (1978) and Borjas and Sueyoshi (1994), we propose a two-stage estimation technique to estimate housing demand with the random group effect. Using Taiwan’s cross-sectional survey data, we found that the standard error of the estimated coefficient for the group level income variable is underestimated in the traditional unadjusted OLS specification. This finding suggests that there may be a danger of spurious regression in the traditional OLS housing demand estimation.Housing Demand, Random Group Effect, Two-stage Estimation

Variations in Internet Access Across Kansas

With social distancing, reduced health care services and school building closings during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasing need for adequate internet access, which is required for telehealth, education, business and social activities. While information is available on areas with broadband coverage, households still might not have adequate internet access due to technical and infrastructure issues, or prohibitive costs.This brief examines variations in adequate internet access by geography, population characteristics, insurance coverage and other factors to better understand how each one impacts Kansans

ANALYSIS OF FIELDER STARTS AND BENCH ABILITY ON AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYERS

The development of athletes or players depends on two aspects: nature and nurture. The former is the talent and qualification of the players themselves, while the latter is the training that consumes human, material and financial resources. Take professional baseball players as an example. Matching the talents of players and referring to the relevant starting rules of the professional baseball league, when the up-and-coming players are first discovered, focused training are used on them. By doing so, the value of the players would be effectively enhanced and the players are helped to seek a better way out. This can form a virtuous circle: the pellets get quality players, and the players get better results. That is to say, strengthening the training for the shortcomings of the players with the potential of the starting players can avoid unnecessary training and huge training expenses behind them, and greatly reduce the risk of career, so that the players have higher security in their short career, and get a win-win-win situation. This study is aimed at the schedule information of the American Baseball League teams. Through feature selection of data mining, this study analyzes the main relationships and key differences between starting player and bench player of second baseman and shortstop in League of Nations teams. It is found that the on base percentage and speed of the infielders is an important ability indicator for the starting position; whereas, the second baseman emphasizes on the attack and the shortstop focuses on fielding. This feature is verified by comparing the opinions of experts and commentators.  Article visualizations

Cost of health care utilization among homeless frequent emergency department users

Research demonstrates that homelessness is associated with frequent use of emergency department (ED) services, yet prior studies have not adequately examined the relationship between frequent ED use and utilization of non-ED health care services among those experiencing homelessness. There has also been little effort to assess heterogeneity among homeless individuals who make frequent use of ED services. To address these gaps, the present study used Medicaid claims data from 2010 to estimate the association between the number of ED visits and non-ED health care costs for a cohort of 6,338 Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program patients, and to identify distinct subgroups of persons in this cohort who made frequent use of ED services based on their clinical and demographic characteristics. A series of gamma regression models found more frequent ED use to be associated with higher non-ED costs, even after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. Latent class analysis was used to examine heterogeneity among frequent ED users, and the results identified 6 characteristically distinct subgroups among these persons. The subgroup of persons with trimorbid illness had non-ED costs that far exceeded members of all 5 other subgroups. Study findings reinforce the connection between frequent ED use and high health care costs among homeless individuals and suggest that different groups of homeless frequent ED users may benefit from interventions that vary in terms of their composition and intensity

Submandibular Cavernous Hemangiomas with Multiple Phleboliths Masquerading as Sialolithiasis

Vasoformative tumors (almost exclusively hemangiomas) are the most common lesions of the major salivary glands during infancy and early childhood. They are more common in the parotid gland but are particularly rare in the submandibular gland. Changes in blood flow dynamics within hemangiomas result in thrombus formation and phleboliths. Hemangiomas of the salivary glands in adults are histologically unlike those in infants, the former being characteristically of the cavernous variant. Most cavernous hemangiomas require surgery since they do not show a tendency to regress. A case of an adult man with cavernous hemangioma affecting the submandibular salivary gland that clinically simulated sialolithiasis is presented to alert surgeons to the possibility of such a lesion. We describe the clinical course and review the literature

A Preliminary Method for Estimating Program-related Reduction in Employee Health Care Expenditures for the Massachusetts Working on Wellness (WoW) Program

Introduction: The WoW program is designed to improve employee health outcomes through workplace support of healthy behaviors. We illustrate a preliminary model to estimate the program effect on employee health care expenditures. Methods: Program-related reductions in employee health care expenditures were estimated based on likely improvements in healthy eating, leisure-time exercise and stress reduction. The models considered the number of employers targeting these specific areas, the number of employees in each organization, prevalence of the specific risk factors, ranges of success rate in risk mitigation and program-associated decrease in health care expenditures from similar worksite studies in literature. Results: Assuming success rates of 5% and 30% respectively for each of the top three targeted areas, the estimated total reduction ranges from $0.76 million to$4.07 million. For every $1 invested, the program could result in$0.38 to $2.04 reduction in healthcare expenditures by assuming an initial investment of$2 million in the intervention program. Discussion and Conclusions: This preliminary analysis shows the likely ranges of return on investment (ROI) from the WoW program in relation to employee health care cost. The models should be further developed to provide more accurate estimates by including potential cost reductions due to other target areas, synergistic effects of successes in multiple areas, increased productivity and reduced absenteeism. Simulation models should be created to provide estimates along with precision based on employee-level data. However, methodological limitations remain to be addressed for use of intervention effects from randomized trials in ROI estimation in non-randomized practical settings

Modeling Knowledge Sharing and Interemployee Helping From a Perspective of Flow Theory: A Survey of Online Knowledge Works

This study proposes a model based on flow theory by postulating key antecedents as the critical drivers of knowledge sharing and interemployee helping. In the model, knowledge sharing is influenced by flow experience directly and also indirectly via the mediation of interemployee helping. Accordingly, the flow experience is influenced simultaneously by four exogenous factors related to individuals’ perception about their work: work skills, self-fulfillment in challenges, perceived control, and vividness. The empirical findings of this study confirm the applicability of flow theory in business organizations by investigating online knowledge workers from business organizations. This study contributes to the knowledge management literature by extending flow theory to the area of knowledge sharing and interemployee helping, by validating idiosyncratic antecedent drivers of the flow theory, and by performing a practical operationalization of the flow experience. This research also provides managerial implications and limitations

Complete genomic sequence of the temperate bacteriophage ΦAT3 isolated from Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393

AbstractThe complete genomic sequence of a temperate bacteriophage ΦAT3 isolated from Lactobacillus (Lb.) casei ATCC 393 is reported. The phage consists of a linear DNA genome of 39,166 bp, an isometric head of 53 nm in diameter, and a flexible, noncontractile tail of approximately 200 nm in length. The number of potential open reading frames on the phage genome is 53. There are 15 unpaired nucleotides at both 5′ ends of the ΦAT3 genome, indicating that the phage uses a cos-site for DNA packaging. The ΦAT3 genome was grouped into five distinct functional clusters: DNA packaging, morphogenesis, lysis, lysogenic/lytic switch, and replication. The amino acid sequences at the NH2-termini of some major proteins were determined. An in vivo integration assay for the ΦAT3 integrase (Int) protein in several lactobacilli was conducted by constructing an integration vector including ΦAT3 int and the attP (int-attP) region. It was found that ΦAT3 integrated at the tRNAArg gene locus of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN 001, similar to that observed in its native host, Lb. casei ATCC 393

Effects of different ceramic and dentin thicknesses on the temperature rise during photocuring

AbstractBackground/purposeThe aims of this investigation were to describe the effect of different ceramic and remaining dentin thicknesses on substrate temperature during photocuring, and investigate whether the temperature increased by >5.5°C for different dentin/ceramic combinations.Materials and methodsThree groups of dentin thicknesses of 1.0 (D1.0), 1.5 (D1.5), and 2.0 mm (D2.0), and three groups of ceramic thicknesses of 1.5 (C1.5), 2.5 (C2.5), and 3.5 mm (C3.5) were examined. Temperature changes and the maximum temperature were observed under a high-intensity halogen light (QTH-Atralis 10 ECS program at 1200mW/cm2 for 30 seconds, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein). Four groups, D1.0–C1.5 (+11°C), D1.5–C1.5 (+7.2°C), D1.0–C2.5 (+6.7°C), and D2–0C1.5 (+5.8°C), demonstrated temperature changes of >5.5°C.Results and ConclusionsA statistical analysis showed that separate individual thicknesses and combinations of dentin and ceramic had significant effects on temperature changes (P<0.01). It was observed that the ceramic exhibited a smaller temperature shielding effect than dentin. Clinically, it would be optimal to preserve the dentin to avoid damaging pulp tissues. Where there is insufficient overall thickness (≤3.5mm), continuous high-energy output photocuring should be avoided to protect pulp tissues from thermal injury

Microwave plasma-assisted photoluminescence enhancement in nitrogendoped ultrananocrystalline diamond film

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