Exakte Messung der Zahlungsbereitschaft von Kunden als Erfolgsfaktor des Preismanagements

Stefanie Kisgen, Anne Dresen, Werner G. Faix

How Should Consumers’ Willingness to Pay Be Measured? An Empirical Comparison of State-of-the-Art Approaches

This study compares the performance of four commonly used approaches to measure consumers’ willingness to pay with real purchase data (REAL): the open-ended (OE) question format; choicebased conjoint (CBC) analysis; Becker, DeGroot, and Marschak’s (BDM) incentive-compatible mechanism; and incentive-aligned choice-based conjoint (ICBC) analysis. With this five-in-one approach, the authors test the relative strengths of the four measurement methods, using REAL as the benchmark, on the basis of statistical criteria and decision-relevant metrics. The results indicate that the BDM and ICBC approaches can pass statistical and decision-oriented tests. The authors find that respondents are more price sensitive in incentive-aligned settings than in non-incentive-aligned settings and the REAL setting. Furthermore, they find a large number of “none” choices under ICBC than under hypothetical conjoint analysis. This study uncovers an intriguing possibility: Even when the OE format and CBC analysis generate hypothetical bias, they may still lead to the right demand curves and right pricing decisions.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Luxury Consumption: an Empirical Comparison between Japanese and Swiss Consumers

On the background of the global rise of luxury consumption, the importance of knowing cross-cultural luxury consumption preferences grows accordingly. We investigate cross-cultural specifics of luxury consumption for two cultures, Switzerland and Japan, which clearly differ along Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions (Hofstede 2013). Using these dimensions as a conceptual background, we conduct qualitative interviews with luxury consumers from both cultures and derive propositions concerning the meaning of these dimensions for luxury consumption.

Team training to establish a safety culture in dialysis access surgery.

Operating room (OR) team safety training and learning in the field of dialysis access is well suited for the use of simulators, simulated case learning and root cause analysis of adverse outcomes. The objectives of OR team training are to improve communication and leadership skills, to use checklists and to prevent errors. Other objectives are to promote a change in the attitudes towards vascular access from learning through mistakes in a nonpunitive environment, to positively impact the employee performance and to increase staff retention by making the workplace safer, more efficient and user friendly.

Incidence of AIDS-Defining and Other Cancers in HIV-Positive Children in South Africa: Record Linkage Study.

BACKGROUND Little is known on the risk of cancer in HIV-positive children in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined incidence and risk factors of AIDS-defining and other cancers in pediatric antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in South Africa. METHODS We linked the records of five ART programs in Johannesburg and Cape Town to those of pediatric oncology units, based on name and surname, date of birth, folder and civil identification numbers. We calculated incidence rates and obtained hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) from Cox regression models including ART, sex, age, and degree of immunodeficiency. Missing CD4 counts and CD4% were multiply imputed. Immunodeficiency was defined according to World Health Organization 2005 criteria. RESULTS Data of 11,707 HIV-positive children were included in the analysis. During 29,348 person-years of follow-up 24 cancers were diagnosed, for an incidence rate of 82 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 55-122). The most frequent cancers were Kaposi Sarcoma (34 per 100,000 person-years) and Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (31 per 100,000 person-years). The incidence of non AIDS-defining malignancies was 17 per 100,000. The risk of developing cancer was lower on ART (HR 0.29, 95%CI 0.09-0.86), and increased with age at enrolment (>10 versus <3 years: HR 7.3, 95% CI 2.2-24.6) and immunodeficiency at enrolment (advanced/severe versus no/mild: HR 3.5, 95%CI 1.1-12.0). The HR for the effect of ART from complete case analysis was similar but ceased to be statistically significant (p=0.078). CONCLUSIONS Early HIV diagnosis and linkage to care, with start of ART before advanced immunodeficiency develops, may substantially reduce the burden of cancer in HIV-positive children in South Africa and elsewhere.

An Exploration Based Cognitive Bias Test for Mice: Effects of Handling Method and Stereotypic Behaviour

Behavioural tests to assess affective states are widely used in human research and have recently been extended to animals. These tests assume that affective state influences cognitive processing, and that animals in a negative affective state interpret ambiguous information as expecting a negative outcome (displaying a negative cognitive bias). Most of these tests however, require long discrimination training. The aim of the study was to validate an exploration based cognitive bias test, using two different handling methods, as previous studies have shown that standard tail handling of mice increases physiological and behavioural measures of anxiety compared to cupped handling. Therefore, we hypothesised that tail handled mice would display a negative cognitive bias. We handled 28 female CD-1 mice for 16 weeks using either tail handling or cupped handling. The mice were then trained in an eight arm radial maze, where two adjacent arms predicted a positive outcome (darkness and food), while the two opposite arms predicted a negative outcome (no food, white noise and light). After six days of training, the mice were also given access to the four previously unavailable intermediate ambiguous arms of the radial maze and tested for cognitive bias. We were unable to validate this test, as mice from both handling groups displayed a similar pattern of exploration. Furthermore, we examined whether maze exploration is affected by the expression of stereotypic behaviour in the home cage. Mice with higher levels of stereotypic behaviour spent more time in positive arms and avoided ambiguous arms, displaying a negative cognitive bias. While this test needs further validation, our results indicate that it may allow the assessment of affective state in mice with minimal training— a major confound in current cognitive bias paradigms.

Intendedness of pregnancy among active duty women in the U.S. Army

Objective. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of unintended pregnancy and the association between social and demographic factors among a population of active duty women in the U.S. Army giving birth to viable infants at a U.S. Army hospital at Fort Hood, Texas. Prevalence of unintended pregnancy in this group was 50.9% (95% CI 44.0 to 57.9) with 36.3% being mistimed (95% CI 29.8 to 33.2) and 14.6% being unwanted (95% CI 10.2 to 20.1). A further 14.2% of the women experienced ambivalence (95% CI 9.8 to 19.6). ^ The study population was a cross-sectional group of active duty pregnant women who represent the target population of all female soldiers that deliver viable infants in the Army. Using a survey based on previous studies, intendedness of pregnancy at conception was retrospectively determined. Unintended births are further characterized as mistimed or unwanted. Demographic and other exposures were described bivariately. Associations were evaluated using measures of relative risk and chi-square analysis. ^ The results of the research indicate that in the study population, race/ethnicity is not associated with unintended pregnancy and non-commissioned officers had a lower rate of unintended pregnancy than other rank groupings. ^

Bemerkung zu der "Elegie auf die Austreibung aus Spanien"

Israel Davidson

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 4 - Korrespondenzen u.a. mit Richard Bach (p. I 2, 131-358)

24 Briefe zwischen Richard Bach und Max Horkheimer, 1938-1940; 2 Briefe zwischen Alfred Chalk und Max Horkheimer, 17.10.1939, 14.11.1939; 3 Briefe von Morduch Lexandrowitsch und der American Consulate General, 1939; 4 Briefe von der American Consulate General und Max Horkheimer, 1938-1939; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an das Amtstgericht Berlin, 15.03.1939; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an Stiedry, 05.12.1938; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an den Collector of Custom, 26.10.1938; 2 Briefe zwischen Josef Maier und Carson Alexandrowitsch, 28.06.1938, 29.06.1938; 1 Brief von Margarete Baruch an Alice Maier, 11.04.1938; 1 Brief von Emanuel List an Carson Alexandrowitsch, 23.02.1938; 1 Abschrift des Briefes von der Metropolitan Opera Association New York an Morduch Lexandrowitsch, 22.02.1938; 1 Brief von Jacques Barzun an Max Horkheimer, 09.07.1947; 4 Briefe zwischen K. Baschwitz und Max Horkheimer, 1938-1946; 2 Briefe zwischen E. Bauer und Max Horkheimer, 08.04.1935, 27.05.1935; 4 Briefe zwischen Fritz Bauer und Max Horkheimer, 1937-1938; 2 Briefe zwischen Lina Bauer und Max Horkheimer, 20.07.1942, 16,08,1942; 4 Briefe zwsichen Rudolf Bauer und Max Horkheimer, 1937; 15 Briefe zwischen Gertrud Bauer und Max Horkheimer, 1938-1941; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an den Collector of Customs, 15.03.1940; 2 Briefe zwischen I. Hannah Davidson vom Jewish Community Center San Francisco und Max Horkheimer, 19.09.1938, 29.09.1938; 2 Briefe zwsichen I. Bauer und Max Horkheimer, 25.09.1938, 29.09.1938; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an Klopfer, 27.09.1938; 3 Briefe zwischen Y.M.H.A. - Y.W.H.A The Jewish Center of Saint Louis und Max Horkheimer, 19.09.1938, 1938; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an Julius Rosenberg, 17.09.1938; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an das Jwish Center Salt Lake City, Utah, 07.09.1938; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an das Jewish Community Center San Fransisco, 07.09.1938; 3 Briefe zwischen dem New York Section of the National Council of Jewish Women und Max Horkheimer, 07.04.1938, 1938; 2 Briefe zwischen Baum und Max Horkheimer, 12.03.1946, 25.05.1946; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an Charles A. Beard , 12.12.1934; 1 Brief von Charles A. Beard an C. A. Beard; 5 Briefe von Friedrich Pollock an Charles A. Beard, 1940-1941; 5 Briefe zwischen Lilo Beck und Max Horkheimer, 1940-1941; 7 Briefe zwischen Maximilian Beck und Max Horkheimer, 1939-1940; 1 Brief von Paul Tillich an Max Horkheimer , 01.10.1940; 1 Brief von dem Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars New York an Max Horkheimer, 19.04.1940; 5 Briefe zwischen Konrad Bekker und Max Horkheimer, 1936-1939; 2 Briefe von Max Horkheimer an Ludwig Bendix, 1921, 1937; 1 Brief von Peter Bendmann an Max Horkheimer; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an Ruth Benedict, 30.07.1937; 1 Brief von Eric Russel Bentley an Max Horkheimer, 30.01.1945; 1 Brief von George Berg an Max Horkheimer, 12.07.1945; 2 Briefe zwischen Egon Bergel und Max Horkheimer, 18.08.1938, 22.08.1938; 1 Brief von Marie Jahoda an Max Horkheimer, 14.07.1928; 1 Brief von Theodor W. Adorno an Kurt Bergel, 09.09.1939; 15 Briefe zwischen Klaus Berger und Max Horkheimer, 1936-1943; 1 Brief von Frederick Pollock an Philip M. Hayden von der Columbia University New York, 05.03.1942; 1 Brief von Hans Venedey an Max Horkheimer, 05.03.1938; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an Ida Berger-Chevant, 18.02.1939;

Parody in Jewish literature

by Israel Davidson

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 655 - Vorträge über Antisemitismus (p. IX 40.1-2-IX 48.1-2)

"Summer institute on Modern European Culture" (1947?); 1. Ankündigung für eine Vorlesungsreihe von Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, Leo Löwenthal, Herbert Marcuse, Friedrich Pollock. a) Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Ergänzungen, 20 Blatt b) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Ergänzungen, 19 Blatt; 2. Herbert Marcuse: "Philosophie allemande et francaise 1871-1933". Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Korrekturen, 18 Blatt; "Tentative Program for the Course of Antisemitism". Vorlesungsankündigung 1948 von Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, Friedrich Pollock. Typoskript 2 Blatt; Max Horkheimer: Bericht über die Antisemitismus-Forschungen des Instituts für Sozialforschung (GS 12, S. 165-171). Vortrag gehalten am 16.4.1943, englischer Text. a) Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Korrekturen, 5 Blatt b) Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Korrekturen, 8 Blatt c) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 8 Blatt; Max Horkheimer: Bericht über die Antisemitismus-Forschungen des Instituts für Sozialforschung (GS 12, S. 172-183). Vortrag gehalten am 30.4.1943, Temple Israel. a) Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Korrekturen und Ergänzungen, 12 Blatt b) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 11 Blatt c) Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Korrekturen, 14 Blatt; Max Horkheimer: Über die Psychologie des Judentums und des Antisemitismus; 1. Vortrag, gehalten am 7.10.1943 im Department of Psychology, UCLA, eigenhändige Notizen, 1 Blatt; 2. Auszüge aus Schriften und Arbeitspapieren von: G.M. Davidson, Salomon Andhil Fineberg, A.R.L. Gurland, Oscar I. Janomsky, Paul W. Massing, Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Ergänzungen, 8 Blatt; Max Horkheimer: Anti-Semitism as a Social Phenomenon (GS 5, S.364-372); 1. Vortrag, gehalten am 17.6.1944 in San Francisco, Psychoanalytic Society, veröffentlicht unter dem Titel 'Sociological Background of the Psychoanalytic Approach". In: Ernst Simmel (ed.), "Anti-Semitism. A Social Disease", New York, 1946, S.1-10. a) Typoskript, 13 Blatt, b) Teilstück, Typoskript, 1 Blatt, c) Teilstück, Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Korrekturen, 2 Blatt d) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 9 Blatt; 2. "Notes to the Speech in San Francisco", Notizen, 4 Blatt; 3. eigenhändige Notizen zum Vortrag, 5 Blatt; 4. Rede für Maurice Karpf, Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Korrekturen, 2 Blatt; 5. Theodor W. Adorno: "Mammoth Motives", Notizen zum Verhältnis von Soziologie und Psychologie des Antisemitismus, 3 Blatt; 6. Theodor W. Adorno: "Patterns of Anti-Democratic Propaganda", veröffentlicht in: Ernst Simmel, "Anti-Semitism. A Social Disease", New York, 1946, S.125-137. a) Typoskript, 15 Blatt, b) Typoskript, 14 Blatt;; 7. Einladung, Drucksache, 2 Blatt; 8. Max Horkheimer: 2 Brief an Donald MacFerlane, Pacific Palisades, 22.5.1944, 1 Blatt; Max Horkheimer: Vorträge 1944-45; 1. "Report for the N.C.R.A.C.". Über Forschungsprojekte des American Jewish Committee and des American Jewish Congress, vorgetragen am 14.1.1944, Typoskript, 4 Blatt; 2. Notizen zu 1: Über Kurt Lewin, Typoskript, 3 Blatt; 3. eigenhändige Notizen zu 1., 3 Blatt; 4. Über die europäische Tradition der Arbeiten des Instituts für Sozialforschung. Vortrag, gehalten am 8.12.1944. Eigenhändige Notizen, 1 Blatt; 5. Über psychologische Aspekte der Antisemitismusforschung des Instituts für Sozialforschung. Vortrag, gehalten am 19.4.1945. Eigenhändige Notizen, 2 Blatt; 6. Über sozioökonomische Aspekte des Antisemitismus in Europa und in der Arbeiterschaft der USA. Vortrag, gehalten am 8.6.1945. Psychosomatic Society a) Notizen zum Vortrag, 4 Blatt, b) eigenhändige Notizen, 3 Blatt; 7. Notizen zu 6., Typoskript, 17 Blatt,; 8. Notizen zu 6. "Quotations from Labor Study", Typoskript, 12 Blatt; 9. Über neue Forschungsprojekte des Instituts für Sozialforschung zum Antisemitismus. Vortrag, gehalten am 24.10.1945. Eigenhändige Notizen, 2 Blatt; 10. Über Antisemitismus. Vortrag, gehalten am 3.12.1945. Eigenhändige Notizen, 2 Blatt; 11.-15. Vorträge über Antisemitismus. Datierung unklar (etwa 1945) (u.a. "Mountvernon Speech" und "Breakfast Speech"), 17 Blatt; 16. Über Judentum und Katholizismus in der neueren Geschichte. Eigenhändige Notizen zu einem Vortrag, Datierung unklar, 3 Blatt; 17. Über Vorurteil, Vortrag oder Diskussion in einer Synagoge, Datierung unklar, eigenhändige Notizen, 1 Blatt; Max Horkheimer: Über die Antisemitismus-Forschungen des Instituts für Sozialforschung. Vortrag, gehalten beim U.C.R.A.C.-Meeting, 15.-17.6.1946, Chicago:; 1. eigenhändige Notizen, 13 Blatt; 2. Fragebogen, als Typoskript vervielfältigt, mit eigenhändigen Ergänzungen, 6 Blatt;

The local safety net, health insurance, preventable hospitalizations and costs: Harris County (Houston), Texas

The aim of this study was to examine the association between determinants of access to healthcare and preventable hospitalizations, based on Davidson et al.'s framework for evaluating the effects of individual and community determinants on access to healthcare. The study population consisted of the low income, non-elderly, hospitalized adults residing in Harris County, Texas in 2004. The objectives of this study were to examine the proportion of the variance in preventable hospitalizations at the ZIP-code level, to analyze the association between the proximity to the nearest safety net clinic and preventable hospitalizations, to examine how the safety net capacity relates to preventable hospitalizations, to compare the relative strength of the associations of health insurance and the proximity to the nearest safety net clinic with preventable hospitalizations, and to estimate and compare the costs of preventable hospitalizations in Harris County with the average cost in the literature. The data were collected from Texas Health Care Information Collection (2004), Census 2000, and Project Safety Net (2004). A total of 61,841 eligible individuals were included in the final data analysis. A random-intercept multi-level model was constructed with two different levels of data: the individual level and the ZIP-code level. The results of this study suggest that ZIP-code characteristics explain about two percent of the variance in preventable hospitalizations and safety net capacity was marginally significantly associated with preventable hospitalizations (p= 0.062). Proximity to the nearest safety net clinic was not related to preventable hospitalizations; however, health insurance was significantly associated with a decreased risk of preventable hospitalization. The average direct cost was $6,466 per preventable hospitalization, which is significantly different from reports in the literature. ^

Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and Alzheimer's mortality: A prospective cohort study

Context. Alzheimer’s disease is a major source of morbidity and mortality in aging societies. Preventive measures, such as increasing cardiorespiratory fitness, to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease mortality have not been sufficiently examined.^ Objective. To examine the association between levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and Alzheimer’s disease mortality.^ Design, Setting, and Patients. A prospective cohort study of 53,911 men and 18,876 women (mean age, 51.4 [SD, 10.0] years; range 20-88) enrolled in the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study who completed a baseline health examination during 1970-2006. The primary exposure, cardiorespiratory fitness, was assessed via a maximal exercise test. Fitness was categorized according to age- and sex-specific tertiles based on the participants’ distribution of maximal treadmill exercise test duration, in metabolic equivalent tasks (METs). The main outcome measure was Alzheimer’s disease mortality, defined as the underlying or contributing cause of death using the National Death Index and death certificates through December 31, 2006.^ Results. There were 175 Alzheimer’s disease deaths during a mean follow up of 37 years and 1,309,170 person-years of exposure. Women in the high fitness category had a 70% reduction in risk of Alzheimer’s mortality compared to women in the low fitness category (HR=0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.8; P=.02), while adjusting for potential confounders. Similarly, women in the moderate fitness category had a 70% reduction in risk for AD mortality compared to women in the low fit category (HR=0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.7; P=.005). Among men, the relationship between fitness level and AD mortality risk was examined but none were of statistical significance. The adjusted comparison of men in the high fitness category to low fit men yielded an HR of 0.9 (95% CI, 0.6-1.5; P=.79), while moderately fit men compared to low fit men yielded an HR of 1.3 (95% CI, 0.9-1.9; P=.21).^ Conclusions. Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness were associated with decreased risk of AD mortality, in women. No statistically significant association was found among men. Physical fitness may be an important protective factor against Alzheimer’s disease death in women, further supporting its clinical and public health values.^