In this study, we applied an evaluation model of multiple attributes of sport-based tourism to the marketing strategy for a marathon event in Kinmen (Taiwan) based on a choice experiment methodology. We found that the participants appreciated the experience of authentic cuisine and the availability of marathon souvenirs. They also preferred engaging in ecotourism activities and supporting the establishment of a sport development fund. We applied market segmentation by dividing the participants into two groups. Those in the first group were primarily younger, had higher incomes, and had participated previously in the Kinmen Marathon. Those in the second group primarily had lower incomes, were over 40 years old, and were participating in the Kinmen Marathon for the first time. Both groups preferred entertainment, educational, and esthetic experiences, but only the first group desired an escapist experience. We propose three marketing strategies for sport tourism experiences as a reference for future practice in Kinmen sport tourism.
The biopharmaceutical industry has been rapidly growing these last few decades due to the breakthroughs in molecular biology since the 1970s. The Taiwan government initiated a program for developing the biotech industry as early as the 1980s. However, Taiwan's biopharmaceutical companies have failed to deliver any new drugs to the market in the last 30 years. Therefore, the managerial efficiency of these biopharmaceutical companies in Taiwan needs further examination. Traditional managerial efficiency measurements are either output-oriented or input-oriented, respectively. In this study we apply the directional distance function to estimate the relative managerial efficiency of eleven publicly-traded biopharmaceutical firms during the period 2012-2014. We also measure their productivity by means of the Malmquist-Luenberger index. Our results show that, during 2013-2014, the mean productivity of these companies declined, which can be possibly explained by the significant reduction in mean gross sales due to the occurrence of a serious food safety crisis in 2014. Taiwan's pharmaceutical firms have to pay more attention to their quality control over ingredients that are being used in food and drug production.
Wildlife conservation and management are critical issues that attract substantial attention. To develop a sustainable conservation project for the Kinmen Eurasian otter, the present study established a wildlife conservation framework and constructed a management program suitable for Kinmen Eurasian otter conservation based on the preferences of tourists and residents. The results of this study show that residents and tourists were not satisfied with the current status of Eurasian otter conservation in Kinmen and were willing to pay to change the status quo. Respondents preferred to maintain and artificially construct otter habitats, increase the otter population, limit traffic speed and establish underpasses, Kinmen Eurasian otter products, and educational parks. The findings of the market segmentation analysis divided respondents into two groups, passive conservationists and active conservationists. Both groups preferred protecting the Kinmen Eurasian otter to some extent. Passive conservationists, which included mostly residents and individuals with lower levels of education, lacked awareness of the Kinmen Eurasian otter and preferred to establish Kinmen Eurasian otter products and educational parks. Active conservationists were primarily tourists with higher levels of education who were familiar with the Kinmen Eurasian otter and had previously participated in Kinmen Eurasian otter conservation activities. These tourists preferred all conservation attributes and levels. Both groups of conservationists disliked the decline in the number of Eurasian otters in Kinmen. In addition to understanding respondents’ preferences for conservation strategies, these findings reveal the importance of promoting education about the Kinmen Eurasian otter.
Supplementary Methods, Figures 1-6, Tables 1-3 from EGFR Promotes Lung Tumorigenesis by Activating miR-7 through a Ras/ERK/Myc Pathway That Targets the Ets2 Transcriptional Repressor ERF
Supplementary Table 4 from EGFR Promotes Lung Tumorigenesis by Activating miR-7 through a Ras/ERK/Myc Pathway That Targets the Ets2 Transcriptional Repressor ERF