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Sausages from three major retail outlets producing their own label pork and reduced fat sausages were sampled over a period of four weeks. A branded product was also purchased from the stores. A trained sensory panel evaluated the sausages and found that, although the overall acceptability differed between retailers, one of the low fat products matched the equivalent standard product in terms of acceptability. The overall acceptability of the branded product was within the range of the own label standard products but below the most acceptable low fat product. It was concluded that, whilst the successful production of low fat sausages is possible, a wider range would be encouraged by the adoption of modified compositional standards.

In response to concerns over the role of meat products in the Scottish diet, a study of the nutritional analysis of a range of meat products for sale in Scotland was carried out. The nutritional analysis of products was compared with that in the composition of foods (Royal Society of Chemistry and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food). This indicated a probable reduction in the fat content of some products, such as sausage‐rolls and burgers. It is concluded that more information could be conveyed to consumers on the nutritional value of meat products to enable informed choices to be made based on the value of products in a balanced diet.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in night eating status according to adolescents’ body mass index (BMI).

This was a cross-sectional study that included a total of 688 middle-school students. The subjects were categorized as underweight, normal weight and overweight according to their BMI, and their night eating intake patterns, night eating menu preference and intake frequency were compared and analyzed.

With regard to their night eating frequency, 39.8 per cent replied almost never, while 24.3 per cent replied once a week and less and 22.5 per cent replied two to three times a week. Among 11 night eating menus, the preference for fast foods, confectioneries, street foods and noodles was significantly higher in the underweight group than in the overweight group. The intake frequency of night eating menus such as fast foods, confectioneries and breads increased in the following order: overweight, normal and underweight group. The underweight group had a higher frequency of night eating, and they preferred to eat snacks more frequently from their night eating menu.

In conclusion, it is necessary to form positive dietary habits including nighttime eating for proper dietary management of adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to measure the economic benefits generated from equine camping and to increase awareness of tourism development in southern Illinois. A total of 370 survey questionnaires were collected at equine camping sites. Descriptive analysis revealed that most respondents had at least a high school education with an average annual household income of $64,000. The largest group of respondents by occupation was professionals. About 40% of respondents traveled to southern Illinois with five individuals in a group. The local expenditure model illustrated that non-local equine campers brought about 16 million dollars to southern Illinois in 2004. The economic benefits as measured suggested the potential of further developing equine camping as a major tourism activity in this area.

This paper aims to overview the development of a user and usage database, including multiple datasets that were combined to achieve multi‐faceted analysis of users and their usage of the Florida Electronic Library (a statewide, licensed database).

Because of the differences in the purposes and activities among the project's five phases, the research team employed a multi‐method approach to data collection, including content analysis of datasets, usability and functionality assessments of the beta database, and cross‐tab and descriptive statistical analyses of datasets in the final database.

Researchers found first that, although numerous potential datasets existed, not all could be collated into one interactive database due to variations in measurement levels, currency, and other factors. Ultimately, the database included usage and Census data, allowing the researchers to assess usage per capita and in the context of counties' demographic profiles. The research finds that creation of a multi‐dataset database can be complicated but is useful for developing data‐driving marketing recommendations.

Compiling various datasets describing users and usage of a consortial licensed database into one interactive database facilitates cross‐tabulation and comparison. This project will enhance digital library research, evaluation, and marketing by serving as an example of how to identify appropriate datasets for cross‐tabulation, develop a database that allows interactive searching, use the database to develop targeted marketing campaigns, and better describe impacts and value of these datasets.

This chapter examines the challenges of developing and implementing a new national evaluation approach in a complex library funding program. The approach shifts a prior outcome-based evaluation legacy using logic models to one relying on nonlinear logic mapping. The new approach is explored by studying the Measuring Success initiative, launched in March 2011 for the largest funded library services program in the United States, the Institute for Museum and Library Services formula-based Grants to States program. The chapter explores the relative benefits of nonlinear logic maps and emphasizes the importance of scaling evaluation from individual projects toward clusters of similar library services and activities. The introduction of this new evaluation approach required a new conceptual frame, drawing on diffusion, strategic planning, and other current evaluation theories. The new approach can be widely generalized to many library services, although its focus is on a uniform interorganizational social network embedded in service delivery. The chapter offers a new evaluation perspective for library service professionals by moving from narrow methodological concerns involving measurement to broader administrative issues including diffusion of library use, effective integration of systematic data into program planning and management, and strengthening multi-stakeholder communication.

The paper assesses the extent to which China's comparative advantage in manufacturing has shifted towards higher‐tech sectors between 1987 and 2005 and proposes possible explanations for the shift.

Revealed comparative advantage (RCA) indices for 27 product groups, representing high‐, medium and low‐tech sectors have been calculated. Examination of international market attractiveness complements the RCA analysis. Findings for selected sectors are evaluated in the context of other evidence.

While China maintains its competitiveness in low‐tech labour intensive products, it has gained RCA in selected medium‐tech sectors (e.g. office machines and electric machinery) and the high‐tech telecommunications and automatic data processing equipment sectors. Evidence from firm and sector specific studies suggests that improved comparative advantage in medium and high‐tech sectors is based on capabilities developing through combining international technology transfer and learning.

The quantitative analysis does not explain the shifts in comparative advantage, though the paper suggests possible explanations. Further research at firm and sector levels is required to understand the underlying capability development of Chinese enterprises and the relative competitiveness of Chinese and foreign invested enterprises.

Western companies should take account of capability development in China in forming their international manufacturing strategies. The rapid shifts in China's comparative advantage have lessons for other industrialising countries.

While RCA is a well‐known methodology, its application at the disaggregated product group level combined with market attractiveness assessment is distinctive. The paper provides a broad assessment of changes in Chinese manufacturing as a basis for further research on capability development at firm and sector levels.

Assessment and evaluation have become increasingly important in the nonprofit sector. Although initially used mostly in educational contexts to measure student learning, the strategy has migrated to other contexts such as measuring overall organizational and institutional successes, and the impact of projects, programs, and operational changes. This growing emphasis is in part due to increasingly stringent requirements imposed by government agencies, foundations, and other funding sources seeking to ensure that their investments result in significant impacts. In addition, the current economic climate and retrenchments in nonprofit agencies including colleges, universities, and public libraries have raised the need for assessment and outcomes evaluation to a critical level.