Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Examination of the Relationship Between Employee Perception and Hotel Brand Equity

ABSTRACT Brand management stresses the importance of satisfying the needs of external customers. Employee branding management shows an evolving trend as employees begin living the brand. It is, therefore, necessary that employees are convinced by the hotel brand prior to having confidence to “sell” the brand to customers. The present study aims to investigate employee perception toward hotel brand equity, particularly in the Hong Kong hotel industry. Factor analysis is used to identify four underlying factors—namely, employee commitment, employee engagement, employee identification, and service quality. The four constitute the perception of the employee on the evaluation of the brand. Correlation analysis is employed to examine relationship among the underlying factors and three dimensions of hotel brand equity—including brand image, brand awareness, and perceived quality. Moderate association is generally noted, and perceived quality has the most significant relationship with employee perception on brand equity. Managerial implications on employee branding management are introduced to hotel management. Topics for future research are also recommended.
UK Children Go Online : final report of key project findings

Executive summary. UK Children Go Online (UKCGO) aims to offer a rigorous and timely investigation of 9-19 year olds’ use of the internet. The project balances an assessment of online risks and opportunities in order to contribute to developing academic debates and policy frameworks for children and young people’s internet use. This report presents the main project findings and recommendations. These are based on a national UK survey conducted face to face with 1,511 children and young people aged 9-19, together with a survey administered to 906 of their parents, and a series of focus group interviews and observations focusing on children’s use of the internet.
Getting anointed for advancement: The case of executive women

Executive Overview How do women become identified in early career as promotable, viable candidates for senior management positions? To answer that question, fifty-fire high-profile executive women were interviewed about key events in the early stages of their careers that allowed them to become fast tracked. In some ways, while each had a unique story to tell, all of them faced five similar hurdles: 1) getting assigned to a high visibility project; 2) demonstrating critical skills for effective job performance; 3) attracting top level support; 4) displaying entrepreneurial initiative; and, 5) accurately identifying what the company values. In each case, effectively jumping each of these hurdles in early career contributed to their eventual success. The rich experiences of these women also revealed vital lessons for any manager—male or female—who wants to successfully move up.
Tip-enhanced ablation and ionization mass spectrometry for nanoscale chemical analysis

Plasmon properties of metal tips can be used for ablation, ionization, and mass spectrometry imaging with nanoscale resolution. Spectroscopic methods with nanoscale lateral resolution are becoming essential in the fields of physics, chemistry, geology, biology, and materials science. However, the lateral resolution of laser-based mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) techniques has so far been limited to the microscale. This report presents the development of tip-enhanced ablation and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TEAI-TOFMS), using a shell-isolated apertureless silver tip. The TEAI-TOFMS results indicate the capability and reproducibility of the system for generating nanosized craters and for acquiring the corresponding mass spectral signals. Multi-elemental analysis of nine inorganic salt residues and MSI of a potassium salt residue pattern at a 50-nm lateral resolution were achieved. These results demonstrate the opportunity for the distribution of chemical compositions at the nanoscale to be visualized.
Applicability of Berry's index in bite mark analysis

Objectives: This study attempts to highlight the usefulness of applying Berry's Index as an adjuvant to support and aid in bite analysis. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted among 100 students between the ages of 18–30 from Mar Baselios Dental Collage, Kothamangalam. Out of the 100 subjects, there were 50 males and 50 females. The data obtained was tabulated and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, Version 16 (SPSS). Results: The mean value of the width of the upper central incisor for male and female was 0.7602 cm and 0.7765 cm respectively. The mean value of the bizygomatic width for male and female was 12.54 cm and 12.42 cm respectively. The correlation between the upper central incisor width and the bizygomatic width was inferred to have a good positive correlation with a value 0f 0.613. Pearson correlation coefficient with greater correlation between the upper central incisor width and the bizygomatic width in female patient (r = 0.678) compared with male patient (r = 0. 525). Conclusion: Berry's Index can be a useful adjuvant to bite analysis by providing a means of determining the facial proportions of an individual from the width of the central incisors.
U. S. Airline Deregulation: Its Effects on Passengers, Capital, and Labor

HIS paper presents an analysis of the effects of airline deregulation on passengers-business and personal, first class and coach-and explores how capital and labor have fared in a free market. The evidence corroborates many benefits that proponents of deregulation predicted, but it has not worked perfectly. Prices are not fully competitive, and for certain dimensions service quality is down. Furthermore, the contestability hypothesis as applied to the airline industry does not withstand statistical examination.
Long‐QT Syndrome and Therapy for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Stimulants are the mainstay therapy for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and are associated with adrenergic side effects. There are limited data on the clinical course of patients treated for ADHD who have long‐QT syndrome (LQTS), for which β‐blockade is the goal of therapy.
The Derived Demand with Hedging Cost Uncertainty in the Futures Markets

This study explores the significance of production technology and other parameters on the employment of inputs and hedging. The paper establishes an explicit relationship between the risk as well as prices parameters and the derived demand, production and hedging. The authors find that the futures price relative to the expected spot price affects the demand for production factors. Additionally, the presence of basis risk determines the impact of prices and risk parameters on the derived demand for inputs. Production technology is instrumental in fixing the size of the change in the demand, given a change in the model's parameters. Copyright 1992 by Royal Economic Society.
Enhance fMRI Data Analysis by RAICAR

A new method was introduced to enhance fMRI data analysis by reproducibility-based ICA. Using this new method, unreliable components were first identified and removed by computing reproducibility index from multiple ICA realizations. The remaining components were further denoised by elliminating known artifacts according to given criteria. The resultant data were enhanced in terms of statistical power. A simulation was presented to demonstrate the capability of the method to extract true components from noisy data, and an experimental dataset was used to examine the performance of the method in real contexts.
Education Policy and Educational Inequality—Evidence from the Swiss Laboratory

This article examines how the different education policies in the subnational units of Switzerland—the cantons—affect educational inequality. The article builds on previous research arguing that in order to properly evaluate education policy and its outcomes in decentralized countries, regional disparities must been taken into account. Switzerland has one of the most decentralized education systems in the world and is thus an exemplary case for a subnational analysis. Applying multilevel models the article illustrates that small class size, public investments in education as well as the mobility between ability groups are related to a lower degree of educational inequality. In contrast, longer schooldays strengthen inequality in education, implying that school instruction in the Swiss cantons does not provide equal opportunities to pupils irrespective of social class.
Facilitating and Constraining Factors on Autonomy

This article describes a model “changing autonomy” which was developed in a grounded theory study among stroke patients on admission into nursing homes for rehabilitation. Three dimensions of autonomy were identified: self-determination, independence, and self-care. On admission, patients’ conditions (disabilities, multimorbidity, emotional state, and feeling like a layperson) and patients’ strategies (waiting and seeing, and acting as a subordinate) constrain autonomy. Several environmental factors facilitate patient autonomy. The nursing home sustains patient autonomy by providing a hopeful atmosphere and room for autonomy. The health professionals facilitate autonomy by giving therapy, support and information, attentiveness and respect, paternalism and teamwork. Facilitating strategies of the family encompass emotional and instrumental support. Care routines, lack of privacy, an unfamiliar environment, waiting periods, boredom, and lack of information were identified as constraining environmental factors. Developing guidelines and multidisciplinary courses regarding the approach to patient autonomy on admission is recommended.
Is unemployment and low income harmful to health? Evidence from Britain

This study investigates how unemployment and income influence the length of time an individual remains in good health. This is a complex relationship since unemployment or low income deteriorates health but poor health can become a barrier to obtaining higher income or gaining re-employment. Data are from the British Household Panel Survey, using two measures of physical health: an index of mobility problems and a measure of self-assessed health. The results show that unemployment, low income and poor education adversely affect the time that people remain in good health. These results have important implications for public policy, particularly in an age of austerity when social protection mechanisms are under threat. In fact, the results suggest that to improve health and reduce health inequality, more investment needs to be directed at policies that enhance labour force participation, improve education and reduce income inequality.
SPECULATIVE INFLUENCES ON COMMODITY FUTURES PRICES 2006-2008

This paper examines the possible price impact of speculative bubbles and index-based investment activity on commodity futures prices over 2006–2008. I look specifically at crude oil, three non-ferrous metals (aluminium, copper and nickel) and three agricultural commodities (wheat, corn and soybeans). There is significant evidence for periods of explosive bubble behaviour in the copper market where I find three separate bubbles. I also identify a bubble in the soybeans market. The evidence for bubble behaviour is weaker for crude oil and nickel. Aluminium, corn and wheat appear to have been bubble-free. I also examine the effects of index-based investment on the same markets. There is strong evidence that index-based investment did contribute to the rises in oil and metals prices over 2006–2008 but weaker evidence for similar effects on grains prices. The maximum impact may have been to raise prices by the order of 15 per cent.
Specific interaction of camptothecin, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, with guanine residues of DNA detected by photoactivation at 365 nm.

Camptothecin-induced DNA photolesions were examined after UVA irradiation at 365 nm. DNA single-strand breaks were induced both in supercoiled and in relaxed SV40 DNA. In uniquely end-labeled human c-myc DNA, camptothecin-induced cleavage occurred exclusively at guanines and was markedly enhanced by hot piperidine treatment. Runs of polyguanines were the most cleaved, especially in their 5' flank. Primer extension experiments in the absence of piperidine treatment confirmed these results and did not show additional lesions. We found that synthetic single-stranded oligonucleotides were more reactive than duplex oligonucleotides. In addition, an excess of dideoxyguanosine triphosphates competed for camptothecin-induced DNA photolesions. Therefore, camptothecin stacking in DNA grooves is more likely than genuine drug intercalation. Groove shielding with sodium or magnesium reduced camptothecin-induced photodamage while minor groove occupancy with spermine extended damages. Photolesion mechanisms were investigated using scavengers. In aerobic conditions, the most effective scavengers were thiourea, sodium azide, and catalase. Protection by superoxide dismutase was weak, and mannitol was ineffective. In anaerobic conditions, lesions were more extensive. Taken together, these results show that photoactivated camptothecin interacts specifically and intimately with guanines. This finding is consistent with preferential stimulation of topoisomerase I cleavage at sites that bear a guanine at their 5'-DNA terminus [Jaxel, C. , et al. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 1465-1469] and with the camptothecin stacking model at topoisomerase I DNA cleavage sites.
The Effects of Increasing Competition and Uncertainty on Incentives and Extreme-Value Outcomes in Innovation Contests

Contests are a historically important and increasingly popular mechanism for encouraging innovation. A central concern in designing innovation contests is how many competitors to admit. Using a unique data set of 9,661 software contests, we provide evidence of two coexisting and opposing forces that operate when the number of competitors increases. Greater rivalry reduces the incentives to expend effort by individual solvers across competitors of all skill levels, while at the same time, increases the likelihood that at least one competitor will find an extreme-value solution. We show that the effort-reducing effect of greater rivalry dominates for less uncertain problems whereas the effect on the extreme value prevails for more uncertain problems. Adding competitors thus systematically increases overall contest performance for high-uncertainty problems. We also find that higher uncertainty reduces the negative effect of added competitors on incentives. We explore the implications of our findings for the theory and practice of innovation contests.
The Role of Holding Company Financial Information in the Insurer-Rating Process: Evidence from the Property-Liability Industry

We examine data for the year ended December 31, 1997 for 80 publicly traded property-liability insurers that have Best financial strength ratings of their consolidated insurance-operating subsidiaries. These firms employ a holding company structure, in which a parent owns the stock of multiple insurance-operating subsidiaries. The operating subsidiaries prepare a consolidated annual report using the Statutory Accounting Principles (SAP), and an analogous set of financial statements based on the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is released by the parent. We find that the financial characteristics important in determining ratings at the individual firm level-capitalization, liquidity, profitability, and size-are also important at the group level. Further, financial ratios from holding company statements are incrementally useful in the ratings' process, after group-level ratios have been taken into account. Robustness tests based on a subsample of holding companies with minimal investment outside of the property-liability industry reinforce our conclusion that parent company statements influence consolidated group ratings. However, our data do not allow us to separate the relative contribution of the GAAP model and underlying transactions to the ratings decision. Copyright The Journal of Risk and Insurance.
Single lesion paucibacillary leprosy: baseline profile of the Brazilian Multicenter Cohort Study.

In Brazil, there is little information about the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of paucibacillary, single skin lesion leprosy patients (SSL-PB). Only recently has the official notification system distinguished leprosy patients with a single lesion as a clinical entity, for whom the single-dose ROM (rifampin, ofloxacin and minocycline) regimen has been recommended. In this paper, we describe the baseline clinical features and the immunological background of a multicenter cohort of SSL-PB leprosy cases enrolled between December 1997-1998. Patients were recruited at health centers located in the following regions: Southeast = Rio de Janeiro; North = Amazon and Rondônia states and Center-West = Goiás state. Eligible cases were newly detected, untreated single-lesion leprosy patients without thickened nerve involvement, and were assessed by clinical, bacilloscopic and histopathological exams. The Mitsuda skin test and anti-PGL-I serology (ELISA) were also performed. Of the 299 SSL-PB leprosy patients, 259 (86.6%) fulfilled the criteria for single-dose ROM intervention. Our results showed that patients recruited from different sites had similar features, considering the clinical and immunological profiles. There was a predominance of adults (mean age 32.4; S.D. = 16.0), and a BCG scar was detected in 76.7% of the children (< or = 15 years old). Only 7 cases were diagnosed as the multibacillary type, representing less than 3% of the patients being misclassified. Our data indicate that in Brazil SSL-PB case ascertainment based on clinical and bacilloscopic criteria can be accurately defined under a routine control program; 75.0% of SSL-PB cases were Mitsuda positive (> or = 5 mm) and seropositivity for anti-PGL-I was detected in 17.3% of the patients. These data are compatible with effective cell-mediated immunity and low bacillary load, suggesting favorable clinical outcomes for most SSL-PB participants of this cohort.
Semiotics and the Placebo Effect

Despite substantial progress in elucidating its neurobiological mechanisms, theoretical understanding of the placebo effect is poorly developed. Application of the semiotic theory developed by the American philosopher Charles Peirce offers a promising account of placebo effects as involving the apprehension and response to signs. The semiotic approach dovetails with the various psychological mechanisms invoked to account for placebo effects, such as conditioning and expectation, and bridges the biological and cultural dimensions of this fascinating phenomenon.
Channel Switching between Domestic and Foreign Markets

The authors develop a transaction cost model of the circumstances in which small, knowledge-intensive firms switch from the channel they use in the domestic market to a different channel in a foreign market. The authors argue that the domestic channel is frequently extended into a foreign market to gain economies of scale, because product characteristics are generally similar and because of strategic momentum. In knowledge-intensive sectors, integrated channels predominate in both domestic and foreign markets. Integrated channels facilitate the protection of knowledge-based assets and high levels of interaction with customers. However, firms may switch to a less-integrated mode in a foreign market if asset specificity is relatively low, as a response to environmental diversity, and when the market makes a small contribution to overall sales. Data gathered through a disk-by-mail survey of the export channel choices of Canadian software developers generally support these propositions. The authors make a contribution to the literature by rephrasing the channel selection decision so that the conditions under which firms switch modes are emphasized, thus linking the choice of modes in a foreign market to experience in the domestic market. The authors suggest that managers need to be aware of the momentum created by domestic channels and fully evaluate alternatives before extending existing channels into a foreign market. The results help identify conditions under which an international channel strategy that is different from the one used in the home market should be considered for a knowledge-intensive product.
Soon, later, or ever? The impact of anomie and social capital on fertility intentions in Bulgaria (2002) and Hungary (2001)

We use survey data from Bulgaria and Hungary to investigate the determinants of whether women intend to have a first or a second child and, if so, whether they intend to have the child within the ensuing 2 years or later. These determinants differ significantly by the order and timing of the intended birth. The variables used include measures of anomie and social capital and these appear to be among the factors that determine both whether to have a child and when. There is some evidence that these measures and economic factors are relatively more important in Bulgaria than in Hungary, and that ideational factors are more important in Hungary, particularly in the case of voluntary childlessness.
Traffic analysis and characterization of Internet user behavior

Internet usage has changed, and the demands on the broadband access networks have increased, both regarding bandwidth and QoS. Characterizing the traffic, as seen by a broadband access network, can help understanding both the demands of today and the demands of tomorrow. In this paper we analyze traffic measurements from a Swedish municipal broadband access network and derive corresponding user behavior models. The paper focuses on Internet usage in terms of traffic patterns, volumes and applications. Also, user activity characteristics, as session lengths and traffic rate distributions, are analyzed and modeled. Notably, the resulting models for user session lengths turn out different than traditionally assumed.
On the Response of Economic Aggregates to Monetary Policy Shocks

This study empirically investigates how shocks to monetary policy measures (short-term nominal interest rate and broad money supply) affect economic aggregates: output growth, price levels and nominal exchange rate. The study is carried out for Pakistan using quarterly data covering the period from 1980 to 2009. In doing this, Johansen’s (1988) co integration technique and vector error correction model are applied to explore the long-run relationship among the variables. We find significant evidence on the existence of a long-run stable relationship between our monetary measures and economic aggregates. The impulse response functions (IRFs) are computed to examine the response of each macroeconomic variable to a standard deviation shock to monetary measures. The IRF graphs reveal a price puzzle in closed as well as in open economy model. However, an initial appreciation of exchange rate is observed, indicating the overshooting hypothesis phenomenon for Pakistan.