Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Cost of Customer Satisfaction: A Framework for Strategic Cost Management in Service Industries

Abstract Customer satisfaction has long been considered a milestone in the path towards company profitability. Although it is widely acknowledged that customer satisfaction leads to higher and more stable revenues, the relationship between customer satisfaction levels and the costs that the company incurs in producing and delivering customer services has received far less attention, and the research results vary significantly across sectors. In fact, there seems to be little guidance for linking company costs to the key elements involved in providing customer satisfaction in services, thereby diminishing the ability of a company to manage its activities accordingly. In this paper, we propose and test a framework to analyse and manage the relationship between company costs and customer satisfaction in service industries. Based on a case study from the tourism industry, we show how service components can be used as a key medium to link customer satisfaction to the cost of service production and delivery. In doing so, we provide guidance for identifying specific sources of customer satisfaction and assessing their cost, thereby extending to service industries previous research on strategic cost management.
Income Inequality and Adolescent Gambling Severity: Findings from a Large-Scale Italian Representative Survey

Background: Studies have shown that problems related to adult gambling have a geographical and social gradient. For instance, adults experiencing gambling-related harms live in areas of greater deprivation; are unemployed, and have lower income. However, little is known about the impact of socioeconomic inequalities on adolescent problem gambling. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the contextual influences of income inequality on at-risk or problem gambling (ARPG) in a large-scale nationally representative sample of Italian adolescents. A secondary aim was to analyze the association between perceived social support (from family, peers, teachers, and classmates) and ARPG. Methods: Data from the 2013–2014 Health Behavior in School-aged Children Survey (HBSC) Study was used for cross-sectional analyses of ARPG. A total of 20,791 15-year-old students completed self-administered questionnaires. Region-level data on income inequality (GINI index) and overall wealth (GDP per capita) were retrieved from the National Institute of Statistics (Istat). The data were analyzed using the multi-level logistic regression analysis, with students at the first level and regions at the second level. Results: The study demonstrated a North–South gradient for the prevalence of ARPG, with higher prevalence of ARPG in the Southern/Islands/Central Regions (e.g., 11% in Sicily) than in Northern Italy (e.g., 2% in Aosta Valley). Students in regions of high-income inequality were significantly more likely than those in regions of low-income inequality to be at-risk or problem gamblers (following adjustment for sex, family structure, family affluence, perceived social support, and regionale wealth). Additionally, perceived social support from parents and teachers were negatively related to ARPG. Conclusions: Income inequality may have a contextual influence on ARPG. More specifically, living in regions of highest income inequality appeared to be a potential factor that increases the likelihood of becoming an at-risk or problem gambler. Findings of the study suggest that wealth distribution within societies affected by economic policies may indirectly have an influence adolescent gambling behaviors.
The structural break and elasticity of coal demand in China: empirical findings from 1980―2006

Coal is the principal primary energy source in China. Research on coal demand is vital for informing China's economic development. In this paper, the theoretical structural break of coal demand was tested using annual time series data from 1980 to 2006. Results indicate that coal demand underwent an intercept structural break during the period 1997-2000 (from −0.536 breaking to −0.702). Then long- and short-term relationships between coal demand, income variability, coal price and oil price were explored using a time series modelling technique. Simultaneously, the elasticities of coal demand were tested with respect to income, coal price and oil price. Evidence suggests that the long-run elasticities are 0.560, −1.161 and 0.733 respectively; with short-term elasticities being 0.716, −0.067 and 0.017. The conclusion is that there is an integrated relationship between coal demand, income variability, coal price and oil price. China's coal demand will be influenced by the relationship in future. However, the influence from the change in coal price and oil price in the short term are −0.067 and 0.017, and are insignificant from zero in statistics. This may predicate the unreasonableness existing in the mechanism of China's primary energy pricing. That is, the price of primary energy cannot effectively develop the function of allocating resources.
NTHL1 and MUTYH polyposis syndromes: two sides of the same coin?

It is now well established that germline genomic aberrations can underlie high‐penetrant familial polyposis and colorectal cancer syndromes, but a genetic cause has not yet been found for the major proportion of patients with polyposis. Since next‐generation sequencing has become widely accessible, several novel, but rare, high‐penetrant risk factors for adenomatous polyposis have been identified, all operating in pathways responsible for genomic maintenance and DNA repair. One of these is the base excision repair pathway. In addition to the well‐established role of the DNA glycosylase gene MUTYH, biallelic mutations in which predispose to MUTYH‐associated polyposis, a second DNA glycosylase gene, NTHL1, has recently been associated with adenomatous polyposis and a high colorectal cancer risk. Both recessive polyposis syndromes are associated with increased risks for several other cancer types as well, but the spectrum of benign and malignant tumours in individuals with biallelic NTHL1 mutations was shown to be broader; hence the name NTHL1‐associated tumour syndrome. Colorectal tumours encountered in patients with these syndromes show unique, clearly distinct mutational signatures that may facilitate the identification of these syndromes. On the basis of the prevalence of pathogenic MUTYH and NTHL1 variants in the normal population, we estimate that the frequency of the novel NTHL1‐associated tumour syndrome is five times lower than that of MUTYH‐associated polyposis. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lymphocytopenia as a marker for pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus infection in children

Lymphocytopenia has been reported in adults with pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 infection, but data in children are inconclusive. Data from 76 children presented with flu‐like symptoms between July and November 2009 and tested for pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus and white blood cell (WBC) counts were analyzed. Samples from 37 (48.7%) children resulted in a positive PCR assay for pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus. When comparing data from these children with data from 39 (51.3%) children with uncomplicated flu‐like illness and negative PCR assay for pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus, no difference in disease duration, median age, red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, C reactive protein concentration, and absolute neutrophil count was observed, whereas significant differences were apparent when considering WBC count, relative and absolute lymphocyte count, absolute lymphocyte count z‐score, and platelet count. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the best absolute lymphocyte count and absolute lymphocyte count z‐score cut‐points that simultaneously maximized sensitivity and specificity were 2,256 cells/µl and −0.89, respectively, sensitivity being 0.81 (95% CI: 0.68–0.94), specificity 0.87 (95% CI: 0.77–0.98), positive predictive value 0.85 (95% CI: 0.74–0.97), and negative predictive value 0.83 (95% CI: 0.71–0.94).
Evidence of Rapid Modulation by Social Information of Subjective, Physiological, and Neural Responses to Emotional Expressions

Recent research suggests that conceptual or emotional factors could influence the perceptual processing of stimuli. In this article, we aimed to evaluate the effect of social information (positive, negative, or no information related to the character of the target) on subjective (perceived and felt valence and arousal), physiological (facial mimicry) as well as on neural (P100 and N170) responses to dynamic emotional facial expressions (EFE) that varied from neutral to one of the six basic emotions. Across three studies, the results showed reduced ratings of valence and arousal of EFE associated with incongruent social information (Study 1), increased electromyographical responses (Study 2), and significant modulation of P100 and N170 components (Study 3) when EFE were associated with social (positive and negative) information (vs. no information). These studies revealed that positive or negative social information reduces subjective responses to incongruent EFE and produces a similar neural and physiological boost of the early perceptual processing of EFE irrespective of their congruency. In conclusion, the article suggests that the presence of positive or negative social context modulates early physiological and neural activity preceding subsequent behavior.
Preemptive Adoptions of an Emerging Technology

Many oligopolies exhibit continuing technological change and lumpy costs of adopting new technologies. If firms choose adoption dates in a game of timing and if the downstream market structure is a Bertrand duopoly, the equilibrium adoption pattern displays rent-dissipating increasing dominance, i.e., all adoptions are by the same firm, and the discounted value of profits is zero. These results need not hold for other market structures, including Cournot duopoly. Copyright 1994 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
The Impact of Occupational Stress on Employee's Turnover Intention in the Luxury Hotel Segment

High turnover is one of the distinguishing features of the hotel industry and one of its remaining greatest challenges. This study sought to identify the reasons for the high level of turnover intention and examined one in particular—occupational stress. First, this study conducted a principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation to extract occupational stress factors. The principal component factor analysis divided the 23 occupational stress items into six factors: problems related to the home, problems related to task and pay, conflict with job responsibility, unfair treatment, shortage of support, and organizational culture. Next, this study used the regression analysis to ascertain the effect of occupational stresses on turnover intention and to identify the occupational stresses that have a more significant effect on hotel employee's turnover intention. Results indicated that occupational stress factors predict hotel employee's turnover intention. In particular, among the six occupational stresses, unfair treatment contributed most significantly to turnover intention. Hotel managers who familiarize themselves with these study findings will be in a better position to understand the important role of occupational stress in employee turnover.
Protective effect of active oxygen scavengers on protein degradation and photochemical function in photosystem I submembrane fractions during light stress

The protective role of reactive oxygen scavengers against photodamage was studied in isolated photosystem (PS) I submembrane fractions illuminated (2000 µE·m−2·s−1) for various periods at 4 °C. The photochemical activity of the submembrane fractions measured as P700 photooxidation was significantly protected in the presence of histidine or n‐propyl gallate. Chlorophyll photobleaching resulting in a decrease of absorbance and fluorescence, and a blue‐shift of both absorbance and fluorescence maximum in the red region, was also greatly delayed in the presence of these scavengers. Western blot analysis revealed the light harvesting antenna complexes of PSI, Lhca2 and Lhca1, were more susceptible to strong light when compared to Lhca3 and Lhca4. The reaction‐center proteins PsaB, PsaC, and PsaE were most sensitive to strong illumination while other polypeptides were less affected. Addition of histidine or n‐propyl gallate lead to significant protection of reaction‐center proteins as well as Lhca against strong illumination. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra revealed that the α‐helix content decreased with increasing period of light exposure, whereas β‐strands, turns, and unordered structure increased. This unfolding was prevented with the addition of histidine or n‐propyl gallate even after 10 h of strong illumination. Catalase or superoxide dismutase could not minimize the alteration of PSI photochemical activity and structure due to photodamage. The specific action of histidine and n‐propyl gallate indicates that 1O2 was the main form of reactive oxygen species responsible for strong light‐induced damage in PSI submembrane fractions.
Estimating US Fiscal and Monetary Interactions: From Volcker Chairmanship to the Great Recession

Locating the appropriate degree of interaction between fiscal and monetary policy plays a crucial role in ensuring economic stability. Their joint impact is, however, still unclear. We observe significant differences in the transmission of shocks, in particular between the Great Recession and the Great Moderation, and find a high degree of interactions between monetary and fiscal policy. Further, government revenues largely influence decisions on spending, while spending does not influence tax decisions. Spending stimuli are more effective in expanding output than tax cuts. Under certain conditions regarding private agent expectations, spending increases can result in high and persistent growth.
The right speed and its value

Slow investments cause substantial revenue losses, yet acceleration increases costs. This tradeoff implies that an optimal investment speed usually exists; it is faster the higher a firm's intrinsic speed capability. We hypothesize that it is a firm's intrinsic speed capability, rather than its speed relative to industry competitors per se, that boosts firm value. Using data on oil and gas facilities (1996�2005), we find that intrinsic speed capabilities augment firm value in a varied way: their value is larger with better corporate governance, lower cost of capital, and higher ability to draw value from R&D investment. Our work elevates the discussion of speed from a project-level consideration to a firm-level competitive advantage issue and raises the need to further explore its strategic value.
The Complementarity between Cities and Skills

There is a strong connection between per-worker productivity and metropolitan area population, which is commonly interpreted as evidence for the existence of agglomeration economies. This correlation is particularly strong in cities with higher levels of skill and virtually nonexistent in less skilled metropolitan areas. This fact is particularly compatible with the view that urban density is important because proximity spreads knowledge, which either makes workers more skilled or entrepreneurs more productive. Bigger cities certainly attract more skilled workers, and there is some evidence suggesting that human capital accumulates more quickly in urban areas.
Book Review: Skills and Inequality: Partisan Politics and the Political Economy of Education Reforms in Western Welfare States

be, at the heart of the social policy development have, as a consequence of political tradition, history and language, been used in very different ways. In France, for example, the emphasis on ‘state’ is, and continues to be, detested. In Germany, by contrast, concepts that harmonise the potential antagonism between society and state have been dominant in social policy discourse. And in Nordic countries, the two terms have not quite been intelligibly separable. Not only the different meanings behind shared concepts but also the variety of second-order concepts tied to them is striking. Consider, for example, the relevance of the concept of ‘solidarity’ in France, or ‘caring’ in the Netherlands. In addition, the study illustrates the transnational diffusion of concepts, from the spread of Bismarck’s ‘social insurance’ to the mushrooming of Dutch/Danish ‘flexicurity’. All this reflects how contextually laden the concepts used in comparative welfare state research are, which supports the introductory chapter’s claim that reflexive, comparative and historically informed discussion is a necessary starting point for research and teaching in the field. It should be noted that the book could have benefited from an additional chapter on the methods of conceptual research in social policy. This would have provided the substantive chapters with a useful framing, for although most chapters are historical overviews, they do employ somewhat different approaches to the study of concepts. The chapter on Britain does, for example, have a much stronger intellectual history bent than any of the other chapters, while some basic frequencies are included in the chapter on Japan. Indeed, the volume’s focus on the analysis of concepts suggests a greater focus on methodology. Absent a standalone chapter on methods, one could have wished for a gathered, and more thorough, discussion of the methodological perspective, or perspectives, behind the book as a whole. Such reflections are only loosely scattered throughout the book. One might wonder, for example, what the methodological implications of combining historical approaches with causation-oriented social science, which the introductory chapter advocates, are. On the whole, though, this is a rich and useful volume for anyone interested in comparative social policy, and especially for those concerned with the role of ideas in the history and politics of social policy.
Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Assessment of Tacrolimus in Liver-Transplant Recipients during the Early Post-Transplantation Period

During the early post-transplantation period, the limitations of monitoring current tacrolimus dose with classic pharmacokinetics (PK) have been demonstrated in liver-transplant recipients. Evaluation of the pharmacodynamics (PD) using calcineurin activity (CNA) has been proposed to optimize tacrolimus dosing. The aim of the present study was to determine the time of maximal inhibition of CNA, to explore the relation between exposure to tacrolimus and CNA, and to analyze its variability. Blood was drawn from 14 patients 0, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 hours after tacrolimus intake on post-transplantation days 8, 21, and 90 to measure blood tacrolimus concentrations using the EMIT 2000 assay and CNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Tacrolimus and CNA data were obtained for 33 blood-sample collection sessions and analyzed using a population approach. Three models were built to describe tacrolimus PK, CNA kinetics, and the relationships between the area under the CNA-time curve (AUC12effCNA) and AUC12Tacrolimus or CminTacrolimus. Coagulation factor V and whole/split liver graft were identified as covariates influencing tacrolimus clearance. Indeed, apparent tacrolimus clearance rose by 14% when factor V increased by 10% and was threefold higher in patients with whole-liver grafts. The median maximal inhibition of CNA was reached 4 hours after tacrolimus intake on days 8, 21, and 90 and represented an 18% drop in CNA compared with activity at drug intake. The variability of the PK-PD relationship was minimal when using AUC12Tacrolimus. The large variability of the PD parameters (coefficient of variation was 89%) that linked AUC12effCNA to AUC12Tacrolimus indicates that monitoring tacrolimus concentrations may not be adequate to control CNA. Measuring CNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells 4 hours after tacrolimus intake during the first 3 months after liver transplantation could be a means to improve tacrolimus monitoring and thereby avoid acute graft-rejection episodes.
Habitat‐specific trends in ontogeny of body shape in stickleback from coastal archipelago: Potential for rapid shifts in colonizing populations

We investigated ontogenetic trends in body shape of 54 freshwater (48 lake, seven stream) and six anadromous populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) from the Haida Gwaii archipelago off the west coast of Canada. Multivariate analysis of covariance on the partial warp scores generated from 12 homologous landmarks on 1,958 digital images of subadult and adult male stickleback indicated that there was considerable variability of population ontogenetic slopes. We used discriminant function analysis to quantify body shape and determined that anadromous stickleback, which are ancestral to the freshwater populations, have a strongly negative ontogenetic slope (−5.62; increased streamlining with increased size). All freshwater populations exhibit a more positive slope (91% differed significantly from the marine slope), with the differences being most accentuated in populations from ponds and streams. In pristine lakes, ontogenetic slope could be predicted by lake volume as well as multivariate measures of habitat. Evidence from field transplant experiments of one of the intact populations indicates a rapid change (5 years) from allometric to isometric growth, equivalent to about half of the total slope variation among intact populations on the archipelago. We interpret this shift as developmental plasticity and suggest this may comprise the precursor for selection of optimal body shapes in these stickleback populations. J. Morphol. , 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quality of experience: Beyond the user experience of smart services

With the introduction of smart technologies, increasing attention is being paid to user experience. User experience encompasses customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. While user experience regarding most physical goods and services has been well researched, only little research has been done on these factors with respect to advanced mobile services such as smartphones. This study presents a model for measuring the quality of experience (QX) of smartphone services. It measures the users' QX in order to derive practical implications for providers and to offer suggestions related to the improvement of service. Using survey data, the QX model and its hypotheses were tested, using structural equation model analysis and index calculation. The findings indicate that perceived value and customer satisfaction are two significant variables that mediate the relationship between quality and customer loyalty. The proposed model demonstrates strong explanatory power, with satisfactory reliability and validity. The results of the study provide useful information for the forging of effective policies and competitive strategies by the telecom industry and policy-makers. The smartphone QX model also establishes a foundation for future smart service categories, on the basis of providing a powerful tool for quality assessment.