Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The theory of reasoned action: implications for promoting recreational sport programs.

The Theory of Reasoned Action has received considerable attention in sport and exercise literature. However, there have been limited attempts to apply the theory, and examine it from a marketing perspective. The aim of the present study was to empirically test this theoretical framework, assess its ability to predict intention to participate in organized recreational sport programs, and identify its marketing implications. Three hundred and fifty individuals, residents of the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, participated in the study. The theory was shown to provide a useful framework for studying intentions, since it predicted 21% of its variance. Both the attitudinal and the normative components of the theory made significant contributions to the study, with the former being the major contributor. The implications of these results for developing marketing strategies for sport programs are discussed.
Exploring the reality of educated middle managers' capability and involvement in human resource management in China

Since the recent global financial crisis, human resource management (HRM) policies may be seen more than ever as one of the cornerstones for building an appropriate organizational culture to better promote effort and cooperation between human resource (HR) managers and other middle line-managers. This article is designed to explore the reality of educated middle managers' capability and involvement in HRM in China, given that the concepts of HR roles in general and middle managers in particular are relatively new there. By analysing the results from more than 300 middle managers who had been educated at MBA programmes in different parts of China, our findings, we argue, have important implications for both the HRM literature and management practice in emerging economies.
Can ESP Yield Abnormal Returns?

Foreknowledge of earnings surprises is more valuable than trading on known earnings surprises. Earnings surprises are predictable to a considerable extent. I evaluate the performance of an earnings surprise predictor (ESP), which foretells how close analyst expectations of quarterly earnings numbers will be to upcoming earnings numbers. I examine performance over nine years, adjust returns for those of the S&P 500 index, and I adopt an implementable trading strategy. I show that ESP outperforms the S&P 500 index in all nine years. I also show that a weighted portfolio assigning higher weights to stocks expected to have the largest positive earnings surprises has a higher return and a lower variance than a portfolio that assigns equal weights to all rank groups.
Public management reform and organizational performance: An empirical assessment of the U.K. Labour government's public service improvement strategy

We present the first empirical assessment of the U.K. Labour government's program of public management reform. This reform program is based on rational planning, devolution and delegation, flexibility and incentives, and enhanced choice. Measures of these variables are tested against external and internal indicators of organizational performance. The setting for the study is upper tier English local governments, and data are drawn from a multiple informant survey of 117 authorities. The statistical results indicate that planning, organizational flexibility, and user choice are associated with higher performance. Conclusions are drawn for the theory and practice of public management reform. © 2006 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
Democratic challenges, democratic choices : the erosion of political support in advanced industrial democracies

1. The Challenge to Democracy PART 1: THE EVIDENCE OF CHANGE 2. Changing Citizen Orientations Epilogue: American Reactions to September 11, 2001 PART 2: THE SOURCES OF CHANGE 3. The Correlates of Political Support 4. Social Change and the Cumulation of Incremental Effects 5. Value Change and Political Support 6. Economic Performance and Political Support 7. Policy Preferences and Political Support PART 3: THE EFFECTS OF CHANGE 8. The Consequences of Political Support PART 4: CONCLUSION 9. Citizens and Democracy: A New Relationship References Index
Investigating the Influence of Colors on the Performance of Pointing Tasks for Human Interface Design

Fitts' law has been applied in many studies to evaluate pointing tasks. However, the quantitative effect of using color in the interfaces has not been discussed in the literature. This paper introduces research on the effects of color in pointing tasks using Fitts' law as the evaluation method. Different colors and color presentation styles are applied in the experiments which are similar in design to the paradigmatic Fitts' law pointing task. The experimental results show that when the subjects use a mouse as the input device, there is no significant difference between an interface with a colored target and one with a white target in the mean performance time. The results also reveal that color presentation styles will offer no significant difference to pointing tasks when the mouse is applied. However, when the interface of tablet PC and pen was applied, subjects without much experience in tablet personal computer usage needed more time to perform the task with colored targets than with a white target. Furthermore, when the colors are changed randomly during the selection process, the difference is even more obvious. These results are confirmed by a Checking Experiment and a Learning Effect Experiment which we performed on different groups of subjects.
Dilemmas in the management of temporary work agency staff

Temporary jobs account for an increasing proportion of new engagements in the UK labour market, with temporary work agencies or 'labour market intermediaries' occupying a central role in the regulation of entry into some organisations. Such evolving arrangements have been found to have their contradictions, even for the host organisation. This article explores the internal and external pressures to use a temporary work agency as a means of recruiting labour at host organisations. It considers some of the HRM issues that stem from the use of such workers, including the tendency to devolve HRM to the managers of such agencies operating within the host organisation. Central to this article is a consideration of the potential sustainability of organisations' use of temporary agency workers, engaging with this concern from the perspective of organisational cost-effectiveness.
Women Fish Traders on the Kenyan Coast: Livelihoods, Bargaining Power, and Participation in Management

Although gender plays a key role in mediating social relations and livelihood dynamics in fisheries, women's roles have received little attention in many fisheries. Mama karanga are women on the Kenyan coast who buy and process fish for local markets from small-scale fishermen. Mama karanga provide a link between the fishery and poor fish consumers, but are also vulnerable to changes in the fishery due to a lack of education, alternative livelihoods, and capital. Despite their dependence on the fishery and potential importance for food security, mama karanga have been little studied, and this article presents a description of their livelihood and a contribution to the growing literature on gender, fisheries and natural resource management. The livelihoods framework is used to organize information on mama karanga's bargaining power and participation in fisheries management. Bargaining power and access to fish is determined mostly by financial capital, the level of fish catches, and social capital, including complex relations with each other, and fishermen. While mama karanga are aware of fisheries management issues, their active participation is limited due to lack of assets and highly imbalanced gender power relations. In order to integrate important actors such as mama karanga, fisheries governance needs to expand in scope and address gender-based barriers to participation.
Does Culture Matter? Tax Morale in East-West-German Comparison

This paper provides a comparison of tax morale between inhabitants of East and West Germany after its post-reunification period, using World Value Survey data for the years 1990 and 1997. The setting of the German reunification is particularly interesting for the analysis of tax morale in that it is close to being a natural experiment. For the years 1990 and 1997 our findings show higher tax morale in East Germany than in West Germany. However, tax morale in the east seems to erode over time. Around three-quarters of the east-west differential disappeared in just seven years. Adherence to social norms as practiced in the GDR provides a key explanation of why tax morale is higher in the East.
Dynamic thermal modeling of distribution transformers

A comprehensive test program was performed on a 2500-kVA oil natural-air natural cooling mode (ONAN) transformer without external cooling. It is shown that the hot-spot to top-oil temperature gradient depends on the transformer construction. The top-oil time constant formula, which has already been defined and validated in the authors' previous work related to transformers with external cooling, is modified in order to take into account the basic design differences. The results are verified by thermocouple measurements and tests at varying loading current. The hot-spot and top-oil temperature responses predicted by the IEEE Loading Guide, Annex G, are also compared to the measured values.
BaroTouch: A Technique for Touch Force Sensing Using a Waterproof Device's Built-in Barometer

We present BaroTouch, a technique that leverages a waterproof mobile device’s built-in barometer to measure the touch force. When an airtight waterproof device is touched, the distorted surface changes the air pressure inside that device and thus changes the built-in barometer value. BaroTouch estimates the touch force with a simple conversion from the air pressure to the touch force; it does not need machine learning. In addition, BaroTouch is a passive sensing technique. Therefore, BaroTouch could be lightweight. To investigate BaroTouch, we conducted two experiments. First, we investigated the relationship between the sensor value and the touch positions or forces using weights with three devices: two smartphones and a smartwatch. Second, in a controlled user study with 15 participants, we examined how the users can use BaroTouch. The results showed that the participants could exert 2–6 levels of the touch force with accuracies of over 96% accuracy under each device using BaroTouch.
Younger Dryas “black mats” and the Rancholabrean termination in North America

Of the 97 geoarchaeological sites of this study that bridge the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (last deglaciation), approximately two thirds have a black organic-rich layer or “black mat” in the form of mollic paleosols, aquolls, diatomites, or algal mats with radiocarbon ages suggesting they are stratigraphic manifestations of the Younger Dryas cooling episode 10,900 B.P. to 9,800 B.P. (radiocarbon years). This layer or mat covers the Clovis-age landscape or surface on which the last remnants of the terminal Pleistocene megafauna are recorded. Stratigraphically and chronologically the extinction appears to have been catastrophic, seemingly too sudden and extensive for either human predation or climate change to have been the primary cause. This sudden Rancholabrean termination at 10,900 ± 50 B.P. appears to have coincided with the sudden climatic switch from Allerød warming to Younger Dryas cooling. Recent evidence for extraterrestrial impact, although not yet compelling, needs further testing because a remarkable major perturbation occurred at 10,900 B.P. that needs to be explained.
BACKWARD STOCHASTIC PDE AND IMPERFECT HEDGING

We consider a problem of minimization of a hedging error, measured by a positive convex random function, in an incomplete financial market model, where the dynamics of asset prices is given by anRd-valued continuous semimartingale. Under some regularity assumptions we derive a backward stochastic PDE for the value function of the problem and show that the strategy is optimal if and only if the corresponding wealth process satisfies a certain forward-SDE. As an example the case of mean-variance hedging is considered.
Ownership and the Value of Political Connections: Evidence from China

Research has found that political connectedness can have both positive and negative effects on firm value. To resolve these mixed findings, we investigate the impact of political ties conditional on ownership for a sample of Chinese firms over the period 1999–2006. We find that private firms with politically connected managers have a higher value and obtain more government subsidies than those without connected managers, whereas local state-owned enterprises with connected managers have a lower value and employ more surplus labour than those without connected managers. Our results indicate that the effect of political ties is subject to firm ownership.
Model for manufacturing strategic decision making

Purpose – Proposes a model of strategic planning as a basis to overcome the identified shortcomings in the past empirical research. The basic assumption of the proposed model is that an appropriate strategic analysis is necessary in order to ensure appropriate strategic decisions.Design/methodology/approach – Shortcomings related to empirical research in the past were identified with the aim of discussing some possible reasons why the concept of manufacturing strategy had not been more widely adopted in practice and of developing the model of strategic planning. Based on the proposed model and relating to previous research, an empirical study of two relationships has been performed: first, between business strategic competence of an enterprise and business performance, and second, between business strategic competence and manufacturing strategic decision areas.Findings – The goals of analysis in the process of strategic planning have been explained. Empirical findings about a positive relationship between.
Differential early onset of therapeutic response with risperidone vs conventional antipsychotics in patients with chronic schizophrenia

The present post-hoc analysis investigated the speed of onset of therapeutic effect of the atypical antipsychotic, risperidone, in direct comparison with conventional antipsychotics. Data were pooled from four double-blind active comparator-controlled clinical trials involving 757 patients with schizophrenia treated for up to 8 weeks with either risperidone (4–6 mg/day) or a conventional antipsychotic such as haloperidol (10 or 20 mg/day), perphenazine (mean dose 28 mg/day), or zuclopenthixol (mean dose 38 mg/day). Primary outcome was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. A significantly greater proportion of patients treated with risperidone achieved ≥20% reduction from baseline Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score at weeks 1, 2, 6, and at end point (last observation carried forward: P≤0.04). A significant difference exists in mean reduction from baseline to end point in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total scores in favor of patients treated with risperidone compared with those treated with conventional antipsychotics (−18.4 vs −13.5; P=0.0013). The mean time to response was 23.8 days with risperidone and 28.2 days with conventional drugs (hazard ratio 1.3; 95% confidence interval 1.1–1.5). These findings are clinically relevant because the faster onset of therapeutic effect with atypical antipsychotics can be important in the acute setting and have a considerable impact on healthcare systems.
Forecasting Volatility and Option Prices of the S&P 500 Index

Models using implied volatility derived from observed option prices are commonly employed to forecast future option prices. The ARCH model proposed by Engle, however, models the dynamic behavior in volatilitr, forecastinghture volatility using only an asset’s return series. We assess the performance of these two volatility prediction models for SGP 500 index options over the April 1986 to December 199 1 period. We devise trading rules using the two forecast methods ,to trade at-the-money straddles. Straddle trading is used because a n at-the-money straddle is deltaneutral. Each rule prices options according to its method of forecast, buying (selling) a straddle when its price forecast for tomorrow is higher (lower) than today’s market closing price; a t the end of each day the rates of return are computed. W e j n d that the rule using the GARCHforecast method returns a greater pro@ than the rule based on an implied volatility regression model. I n particular, the GARCH rule earns a p r o j t in excess of the assumed transaction cost of $0.25 per straddle with near-the-money straddles.
Crop diversification and technical efficiency in food crop production: A study of peasant farmers in Nigeria

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the trends in crop diversification (CD) while examining its impact on the technical efficiency of peasant farmers in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach - The paper employs the Herfindahl and Ogive indices to compute the diversification indices and the stochastic frontier production model (SFPM) to estimate the technical efficiency (TE) level of the farms using unbalanced panel data covering three farming seasons (2006/2007 to 2008/2009). Findings - The results of both the Herfindahl and Ogive indices showed that cropping pattern increased significantly with the intensification of crop diversification in the study across the three seasons. The result of the SFPM shows evidence of decreasing returns-to-scale and technical progress in the food crop production in the region. Education, extension, and CD are identified as efficiency increasing policy variables while an average TE level of about 81 percent was obtained from the analysis. Originality/value - To the best of the author's knowledge, this the very first study that employs panel data to analyze technical efficiency of farms in Nigeria.
A 60-GHz Dual-Mode Class AB Power Amplifier in 40-nm CMOS

A 60-GHz dual-mode power amplifier (PA) is implemented in 40-nm bulk CMOS technology. To boost the amplifier performance at millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies, a new transistor layout is proposed to minimize the device and interconnect parasitics while the neutralized amplifier stage is co-optimized with input transformer to improve the power gain and stability. The transformer-based power-combining PA consists of two unit amplifiers, operating in Class AB for better back-off efficiency. To further reduce the power consumption and hence extend battery lifetime, one unit PA is tuned off in low-power mode. A switch is used to short the output of this non-operating unit PA to reduce the combiner loss and improve the efficiency. The PA achieves a measured saturated output power (PSAT) of 17.0 dBm (12.1 dBm) and 1-dB compressed power (P1dB) of 13.8 dBm (9.1 dBm) in the high-power (low-power) mode. The power-added efficiencies (PAEs) at PSAT and P1dB are 30.3% and 21.6% respectively for the high-power mode. Compared to Class A, the PA operating in Class AB shows 5.3% improvement in measured PAE at P1dB with no compromise in linearity. The PA with the power combiner only occupies an active area of 0.074 mm 2. The reliability measurements are also conducted and the PA has an estimated lifetime of 80613 hours.
Towards green trust

Purpose – This study aims to combine the literature on green marketing and relationship marketing into a new managerial framework of green trust. In addition, this study seeks to elaborate the relationships among green perceived quality, green perceived risk, green satisfaction, and green trust.Design/methodology/approach – The research object of this paper focuses on Taiwan's consumers who have the purchase experience of information and electronics products. This study undertakes an empirical study by means of the questionnaire survey method. The questionnaires were randomly mailed to consumers who had the purchase experience of information and electronics products. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is applied to test the research framework.Findings – The empirical results indicate that green perceived quality would positively affect green satisfaction and green trust, whereas green perceived risk would negatively influence both of them. In addition, this study points out that the relationships between .
Relationship between Acetylstrophanthidin‐ Induced Aftercontractions and the Strength of Contraction of Canine Ventricular Myocardium

SUMMARY Contractile activity was recorded from isolated canine ventricular muscle exposed to acetylstrophanthidin (AS), 0.5 to 2 × 107 g/ml. Development of the positive inotropic effect of AS was accompanied by the appearance of aftercontractions (AC) coupled to the driven responses. The amplitudes of AC increased with the number of preceding beats. Test beats occurring during the ascending limb of AC were potentiated and the potentiation increased with tbe amplitude of the AC. Beats falling during the descending limb decreased in strength as the amplitude of the AC increased. AS eliminated tbe frequency dependence of restitution. However, staircase phenomena persisted and were then found to be dependent on the phase relationship of each beat to underlying AC. These findings suggest an important role for AC in the inotropic actions of digitalis and in determining strength-interval relationships of ventricular muscle treated with digitalis.
Political polarization in American politics

Preface Contributors 1. What we know and don't know about our polarized politics-Nolan McCarty How are we polarized? 2. Partisan warfare is the problem-Sean Theriault 3. How U.S. state legislatures are polarized and getting more polarized-Boris Shor 4. Our politics is polarized on more issues than ever before-Thomas Carsey and Geoffrey Layman 5. How politically moderate Americans? Less than it seems-Christopher Hare and Keith Poole 6. Americans aren't polarized, just better sorted-Morris Fiorina and Samuel Abrams 7. Are politicians and activists reliably 'more extreme' than voters? A skeptical perspective- David Broockman 8. Party polarization is making us more prejudiced-Lilliana Mason 9. Politics stops at the water's edge? Not recently-Robert Lieber Why are we polarized? 10. The two key factors behind our polarized politics-Jeff Stonecash 11. American politics is more competitive than ever, and that's making partisanship worse-Frances Lee 12. How race and religion have polarized American voters-Alan Abramowitz 13. How ideological activists constructed our polarized parties-Hans Noel 14. How better educated whites are driving political polarization-Andrew Gelman 15. Are Fox and MSNBC polarizing America? -Matthew Levendusky 16. Why you shouldn't blame polarization on partisan news-Kevin Arceneaux 17. The media make us think we're more polarized than we really are-Matthew Levendusky and Neil Malhotra Polarization Abroad 18. Sure, Congress is polarized. But other legislatures are more so-David Brady 19. Canada is polarizing-and it's because of the parties-Richard Johnston 20. In Britain, polarization could be the solution-Rob Ford What Can Be Done? 21. Our politics may be polarized, but that's nothing new-David Brady and Hahrie Hahn 22. Polarization in Congress has risen sharply. Where is it going next? -Christopher Hare, Keith Poole, and Howard Rosenthal 23. Can young voters break the cycle of polarization? -Robert Shapiro 24. How to fix our polarized politics? Strengthen political parties-Richard Pildes 25. Our political parties are network, not fragmented-Seth Masket 26. Gridlock is bad. The alternative is worse-Morris Fiorina