Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Word‐Of‐Mouth Communication and Community Enforcement

We study a repeated game where a seller, who has a short-term incentive to supply low quality, is periodically matched with a randomly selected buyer. Buyers observe only the outcomes of their neighbors' games and may receive signals from them. When the buyer population is large, the seller may sell high quality even when each buyer observes her action in any given period with an arbitrarily small probability. When networking among buyers is costly, low quality is always supplied with a positive probability. For this case, we characterize an equilibrium where the seller randomizes between high and low quality.
Spillover of Distrust from Domestic to Imported Brands in a Crisis-Sensitized Market

Spillover of distrust from domestic brands to foreign brands during an industry-wide scandal is an important but overlooked issue in the international marketing domain. Drawing on assimilation/contrast and attribution theories, the authors develop a general model of trust erosion in a multibrand product-harm crisis involving three brand categories: focal (domestic) brands, contrasting (imported) brands, and hybrid (manufactured domestically but with foreign brand names) brands. Assimilative associations in an epidemic-like crisis erode trust throughout the entire product category, whereas contrastive associations protect or even benefit a competing brand category from the brand damage. A survey of 2,156 consumers in nine metropolitan centers in China measured trust in brands of dairy products after the 2008 milk contamination crisis. This study reveals the roles of category distinctness, focal versus contrasting categories, category hybridity, brand prototypicality, perceived crisis severity, and perceived category typicality in moderating the assimilation/contrast effects in such a crisis. These findings have important managerial implications: international marketers should be wary of the risks in having their brand associated with products manufactured domestically in a market such as China.
Alternative Models Of Structural Change In Agriculture And Related Industries

Various models or explanations of structural change in agriculture are presented including the technology model, the human capital model, the financial model, the institutional (structure-conduct-performance) model, and the sociological (family firm) model. Each of these models provides useful insights into the forces that are resulting in changes in the size, specialization, resource ownership and financing, and sectoral linkages in agriculture.
Performance management system effectiveness in Australian local government

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between three organizational factors (the use of multi‐dimensional performance measures, link to rewards, and training) and three organizational culture dimensions (innovation, outcome orientation, and teamwork) with the effectiveness of performance management systems (PMSs). Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by survey questionnaire from a random sample of 450 Australian local governments.Findings – The performance management systems of Australian local councils are only moderately effective in relation to performance related outcomes, and less effective in relation to the achievement of staff related outcomes. The results indicate a significant relationship between the use of multidimensional performance measures, link of performance to rewards, training and two organizational culture factors (team work/respect for people and outcome orientation) with the effectiveness of PMSs. Different factors were found to influence the e.
Pressure distribution at the seating interface of custom-molded wheelchair seats: effect of various materials.

OBJECTIVE To identify which of 4 materials has the most favorable pressure distribution when used in custom-molded seats (CMSs) to assist clinicians in providing appropriate seating for wheelchair-bound individuals who are prone to develop pressure ulcers. DESIGN Repeated-interface pressure measurements for all materials, followed by statistical analysis. SETTING The general community and referral centers. PARTICIPANTS Seven subjects, 5 with cerebral palsy, 1 with Schilder's disease, and 1 with postmeningitis effects. All subjects were seated in a CMS and had spinal deformities. INTERVENTIONS Viscoelastic polyurethane foams (Pudgee, Sunmate) and gels (Floam trade mark, Jay) were used as inserts in the CMSs. Evazote foam was used as a control material. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pressure readings were taken at the seat interface with pneumatic pressure sensors and the Talley Pressure Monitor. Peak pressure readings, mean pressure ratio, and peak pressure ratio for the different materials were compared. RESULTS Foams, Sunmate in particular, produced lower peak-interface pressures and also showed better pressure distribution than did gels. CONCLUSION Foams are the preferred insert material with CMSs when increased tissue breakdown risk is present.
Mechanism of contrast enhancement in breast lesions at MR imaging

Purpose: the aim of the study was to explain why breast lesions are enhanced by contrast medium at MR imaging and to elucidate the histopathological basis for the overlap in the enhancement patterns of benign and malignant breast lesions Material and Methods: Ten invasive breast carcinomas and 10 benign breast lesions were selected for the study. of the 10 carcinomas, 5 showed a strong and early contrast enhancement, and 5 did not. of the 10 benign lesions, 5 showed a strong and early contrast enhancement, and 5 showed no enhancement. the following morphometric variables were evaluated: proliferation cell index of neoplastic parenchymal cells, S-phase fraction, nuclear ploidy analysed by image DNA-cytometry, microvessel density, and the percentage proportion of the interstitial area Results: Contrast enhancement was related to the proliferating activity of the hyperplastic or neoplastic parenchymal cells and was inversely correlated with the interstitial area in carcinomas as well as in benign tumours and non-neo-plastic lesions of the breast Conclusion: Morphometric variables play an important role in the general mechanism of MR contrast enhancement in examinations of the breast and explain the histopathological basis for the overlap in the enhancement patterns of benign and malignant breast lesions
Migrant fishers in West Africa: roving bandits?

This paper discusses the case of Ghanaian fisher folk in the Ivory Coast to highlight how management discourses frame migrant fishers, reflecting as well as supporting the politics of how they are treated in management efforts. The paper argues that viewing migrant fishers as ‘roving bandits’ perpetuates their exclusion from management projects in the Gulf of Guinea large marine ecosystem (LME). This is because the roving bandit thesis hinges on the assumption that there are few, if any, institutional mechanisms in place to effectively control highly mobile fishers. In the Ivorian case, this interpretation obscures the satellite institutions that migrant fishers bring with them that, in another light, are framed as potential partners in ecosystem-based management efforts. Working with these institutions is in managers’ interests because of the roles migrant fishers play through shaping patterns of natural resource use as well as contributing to food security and indirect employment in their destination countries.
Preliminary report on the antimicrobial activity of honey distillate

Le produit de distillation sous azote du miel de differentes provenances est une huile brun-jaunâtre, aisement soluble dans l'eau sans sucre PE 123-116°, pH 4,8; il presente un large spectre d'activite antimicrobienne pour les organismes essayes. La C1M de la fraction a ete de 0,5% V/V quelle que soit la souche microbienne (meme avec une residance admettant pour mediateur des plasmides R ou chromosomique). Pour 0,5% la fraction a ete egalement fongicide pour Candica albicans et fongistatique pour Penicillines et Aspergillus
Exploratory Study of Knowledge Sharing in Contracting Companies: A Sociotechnical Perspective

According to Dede Bonner in 2000, employees hold a wealth of knowledge and experience about their companies, including the products, customers, internal processes, histories, technologies, and competitors. But this knowledge is usually dispersed across scattered individuals and locations. Although learning happens at an individual level, it is usually as a one-time event, without an organizational context or a sense of continuity. Knowledge is kept in people's minds but not shared in an organization. Not until the 20th century did people start to realize that knowledge is critical to the success of a company and considered to be the pivotal point for aggressive organizational growth in today's highly competitive marketplace. This is also true for the Hong Kong construction industry. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the current situation of knowledge sharing at the departmental level in contracting companies, this research was carried out with the aims of investigating the main barriers to and finding out the critical factors for and benefits resulting from effective knowledge sharing in the tendering departments of contracting companies in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. The research reviews existing theories of knowledge and knowledge sharing. It seeks to contribute to the theory of organizational knowledge sharing by providing an explorative account supported by empirical evidence. It also allows management to continuously anticipate and support knowledge sharing activities related to the successful management of construction projects within their particular organizations.
Perspective on post-menopausal osteoporosis: establishing an interdisciplinary understanding of the sequence of events from the molecular level to whole bone fractures

Current drug treatments for post-menopausal osteoporosis cannot eliminate bone fractures, possibly because the mechanisms responsible for bone loss are not fully understood. Although research within various disciplines has significantly advanced the state of knowledge, fundamental findings are not widely understood between different disciplines. For that reason, this paper presents noteworthy experimental findings from discrete disciplines focusing on post-menopausal osteoporosis. These studies have established that, in addition to bone loss, significant changes in bone micro-architecture, tissue composition and micro-damage occur. Cellular processes and molecular signalling pathways governing pathological bone resorption have been identified to a certain extent. Ongoing studies endeavour to determine how such changes are initiated at the onset of oestrogen deficiency. It emerges that, because of the discrete nature of previous research studies, the sequence of events that lead to bone fracture is not fully understood. In this paper, two sequences of multi-scale changes are proposed and the experimental challenges that need to be overcome to fully define this sequence are outlined. Future studies must comprehensively characterize the time sequence of molecular-, cellular- and tissue-level changes to attain a coherent understanding of the events that ultimately lead to bone fracture and inform the future development of treatments for post-menopausal osteoporosis.
SPECT/CT imaging using a spiral CT scanner for anatomical localization: Impact on diagnostic accuracy and reporter confidence in clinical practice

Purpose To evaluate the incremental benefit in routine clinical practice of computed tomography (CT) scans acquired for anatomical localization on an integrated SPECT/CT which incorporates a spiral CT scanner, in comparison with conventional planar and SPECT scanning. Methods The first 50 studies acquired on the integrated system were evaluated by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians who were aware of the patient's clinical history. These included bone scans, gallium scans, octreotide scans, sestamibi parathyroid scans and MIBG scans. For each patient study, abnormalities were assessed on planar and SPECT images for location and provisional diagnosis and a quantitative scale was used to assess reporter confidence. The fused SPECT/CT images were then reviewed and the location and provisional diagnosis noted and reporter confidence was assessed using the same quantitative scale. Results There were 129 abnormalities detected in 50 patient studies. For localization of abnormalities, the inclusion of the CT resulted in a minor change in 16% of cases and a significant change in 11% over planar/SPECT imaging alone. The confidence of localization was improved moderately in 19% and improved significantly in 6%. For diagnosis, SPECT/CT resulted in a minor change in 10% and a significant change in 9% over planar/SPECT imaging. The confidence of diagnosis was improved moderately in 10% and improved significantly in a further 10% of cases. For the final scan interpretation, there would have been no change in 44% patients, a minor change in 30% and a significant change in 26% with the use of SPECT/CT. Conclusion Use of integrated SPECT/CT with a high spatial resolution, spiral CT used for anatomical localization improves accuracy and reporter confidence in clinical practice. As a result, final reports were different in 56% of the cases, including being significantly different in 26% patients compared to reporting with planar/SPECT alone.
Employee preferences as a significant influence on reward mix determination

II DECLARATION IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V LIST OF TABLES IX LIST OF FIGURES X CHAPTER 1 1.1 Background to the problem 1 1.2 Problem definition 2 1.3 Research objectives 3 1.4 Research Motivation 4 CHAPTER 2 2.
The hutterite variant of treacher collins syndrome: A 28‐year‐old story solved

Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS), the best known form of mandibulofacial dysostosis (MFD) comprises a recognizable pattern of anomalies. In 1985, Lowry et al. reported on two Hutterite sisters born to apparently unaffected parents with TCS, raising the possibility of an autosomal recessive (AR) variant of TCS, subsequently given a unique Mendelian Inheritance of Man (MIM) number (248390). Recently, biallelic mutations in POLR1C were found in TCS patients, confirming AR TCS as a distinct entity. The Hutterites, an endogamous Anabaptist group, like other genetically isolated populations, provide a powerful resource for mapping AR disorders. We elected to study the molecular basis of TCS in the Hutterite population including the original kindred described in 1985, and another unrelated Hutterite patient. Prior to starting this study, a TCOF1 mutation had apparently been excluded in the original family at two outside institutions. We hypothesized that an AR variant of TCS was present in the three Hutterite patients, but homozygosity mapping did not show convincing evidence of shared regions between the affected individuals. TCOF1 analysis was undertaken and mutations were found in the three affected patients and an unaffected parent. These data show that the initial Hutterite family reported with AR TCS in fact has classic TCS due to a TCOF1 mutation, despite recent data confirming the existence of AR TCS in other populations. These results have significant counseling implications for the affected families in the Hutterite population and in the population at large. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Price and Volatility Transmissions between Natural Gas, Fertilizer, and Corn Markets

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the price and volatility transmission between natural gas, fertilizer (ammonia), and corn markets, an issue that has been traditionally ignored in the literature despite its significant importance. Design/methodology/approach - – The authors jointly estimate a vector error correction model for the conditional mean equation and a multivariate generalized autoregressive heteroskedasticity model for the conditional volatility equation to investigate the interactions between natural gas, ammonia, and corn prices and their volatility. Findings - – The authors find significant interplay between fertilizer and corn markets, while only a mild linkage in prices and volatility exist between those markets and natural gas during the period 1994-2014. There is not only a positive relationship between corn and ammonia prices in the short run, but both prices react to deviations from the long-run parity. Furthermore, the lagged conditional volatility of ammonia prices positively affects conditional volatility in the corn market and vice versa. This result is robust to a specification using crude oil price as an alternative to natural gas price to account for the large transportation cost built into ammonia prices. Results for the period of 2006-2014 indicate virtually no linkage between natural gas prices and those of fertilizer and corn during that period, while linkages in price level and volatility between the latter remain strong. Originality/value - – This paper is the first in the literature to comprehensively examine the role of fertilizer on corn prices and volatility, and its relation to natural gas prices.
The Overworked American or the Time Bind?

A number of analysts have examined the issue of whether time in paid labor is a voluntary decision or constrained by the demands of employers. Many contend that Americans are overworked by their employers, especially if they are highly educated, working at the apex of the occupational hierarchy, and placed in large firms. On the other hand, Arlie Hochschild suggests in The Time Bind that long hours reflect an avoidance of hectic family lives in favor of the rewards and recognition found at work. To examine the explanatory power of these arguments, this article uses data from the Survey of Ohio's Working Families (SOWF) to predict the scheduling and the length of time spent in paid labor. Little support is found for Hochschild's argument and more support is found for other explanations of the overworked American.
An Assessment of the Impact of IFRS Adoption on Public Sector Audit Fees and Audit Effort – Some Evidence of the Transition Costs on Changes in Reporting Regimes

While many countries have adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for private sector enterprises, New Zealand (NZ) and Australia adopted IFRS for all entities, including the public sector. This move to IFRS in the NZ public sector in 2006–2007 increased audit effort and introduced additional risks for auditors resulting in increased audit fees. However, there is very little literature, apart from some anecdotal evidence, discussing or documenting this increase in effort or costs associated with accounting changes in the public sector(ConnollyandHyndman2006). Oneaspectofthe accountingchangetransitionalcostisanincreaseinaudit fees. A report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales disclosed that European Union (EU) companies that adopted IFRS ranked increased auditing costs as one of the largest IFRS-related costs (ICAW 2007). Given that in the public sector such increases in costs are funded from limited public funds, findingsofthisstudyshouldbeofinteresttostakeholders and regulators in the public sector, especially when considering accounting change. This study investigates the impact of adoption of IFRS on public sector audit effort and audit fees. The adoption of IFRS by many countries has
The roles of intermediaries and the development of their capabilities in sectoral innovation systems: a case study of Thailand

This paper investigates the roles of both public and private intermediaries in the sectoral innovation systems of developing countries by analysing three case studies in the hard disk drive (high-tech sector), automotive (mid-tech sector), and frozen-food (resource-based sector) industries in Thailand. We make three important findings. First, different sectors require different types of intermediaries who play different roles. In the high-tech sector, government research institutes and international industrial associations have gained the trust of transnational corporations (TNCs) and are able to keep pace with rapid technological change. In the mid-tech sector, public-sector development agencies can act as ‘brokers’ and leverage the knowledge of TNCs to strengthen local suppliers' capabilities, and local industrial associations can act as ‘mediators’ in solving conflicts between local firms. In resource-based sectors, public sectoral development agencies can act as ‘resource providers’ to local firms, and local industrial associations can broker coordinated efforts among members to achieve common goals. Second, the division of labour between public and private intermediaries is crucial; public intermediaries should play a leading role in producing the ‘public goods’ that are necessary to upgrade sectors, whereas private intermediaries should play an active role in producing ‘club goods’ for the sustainability of sectors. Third, different intermediary roles require different underlying capabilities.
Health Literacy Assessment of the STOFHLA

Low health literacy is associated with poor health outcomes. Research is needed to understand the mechanisms and pathways of its effects. Computer-based assessment tools may improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness of health literacy research. The objective of this preliminary study was to assess if administration of the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (STOFHLA) through a computer-based medium was comparable to the paper-based test in terms of accuracy and time to completion. A randomized, crossover design was used to compare computer versus paper format of the STOFHLA at a Midwestern family medicine residency program. Eighty participants were initially randomized to either computer (n = 42) or paper (n = 38) format of the STOFHLA. After a 30-day washout period, participants returned to complete the other version of the STOFHLA. Data analysis revealed no significant difference between paper- and computer-based surveys (p = .9401; N = 57). The majority of participants showed “adequate” health literacy via paper- and computer-based surveys (100% and 97% of participants, respectively). Electronic administration of STOFHLA results were equivalent to the paper administration results for evaluation of adult health literacy. Future investigations should focus on expanded populations in multiple health care settings and validation of other health literacy screening tools in a clinical setting.
Comparison of the Different Characteristics of Sensed Reflux Events Among Different Heartburn Groups

Background and Aim Presently, there are no studies comparing sensed acid reflux event (SARE) characteristics among different heartburn groups. Our aim was to compare the different esophageal acid reflux characteristics of an SARE among the different heartburn groups. Methods Patients with heartburn underwent endoscopy and pH testing and were stratified into 3 groups: erosive esophagitis (EE), nonerosive reflux disease (NERD), and functional heartburn (FH). Patients underwent esophageal pH testing using a 4-sensor pH probe, with the most distal pH sensor positioned 1 cm> lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Results Twenty-two patients had EE, 15 NERD, and 13 FH (M/F: 20/2, 12/3, 5/8, mean age: 51.5±3.7, 50.1±4.2, 50.3±3.8, respectively). The percentage of SAREs at 1 cm>LES that had reached 16 cm>LES was significantly higher in the FH group compared with NERD and EE (P<0.05). EE demonstrated the lowest nadir during an SARE and NERD the most acid reflux events before an SARE (up to 4 h). Conclusions Patients with FH demonstrated the most SAREs that reached the proximal esophagus. EE patients demonstrated the lowest nadir pH during an SARE and NERD patients the most acid reflux events before an SARE, as compared with the other heartburn groups.