Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of ethical sales behaviour on satisfaction, trust, commitment, retention and words-of-mouth

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the influence of ethical sales behaviour on relationship quality and its consequences in the context of telemarketing to identify the complex nature of relationship marketing. Design/methodology/approach – A survey with 312 qualified observations from financial institutions’ customers in Taiwan was conducted. A structural equation modelling approach was used. Findings – Ethical sales behaviour components, that is, avoiding overharvest, security, honesty, privacy and non-harassment, have significant effects on relationship quality. Satisfactory relationship quality has positive effects on relationship commitment and customer loyalty. Originality/value – This paper identifies ethical sales behaviour components, namely, avoiding overharvest, security, honesty, privacy and non-harassment, in the context of telemarketing and proposes that ethical sales behaviour is an important factor of maintaining high level of relationship quality.
Naked Short Selling: The Emperor’s New Clothes?

Regulatory and media concern has focused heavily on the potentially manipulative distortion of market prices associated with naked short selling. However, naked shorting can also have beneficial effects for liquidity and pricing efficiency. We empirically investigate the impact of naked short-selling on market quality, and find that naked shorting leads to significant reduction in positive pricing errors, the volatility of stock price returns, bid-ask spreads, and pricing error volatility. We study naked shorting surrounding the demise of financial institutions hardest hit by the financial crisis in 2008 and find no evidence that stock price declines were caused by naked shorting. We also find that naked short-selling intensifies after rather than before credit downgrade announcements during the 2008 financial crisis. In general, we find that naked short sellers respond to public news and intensify their activity after price declines rather than triggering these price declines. We study the impact of the SEC ban on naked short selling of financial securities during July and August 2008, and find that the ban did not slow the price decline of those securities and had a negative impact on liquidity and pricing efficiency. Finally, after examining the speeds of mean reversion of pricing errors and order imbalances, we infer that Regulation SHO was successful in curbing the impact of manipulative naked short selling, and this reduction in the impact of manipulative naked shorting has continued through the 2008 financial crisis. Overall, our empirical results are in sharp contrast with the extremely negative preconceptions that appear to exist among media commentators and market regulators in relation to naked shortselling.
Stock Returns and Volatility

Abstract Most asset pricing models postulate a positive relationship between a stock portfolio's expected returns and risk, which is often modeled by the variance of the asset price. This paper uses GARCH in mean models to examine the relationship between mean returns on a stock portfolio and its conditional variance or standard deviation. After estimating a variety of models from daily and monthly portfolio return data, we conclude that any relationship between mean returns and own variance or standard deviation is weak. The results suggest that investors consider some other risk measure to be more important than the variance of portfolio returns.
AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN RAINFALL AND SEX RATIO IN MAN.

A possible influence of seasonal variations in rainfall on the secondary sex ratios in several Australian cities was studied. Seasonal increases in the secondary sex ratio were significant about 11 months after the beginning of the rainy season in Perth (p less than .01) Adelaide (p less than .01) and Brisbane (p less than .001). In these cities onset of the rainy season is followed by a larger than normal excess of male births. An apparent relationship between wet and dry months and wet and dry years to the sex ratio is evident in Sydney where the annual rainfall is more evenly distributed. It is hypothesized that the sex ratio is affected by the trace elements of rainfall that enter the drinking water. This hypothesis is supported by studies of the secondary sex ratio in areas of Australia where trace-element deficiencies in the drinking water exist. It is suggested that the male is affected by the drinking water during the early stages of post-meiotic spermatogenesis.
The Significance of the Environment and its Regulation to Australia's Tourism Industry

In this article, the significance of the natural environment to Australia's tourism industry from the perspective of tourism operators is established. Features of Australia's natural environment are perceived to be the main generators of demand for tourism in Australia. Given this link between the environment and the prosperity of the tourism industry, the protection of the environment can, in principle, be ensured by self-regulation at the firm or industry level. However, there may be cases in which self-regulation alone is insufficient. In these cases, the government can impose regulations to deal with environmental degradation. The cases in which government regulation of the environment may be justified are identified in the article. In addition, the costs and benefits to tourism operators of current Australian environmental regulations are investigated. These costs and benefits are crucial determinants for the industry's willingness to comply with government regulations and hence the effectiveness of .
Upper extremity injuries in sub-Saharan Africa

Upper extremity injuries have significant negative effects on personal safety, physical functioning, quality of life, body image and self-concept. In this literature review we present a state of the art for upper extremity impairments in African low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on impairments that have a significant impact on the ability to perform activities of daily living. First, we summarize studies investigating the impact of upper extremity amputation and stroke, and discuss how the treatment and rehabilitation of upper extremity injuries could benefit from telehealth applications. We conclude by discussing how telehealth applications could help increase health care access to those that most need it.
International new ventures in “low tech” sectors: a dynamic capabilities perspective

Purpose – Drawing on the dynamic capabilities perspective and the resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm, this paper seeks to further understanding of international new ventures (INVs) operating in a traditional low technology sector – an understudied context in international entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory research merited qualitative research as the chosen methodology. Multiple case study design and critical incident technique were the main qualitative techniques employed.Findings – The case entrepreneurs' objective and subjective capabilities emerge as a critical key resource for strategically managing and developing the dynamic capabilities of the firm in areas of research and development (R&D), logistics and production. The firms' capability to adapt and renew themselves through product diversification strategies was also critical for sustainable competitive advantage in a highly turbulent and competitive sector of seafood.Research limitations/implications – The study is sec.
Poverty-Related causes of School Dropout- Dilemma of the Girl Child in Rural Zimbabwe

The study sought to examine teachers’ and heads’ perceptions on the poverty-related causes of school dropout among girls in rural Zimbabwe. A sample of 40 randomly selected teachers and five heads from schools participated in the study. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to the teacher sample while heads were interviewed. The content analysis approach was used to analyse data. From the findings, poverty emerged as the underlying cause of school dropout, combined with more obvious causes such as HIV and AIDS, monetary constraints, attitudes towards education, cultural practices, religious practices, misconduct, schools and teachers, and peer influence. The findings indicate a need for communal support systems to be encouraged to assist struggling families who cannot afford to pay school fees for their children. Cultural and familial practices should be addressed to afford girl children opportunities to attend school until they meaningfully complete their studies.
Emotions and Chat in a Financial Markets Experiment

This paper examines experimentally two common conjectures in the popular literature on financial markets: that they are swayed by emotion and that they behave like a 'crowd'. We find consistent evidence that deviations of prices from fundamental value depend on the emotion of excitement and on the presence of independently identified 'irrational' traders. Other than through 'irrational' traders, there is no evidence, however, that non-price communication ('chat') influences prices. Subjects with an economics background make better traders.
Bevacizumab improves the delivery and efficacy of paclitaxel

It has been reported that bevacizumab in combination with paclitaxel significantly prolongs progression-free survival compared with paclitaxel alone in the initial treatment for metastatic breast cancer. To understand how bevacizumab enhances the efficacy of paclitaxel, we investigated the mechanism in a MX-1 human breast cancer xenograft model. The antitumor activity of bevacizumab at 5 mg/kg in combination with paclitaxel at 20 or 30 mg/kg was significantly higher than that of either agent alone. First, we measured the paclitaxel concentration in tumor to see whether bevacizumab enhances the activity by increasing the tumor concentration of paclitaxel. When given in combination with bevacizumab, the levels of paclitaxel in the tumor increased. Paclitaxel at 30 mg/kg with bevacizumab showed a similar tumor concentration as paclitaxel alone at either 60 or 100 mg/kg, with a similar degree of tumor growth inhibition. In contrast, no remarkable differences in paclitaxel concentration in the plasma or liver were observed between the paclitaxel monotherapy group and the paclitaxel plus bevacizumab group. An increase in paclitaxel concentration by bevacizumab was also found in another model, A549. In the same MX-1 model, vascular permeability in the tumor was significantly decreased by treatment with bevacizumab. There was no difference in microvessel density between the bevacizumab alone group and the combination group. Results suggest that the synergistic antitumor activity of paclitaxel and bevacizumab in combination may be a result of the increase in paclitaxel concentration in tumor resulting from the downregulation of vascular permeability when co-administered with bevacizumab.
Dissociation of increases in plasma insulin-like growth factor I and testosterone during the onset of puberty in bulls.

The present study was conducted to examine the relationship between plasma concentrations of testosterone, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) during puberty, in male calves treated with GnRH or testosterone propionate. Twelve male Holstein calves (10 weeks old) were assigned to the control group (n = 6), the GnRH-treated group (n = 3) or the testosterone-treated group (n = 3). For 8 weeks, the GnRH-treated group received a single i.v. injection of GnRH (0.5 microgram kg-1 body mass) each day while the testosterone-treated group received an i.m. injection of testosterone propionate (0.5 mg kg-1 body mass) twice a day. The calves were studied until they were 200 days old. Hormone treatments were stopped one month after puberty was reached in the control group. Blood samples were collected every 30 min for 8 h every third day. Hormone concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Western ligand blotting and immunoblotting, using monoclonal antibodies against IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3, were used to characterize the IGF-binding proteins. In the control group, puberty occurred at about 120 days of age and was associated with an increase in concentrations of testosterone, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 and a decrease in concentration of IGFBP-2. In the GnRH-treated group, plasma testosterone remained low until 8 weeks after establishment of puberty in the control group (4 weeks after the end of treatment). In the testosterone-treated group, testosterone was high during the treatment period and then decreased to prepubertal values when treatment was stopped. Testosterone values increased again to reach postpubertal values 5 weeks after the end of hormone treatment. Nevertheless, independent of testosterone status, the profile of IGF-I and the IGFBPs in the GnRH- and testosterone-treated groups were parallel to that reported for the control group with the transition from prepubertal to adult values at about 120 days of age. In conclusion, concentrations of testosterone, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 increase together, but probably independently, during the onset of puberty in male calves.
Who Controls Teachers' Work?: Power and Accountability in America's Schools

Schools are places of learning but they are also workplaces, and teachers are employees. As such, are teachers more akin to professionals or to factory workers in the amount of control they have over their work? And what difference does it make? Drawing on large national surveys as well as wide-ranging interviews wiht high school teachers and administrators, Richard Ingersoll reveals the shortcomings in the two opposing viewpoints that dominate thought on this subject: that schools are too decentralized and lack adequate control and accountability; and that schools are too centralized, giving teachers too little autonomy. Both views, he shows, overlook one of the most important parts of teachers' work: schools are not simply organizations engineered to deliver academic instruction to students, as measured by test scores; schools and teachers also play a large part in the social and behavioural development of our children. As a result, both views overlook the power of implicit social controls in schools that are virtually invisible to outsiders but keenly felt by insiders. Given these blind spots, this book demonstrates that reforms from either camp begin with inaccurate premises about how schools work and so are bound not only to fail, but to exacerbate the problems they propose to solve.
1,1-Bis(3′-Indolyl)-1-(p-substitutedphenyl)methanes Inhibit Growth, Induce Apoptosis, and Decrease the Androgen Receptor in LNCaP Prostate Cancer Cells through Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ-Independent Pathways

1,1-Bis(3′-indolyl)-1-(p-substitutedphenyl)methanes (C-DIMs) containing para-trifluoromethyl, t-butyl, and phenyl groups are a novel class of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ agonists. In LNCaP prostate cancer cells, these compounds induce PPARγ-dependent transactivation, inhibit cell proliferation, and induce apoptosis. In addition, these PPARγ agonists modulate a number of antiproliferative and proapoptotic responses, including induction of p27, activating transcription factor 3, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene-1 and down-regulation of cyclin D1 and caveolin-1. Moreover, the PPARγ antagonist 2-chloro-5-nitrobenzanilide (GW9662) does not inhibit these effects. The C-DIM compounds also abrogate androgen receptor (AR)-mediated signaling and decrease prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and AR protein expression, and these responses were PPARγ-independent. The effects of C-DIMs on AR and PSA were due to decreased AR and PSA mRNA expression in LNCaP cells. Thus, this series of methylene-substituted diindolylmethane derivatives simultaneously activate multiple pathways in LNCaP cells, including ablation of androgen-responsiveness and down-regulation of caveolin-1. Both of these responses are associated with activation of proapoptotic pathways in this cell line.
A Cellular Automata Model of the Percolation Process

A cellular automata model of a dynamic system has been created which predicts the concentration of onset and 50% probability of a spanning cluster existing which coincides with the percolation phenomenon. The valences of the cells at each concentration were monitored revealing patterns of diversity influenced by the joining and breaking rules of the simulation. The diversity of these cell valence types was quantified using the Shannon information content. The Shannon index curve versus the concentration of cells coincided almost exactly with the curve reflecting the fraction of the divalent cells at the same concentration. The simulation offers a useful solution to the difficult analysis of mobile or dynamic percolation characteristics.
The Usage of Computer‐Integrated Manufacturing Technology within Manufacturing Organisations in the North East of England

This article presents the results of a survey of the manufacturing activities of 60 engineering companies located in the North East of England. The survey was carried out in order to identify the extent to which companies in the region are currently using or planning to invest in Computer Integrated Manufacturing technology. Particular emphasis is placed on the usage of computer‐based decision support tools within the production management function. Usage of JIT production management techniques is also considered. Previous investigations have suggested that commercially available decision support tools have some serious limitations which may prevent their widespread use within manufacturing organisations. The survey sought to investigate the nature of these problems and to identify the requirements for more sophisticated decision support tools based on expert system and simulation modelling techniques.
A cloudy day in the market: short selling behavioural bias or trading strategy

Purpose - Research draws the distinction between noise traders and informed traders. Research also documents market biases in equity returns due to cloud cover, a non-informational (noise) event, showing that returns decrease on cloudy days. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the trading behaviour of short-sellers, who are considered informed traders, conditioning on the level of cloudiness, and find an increase in short selling with the level of cloudiness. Additionally, the paper finds decreases in short selling the three days prior to a cloudy day (or series of cloudy days). Design/methodology/approach - The authors replicate the weather anomaly in stock returns reported in the literature for the sample period, and then study the trading behaviour of short sellers conditioned on cloud cover. Additionally the authors treat cloud cover as an event and study short selling volume in the pre-event window. Findings - The paper finds an increase in short selling with the level of cloudiness. Additionally, the paper finds decreases in short selling, relative to the event day(s), in the three days prior to a cloudy day (or series of cloudy days). Originality/value - The authors believe that they are the first to document that weather impacts short seller's trading behaviour. The authors argue that the results point towards a behavioural bias.
The Religious Practices Teaching Pedagogy of Islamic Education Excellent Teachers

An Islamic Education Excellent Teacher’s (IEET) expertise can be assessed through his teaching techniques. An IEET usually possesses strong Pedagogical Content Knowledge. This study was carried out to investigate an IEET’s interest and knowledge of pedagogical content in teaching Islamic Education Religious Practices subject. This study used a qualitative approach to the framework of the case study. The subject of the study is a DG 44 graded IEET with 10 years’ experience in teaching Islamic Education. The findings show that the IEET applied all three approaches: student-centered, teacher-centered, and resource/material-centered, but mainly applied the student-centered approach. These findings are in accordance with the features of religious teaching which emphasizes on practice and on the practical aspect. In conclusion, the teaching of the IEET utilizes various teaching approaches, methods and techniques in planning the effective teaching of religious practices. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n16p239
Understanding the Innovation Behavior of Family Firms*

This paper examines innovation behavior in family firms, analyzing their innovation efforts, sources, and results. Its underlying premise is that innovation behavior depends on the firm's resource endowment and the level of risk inherent in the decision to innovate, factors that make family involvement an influential characteristic in innovation processes. Using a large sample of Spanish firms, the findings show that family firms perform fewer innovation efforts and are less inclined to turn to external sources of innovation—such as technological collaboration—than nonfamily firms. Finally, family firms are more likely to achieve incremental innovations than radical innovations.
Assessing the potential impacts of declining Arctic sea ice cover on the photochemical degradation of dissolved organic matter in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas

A warming and shifting climate in the Arctic has led to significant declines in sea ice over the last several decades. Although these changes in sea ice cover are well documented, large uncertainties remain in how associated increases in solar radiation transmitted to the underlying ocean water column will impact heating, biological, and biogeochemical processes in the Arctic Ocean. In this study, six under‐ice marine, two ice‐free marine, and two ice‐free terrestrially influenced water samples were irradiated using a solar simulator for 72 h (representing ~10 days of ambient sunlight) to investigate dissolved organic matter (DOM) dynamics from the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Solar irradiation caused chromophoric DOM (CDOM) light absorption at 254 nm to decrease by 48 to 63%. An overall loss in total DOM fluorescence intensity was also observed at the end of all experiments, and each of six components identified by parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis was shown to be photoreactive in at least one experiment. Fluorescent DOM (FDOM) also indicated that the majority of DOM in under‐ice and ice‐free marine waters was likely algal‐derived. Measurable changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were only observed for sites influenced by riverine runoff. Losses of CDOM absorbance at shorter wavelengths suggest that the beneficial UV protection currently received by marine organisms may decline with the increased light transmittance associated with sea ice melt ponding and overall reductions of sea ice. Our FDOM analyses demonstrate that DOM irrespective of source was susceptible to photobleaching. Additionally, our findings suggest that photodegradation of CDOM in under‐ice waters is not currently a significant source of carbon dioxide (CO2) (i.e., we did not observe systematic DOC loss). However, increases in primary production and terrestrial freshwater export expected under future climate change scenarios may cause an increase in CDOM quantity and shift in quality throughout Arctic Ocean surface waters. As Arctic temperatures continue to warm and summer sea ice further declines, examination of the resulting enhanced photodegradation processes and their impacts on the interplay between primary production, carbon cycling, and surface ocean heating processes will be paramount.