Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Customer loyalty in the hotel industry: the role of customer satisfaction and image

Loyalty of a firm’s customer has been recognised as the dominant factor in a business organization’s success. This study helps us extend our understanding of the relationship between customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, and image. This is of considerable interest to both practitioners and academics in the field of hospitality management. The objective of this research is to identify the factors of image and customer satisfaction that are positively related to customer loyalty in the hotel industry. Using data collected from chain hotels in New Zealand, the findings indicate that hotel image and customer satisfaction with the performance of housekeeping, reception, food and beverage, and price are positively correlated to customer loyalty.
Explaining factors affecting technological change adoption: A survival analysis of an information system implementation

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how drivers differentially speed up the change process adoption in the perspective of a technological change. More specifically, the paper aims to answer the following question: "Which factors impact the technological change adoption speed of an information system? " Based on an empirical study, our results identify three factors that have a direct influence on the speed of technological change adoption. Design/methodology/approach: Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model as a point of departure, the paper analyzes the impact of eight variables grouped in four categories: the perceived attributes of change (performance expectancy and effort expectancy), social influence (peer influence and supervisor influence), facilitating conditions (initial training and helpdesk) and individual characteristics (receptivity to change and self-efficacy). To evaluate which factors accelerate or inhibit change adoption, the paper uses a statistical model of survival analysis. Findings: Based on a 15-month longitudinal study of a workflow system implementation in a telecommunications firm, the results highlight that performance expectancy, supervisor influence and self-efficacy have a direct influence on the speed of technological change adoption. Research limitations/implications: As a case study, the research findings may only be valid in the particular organization in which it is developed. Indeed, the organizational culture, the company's internal rules, and the history of the organization are factors which significantly influence the speed of change. Practical implications: The results may help project leaders to be aware of the elements that must be dealt with effectively if a change process is to succeed within the allotted time. Originality/value: The statistical model of survival analysis allows analyzing change adoption from a dynamic perspective. This statistical approach is quite new and complementary with most of the studies which are qualitative in the field. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Outcome of surgical closure of nasal septal perforation

Abstract Objective: To assess success rates and symptom control after surgical treatment of nasal septal perforation. Method: A prospective study was undertaken of 28 consecutive patients with symptomatic nasal septal perforation treated surgically by one surgeon between 2005 and 2007. All patients underwent an open rhinoplasty approach with bilateral superior and inferior nasal mucosal advancement flaps and acellular porcine collagen placed in between. Symptom severity was assessed pre- and post-operatively using a validated visual analogue score. The nasal valve angle was assessed pre- and post-operatively by two independent assessors. Results: Patients comprised 12 women and 16 men, with a mean age of 45 years (range: 21–76). The mean follow up was 16 months (range: 6–24). The mean vertical and horizontal diameters of the perforations were 22 mm (range: 10–35) and 27 mm (range: 10–37), respectively. Twenty-seven (96 per cent) patients had complete closure of nasal septal perforation. There were statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-operative mean visual analogue scale scores for epistaxis (p < 0.001), crusting (p < 0.001), whistling (p < 0.001) and nasal obstruction (p < 0.001). Epistaxis, crusting and whistling resolved in all patients, and 92 per cent reported improvement in nasal blockage. Conclusion: Closure of nasal septal perforation using an open rhinoplasty approach with nasal mucosal advancement flaps and a porcine collagen sandwich is a pertinent and reliable technique for the management of nasal septal perforation.
Chitosan Beads as a New Gastroretentive System of Verapamil

The main objective of this project is to design a new extended release gastroretentive mutiparticulate delivery system for verapamil (VP) by incorporation into hydrogel beads made of chitosan. The beads were formed by dropping solutions of VP and chitosan in a solution of tripolyphosphate using a syringe pump with adjustable constant rate. The formed beads were then further crosslinked using glutraldehyde and the excess glutraldehyde were then washed. The physical properties of the prepared beads such as beads sizes, shapes, friabilities and loading efficiencies were determined. The floating characteristics and the release profiles were also studied. The produced beads from all batches showed a very good spherical geometry with mean diameter in the range of 1.3 - 2.0 mm. The drug loading efficiency was around 42% for all batches. The % friabilities were less than 1% indicating that the beads surfaces are highly resistant to attrition. Batches B 3 and B 4 (prepared using medium molecular weight chitosan) showed both the slowest release rate among all the prepared batches and showed good floating characteristics comprising short onset (around 5 minutes) and the long duration of buoyancy (more than 6 hours). All the batches exhibited a kinetic model of combined mechanism of diffusion partially through a swollen matrix and partially through water-filled pores. The preparation of chitosan beads using this technique would provide a simple and commercially viable method of preparation of chitosan beads for controlling the release of some drugs.
The New Public Management Theory and the Reform of European Health Care Systems: An International Comparative Perspective

The New Public Management (NPM) Theory is a rhetorical construction with diverse intellectual roots. That diversity means that it is open to reinterpretation and shifts in implementation across countries (Sahlin-Andersson, 2001; Smullen, 2007). This overview article critically investigates NPM application in various EU health care systems. NPM led to a greater focus on market forces and competition and improved information sharing and cooperation among health care networks, and changed the way care is delivered. This article also identifies significant misfits between policy announcements and NPM implementation. NPM has taken root much more substantially in the United Kingdom (UK) than in France and Germany. The variety of capitalism and institutional systems provides an explanation for divergences in NPM implementation.
The rise of consumerism in Saudi Arabian society

Purpose – The emergence of consumer‐oriented societies has become the central trait of our era. Saudi Arabia gained entree to consumerism via its oil wealth. Numerous studies demonstrate that consumer lifestyle and consumerist attitudes are spreading in the country. The purpose of this study is to explain how Saudi Arabia came to be a consumer society, to present evidence of rampant consumption, and to describe how global and local economic, social, and governmental factors colluded to reinforce this cultural trend.Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on the survey and analysis of secondary data gathered from published studies and reports available in English and in Arabic.Findings – The study shows that the spread of consumerism in Saudi Arabia is a consequence of a complex of global and local factors. Commercial television and the internet, marketing strategies, relentless and manipulative advertising, urbanization, and proliferating shopping centers, are all components of globalization pro.
Organisational Support and Employee Commitment in Sri Lanka

This study explores employees' perceptions of organisational support, commitment, job satisfaction and turnover intentions in Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT). Organisational support involves the provision of valued financial benefits along with employees' perceptions of support from supervisors and co-workers, and procedural fairness in decision-making. We found strong evidence that high levels of organisational support lead to employee reciprocity via increased affective commitment and job satisfaction and reduced turnover intentions. We also found evidence, albeit weaker, of a positive relationship between economic exchange and continuance commitment, where employees may be dissatisfied but stay because they have too much invested in firm specific knowledge and skills. The firm provided above average compensation and benefits and with limited alternative job opportunities in the formal economy in Sri Lanka the costs of leaving the organisation are likely to have outweighed the costs of staying.
The Impact of Trust in Government on Tax Paying Behavior of Nonfarm Sole Proprietors

Abstract The paper explores the relationship between the taxpayers’ trust in government and their willingness to pay taxes. When honored, trust promotes feelings of goodwill between individuals, strengthens democracy, and reduces transaction costs in economic exchange. Literature on government regulation finds that if citizens trust the government they are more likely to comply with laws and regulations. In this article, the index of trust in government calculated by the American National Elections Studies (ANES) and the AGI (adjusted gross income) gap produced by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are used to test an empirical model if trust in government has a positive impact on tax compliance of the least compliant taxpayers group - nonfarm sole proprietors - controlling for the deterrent effects of tax enforcement. The results indicate that the higher trust in government improves tax compliance. The paper contributes to the existing literature on tax compliance by combining survey and statistical income reporting data to find evidence that perceptions about the trust in the government translate into actual tax payments
Exercise Inhibits the Effects of Smoke-Induced COPD Involving Modulation of STAT3

Purpose Evaluate the participation of STAT3 in the effects of aerobic exercise (AE) in a model of smoke-induced COPD. Methods C57Bl/6 male mice were divided into control, Exe, COPD, and COPD+Exe groups. Smoke were administered during 90 days. Treadmill aerobic training begun on day 61 until day 90. Pulmonary inflammation, systemic inflammation, the level of lung emphysema, and the airway remodeling were evaluated. Analysis of integral and phosphorylated expression of STAT3 by airway epithelial cells, peribronchial leukocytes, and parenchymal leukocytes was performed. Results AE inhibited smoke-induced accumulation of total cells (p < 0.001), lymphocytes (p < 0.001), and neutrophils (p < 0.001) in BAL, as well as BAL levels of IL-1β (p < 0.001), CXCL1 (p < 0.001), IL-17 (p < 0.001), and TNF-α (p < 0.05), while increased the levels of IL-10 (p < 0.001). AE also inhibited smoke-induced increases in total leukocytes (p < 0.001), neutrophils (p < 0.05), lymphocytes (p < 0.001), and monocytes (p < 0.01) in blood, as well as serum levels of IL-1β (p < 0.01), CXCL1 (p < 0.01), IL-17 (p < 0.05), and TNF-α (p < 0.01), while increased the levels of IL-10 (p < 0.001). AE reduced smoke-induced emphysema (p < 0.001) and collagen fiber accumulation in the airways (p < 0.001). AE reduced smoke-induced STAT3 and phospho-STAT3 expression in airway epithelial cells (p < 0.001), peribronchial leukocytes (p < 0.001), and parenchymal leukocytes (p < 0.001). Conclusions AE reduces smoke-induced COPD phenotype involving STAT3.
Integrating Farm Production and Natural Resource Management in Tasmania, Australia

Abstract This paper reports on the social learning from a project aimed to increase the knowledge and capacity of a group of farmers in Tasmania, Australia, to reduce the impacts of intensive agriculture on soil health and waterways, and to optimise the efficient use of on-farm inputs. The plan-do-check-review cycle adopted in this project required the farmers to assess current management practices, identify where to make changes, implement changes and monitor for improvements. The success of the project was due to careful attention to social processes as well as technical input. The combination of group activities with individual mentoring and one-to-one advice was key to the success of this project in enabling farmers to undertake on-farm action. There is value in social learning that included developing relationships, using one-to-one contact and group workshops together with expert input when working with farmers to tackle some difficult and complex interrelated natural resource management and production issues. Sufficient time must be allowed for the process of facilitating good practice in natural resource management, particularly when addressing systemic environmental impacts. Practical operational recommendations are presented on communication, feedback, focus of activities and meeting content, as these will be useful to other project officers and facilitators working with farmer groups.
Biodegradable PLGA-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Modulating Ocular Surface Disease under Experimental Murine Dry Eye.

OBJECTIVE Continuous drug delivery to the ocular surface remains difficult due to the rapid tear clearance of topically applied agents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate biodegradable and biocompatible drug delivery systems on the ocular surface using poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) based polymers. METHODS Fluorescein-labeled albumin and doxycycline were individually encapsulated into a PLGA-based matrix using a water-oil-water double emulsion method. The drug elution rates for various microspheres were evaluated spectrofluorometrically. Particle size was measured using image analysis software. Subconjunctival injections of PLGA microspheres were used to evaluate safety and inflammatory response to the polymer in the murine model. Efficacy of the drug delivery system was evaluated by a single subconjunctival injection of PLGA-doxycycline (a broad metalloproteinase inhibitor) prior to induction of desiccating stress (DS) model in C57BL/6 mice for 5 days. RESULTS PLGA-based microspheres successfully elute encapsulated drugs of interest continuously over controlled periods of time. Mean PLGA-based microparticle diameter was 4.6 μm±1.54 μm. Drug elution rates and delivery times were easily modifiable by altering polymers and synthesis parameters. In vitro studies demonstrate successful continuous elution of encapsulated drugs for at least 2 weeks. In vivo testing of PLGA-doxycycline was efficacious in preventing DS-induced corneal barrier disruption with desiccating stress, similarly to topically applied doxycycline. CONCLUSIONS PLGA-based drug delivery systems are safe and non-inflammatory. They can be successfully used to treat ocular surface and corneal diseases by continuously delivering biopharmaceuticals of interest.
Management of Pediatric Type I Open Fractures in the Emergency Department or Operating Room: A Multicenter Perspective.

BACKGROUND The management of pediatric type I open fractures remains controversial. The aim of this study is to compare outcomes in type I open fractures managed with superficial wound debridement and antibiotics in the emergency department (ED) (nonoperative management) to patients managed with operative debridement and antibiotics (operative management). METHODS A multicenter retrospective review was performed of all pediatric type I open forearm, wrist, and tibia fractures treated at 4 high volume pediatric centers between 2000 and 2015. Patients with multiple traumatic injuries, immunocompromised patients, or those without final radiographs indicating healing were excluded. RESULTS In total, 219 patients met inclusion criteria. A total of 170 fractures were treated operatively (77.6%), 49 fractures were treated nonoperatively (22.4%). There was 1 infection in the nonoperative group (2.0% infection rate), and no infections in the operatively managed group (P=0.062). Cefazolin was the most commonly administered antibiotic (88.1% of patients). Duration of hospital-administered antibiotics was significantly different, with a mean of 10.9 hours in the nonoperative group and 41.6 hours in the operative group (P<0.001). Length of stay averaged 16.3 hours for nonoperative patients and 48.6 hours for the operatively treated patients (P<0.001). In the nonoperative group, 44/49 had documented superficial wound debridement in the ED utilizing, on an average, 1500 mL of irrigant. There were 10 other complications, 9 in the operative group (5.4%) and 2 in the nonoperative group (4.1%, P=0.107), including 2 compartment syndromes and 1 acute carpal tunnel syndrome all requiring immediate surgical release (1.8%) in the operative group. CONCLUSIONS There was no significant difference in infection rate or complication rate in those managed with antibiotics and operative debridement versus those managed with superficial wound debridement and antibiotics in the ED. Consideration should be given to the similar safety profiles for these 2 treatment modalities when managing pediatric patients with type I open fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.
The ‘Real’ Impact of GATT/WTO – A Generalised Approach

Rose’s result in 2004 that GATT/WTO has no significant impact on bilateral trade triggered off a series of empirical studies. Each of those studies augments Rose’s paper in one specific methodological aspect with the general finding that GATT/WTO significantly fosters members’ trade, although the estimated impact varies between 2 per cent and 195 per cent of trade creation. We combine the methodological contributions of previous studies to overcome these isolated approaches, to account for possible interactions and to develop a more general view on the impact of GATT/WTO. In particular, we find that GATT/WTO promotes members’ trade by around 86 per cent.
Dynasties of innovation: highly performing German family firms and the owners’ role for innovation

At least 70% of all large and old German corporations are still controlled by the owning families. Studies have found that these firms can be successful in adapting to changing environments and innovating in a sustainable way over more than 100 years. Innovative dynasties outperform publicly listed companies. This paper looks at the owning families' influence on the innovativeness of their companies. In qualitative interviews, it investigates the innovative behaviour of dynastic families across generations: their attitude towards innovation, their time-orientation herein and their approaches to ensure innovativeness in their firms over the mid- to long-term. In summary, successful dynastic families define innovation as the ability to constantly address new markets and technologies, based on a clear long-term strategy. The owning families assure constant incremental innovation in daily operations and, even more importantly, initiate radical innovations and corporate renewal as strategy-setting entities 'behind the scenes'.
News about the European Parliament : patterns and drivers of broadsheet coverage

This thesis is about broadsheet coverage of the European Parliament (EP). More precisely, it studies the amount and content of news referring to the EP as well as the professional attitudes of their producers. The main purpose of the thesis is to explain variation in the press coverage. Thereby it combines political communication research with the European integration literature discussing the legitimacy of the EP. It argues that cross-country and inter-temporal variation cannot be explained by factors internal to news production alone. Instead, national parliamentary traditions impact profoundly on the way EU parliamentary affairs are reported. The thesis employs a mixed-methods research design. It conducts a quantitative content analysis of 18 broadsheets published in six European countries – Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria – over three time periods: one is a routine period of two years; the remaining two datasets are oriented at key issues and events over time. In total, 3956 newspaper articles are analysed. In addition, 18 in-depth interviews with the respective Brussels correspondents and a director at the EP Directorate-General for Communication complement the findings. While the EP receives regular coverage, the thesis finds that news are selected and presented according to the interest of the audience. Hence the domestic angle prevails in the news coverage and the EP’s own prominence and potential to generate conflict attract media attention more often when major issues are at stake. However, domestic relevance is not the only explanatory factor. While newsmakers also respond to varying levels of public support for EU membership, the thesis identifies national parliamentary traditions as a strong external driver of EP news coverage. Here, procedural characteristics and public expectations shape the amount and content of EP news as well as newsmakers’ attitudes – and more significantly so with the rising powers of the Parliament.
The changing role of management accounting in the transition from a family business to a non‐family business

Purpose – The purpose of the present paper is to investigate whether the transition from a family business to a non‐family business affects the institutionalisation of management accounting.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on an online survey among all large and medium‐sized Austrian firms. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to test the impact of the level of family influence on aspects of the institutionalisation of management accounting. Firm size is included as the main control variable.Findings – A lower level of influence from the controlling family was found to be correlated with the institutionalisation and intensification of management accounting in medium‐sized firms. For large firms, such a linear relationship could not be drawn. The level of education of management accountants was inversely correlated with the level of family influence in both large and medium‐sized firms.Research limitations/implications – Further research into the reasons, underlying d.
The Role Of Social Networks At Different Stages Of Business Formation

Abstract This study empirically tests the fundamental assumption that social networks are important to entrepreneurs. This assumption underpins most social network research conducted in the field of entrepreneurship and is seldom questioned. Empirical data were drawn from Australia’s participation in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project (GEM) from 2000-2005 – an aggregate sample of 14,205 randomly selected Australians. The study demonstrated: (1) statistically significant differences in social networks when entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs are compared and (2) that the structural diversity of social networks changes during the entrepreneurial process. It was found that structural diversity was most important to entrepreneurs in the discovery stage, least important to entrepreneurs in the start-up stage and of medium importance to entrepreneurs in the young business stage.