Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Mobile Money Transfer in Sustaining Customer Loyalty at Safaricom Limited

This research examines the influence of mobile money transfer in sustaining customer loyalty at Safaricom limited. The study looks at the background of Safaricom limited, currently the market leader in telecommunications in Kenya. Safaricom is also the provider of the most successful mobile money transfer globally branded, M-PESA. Despite of the many strategies to grow and retain their customer base, Safaricom has consistently maintained a market lead over the years. The telecoms industry in Kenya has witnessed bitter rivalry between the four main players. Safaricom rivals have invested in a number of strategies to attract Safaricom customers to their networks. However, majority of Safaricom customers have remained loyal. This has been attributed to Safaricom’s mobile money transfer service,M-PESA. The study focused on M-PESA and was carried out from across Kenya. Demographic data as well as other data was collected from customers using researcher administered questionnaires. The study examined five constructs of customer loyalty; quality and availability of service, price, innovation, trust and switching costs. The reliability test was conducted for the items designed for the same construct. Cronbach’s Alpha which is a measure of reliability or internal consistency was used and found the data reliable and consistent. The relationship between the customer’s loyalty and other variables was measured using Pearson coefficient and t-value. Other measures used are statistical measures of mean, frequency and standard deviation. The results obtained in this research indicated that 86% of the respondents were loyal customers to Safaricom due to influence of its mobile money transfer service, M-PESA. The combination o f quality and availability of service, price, innovation, trust and switching costs showed strong relationship with customer loyalty while demographic variables o f gender, age, location and income levels also showed strong relationship. DECLARATION i DEDICATION iii ABSTRACT iv LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background of the Study 1 1.1.1 Money Transfer Services 1 1.1.2 The Concept of Customer Loyalty 2 1.1.3 Safaricom Lim ited 3 1.2 Research Problem 4 1.3 Research objectives 6 1.4 Value of the Study 6 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 7 2.
Poor sleep quality and later sleep timing are risk factors for osteopenia and sarcopenia in middle-aged men and women: The NEO study

Context Sleep deprivation has detrimental metabolic consequences. Osteopenia and sarcopenia usually occur together and increase risk of fractures and disease. Results from studies linking sleep parameters to osteopenia or sarcopenia are scarce and inconsistent. Objective To examine the associations of sleep parameters with osteopenia and sarcopenia, considering the influence of sex and menopause. Design, setting and participants Cross-sectional analysis of 915 participants (45–65 years, 56% women, BMI 26 (range: 18–56) kg/m2) in the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study, a population-based cohort study. Sleep duration, quality, and timing were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); bone mineral density and relative appendicular muscle mass were measured by DXA scans. Linear and logistic regressions were performed to associate sleep parameters to bone mineral density, relative appendicular muscle mass, osteopenia (t-score between -1 and -2.5) and sarcopenia (1 SD below average muscle mass). Results After adjustment for confounding factors, one unit increase in PSQI score (OR and 95% CI, 1.09, 1.03–1.14), declined self-rated sleep quality (1.76, 1.03–3.01), sleep latency (1.18, 1.06–1.31), and a one hour later sleep timing (1.51, 1.08–2.11), but not sleep duration (1.05, 0.90–1.23), were associated with osteopenia. PSQI score (1.10, 1.02–1.19) was also associated with sarcopenia; OR’s of sleep latency and later mid-sleep time with sarcopenia were 1.14 (0.99–1.31) and 1.54 (0.91–2.61), respectively. Associations were somewhat stronger in women and varied per menopausal status. Conclusions These results suggest that decreased sleep quality and a later sleep timing are risk factors for osteopenia and sarcopenia in middle aged individuals.
Dependence of 13NH3 myocardial extraction and clearance on flow and metabolism.

The isolated arterially perfused rabbit interventricular septum was used to study the relationship between flow (F) and myocardial uptake and subsequent clearance of bolus injections of 13N-labeled ammonia (13NH3). Multiple 13NH3 injections were delivered to a total of 19 septa at perfusion rates (F/g) ranging from 0.2-4.0 ml.min-1.g-1. Ten septa were studied at 37 degrees C and nine were studied at 28 degrees C to obtain uptake and clearance data at different metabolic rates. The septa were perfused without recirculation with a modified Tyrode solution. Analysis of the time-activity curves generated by the injections of 13NH3 revealed that the data was best described by three components. The first two components exhibited short clearance times (t1/2s less than 7 min) in contrast to prolonged clearance times (30-500 min) for component 3. Component 1 was consistent with a freely diffusible 13NH3 compartment. Component 3 persists and permits myocardial imaging 15 min or more after 13NH3 injection. At each perfusion rate the extraction fraction of component 3 was twice as large, and the clearance time of component 3 was twice as fast at 37 as at 28 degrees C, implying that the extraction and washout of this third component are dependent on enzymatic reactions. The total myocardial extraction into component 3 from a systemic injection is determined by multiplying the extraction fraction by the perfusion rate (EF(3) X F/g) and was directly related to the perfusion rate at both 28 and 37 degrees C.
Financial productivity issues related to assortment diversity and supply chain merchandise replenishment strategies

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the ability of supply chain merchandise replenishment strategies to minimize merchandise plan errors when assortments are diverse.Design/methodology/approach – Sourcing Simulator 2.1, a computer simulation of the merchandising process, was used. Sourcing Simulator generated a total data set of 4,320 and determined financial outcomes of the merchandising processes based on multiple scenario inputs.Findings – The impact of supply chain merchandise replenishment strategies on merchandising performance outcomes significantly differed, depending on assortment diversity and merchandise plan errors. The ability of supply chain merchandise replenishment strategies was limited in minimizing problems inherent in diverse assortments and over‐volume errors.Research limitations/implications – Sourcing Simulator does not necessarily simulate merchandising processes and performance in real retail stores but principles developed through simulation can be applied in retail.
Attitudes of migrants towards foreign‐made products: an exploratory study of migrants in Australia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the attitudes of Asian and Western migrants and native‐borns in Australia toward foreign‐made products and the impact of consumer ethnocentrism on attitude formation.Design/methodology/approach – The research was designed as a personal interview survey using shopping mall intercepts. A total of 206 consumers were asked to indicate their preferences for foreign‐made versus Australian‐made products for five diverse products. Respondents also responded to a short version of the CETSCALE, a scale measuring consumer ethnocentrism. Respondents were classified as Australian‐born, Asian‐born migrants, or Western‐born migrants.Findings – Consumer ethnocentrism is negatively related to attitudes toward foreign‐made products for both overseas‐born (Asian and Western) migrants and local‐born Australians. Asian‐born migrants reported a significantly lower level of consumer ethnocentrism than both of the other respondent groups. Within the Western migrant group, males had.
REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL RESTOCKING PROGRAMME “ACTIVE PROTECTION OF NATIVE CRAYFISH IN POLAND” 1999-2001

After the first spread of crayfish plague (aphanomycosis) at the end of the nineteenth century, the formerly abundant populations of native crayfish in Poland declined drastically. Analysis of historical data on the occurrence and distribution of crayfish in Poland led to the conclusion that without human intervention the native crayfish species would be at high risk of being made extinct. The largest programme concerning crayfish monitoring and restocking in Poland was “Active protection of native crayfish in Poland” conducted by the Inland Fisheries Institute, the Department of Ecology, University of Szczecin, the Department of Zoology, Warsaw Agricultural University and the University of Warmia and Mazury that was funded by the EkoFundusz Foundation and Inland Fisheries Institute in 1999-2001. One of the main objectives and results of this programme was the determination of indigenous crayfish distribution in Poland (mainly Astacus astacus and Astacus leptodactylus) and the restocking of suitable habitats with indigenous crayfish.The densest populations (> 2 500 adult individuals per hectare) were used as a source of restocking material. Restocking was performed in 54 water bodies using a total of 45 200 individuals of A. astacus and 9 800 of A. leptodactylus. Between 2001-2002, the success of the restocking programme was monitored. According to the results obtained so far, the restocking exercise has been successful in at least 60.8% of the cases.
The influence of E-Satisfaction, E-Trust and Hedonic Motivation on the Adoption of E-banking and Its Determinants in Nigeria: A Pilot Study

Many studies have been conducted in respect of e-banking adoption especially in developed nations. However, evidence has shown that where similar few studies are conducted in developing countries, their findings are mixed and inconclusive. This pilot study intends to fill the research gap with a view to addressing the problem of low adoption in Nigeria and many other developing countries. In this view, this study has critically looked into the issues of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, awareness, perceived security and facilitating conditions that have direct and indirect effects on e-banking adoption through mediating effect of e-satisfaction, e-trust and hedonic motivation. One of the major contributions of this study is that it is the first of its type to link security directly to fun. A call has been made to future researchers to empirically test the model of this study in order to predict adoption of e-banking. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016. v7n1p54
Summary and Recommendations from a SETAC Pellston Workshop on In Situ Measures of Ecological Effects

Abstract The objective of a SETAC Pellston Workshop held in Portland, Oregon, USA, in November 2004 was to evaluate the use of field-based biological effects and exposure techniques in the hazard and risk assessment of aquatic ecosystems, thereby improving the accuracy and relevance of the decision-making process. This objective was addressed by keynote presentations outlining the state of the science and providing case studies, followed by work-group discussions focusing on 4 main areas: 1) Improving stressor–effect diagnostic capability in the assessment process; 2) maximizing efficiency, quality assurance and quality control, and broad-scale applicability of in situ field bioassays and experimental approaches; 3) determining the ecological relevance and consequences of individual and food chain–based effect measures; and 4) incorporating results from field-based effect methods into a weight-of-evidence decision-making process. Major outcomes from group discussions are highlighted, and future priorities for research in this area are recommended.
Longitudinal assessment of an integrated industrial supply chain

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to investigate the impact of integrated supply chain management on productivity, efficiency, and performance of participants in the system, in an industrial setting in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – This study uses longitudinal and experiment field study. Actual organizational data from the survey firm was used. Follow‐up interviews were conduced with key managers in the manufacturing facility.Findings – The results show positive and substantial improvements in overall performance as a result of integration and coordination of the internal functions within the firm and effectively linking them with their external suppliers. The results also support the claims that an integrated supply chain involves aligning outsourcing activities to achieve the organizational goal of responding positively to the needs of consumers. Several factors were identified as key contributors to supply chain program success in this firm. These included sharing information through new.
Global Stock Market Interdependencies and long-term Portfolio Diversification

In this paper, we examine the scope for international stock portfolio diversification, from the viewpoint of a United States representative investor, in regard to both the Asian and the European stock markets. Our findings indicate that despite correlation style evidence to the contrary, the European stock markets provide a superior long-term diversification opportunity relative to that provided by the Asian stock markets. Hence, a short-term measurement of interdependence appears to be uninformative with respect to the diversification opportunities of investors with long-term investment horizons. In terms of methodology, we adopt common stochastic trend tests, including a common stochastic trend test which accounts for generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity effects in conjunction with the recursive estimation of these tests to estimate the development of long-term stock market interdependence linkages. Recursively estimated robust correlations between the international stock markets are utilised to reveal the nature of short-term stock market interdependence linkages.
Sex recognition and mate choice by male western toads,
 Bufo boreas
 


In field-based choice experiments, we examined sex recognition and mate choice in male western toads, Bufo boreas. When given a simultaneous choice between a male and a female of equal size, males did not discriminate between the sexes and attempted to amplex a male or a female with equal frequency. When a test male clasped a stimulus male, the stimulus male uttered a release call that caused the test male to release the stimulus male. Male-male amplexus never lasted more than 3 s, but male-female amplexus was tenacious and prolonged. Furthermore, males discriminated between gravid females that differed in body size, choosing larger gravid females over smaller ones, but they did not discriminate between gravid females or non-gravid females of equal size. In choice tests that excluded chemical cues, males jumped more frequently towards large females than small ones. Given that females are significantly larger than males, selecting larger individuals as potential mates increases the probability that males amplex with a female. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
DC‐SIGN association with the Th2 environment of lepromatous lesions: cause or effect?

The clinical spectrum of leprosy is related to patients' immune responses. Non‐responsiveness towards Mycobacterium leprae (ML) seems to correlate with a Th2 cytokine profile. The reason for such a polarized immune response remains unclear. The C‐type lectin, DC‐SIGN, expressed by subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages, has previously been associated with Th2 responses. Here we show abundant DC‐SIGN expression in lepromatous but not borderline tuberculoid leprosy, in both HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative patients. Moreover, we demonstrate that DC‐SIGN can act as an entry receptor for ML, as it does for M. tuberculosis, through the cell wall component lipoarabinomannan. DC‐SIGN is expressed on virtually all ML‐containing cells, providing further evidence for its role as a receptor. DC‐SIGN may therefore be induced on macrophages in lepromatous leprosy and may then contribute to mycobacterial entry into these cells. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulation of Androgen Receptor Activity by the Nuclear Receptor Corepressor SMRT*

Androgen receptor (AR) is a hormone-regulated transcription factor that mediates a wide array of biological processes including sexual differentiation, spermatogenesis, and prostate cancer progression. The transcriptional activity of AR and other members of the nuclear receptor superfamily are modulated by coregulatory proteins. In this study, we have investigated the regulation of AR transcriptional activity by the silencing mediator for retinoid and thyroid hormone receptors (SMRT). We found that AR possesses an intrinsic transcriptional repression activity, and AR interacts directly with SMRT. One interacting surface on AR is mapped to the ligand-binding domain, and the presence of a DNA binding/hinge region enhances this interaction. The binding surface on SMRT is mapped to the C-terminal ID2 region, and mutation in the ID2 corepressor motif inhibits the interaction. Overexpression of SMRT inhibits dihydrotestosterone-dependent transactivation by AR and further suppresses the antiandrogen flutamide-mediated inhibition of AR activity. We provide evidence to suggest that the mechanisms of SMRT-mediated inhibition of AR activity involves inhibition of AR N/C interaction and competition with the p160 coactivator. Our data establish a significant role of SMRT in modulating AR transcriptional activity.
Nest architecture and genetic differentiation in a species complex of Australian stingless bees

We investigated the taxonomic significance of nest shape and its putative role in speciation in Trigona (Heterotrigona) carbonaria and T. (H.) hockingsi, two sibling species of stingless bee species from eastern Australia. These species are primarily distinguished by their nest architecture, as in all other respects they are nearly identical. We genotyped 130 colonies from six locations in Queensland at 13 microsatellite loci together with 106 additional colonies from six other Indo‐Pacific Trigona species. Whether they were present in allopatry or in sympatry, colonies that displayed the T. carbonaria or the T. hockingsi nest architecture could be unambiguously differentiated at the genetic level. However, T. hockingsi colonies were classifiable into two highly differentiated paraphyletic and geographically separate populations, one in northern and one in southern Queensland. These two populations probably belong to two distinct species, T. hockingsi and T. davenporti nov. sp. Our results suggest that nest architecture characters are relevant but not sufficient criteria to identify species in this group. Consequently, modifications of nest architecture are probably not of prime importance in the speciation process of Australian stingless bees, although nest architecture differences probably result from relatively simple mechanisms. The rare interspecific hybrid colonies detected did not display a nest with an intermediate form between T. hockingsi and T. carbonaria.
The Effectiveness of Family Life Cycle Variables in Consumer Expenditure Research

Traditional family life cycle, revised family life cycle, and family composition variables are compared in models predicting total family clothing expenditures. There is little difference in the predictive ability of the three sets of variables. In models controlling for socioeconomic and demographic variables, family life cycle and family composition variables have little predictive ability, independent of income.
Impact of the anesthesiologist and surgeon on cardiac surgical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of anesthesiologists, surgeons, and their monthly caseload volume on mortality after cardiac surgery. DESIGN Ten-year audit of prospectively collected cardiac surgical data. SETTING Large adult cardiothoracic hospital. PARTICIPANTS A total of 18,569 cardiac surgical patients in the decade from April 2002 through March 2012, plus 21 consultant surgeons and 29 consultant anesthesiologists. INTERVENTIONS Major risk-stratified cardiac surgical operations. METHODS The primary outcome was in-hospital death. Random intercept models for the surgeon and anesthesiologist cluster, respectively, were fitted, achieving risk-adjustment through the logistic EuroSCORE. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) subsequently was used to measure the amount of outcome variation due to clustering. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS After exclusions (duplicates, very-short-term appointments, and cases performed by more than one consultant), there were 18,426 patients with 581 (3.15%) in-hospital deaths. The overwhelming factor associated with outcome variation was the patient risk profile, accounting for 97.14% of the variation. The impact of the surgeon was small (ICC = 2.78%), and the impact of the anesthesiologist was negligible (ICC = 0.08%). Low monthly surgeon volume of surgery, adjusted for average case mix, was associated with higher risk-adjusted mortality (odds ratio = 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.98). CONCLUSIONS Outcome was determined primarily by the patient. There were small but significant differences in outcome between surgeons. The attending anesthesiologist did not affect patient outcome in this institution. Low average monthly surgeon volume was a significant risk factor. In contrast, low average monthly anesthesiologist volume had no effect.
Regulation of Tsg 101 Expression by the Steadiness Box : A Role of Tsg 101-associated Ligase

As part of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery, Tsg101 is essential for endosomal sorting, membrane receptor degradation and the final stages of cytokinesis. Depletion or overproduction of the protein can cause disruption of these vital processes and results in severe consequences for the cell. Tsg101 expression is thus controlled posttranslationally within a narrow range and this autoregulation has been mapped to the C-terminus of the protein. Here we elucidate further the mechanisms of this regulation and describe a novel function of Tsg101-associated ligase (Tal) in mediating this control. We show that Tal polyubiquitinates lysine residues in the C-terminus of uncomplexed Tsg101, resulting in proteasomal degradation. However, accessibility to these lysines is prevented by the presence of the other ESCRT-I proteins. We show that VPS28 is a limiting factor, and consequently Tsg101 expression surplus to ESCRT-I function is vulnerable to degradation. The role of Tal in the regulation of Tsg101 steady-state control is highlighted when Tsg101 is overexpressed; however, our data also suggest that additional ligases regulate Tsg101 expression under normal conditions. Lastly, we demonstrate that while the C-terminal lysines are targets for polyubiquitination, they are not required for any additional function necessary for ESCRT activity.