Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An integrated framework for quality in education: Application of quality function deployment, interpretive structural modelling and path analysis

Abstract The past decade has seen a proliferation and mushrooming of a large number of educational institutions offering professional courses. With demands for greater responsiveness and accountability on the one hand and growing competition for students and resources on the other, the educational system in India has begun to realize the significance of a qualitative orientation, and commensurate to this there have been attempts to provide for better services, with ‘delighting the customer’ being the focus of all efforts. This has resulted in the need for identifying and applying the relevant concepts of Quality Management to Education. Starting with a theoretical background, the paper outlines the results of a study conducted on the students as primary customers to obtain a perspective on the Quality of select educational institutions. The paper is aimed at identifying the design characteristics of a system that would meet the customer requirements of the student as an external customer. Based on the literature review followed by a pilot study, the various customer requirements and design characteristics were identified and thereby, the variables conceptualized. The SERVQUAL was applied to identify the gap and determine the level of service quality. Following this, Quality Function Deployment, Interpretive Structural Modelling and Path Analysis were used to identify the set of minimum design characteristics/quality components that meet the requirements of the students as an important customer.
A Learning Organization as a Mediator of Leadership Style and Firms’ Financial Performance

The purpose of this study is to examine and identify the influence of learning organization as a mediator on the relations between leadership styles (transformational, transactional and passive-avoidant) and ROA. Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5x-short) for leadership styles while Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) for learning organization testing were used in this study with data of 400 respondents from 100 firms in The Stock Exchange of Thailand 100 (SET100). The results of conceptual model by regression analysis were mostly positive: the mediators Promote inquiry, and Provide strategic (elements of learning organization) mediated partially on relationship between IC (transformational) and ROA. Moreover, the mediator Empower people (elements of learning organization) mediated partially on relationship between CR (transactional) and ROA while no (learning organization) mediated on relationship between passive-avoidant leadership style and ROA. The contributions of this study are two aspects. Practical aspect, the significance of IC, CR, and LF leadership styles effect on financial performances. Promote inquiry, Provide strategic, Empower people dimensions of learning organization mediate on relationship between IC, CR leadership styles and ROA. Understanding is upon conceptual model that examine and identify on the leadership styles, learning organization, and ROA financial performance for theoretical aspect.
EXAMINING THE CULTURAL MODERATION ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF MOBILE COMMERCE

This study identifies the cultural influences on the adoption of mobile commerce based on the comparative cases of Taiwan and Malaysia, so as to give insights to mobile operators' global entries. Using Hofstede's five cultural orientations as moderators in conjunction to Davis' technology acceptance model (TAM), the combined model has been tested by the confirmatory factor analysis for measurement validity and the multiple regression approach for the moderation effect of cultural influences on the adoption of novel mobile services. This results show that uncertainty avoidance (UA), individualism (ID), and long-term (LT) orientation have significant influences on the influence of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) regarding the adoption intentions of mobile commerce. However, the power distance (PD) and masculinity (MA) have different effects in Taiwan and Malaysia. These results not only supplement the explanation of the technology adoption, but also hold strategic implications for.
Massive Splenomegaly Is Associated With Significant Morbidity After Laparoscopic Splenectomy

Objective To evaluate the impact of spleen weight on operative and clinical outcome in a series of 108 consecutive laparoscopic splenectomies. Background Laparoscopic splenectomy as an alternative to open splenectomy for splenomegaly is regarded as controversial. Methods Patients underwent laparoscopic splenectomy for a range of hematological disorders between November 1992 and February 2000. Multiple linear and logistic regression analysis were used to assess the effect of massive splenomegaly (>1000 g) on perioperative mortality and morbidity, after adjusting for the joint effects of patient age, weight, pre- and postoperative full blood counts, operating time, estimated blood loss, conversion rate, reoperation rate, and duration of hospital stay. Results Massive splenomegaly was recorded in 27 of 108 (25%) cases. In this group, splenic weight ranged from 1000 to 4750 g (median, 2500 g). Patients with splenic weight >1000 g had a significantly longer median operating time (170 vs. 102 minutes, P < 0.01), conversion rate (5/27 vs. 4/81, P < 0.05), postoperative morbidity (15/27 vs. 4/81, P < 0.01), and median postoperative stay (5 vs. 3 days, P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis found splenic weight to be the most powerful predictor of morbidity (P < 0.01). Patients with splenomegaly (>1000 g) were 14 times likely to have post operative complications. One patient died 3 days after surgery, following a pulmonary embolus (spleen weight 500 g, mortality 1/108, 0.9%). Conclusions Laparoscopic splenectomy is feasible in patients with giant spleens. However, it is associated with greater morbidity, and the advantages of minimal access surgery in this subgroup of patients are not so clear.
How Does the Strength of the Financial Regulatory Regime Influence Auditors’ Judgments to Constrain Aggressive Reporting in a Principles-Based Versus Rules-Based Accounting Environment?

SYNOPSIS: With the movement toward adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) worldwide, a question arises as to whether the adoption of a principles-based approach, such as IFRS, will ultimately result in higher-quality financial reporting. This issue is particularly relevant because, even though for now the SEC is not adopting IFRS, the securities markets and the SEC still need to ponder the implications of a decision that may lead to the ultimate adoption of, or at least some degree of convergence with, IFRS in the U.S. To examine this issue, we employ an experiment with 97 experienced auditors as participants. Using a case setting involving the classification of a lease (operating versus capital), we manipulate the accounting standard type as rules-based or principles-based, and the regulatory regime as stronger or weaker. The lease setting is one where there are indications of management's incentives to leave the debt off of the balance sheet and, hence, engage in aggressive repor.
Do Employers Pay for Consistent Performance?: Evidence from the NBA

In a world of uncertainty in which a worker's performance is variable over time and average performance is unknown when hiring, how will employers determine compensation? The authors develop a monitoring and signaling model where information is symmetric and parties are risk neutral. Monitoring costs increase with inconsistency, lowering pay for inconsistent workers. If discrimination exists, minority workers will be rewarded less than majority workers for improving consistency. Testing these and other predictions using National Basketball Association data, the authors find that consistent professional basketball players are paid more but, in contrast to previous studies, there is no evidence of discrimination. Copyright 1998 by Oxford University Press.
Personality Trait Change across Late Childhood to Young Adulthood: Evidence for Nonlinearity and Sex Differences in Change

We explored patterns of self–reported personality trait change across late childhood through young adulthood in a sample assessed up to four times on the lower order facets of Positive Emotionality, Negative Emotionality (NEM), and Constraint (CON). Multilevel modelling analyses were used to describe both group– and individual–level change trajectories across this time span. There was evidence for nonlinear age–related change in most traits, and substantial individual differences in change for all traits. Gender differences were detected in the change trajectories for several facets of NEM and CON. Findings add to the literature on personality development by demonstrating robust nonlinear change in several traits across late childhood to young adulthood, as well as deviations from normative patterns of maturation at the earliest ages. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology
Analysing the Policy Process in Democratic Spain

Many studies of the policy process in Spain use distinct periods as an organising framework for analysis, and this approach implies that the process itself changes according to the different periods in question. However, we argue that this ‘periodisation’ approach fails to draw an appropriate distinction between policy choices and outcomes, on the one hand, and the policy process on the other. Whereas different policy choices may of course have very different consequences, these choices may not result from different processes: the outcomes should be distinguished from the causes. In seeking to explain the policy process, as opposed to policy choices and outcomes, this paper emphasises the need to look at institutional factors – in particular, the institutional design of contemporary Spanish democracy and Spain's economic model as the core explanatory variables. Only in this way can an account be provided which accommodates both core stable characteristics of the policy process as well as short-term variations in policy choices and outcome both across time and across different sectors.
Effect of Price Limits: Initial Public Offerings Versus Seasoned Equities

In this paper, we examine the effect of price limits on initial public offerings (IPOs) using Taiwanese data. On average, it takes 6.24 days for IPOs to reach their equilibrium prices in the presence of a 7% price limit. We compare IPOs with their industry- and size-matched seasoned equities (MSEs) and observe higher volatility levels on subsequent days for IPOs than for MSEs. However, the higher volatility decays within 2 days. Lower price limits interfere with trading and lead to higher trading activity on subsequent days for IPOs than for MSEs. We also observe delayed price discovery for both IPOs and MSEs. Overall, our results provide evidence about the effect of price limits on IPOs and generate important regulatory implications for countries imposing price limits on IPOs.
Investor Attention on the Social Web

Abstract We study investor attention through practitioners' tweeting behaviors. We develop formalisms of “cognitive niches,” heuristics from adaptive cognitive control, to account for the selectivity of investor attention. Using asset-specific tweets as direct measures of investor attention, we find evidence supporting contextual cognitive control, depending on asset types, investors' experience and investing approaches. We quantify attention contagion arising from the “social proof” heuristic, whereby the drawing power of the crowd in directing investor attention exceeds that of firm fundamentals. Finally, we demonstrate that different natures of investor attention (active or passive) reveals distinct patterns of trading volume, returns and volatility.
Risk of early mortality after cemented compared with cementless total hip arthroplasty: A NATIONWIDE MATCHED COHORT STUDY

Aims It has been suggested that cemented fixation of total hip arthroplasty (THA) is associated with an increased peri‐operative mortality compared with cementless THA. Our aim was to investigate this through a nationwide matched cohort study adjusting for age, comorbidity, and socioeconomic background. Patients and Methods A total of 178 784 patients with osteoarthritis who underwent either cemented or cementless THA from the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register were matched with 862 294 controls from the general population. Information about the causes of death, comorbidities, and socioeconomic background was obtained. Mortality within the first 90 days after the operation was the primary outcome measure. Results Patients who underwent cemented THA had an increased risk of death during the first 14 days compared with the controls (hazard ratio (HR) 1.3, confidence interval (CI) 1.11 to 1.44), corresponding to an absolute increase in risk of five deaths per 10 000 observations. No such early increase of risk was seen in those who underwent cementless THA. Between days 15 and 29 the risk of mortality was decreased for those with cemented THA (HR 0.7, CI 0.62 to 0.87). Between days 30 and 90 all patients undergoing THA, irrespective of the mode of fixation, had a lower risk of death than controls. Patients selected for cementless fixation were younger, healthier and had a higher level of education and income than those selected for cemented THA. A supplementary analysis of 16 556 hybrid THAs indicated that cementation of the femoral component was associated with a slight increase in mortality up to 15 days, whereas no such increase in mortality was seen in those with a cemented acetabular component combined with a cementless femoral component. Conclusion This nationwide matched cohort study indicates that patients receiving cemented THA have a minimally increased relative risk of early mortality that is reversed from day 15 and thereafter. The absolute increase in risk is very small. Our findings lend support to the idea that cementation of the femoral component is more dangerous than cementation of the acetabular component.
Varieties of Strategies: Societal Influences on British and German Responses to the Global Economic Crisis

The current global financial and economic crisis has led to widespread calls for multilateral policy co-ordination. However, national strategies towards financial market regulation and domestic stimulus programmes considerably diverge in cross-country comparison. Why do policy reactions to the crisis differ? Following a societal approach to preference formation, I argue that national strategies are strongly shaped by value-based ideas and by sectoral interests. While ideas on the role of politics in governing the economy can, for example, lean more towards trust in market forces or instead favour governmental regulation, interests may influence governmental positions according to the economic relevance of the respective sector. An analysis of the discourse and the measures regarding stimulus packages and financial market regulation in Britain and Germany supports this argument and shows that ideas as expectations, institutionalised ideas and material interests reinforced one another in influencing governmental strategies.
Lithium carbonate inducing disorders in three parameters of rat sperm

Background: Lithium has a significant impact in reducing the symptoms of bipolar mania but in long periods of use with therapeutic doses can cause several disorders in various organs including the reproductive system. In this study, the effect of lithium on the sperm concentration and motility and forms of abnormal cells has been examined. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats under the 48-day treatment with lithium carbonate at doses of 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg bw/day were kept in standard conditions. At the end of this period, sperm cells isolated from the cauda epididymis were counted, motility was estimated, and stained with smear papanicolaou stain. Results: In lithium-treated groups, the rate of spermatogenesis and sperm quality were reduced and was seen in a dose-dependent manner. Discussion: Lithium alters intracellular signaling pathways such as inositol phosphate metabolic cycle and cyclic adenosine mono phosphate (cAMP) system and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. It also interferes in the division of sex cells to produce mature sperm and showed changes in the sperm cell membrane, function, and structure.
THE ASSOCIATION OF IgA DEFICIENCY BUT NOT IgG OR IgM DEFICIENCY WITH A REDUCED PATIENT AND GRAFT SURVIVAL FOLLOWING LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

&NA; Recipients of solid organ allografts require lifelong immunosuppression in order to prevent graft rejection and to maintain graft function. In general, such immunosuppression greatly impairs the cellular immune system, as this level of the immune system is principally responsible for self and non-self recognition. The consequences of allograft transplantation in terms of patient and graft survival when transplants are given to individuals who have a preexisting humoral immune deficiency characterized by a deficiency of the serum levels of one or more of the major Ig classes have not yet been reported.From February 1, 1981 through December 31, 1990, a total of 43 adult patients with a deficiency of 1 or more Ig classes received a ABO-matched liver allograft at this institution. This sample represents 2.5% of a total of 1684 adults transplanted during this interval. These 43 liver graft recipients could be divided into 3 major groups based upon the presence of an IgG, IgM, or IgA deficiency. IgG deficiencies were defined as levels <50 mg/dl. Patient and graft survival for the IgA-deficient group was significantly reduced (P<0.04 and P<0.009, respectively) compared with both the IgG- and IgM-deficient groups. The latter two groups did not differ from controls without an Ig deficiency for these same two endpoints. The major causes of death in the IgA-deficient group were sepsis and opportunistic infection. A third of the deaths in the IgA-deficient group occurred in the perioperative period (first 30 days) while greater than 50% of the deaths occurred within the first 3 months, and all deaths occurred before the first year. Based upon these data, the following conclusions can be made: (1) serum IgA deficiency but not IgG or IgM deficiency is associated with an increased post-OLTx death and graft loss rate; (2) the majority of these deaths are due to sepsis or an opportunistic infection; and (3) most of the deaths occur early. These data suggest that recognition of a deficiency of IgA prior to organ grafting necessitates meticulous attention to the prevention of infection in the immediate perioperative period if patient and graft survival of these patients is to be improved.
Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems ( PACIS ) Summer 726-2009 IMPACT OF SYNERGY BETWEEN IT AND BUSINESS PROCESS ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE : A PERSPECTIVE OF AMBIDEXTERITY THEORY

It is imperative for a firm to possess capability to pursue dual conflict goals simultaneously, i.e., ambidexterity capability, in turbulence market environment. As a result of synergy between IT and business process, a firm is able to build its ambidexterity capability, namely, alignment between them to gain organizational alignment capability which offers the firm short-term performance on the one hand, and modularization of business process enabled by IT to gain organizational adaptation capability which offers long-term performance on the other. The ambidexterity capability can lead to higher organizational performance. Furthermore, we find that the linkage between ambidexterity capability and organizational performance is moderated by environmental turbulence. To our knowledge, ambidexterity theory is firstly employed in IS field to explicate the debate on IT value. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Influence of filler content on static properties of glass-reinforced bone cement.

A commercial acrylic bone cement was modified by the incorporation of different weight fractions of glass spheres. The influence of the filler proportion on the mechanical behavior was assessed. Composite cements were prepared by replacing part of the powder phase of the cement by an equivalent weight of glass particles, which resulted in an increase in the liquid-to-powder (L/P) ratio of the polymeric matrix. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed an increase in residual monomer content with increasing filler proportion as a consequence of the increase in L/P. Flexural, compressive, and fracture properties of the cement with varying amounts of glass particles were measured. It was found that up to 50 wt% glass particles could be added with significant increases in flexural modulus and fracture toughness. The mechanical behavior was explained in terms of both the reinforcing effect of the filler and the plasticizing effect of the monomer. Glass-filled bone cements displayed superior workability compared with the standard cement, which was attributed to a decrease in the viscosity of the initial mix and the surface characteristics of the glass particles. The observed increase in fracture toughness could be rationalized through the application of proposed mechanisms for toughening of particle-reinforced polymers.
The Regional Economic Effects of a Reduction in Carbon Emissions

Concern about climate change has led to policy to reduce CO emissions although it is likely that policy will have differential regional impacts. While regional impacts will be politically important, very little analysis of them has been carried out. This paper contributes to the analysis of this issue by building a small model involving two regions, incorporating the right to emit CO as a factor of production with the level of permitted emissions set by the national government. We argue that there is likely to be pressure on governments to use other policies to offset the possible adverse regional economic consequences of the pollution‐reduction policy; we also consider a range of such policies. Using numerical simulation, we find that a 10 per cent reduction has relatively small but regionally differentiated economic effects. Standard fiscal policies are generally ineffective or counterproductive while labour market policies are more useful in offsetting the adverse effects.
Nato burden sharing revisited

This paper revisits the NATO burden sharing debate with particular emphasis on the use of non-parametric tests that measure the equality of relative benefits and burdens. While the joint product model makes a compelling case for the equality of benefits and burdens in NATO after 1967 (as a consequence of a change in doctrine) the empirical validation of the model is not robust when using non-parametric methods. The lack of knowledge of each ally's utility function, as well as the fact that an ally may have different benefits other than the protection of its industrial base, exposed border and population to consider render the test less robust, as shown in this study. Sensitivity analysis such as the one employed in this paper should be a standard procedure when devising new proxy measures and tests for burden sharing in NATO.
Arterial spin labeling to determine tumor viability in head and neck cancer before and after treatment

To evaluate the feasibility of arterial spin‐labeling (ASL) in head and neck cancer for noninvasive measurement of tumor blood flow (TBF), by comparing 1) the TBF change before and after the treatment, and 2) posttreatment TBF and its reduction rate between residual and nonresidual tumors after treatment.