Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Linkage between Internal Marketing, Relationship Marketing and Service Quality: a Case Study of a Consulting Organization

Historically, much of the academic marketing literature has tended to focus upon satisfying the needs and requirements of customers that are external to the organization. However, over recent years, some practitioners and academics alike are beginning to re-address how we do business, considering that such a customer orientation is only likely to be effective when the firm designs the necessary structures, processes and incentives to operationalize customer-oriented values (Hartline et al. 2000). This has led to a recent plethora of work in the field of ‘Internal Marketing’ (IM). Acknowledging and accepting that marketing has traditionally focused upon external markets and customers (Gremler et al., 1994), principles that revolved around a sense of customer consciousness are now being applied within the organization. In order to conceptualize this, the organization needs to be considered as a market, where each and every employee has an internal supplier (provider) and an internal customer (‘reciprocant’) of work-related tasks (Foreman & Money, 1995; Flipo, 1986; Berry, 1984). IM embraces the notion of where employees of the firm become internal customers. As with external customers, these too have requirements that need satisfying. Thus, through management satisfying the needs of internal customers, employees become more motivated and committed to the cause, which leads to external customers being well served (Kotler, 1991). Employees are therefore considered by management as a vital resource of the firm, and that contribute to the corporate effectiveness of an organization (Christopher et al. 1991). The paper reports on some exploratory research, forming a case study of a medium sized UK consultancy group who provide project management, quantity surveying and contractual advice to the construction and process engineering industries. The research draws on literature from within the Internal, Relationship Marketing and Service Quality fields. This was used to investigate the impact of Internal Marketing on Service Quality, perceived among employees from within the firm. Although the paper focuses on one specific firm, the authors believe that the research findings and recommendations could prove useful to other firms from a wide variety of industries.
Two-dimensional alterations of myenteric plexus in jejunoileal atresia.

PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to investigate changes in the myenteric plexus associated with the dilated proximal segment of jejunoileal atresia (JA). Two-dimensional morphologic changes in the myenteric nerve plexuses were investigated using whole-mount preparation. METHODS Proximal (P) and distal (D) intestinal segments from 7 cases with JA and control (C) segments from 5 postmortem neonates were investigated. The circumference of the jejunoileal segments was measured after fixation. Antibodies for protein gene product 9.5 and neurofilament protein were used in whole-mount preparation. The sizes of neural networks were calculated by measuring the longest circular distance in a neural network (x) and the longest longitudinal distance (y), and the width of the internodal strands (i) with a videomicrometer. RESULTS Median circumference of the segments was 8.5 in P, 2.0 in D, and 2.0 cm in C. The neural networks in P were expanded longitudinally as well as circularly (x = 817.10 microm, y = 561.26, i = 31.04: median) while comparing them to those in D (x = 431.40 microm y = 288.07, i = 26.05) or C (x = 285.03 microm y = 372.20, c = 1113.57, i = 32.39). The nerve plexus was less expanded than the intestinal wall. CONCLUSIONS Proximal intestinal segments showed a restructuring that resulted in mild hypoplasia of the enteric nerve plexuses in the proximal segments. The less expansion of the myenteric nerve plexus seen in the proximal bowel in infants with JA suggests a histologic basis for the efficacy of tapering or plication of the dilated bowel.
Working Paper # 0075 Contracting with Third Parties

In the bilateral hold-up model and the moral hazard in teams model, introducing a third party allows implementation of the first-best outcome, even if the agents can renegotiate inefficient outcomes and collude. Fines paid to the third party provide incentives for truth-telling and first-best levels of investment. Our results suggest that models that provide foundations for hold-up and incomplete contracts by invoking renegotiation are sensitive to the introduction of third parties.
Demographic changes in Russia -- past and future.

Many of Russias demographic indices have changed dramatically during the last 10 years. Fertility in Russia fell below replacement level several decades ago subsequently a negative natural population increase emerged. This was predicted by population forecasts elaborated in the 1980s and accelerated by the sharp fertility decline in the 1990s. However such a decline was not specific in Russia it was typical for many European countries. As to the level of mortality and its trends the Russian position is poor compared to all the Western industrial countries. It is uncharacteristic for such countries to increase in mortality rates. Stabilization of the size of the Russian population in the first decades of the 21st century will be possible only when net migration is positive for Russia and of significant proportion. Nevertheless it is unlikely that this condition will be realized taking into consideration the economic and political realities of Russia. A decline in the size of the population is more probable.
Bypass of the pre-60S ribosomal quality control as a pathway to oncogenesis

Significance Ribosomopathies are paradoxical: They first appear as diseases caused by too few cells but later present as diseases caused by too many. Here, we show that the presence of too few cells is caused by a quality control system that eliminates mutant ribosomes before they are allowed to translate mRNAs. Genetic suppression of this quality control system increases the amount of ribosomes available to cells. However, this 60S subunit deficiency results in release of defective ribosomes into the translationally active pool. A genetic model is presented describing how these types of defects may result in cancer, resolving the ribosomopathy paradox. Ribosomopathies are a class of diseases caused by mutations that affect the biosynthesis and/or functionality of the ribosome. Although they initially present as hypoproliferative disorders, such as anemia, patients have elevated risk of hyperproliferative disease (cancer) by midlife. Here, this paradox is explored using the rpL10-R98S (uL16-R98S) mutant yeast model of the most commonly identified ribosomal mutation in acute lymphoblastic T-cell leukemia. This mutation causes a late-stage 60S subunit maturation failure that targets mutant ribosomes for degradation. The resulting deficit in ribosomes causes the hypoproliferative phenotype. This 60S subunit shortage, in turn, exerts pressure on cells to select for suppressors of the ribosome biogenesis defect, allowing them to reestablish normal levels of ribosome production and cell proliferation. However, suppression at this step releases structurally and functionally defective ribosomes into the translationally active pool, and the translational fidelity defects of these mutants culminate in destabilization of selected mRNAs and shortened telomeres. We suggest that in exchange for resolving their short-term ribosome deficits through compensatory trans-acting suppressors, cells are penalized in the long term by changes in gene expression that ultimately undermine cellular homeostasis.
Characterization of the biological and biochemical activities of F 11782 and the bisdioxopiperazines, ICRF-187 and ICRF-193, two types of topoisomerase II catalytic inhibitors with distinctive mechanisms of action

F 11782 is a newly identified catalytic inhibitor of topoisomerases I and II, without any detectable interaction with DNA. This study aimed to establish whether its catalytic inhibition of topoisomerase II was mediated by mechanisms similar to those identified for the bisdioxopiperazines. In vitro combinations of F 11782 with etoposide resulted in greater than additive cytotoxicity in L1210 cells, contrasting with marked antagonism for combinations of etoposide with either ICRF-187 or ICRF-193. All three compounds caused a G2/M blockade of P388 cells after an 18-h incubation, but by 40 h polyploidization was evident only with the bisdioxopiperazines. Gel retardation data revealed that only F 11782, and not the bisdioxopiperazines, was capable of completely inhibiting the DNA-binding activity of topoisomerase II, confirming its novel mechanism of action. Furthermore, unlike ICRF-187 and ICRF-193, the cytotoxicity of F 11782 appeared mediated, at least partially, by DNA damage induction in cultured GCT27 human teratoma cells, as judged by a fluorescence-enhancement assay and monitoring p53 activation. Finally, the major in vivo antitumor activity ofF 11782 against the murine P388 leukemia (i.v. implanted) and the B16 melanoma (s.c. grafted) contrasted with the bisdioxopiperazines' general lack of activity. Overall, F 11782 and the bisdioxopiperazines appear to function as quite distinctive catalytic topoisomerase II inhibitors.
Investment in Greek manufacturing under irreversibility and uncertainty: the message in used capital expenditures

This article contributes to the existing literature by showing that uncertainty produces a nonuniform impact to the extent that different types of capital goods exhibit heterogeneous irreversibility, which we define as asset-specific irreversibility. Hence, asset-specific irreversibility is responsible for asymmetries in responses across types of capital goods to uncertainty. We also show that for a given type of capital good, uncertainty produces a variety of responses across sectors, which we define sector-specific irreversibility. In other words, sectoral differences in terms of the ability to substitute a given type of capital with labour, introduce a second-order effect of uncertainty on investment.
Contingent payments and debt contracts

N An important element in the design of securities is the structuring of the stream of payments associated with the securities. In the case of debt securities, there are various possibilities. Potentially, the stream of periodic coupon payments over the life of a debt security can be made contingent on the accounting earnings of the issuing corporation in each period as with income bonds (IBs); or they can be fixed as with standard fixed-coupon bonds (FCBs); or there can be only one payment at the end as with zero-coupon bonds (ZCBs). Debt securities with all of the above three payment structures have been issued. In practice, however, most corporate debt carries a fixed coupon. Corporate reluctance to issue the other two types of debt securities has long puzzled academic researchers as well as professionals. Adding to the puzzle are the facts that (i) the technology to issue all these securities exists; (ii) income bonds are widely credited with a number of advantages over fixed-coupon debt; and (iii) there appears to be investor demand, particularly for zero-coupon bonds. In this paper, we investigate this puzzle and offer a possible resolution. Income Bonds. An income bond is a debt instrument with the distinguishing characteristic that coupons are paid only if earnings are sufficiently high. Failure to make periodic coupon payments entails no risk of bankruptcy.1 A previous version of this paper carried the title "Security Design and Equilibrium Refinements: Implications for Debt Packaging. " Jayant R. Kale acknowledges research support from the College of Business Administration Research Council, Georgia State University. The authors have benefited from discussions with Tom Noe and from the comments
The Global Financial and Economic Crisis

The Problem The Global Financial and Economic Crisis1 starting in 2007 and its resultant impact has called into question the contribution of Human Resource Development (HRD) strategies and practices to the crisis. With its primary focus on the development of human resources, it could be argued that HRD aligned itself too closely with the strategic goals of organizations, often times profit centric, and failed to provide leaders with the skills, knowledge, and values required to question the decisions made by organizations in the pursuit of profit goals and the development of a culture of risk taking. The Solution Utilizing Cognitive Appraisal Theory (CAT), this article draws on the official reports and public inquiry hearings in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland into the financial crisis and finds that HRD strategies, practices, and processes are factors which may have contributed to a culture of excessive risk taking and ineffective decision making. We outline the implications for HRD theory and practice. The Stakeholders The research findings inform a multiplicity of stakeholders including organizational behaviorists, social psychologists, government bodies, educational organizations, and scholars researching strategic HRD in organizations.
Structural studies of the C‐terminal 19‐peptide of serum amyloid A and its Pro→Ala variants interacting with human cystatin C

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a multifunctional acute‐phase protein whose concentration in serum increases markedly following a number of chronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Prolonged high SAA level may give rise to reactive systemic amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, where the N‐terminal segment of SAA is deposited as amyloid fibrils. Besides, recently, well‐documented association of SAA with high‐density lipoprotein or glycosaminoglycans, in particular heparin/heparin sulfate (HS), and specific interaction between SAA and human cystatin C (hCC), the ubiquitous inhibitor of cysteine proteases, was proved. Using a combination of selective proteolytic excision and high‐resolution mass spectrometry, a hCC binding site in the SAA sequence was determined as SAA(86–104). The role of this SAA C‐terminal fragment as a ligand‐binding locus is still not clear. It was postulated important in native SAA folding and in pathogenesis of AA amyloidosis. In the search of conformational details of this SAA fragment, we did its structure and affinity studies, including its selected double/triple Pro→Ala variants. Our results clearly show that the SAA(86–104) 19‐peptide has rather unordered structure with bends in its C‐terminal part, which is consistent with the previous results relating to the whole protein. The results of affinity chromatography, fluorescent ELISA‐like test, CD and NMR studies point to an importance of proline residues on structure of SAA(86–104). Conformational details of SAA fragment, responsible for hCC binding, may help to understand the objective of hCC–SAA complex formation and its importance for pathogenesis of reactive amyloid A amyloidosis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Do Local Landscape Patterns Affect the Demand for Landscape Amenities Protection

Agricultural support is increasingly flowing into the maintenance and improvement of landscape quality. While variations in the demand for landscape protection have been successfully attributed to variations in socio-economic characteristics, the effect of the local landscape setting as a potential determinant of environmental preferences has received less attention. A framework is formulated that describes public support for regional landscape protection as a function of socio-economic variables and land use patterns. Models are then estimated using detailed local land use statistics and voting records from a referendum on increasing public funding for local landscape amenities protection in the Swiss canton of Zurich. The land use variables represent proportions of open landscape and landscape features that are viewed as particularly valuable for aesthetic and other reasons. Cross-sectional estimation results suggest that attitudes towards public landscape protection are indeed strongly associated with the local landscape. Approval for protection programmes increased with local scarcity of open space and with the presence of high-amenity landscape features. Comparison with referendum outcomes on a national-level environmental issue suggests that the positive association with high-amenity landscape features may be partly attributable to individuals' self-selection of residency.
Strategic Choice of Quality When Quality is Costly: The Persistence of the High-Quality Advantage

In a two-firm, two-stage model of vertical product differentiation, I show that for every convex fixed-cost function of quality, the firm that chooses the higher quality at the first stage earns the higher profits. The result holds for the pure-strategy equilibrium in the simultaneous-quality game, and it holds as well if firms choose their qualities in sequential order.
Teaching Public Goods Theory With a Classroom Game

The author extends the work of Holt and Laury (1997) on a simple noncomputerized card game for teaching the essential aspects of public goods theory. He suggests a course of several lectures and discusses the behavior of subjects in various game sessions. Among other things, the results provide experimental evidence with respect to the private provision of public goods. Other aspects discussed include anomalous behavior patterns and a critical review of the game. He provides student exercises in the appendix.
Learning in governance : the role of policy entrepreneurs in European climate policy integration

Learning is frequently regarded as facilitating factor for policy outcomes across multiple levels of governance. Learning however competes with alternative explanations such as bargaining, actor’s interests and organisational objectives. This thesis examines from an institutional perspective the link between individual learning of policymakers and learning among governmental institutions and analyses to what extent learning matters for the policy outcome. It finds that policy entrepreneurs play a key role in transferring learning to the organisational level and in achieving policy outcomes. The empirical focus is on learning in climate policy integration, which carries increasing importance for effective environmental governance as it can help create synergies for economic development and climate mitigation. The European Union is a frontrunner in integrating climate objectives into energy, transport and agriculture policy via regulatory instruments setting overall targets and conditioning financial resources upon compliance. This thesis uses qualitative methods to examine learning in the policymaking aspects of climate policy integration at the examples of the Renewable Energy Directive, its controversial biofuels component and the greening measures in the Common Agricultural Policy. This research makes several original contributions to the agency aspects of environmental governance: the meta-theoretical framework on learning allows a more nuanced analysis of what learning aspects occur in governance such as knowledge- and experience-based learning versus changes in different types of underlying beliefs. It also allows determining the extent to which a policy outcome results from learning or alternative explanations. This contribution clarifies the under-researched link between the learning individual, changes in beliefs and the factors hindering learning from being transferred to the organisational level where policy decisions are made. Policy outcomes resulted predominantly from policy entrepreneurs using previously acquired knowledge and experience to achieve a policy outcome aligned with their pre-formed deeper beliefs and policy objectives. Overall, the thesis provides a fresh perspective on the relevance of learning in the policymaking process and of bureaucrats as policy entrepreneurs.
‘Episodes’ or ‘Evolution’

This article begins by looking more closely at a debate now widely forgotten—that of liberalisation under Rajiv Gandhi in 1985–86. It is widely assumed this earlier attempt to liberalise the economy was only short-lived and 1991 marks the true turning point in policy reform. This article finds that arguments trying to simultaneously reconcile stalled liberalisation in 1985 with sustained liberalisation after 1991 (elite politics, reform by stealth, clever political management, elite psychology) do not convince. This article seeks to demonstrate that 1991 marked not a break but a continuation of liberalising economic policies. By shifting liberalisation back well before the structural break in growth (widely acknowledged to have occurred around 1980) its candidature as an explanation for that increase in growth needs again to be carefully considered.
Interpreting the von Bertalanffy model of somatic growth in fishes: the cost of reproduction

We develop a model for somatic growth in fishes that explicitly allows for the energy demand imposed by reproduction. We show that the von Bertalanffy (VB) equation provides a good description of somatic growth after maturity, but not before. We show that the parameters of the VB equation are simple functions of age at maturity and reproductive investment. We use this model to show how the energy demands for both growth and reproduction trade off to determine optimal life–history traits. Assuming that both age at maturity and reproductive investment adapt to variations in adult mortality to maximize lifetime offspring production, our model predicts that: (i) the optimal age of maturity is inversely related to adult mortality rate; (ii) the optimal reproductive effort is approximately equal to adult mortality rate. These predictions are consistent with observed variations in the life–history traits of a large sample of iteroparous freshwater fishes.