Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Marketing Efficiency among Small-Holder Cocoa Marketers in Oyo State, Nigeria

This study examines the factors influencing marketing efficiency among small-holder cocoa marketers in Oyo State, Nigeria. Since there is no alternative to increasing productivity of small scale agriculture if significant progress is to be made in solving problems of food scarcity and absolute poverty among the rural Nigeria than to adopt a holistic approach of ensuring growth in agricultural sector such as to create a demand for the products and services emanating from this sector. Data were collected from 100 randomly sampled farmers with the aid of well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, table and percentages, marketing efficiency and regression model were used for the data analysis. The regression result showed that semi-log was the lead equation with R 2 value of 0.67 indicating that 67% of the independent variables included in the model explained the variation in marketing efficiency of cocoa marketers. The coefficients of age, household size, cooperatives, selling price and credit were positively significantly and influenced marketing efficiency of cocoa at 1%, 5%, 10%, 5% and 5% respectively while educational level is negatively significant at 1%. The identified problems in cocoa marketing in the study area include pest and disease, inadequate storage facilities, price instability, high transportation cost, poor infrastructure, high taxation, absence of strong marketing board, low access to finance and low patronage. The opportunities which exist for mitigating these problems include: promoting commercialization of small scale cocoa marketing in the study area through linkage of the processor and marketers to financial institutions and funding, support to service providers and institutions. Government should create cocoa marketing department within the ministry of commerce, prescribe appropriate rules and regulations. They should also encourage cooperative societies and make cocoa marketing board functional to ensure greater efficiency in marketing hence aids agriculture development.
INTEGRATION IN THE GLOBAL SOURCING ORGANIZATION — AN INFORMATION PROCESSING PERSPECTIVE

Global sourcing refers to the integration of decision making across worldwide purchasing units within a multinational corporation (MNC). In order to manage the integration challenge, firms have a number of tools, varying from centralization and formalization to cross-locational teams. In this paper, we focus on explaining how and why to integrate in different circumstances. The aim of this paper is to complement prior research on global sourcing organizations, which is still rather scarce and more exploratory in nature. By extending the arguments of the information processing perspective of organizations to the global sourcing context, we seek to propel a theoretical discussion on integration in the global sourcing organization. Based on the results of 12 case studies in three MNCs, we propose that integration approaches in global sourcing organizations vary depending on the three contingencies of category characteristics, supply environment characteristics and interdependence of the purchasing units.
Interlinear or inscription? A comparative study of Chinese and American mall shoppers’ behavior

This study compares the mall shopping behavior of Chinese and US consumers. Marked differences wee found between the two populations in their shopping motives, criteria for selecting the mall, and shopping behaviors. Unlike US shoppers, who visited the mall with diverse reasons, Chinese mall visits were driven, first and foremost, by purchase. However, Chinese shoppers were cautious about spending and less likely to make purchases during their shopping trip. More importantly, they were more immune to situational factors in their purchase decisions than their US counterparts. The paper also discusses marketing implications of these findings and future research directions.
Random Walks and Random Spanning Trees

We explore algorithms for generating random spanning trees. We first study an algorithm that was developed independently by David Alduous [1] and Andrei Broder [2]. The algorithm uses a a simple random walk in which edges that correspond to the first visit to vertices are added to the spanning tree. Analysis was inspired by Andrei Broder’s paper. Additionally, we study an algorithm by David Wilson [5] that uses loop-erased random walks and employs a clever cycle-popping proof.
IFRS Adoption, Firm Traits and Audit Timeliness: Evidence from Nigeria

Audit timeliness is an important ingredient of quality financial reporting. Stale information might only benefit little to stakeholders in their decision making process. With the recent adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards in Nigeria, the work of the auditor has seemingly become complicated. The question then emerges, if such adoption affects the timeliness of audit reports. This study empirically investigates the impact of IFRS adoption and other associated explanatory variables on audit timeliness in Nigerian deposit money banks for the period 2010 to 2013. Panel regression analysis reveals a positive significant impact of IFRS adoption on audit timeliness. Results also indicate that firm age, firm size and auditor firm type are significant predictors of audit timeliness in Nigeria deposit money banks. The study recommends that auditor firms should make stringent efforts to acclimatize with the complexities of the IFRS transition process so as to reduce audit report delays. Also reporting agencies should come up with regulations, deadlines and benchmarks for issuance of independent audit reports.
Nutritional Evaluation of Processed Jatropha curcas Kernel Meals: Effect on Growth Performance of Broiler Chicks

This study was conducted to determine the growth performance of broiler chicks fed differently processed (Raw Defatted Meal RDM, Toasted Defatted Meal TDM, Cooked Defatted Meal CDM, Lye Defatted Meal LDM and Sand Roasted Defatted Meal ZRDM) Jatropha curcas kernel meals. The feeding trial lasted for 21 days. 180 day-old Marshal strain unsexed broiler chicks were used for this experiment. There were 6 dietary treatments of 30 birds per treatment and 3 replicate of 10 birds each in a complete randomized design. Each differently processed Jatropha curcas kernel meals were used to replace one-third of the soybean meal in the control diet. Data on average daily feed intake (ADFI) of birds fed control (D1) was significantly (P 0.05). Birds fed the D6 diet had the highest total mortality rate (P<0.05) from others except for those fed with the D5 diet which had a similar mortality rate. The result suggests that the processing methods improves the nutrients, however, heat treatments reduced the antinutrients with minimal effect on the saponin and phorbol esters present in the Jatropha curcas kernel meals, which resulted in low feed intake in the diets 2-6. ADFI, ADWG, FGR and total mortality were adversely affected by the dietary treatments as observed by the depressed growth rate and high mortality in birds fed Jatropha curcas meals. However, further experiment should be carried out to examine the performance of broiler chicks on bio-treated samples of the processed Jatropha curcas kernel meals.
You Can't Put a Price Tag on A Survey Participant's Enjoyment

The article examines the use of Internet surveys in advertising research. The enhancement of the entertainment value of surveys as a means of improving the motivation of consumers to participate in and engage with them is considered. Research on survey respondents indicating that consumers who found surveys enjoyable were willing to take longer surveys and maintain their level of attention, this improving data quality, is examined. Attributes of surveys said by respondents to provide enjoyment are discussed including fostering a sense of community, having topics of interest and the belief of the respondent that his or her participation was of value.
A customized measure of service quality in the UAE

Purpose – The concerns of service quality may differ from one country to another. It is therefore crucial to develop measures of service quality that are pertinent to the country and culture where the service is offered. This paper proposes developing a measure of service quality in the UAE and then testing this measure in UAE conventional and Islamic banks.Design/methodology/approach – The components of service quality were developed through a brainstorming and sorting exercise. Based on the results of this exercise, the authors developed a 30‐item questionnaire comprising the five dimensions of SERVQUAL and two other dimensions called values and image. The questionnaire was distributed to customers of UAE conventional and Islamic banks in Dubai and Sharjah. Factor analysis of the responses resulted in four dimensions. The reliability and predictive validity of these dimensions were confirmed. Finally separate regression models were developed for conventional and Islamic banks. These models were analyzed.
Dermoscopy, confocal laser microscopy, and hi‐tech evaluation of vascular skin lesions: diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives

Vascular skin lesions comprise a wide and heterogeneous group of malformations and tumors that can be correctly diagnosed based on natural history and physical examination. However, considering the high incidence of such lesions, a great number of them can be misdiagnosed. In addition, it is not so rare that an aggressive amelanotic melanoma can be misdiagnosed as a vascular lesion. In this regard, dermoscopy and confocal laser microscopy examination can play a central role in increasing the specificity of the diagnosis of such lesions. In fact, the superiority of these tools over clinical examination has encouraged dermatologists to adopt these devices for routine clinical practice, with a progressive spread of their use. In this review, we will go through the dermoscopic and the confocal laser microscopy of diagnosis of most frequent vascular lesions (i.e., hemangiomas angiokeratoma, pyogenic granuloma, angiosarcoma) taking into particular consideration the differential diagnosis with amelanotic melanoma.
Marketer Acculturation: The Changer and the Changed

Adapting to consumers from another culture is a quintessential task for marketers in the global marketplace. This research investigates marketers’ processes of multicultural learning and adaptation using ethnographic methods in a longitudinal study of an ethnic marketplace in the United States. The authors derive an empirical model of individual marketer acculturation that consists of learning and translation processes, adaptation strategies, and their outcomes. The findings indicate that marketers serve as bicultural mediators, both accommodating their consumers and working to alter their consumption patterns to bring them into line with their own ethnic and larger U.S. national market customs. Marketers’ adaptation to the cultural characteristics and needs of their clientele results in changes to themselves, their firms, consumers, and, ultimately, the marketplace. The authors contribute to a theoretical understanding of the complex dialectical relationships between marketers and consumers, which together constitute culture in the contemporary marketplace.
Multiarchitectonic and stereotactic atlas of the human thalamus

To improve anatomical definition and stereotactic precision of thalamic targets in neurosurgical treatments of chronic functional disorders, a new atlas of the human thalamus has been developed. This atlas is based on multiarchitectonic parcellation in sections parallel or perpendicular to the standard intercommissural reference plane. The calcium‐binding proteins parvalbumin (PV), calbindin D‐28K (CB), and calretinin (CR) were used as neurochemical markers to further characterize thalamic nuclei and delimit subterritories of functional significance for stereotactic explorations. Their overall distribution reveals a subcompartmentalization of thalamic nuclei into several groups. Predominant PV immunostaining characterizes primary somatosensory, visual and auditory nuclei, the ventral lateral posterior nucleus, reticular nucleus (R), and to a lesser degree also, lateral part of the centre médian nucleus, and anterior, lateral, and inferior divisions of the pulvinar complex. In contrast, CB immunoreactivity is prevalent in medial thalamic nuclei (intralaminar and midline), the posterior complex, ventral posterior inferior nucleus, the ventral lateral anterior nucleus, ventral anterior, and ventral medial nuclei. The complementary distributions of PV and CB appear to correlate with distinct lemniscal and spinothalamic somatosensory pathways and to cerebellar and pallidal motor territories, respectively. Calretinin, while overlapping with CB in medial thalamic territories, is also expressed in R and limbic associated anterior group nuclei that contain little or no CB.
Comparing the Mobile Device Security Behavior of College Students and Information Technology Professionals

Mobile devices are now a standard part of both personal and workplace information technology (IT) usage. However, they introduce a variety of security concerns that users are failing to address. This article examines and compares the security preparedness of 227 IT and non-IT college students about to enter the workforce and 83 predominately non-security-focused IT professionals. Results indicate that all groups put their data and connected networks at risk by failing to properly secure their personal mobile devices. Suggestions include organizational mobile device security policies and mobile device security awareness and training for both current and incoming employees.
Adoption of travel e‐shopping in the UK

Purpose – This study aims to explore consumers' adoption of internet shopping in the context of UK travel services. The key objective is to identify the profile of internet shoppers and the antecedents of internet shopping adoption for travel services.Design/methodology/approach – The paper includes evidence and findings from an online survey questionnaire distributed to existing travel e‐shoppers in the UK via their e‐mail address. Drawing upon Davis' technology acceptance model (TAM), the study proposes a model for the prediction of internet shopping adoption, with inclusions of personal and cognitive influence. The model identifies the structural relationships among eight constructs, which were examined through structural equation modelling.Findings – The results of this study yield evidence that previous technology acceptance and diffusion research, and specifically the significant body of work based on the TAM, may serve as a foundation for much needed research into consumers' adoption of internet‐re.
Effective Listening Teaching Students a Critical Marketing Skill

Listening is a skill critical for success in many marketing activities, especially personal selling. In this study, listening instruction and practice were presented to 598 business students in the classroom setting. Pre- and post-instruction testing revealed significant improvement in students' ability to overcome distractions, detect central ideas, and evaluate the message; no significant improvement occurred in the ability to control the emotional reaction to a message. In contrast to other studies, mean scores of males and females showed no difference. The results are especially important for skill building in the field of marketing education. Sales, consumer research, and advertising all rely on an ability to take the perspective of the potential buyer, and insight into that perspective is often gained through the ability to listen effectively.
ROOT ULTRAVIOLET B-SENSITIVE1/WEAK AUXIN RESPONSE3 Is Essential for Polar Auxin Transport in Arabidopsis1[W][OA]

The growth phenotype of the rus1/wxr3 mutant is related to a defect in auxin transport caused by decreased accumulation of auxin transporters. The phytohormone auxin regulates virtually every aspect of plant development. To identify new genes involved in auxin activity, a genetic screen was performed for Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants with altered expression of the auxin-responsive reporter DR5rev:GFP. One of the mutants recovered in the screen, designated as weak auxin response3 (wxr3), exhibits much lower DR5rev:GFP expression when treated with the synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and displays severe defects in root development. The wxr3 mutant decreases polar auxin transport and results in a disruption of the asymmetric auxin distribution. The levels of the auxin transporters AUXIN1 and PIN-FORMED are dramatically reduced in the wxr3 root tip. Molecular analyses demonstrate that WXR3 is ROOT ULTRAVIOLET B-SENSITIVE1 (RUS1), a member of the conserved Domain of Unknown Function647 protein family found in diverse eukaryotic organisms. Our data suggest that RUS1/WXR3 plays an essential role in the regulation of polar auxin transport by maintaining the proper level of auxin transporters on the plasma membrane.
A Two-Dimensional Approach in Examining IPO Behaviour in the Immediate Aftermarket: Malaysian Evidence

This paper examines the IPO anomalous behavior in the immediate aftermarket from two dimensions; initial return and flipping activity. In light of the commencement of lockup provision in May 1999 to displace the profit guarantee on issuing companies, this study examines the effect of both extent and length of the lockup provision on the behavior of the IPOs in the immediate aftermarket. Employing data of 383 Malaysian IPOs from January 2000 to December 2013, this study finds that both dimensions of lockup provision influence flipping activity via its committing role. The results implies that while initial returns are not affected by the imposition of lockup provision, the provision does play an effective role in restricting flipping activity of Malaysian IPOs.
A Twisted Flux Rope Model for Coronal Mass Ejections and Two-Ribbon Flares

We present a new approach to the theory of large-scale solar eruptive phenomena such as coronal mass ejections and two-ribbon flares, in which twisted flux tubes play a crucial role. We show that it is possible to create a highly nonlinear three-dimensional force-free configuration consisting of a twisted magnetic flux rope representing the magnetic structure of a prominence (surrounded by an overlaying, almost potential, arcade) and exhibiting an S-shaped structure, as observed in soft X-ray sigmoid structures. We also show that this magnetic configuration cannot stay in equilibrium and that a considerable amount of magnetic energy is released during its disruption. Unlike most previous models, the amount of magnetic energy stored in the configuration prior to its disruption is so large that it may become comparable to the energy of the open field.
Complexity of Generalized Satisfiability Counting Problems

Abstract The class of generalized satisfiability problems, introduced in 1978 by Schaefer, presents a uniform way of studying the complexity of satisfiability problems with special conditions. The complexity of each decision and counting problem in this class depends on the involved logical relations. In 1979, Valiant defined the class #P, the class of functions definable as the number of accepting computations of a polynomial-time nondeterministic Turing machine. Clearly, all satisfiability counting problems belong to this class #P. We prove a Dichotomy Theorem for generalized satisfiability counting problems. That is, if all logical relations involved in a generalized satisfiability counting problem are affine then the number of satisfying assignments of this problem can be computed in polynomial time, otherwise this function is #P-complete. This gives us a comparison between decision and counting generalized satisfiability problems. We can determine exactly the polynomial satisfiability decision problems whose number of solutions can be computed in polynomial time and also the polynomial satisfiability decision problems whose counting counterparts are already #P-complete. Moreover, taking advantage of a similar dichotomy result proved in 1978 by Schaefer for generalized satisfiability decision problems, we get as a corollary the implication that the counting counterpart of each NP-complete generalized satisfiability decision problem is #P-complete.
Environmental tobacco smoke and coronary heart disease in the American Cancer Society CPS-II cohort.

BACKGROUND Thirteen of 14 epidemiological studies have shown an increased risk of approximately 20% for coronary heart disease (CHD) for never-smokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), but this association remains controversial. If true, ETS might account for an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 heart disease deaths per year in the United States. METHODS AND RESULTS We have conducted the largest study to date, a prospective study of 353,180 female and 126,500 male never-smokers enrolled in 1982 in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II and followed through 1989. Analyses focused on subcohorts of 309,599 married pairs and of 135,237 subjects concordant for self-reported exposure and exposure reported by each one's spouse. More than 2800 CHD deaths (ICD 410-414) occurred among married pairs; 10% of married men and 28% of married women were married to currently smoking spouses, while 10% and 32%, respectively, were married to former smokers. After controlling for many cardiovascular risk factors, we found 22% higher CHD mortality (rate ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.40) among never-smoking men married to currently smoking wives compared with those married to wives who had never smoked. The corresponding rate ratio for women was 1.10 (0.96 to 1.27). Never-smokers living with former smokers showed no increased risk. When analyses were restricted to subjects whose ETS exposure was classified via both their own self-report and a spouse's report, the rate ratio was 1.23 (1.03 to 1.47) for currently exposed men and 1.19 (0.97 to 1.45) for women. CONCLUSIONS Results are consistent with prior reports that never-smokers currently exposed to ETS have about 20% higher CHD death rates. However, our data do not show consistent dose-response trends and are possibly subject to confounding by unmeasured risk factors.
Organizational climate and employees' commitment: a study of the pakistani knitwear industry

This mixed method study investigated the relationship between the dimensions of organizational climate and organizational commitment in the Pakistani knitwear industry. The quantitative data was collected from almost 85 organizations in Pakistan (Lahore and Faisalabad). Of the 415 questionnaires 353 were found to be valid, which is a useable response rate of 74%. The qualitative data was collected through 20 semistructured interviews from CEOs and senior official, who were working in the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturing Association (PHMA) and also managing their knitwear concerns. The results of the data showed statistically significant correlations between organizational climate and employees� commitment. This is the first study on employee related issues in the Pakistani knitwear industry, therefore, will have strong implications for the literature of organizational commitment in developing countries. The recommendations gained from this study will help to understand the critical issues of employee development at the workplace. This may results in improving the working environment and productivity in the organization.