Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inter‐firm customer knowledge sharing in logistics services: an empirical study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine customer knowledge sharing between a buyer of a logistics service and the logistics service provider (LSP). The authors attempt to fill the gap in current research by investigating inter‐firm customer knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approach – A survey study was conducted. Data were collected from buyers of logistic services. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression were used to analyze data and test hypotheses.Findings – Results suggest that open and fluent communication mediates the relationship between customer knowledge sharing and satisfaction with a logistics service provider. In addition, the close relationship with the logistics service provider is needed to strengthen the relationship between customer knowledge sharing and satisfaction with the logistics service provider.Research limitations/implications – This study provided new empirical evidence concerning inter‐firm customer knowledge sharing. The authors suggest that logistic.
LCA Options for Sustainable Governance Assessed

This paper describes and analyses challenges for the further development of Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) and other LCA-related tools from a governance perspective, considering their application context in policy and business and the linkages between policy and science. It will be investigated how LCA can be further developed to make it more relevant for supporting both public and private applications in a “new governance” framework. The paper furthermore attempts to elaborate what environmental information is required in sustainability-oriented decision-making, and how the relevant information for sustainability decision-making can be supplied. This applies to different levels of policies, ranging from specific environmental to broader sustainability policies as well as product policy, technology policy and innovation policy. The paper has been developed as part of the international research project “CALCAS co-ordination action for innovation in life-cycle analysis for sustainability”.
Analysis of Cowpea Production under the National Programme on Food Security in Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Nigeria

Attempt was made to analyze cowpea production under the phase 1 of the National Special Programme on Food Security in Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, north western Nigeria. Information was collected from 45 randomly selected cowpea farmers by the use of structured interview questions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, marginal analysis, farm budgeting and OLS multiple regression techniques. Analysis of the data revealed that the resource allocative efficiencies vary widely, ranging between 0.04 and 34.61 with a mean resource efficiency of 4.23, which implies that factor inputs were under – utilized in the area. Farmers obtained an average gross income of N1, 720.67/ha and N26, 079.66/ha with a return on investment of 44% in the adopted cowpea – millet and cowpea- sorghum-pearl millet cropping systems. The major problems faced by the cowpea farmers include insect-attack on field, inadequate supply of insecticides, intermittent drought and inadequate credit. Recommendations drawn from the knowledge acquired from the study were highlighted.
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in and around Tirupati, India.

The prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites of buffaloes was studied in and around Tirupati of Andra Pradesh for a period of one year through coprological examination. A total of 694 buffaloes were examined; among them, 279 (40.20%) buffaloes were found infected with one or more species of gastro-intestinal parasites. Ten species of gastro-intestinal parasites were identifi ed; of them, seven species were helminthes, namely, Amphistome, Fasciola, Strongyles, Strongyloides, Toxocara, Trichuris, Moniezia spp. and two species were protozoa, namely, Buxtonella, Eimeria and Entamoeba spp. Amphistomes were predominant (15.42%) followed by Strongyles (6.19%). Among the gastro-intestinal parasites mixed infection was common (3.17%). In this study, prevalence of parasites in relation to age and seasonal dynamics was also studied. Signifi cantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites was observed in the rainy season followed by the summer and winter seasons. In the age groups, adults (above 1 year) were most (p<0.05) susceptible to gastro-intestinal parasites. Based on the results on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in buffaloes it is obligatory to follow integrated strategies and measures to control gastrointestinal parasitic infections in buffaloes in and around Tirupati.
Household Portfolios in Italy

We provide a detailed account of the portfolio of Italian households and its evolution, using repeated cross-sectional and panel data drawn from the 1989-98 Bank of Italy Survey of Household Income and Wealth. We offer an in-depth description of the lifetime pattern of asset holdings and their composition, the degree of asset diversification, and the propensity to invest in risky assets. The data also allow us to address some more fundamental issues on the determinants of household portfolios. We look at portfolio mobility and elaborate on the relevance of entry and exit costs. We also provide new evidence on the effect of income risk and information acquisition on portfolio choice.
Permanence and extinction of non-autonomous Lotka-Volterra facultative systems with jump-diffusion

Using stochastic differential equations with Levy jumps, this paper studies the effect of environmental stochasticity and random catastrophes on the permanence of Lotka-Volterra facultative systems. Under certain simple assumptions, we establish the sufficient conditions for weak permanence in the mean and extinction of the non-autonomous system, respectively. In particular, a necessary and sufficient condition for permanence and extinction of autonomous system with jump-diffusion are obtained. We generalize some former results under weaker assumptions. Finally, we discuss the biological implications of the main results.
Meeting or Beating Management Forecasts: Implications for Managerial Talent

This study explores whether meeting or beating management forecasts is indicative of managerial talent. We find that the market reacts positively when firms meet or beat their management forecasts after controlling for meeting or beating analyst forecasts and management forecast errors. Further analyses reveal that firms meeting or beating management forecasts perform better in the future and are more likely to retain their CEOs. These findings suggest that meeting or beating management forecasts provides information on managerial talent, which is valued by investors. Next, we examine when management forecasts are distinct from analyst forecasts with respect to their indication of managerial talent. We find that the market premiums from meeting or beating management forecasts are positively associated with both firm-specific uncertainty and managers’ firm-specific information advantages, while the market premiums from meeting or beating analyst forecasts are positively associated with analysts’ macro-level information advantages.
Trade Complexity and Productivity

We exploit a panel dataset of Hungarian firms merged with product-level trade data for the period 1992-2003 to investigate the relation between firms' trading activities (importing, exporting or both) and productivity. We find important self-selection effects of the most productive firms induced by the existence of heterogeneous sunk costs of trade, for both importers and exporters. We relate these sunk costs of trade to the relationship-specific nature of the trade activities, entailing a certain degree of technological and organizational complexity. We also show that, to the extent that imports and exports are correlated within firms, failing to control for the importing activity leads to overstated average productivity premia of exporters.
Changes in growth and sleep across school nights, weekends and a winter holiday period in two Australian schools

ABSTRACT Studies suggest that there may be an association between sleep and growth; however, the relationship is not well understood. Changes in biology and external factors such as school schedule heavily impact the sleep of adolescents, during a critical phase for growth. This study assessed the changes in sleep across school days, weekends and school holidays, while also measuring height and weight changes, and self-reported alterations in food intake and physical activity. The impact of morningness–eveningness (M-E) on height change and weight gain was also investigated. In a sample of 63 adolescents (mean age = 13.13, SD = 0.33, 31 males) from two independent schools in South Australia, height and weight were measured weekly for 4 weeks prior to the school holidays and 4 weeks after the school holidays. Participants also completed a Morningness/Eveningness Scale and 7-day sleep, diet and physical activity diaries prior to, during and after the school holidays. Participants at one school had earlier wake times during the weekends than participants attending the other school, leading to a significantly shorter sleep duration on weekends for those participants. Regardless of school, sleep was significantly later and longer during the holidays (p < 0.001) and those with a stronger morning preference fell asleep (F18,36 = 3.4, p = 0.001) and woke (F18,44 = 2.0, p = 0.027) earlier than evening types. Growth rate was lower during the holiday weeks. For those attending the school with limited sleep in opportunities, growth after the holidays was lower for those with greater evening preference, whereas for those at the other school, growth was greater for those with greater evening preference. The increase in average weight from pre- to post-holidays was greater for those attending the school with limited opportunities to sleep longer. Participants reported greater food intake during the holidays compared to school days and greater physical activity levels on weekends compared to school days, and school days compared to holidays. Results suggest that time of day preference may impact growth, with evening types who cannot sleep in growing at a slower rate than evening types who can or morning types. This may be related to sleep restriction. Despite sleep being both later and longer during the school holidays, participants’ growth slowed during the holiday period. It is possible that this may be a reflection of other behavioural changes in the holidays (increased food intake and reduced physical activity), as sleep timing during the school period was related to growth.
An Ecological Approach to Preventing Suicide Using the National Violent Death Reporting System and County Level Health Status Data

Violence is a leading cause of mortality in the United States, accounting for about 50,000 deaths per year; the majority of violent deaths are suicides. We employ Poisson regression modeling to identify combinations of county level characteristics that are associated with elevated suicide rates. The most striking finding in our study was as unemployment increases so does the rate of county suicides. Knowledge about characteristics of communities in which suicide is more common may suggest how best to construct effective interventions and target limited resources for those interventions.
Factors Influencing Performance of Agricultural Companies in Kenya: A Case of Coast Province

Agricultural sector has remained a critical driver of economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. However since the 1990s agriculture has erratically fluctuated widely with a declining trend. The study therefore sought to establish the various factors influencing agricultural companies in Coast province Kenya, since agricultural companies play a critical role in providing market for agricultural produce and also act as catalysts for production The boards which play an important oversight role in management, and performance targeting were the two areas studied through a cross sectional survey on 40 agricultural companies dealing with production, processing, production and processing, and those only in marketing of agricultural produce. The study observed that a negative relationship existed between board size, number of meetings and organizational performance. Moat boards were composed of either all men or with only one woman out of the total. Performance targeting similarly had a negative relationship with organization sales or expansion. However it had a positive relationship with employees’ retention in an organization. It was recommended that gender diversity be put in consideration in organization management and also sensitization of the board, management and employees on board’s roles and performance targeting in management.
MHD Three-Dimensional Boundary Layer Flow of Casson Nanofluid Past a Linearly Stretching Sheet With Convective Boundary Condition

Steady flow of a Casson fluid in the presence of a nanoparticle is studied. It is considered that the sheet is stretched in both the direction along the xy-plane. Moreover, we have considered the magnetohydrodynamics effect within the fluid and convective condition along the surface. Similarity transformation is used to convert the governing partial differential equations to a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations which are solved numerically. The behavior of emerging parameters are presented graphically and discussed for velocity, temperature, and nanoparticles fraction. Variation of the reduced Nusselt and Sherwood number against physical parameters are presented graphically. It is found that the reduced Nusselt number is the decreasing function and the reduced Sherwood number is the increasing function of Brownian parameter Nb and thermophoresis parameter Nt.
Predictors of Uncontrolled Asthma in Adult and Pediatric Patients: Analysis of the Asthma Control Characteristics and Prevalence Survey Studies (ACCESS)

Background. Despite the availability of effective asthma treatments and evidence-based management guidelines focusing on asthma control, many patients have asthma that is inadequately controlled. The objective of this analysis was to identify risk factors for uncontrolled asthma among adult and pediatric patients. Methods. Two cross-sectional surveys assessing asthma control status were conducted between January 25 and May 2, 2008, among adult and pediatric patients with asthma. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire including demographics, medical history, and current asthma medication use. In addition, participants completed either the Asthma Control Test (ACT) or Childhood ACT (C-ACT). Uncontrolled asthma was defined as a score of ≤19 on the ACT or C-ACT. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors related to uncontrolled asthma. Results. A sample of 64 primary care provider sites (35 for adults and 29 for pediatric patients) across the United States enrolled. One study enrolled 2238 adults (aged ≥18 years) and the other 2429 children (aged 4–17 years) with asthma. The patients were visiting their health care provider for a scheduled appointment for any reason. The overall prevalence of uncontrolled asthma was 58% and 46% in adult and pediatric patients, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified predictors of uncontrolled asthma in both adults and children including self-reported asthma severity, lack of adherence, and recent history of cold, flu, or sinus infection. The predictors of uncontrolled asthma seen only in adults were less education, insurance status, current smoker, body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2, and history of gastroesophageal symptoms. The predictors of uncontrolled asthma seen only in children were female aged 12–17 years, caregiver unemployment, and history of asthma exacerbation. Conclusions. A high proportion of patients with asthma seen in primary care settings are not well controlled. Recognition of specific predictors can signal who may be at higher risk of uncontrolled asthma and provide the opportunity for early interventions.
Assessment of the reliability of physical measures.

Assessment of the reliability of physical measures that yield continuous data (e.g., physiological measures such as blood pressure and anthropometric measures such as weight) should include the following statistics and procedures: mean, minimal and maximal differences; standard deviation of the net differences; technical error of measurement; and clinically meaningful indices of agreement. Displaying differences graphically and using Exploratory Data Analysis are excellent methods of summarizing differences. In those situations where any measurement error is important, regardless of its direction, the absolute value of the differences should be used to describe average differences. Correlation coefficients are not recommended because they are not adequate tests of reliability.
Developing a Tourist Destination Brand Value: The Stakeholders' Perspective

Abstract Many countries advertise their natural resources or other attractions, but differentiating one destination from others is also important. Destination brand value has been acknowledged as a crucial component tool for competitive advantage in tourist destination development. This paper investigates this issue in Southland, New Zealand. The methodology for this study employs a qualitative approach using face-to-face interview technique and a content analysis was used to analyse data. Results revealed that the key components to be considered for destination brand value development are a variety of products: services with high quality at the best price, convenience of consumption, interaction with ethnic groups and locals giving an insight into the destination's history and culture, and unique activities with memorable life-time experiences. The findings of this study provide the theoretical and managerial contributions of a destination brand value development.
Circulating tumor cells: not all detected cells are bad and not all bad cells are detected.

More than 90% of cancer deaths result from the development of hematogenously disseminated metastasis. The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with cancer was first reported in 1869. 1 More recently, methods have been developed to detect, isolate, and characterize CTCs in multiple different malignancies that arise in solid organs. 2 The most widely used method, designated CellSearch (Veridex, Raritan, NJ), relies on immunomagnetic capture of CTCs using antibodies against the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCam), which is expressed on the cell surface of many epithelial malignancies, followed by additional characterization with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining (to
Do Word Of Mouth And Advertising Messages On Social Networks Influence The Purchasing Behavior Of College Students

Many online advertisers are exploring the use of Internet social networking to build brand awareness and loyalty. Social networking is particularly popular among the younger, 15-24 year- old generation, who is more computer savvy and spends more time on the Internet than adults. While this generation has substantial potential, they also represent a challenge to advertisers. This group is notoriously skeptical of being “advertised at. ” They expect a more personal, interactive experience. The purpose of this research is to determine which types of social networks are used most by college students and what types of online marketing impact their purchasing choices. In carrying out this research, the following research questions were addressed: which social networks are used most by college students; do factors such as student and/or parent income, student age, classification, gender, marital status, or employment status influence use of social networks; do ads on social networks impact purchasing decisions; does advice from other users of social networks impact purchasing decisions; and do online games, scavenger hunts, and contests influence purchasing decisions? The research provides a better understanding of social network use and provides insight into effective online advertising to college students.
Abdominal Obesity and the Risk of Barrett's Esophagus

BACKGROUND:The association between overweight/obesity and the risk of Barrett's esophagus (BE) is unclear. Further, the association between body fat distribution and the risk of BE is unknown.METHODS:We conducted a retrospective case–control study in patients who underwent endoscopy at a single large VA Medical Center between 2000 and 2003. Cases were patients with documented BE who had an abdominal CT scan within 1 yr of the endoscopy, whereas controls were patients without BE (with or without erosive esophagitis) who also had an abdominal CT scan. The surface areas of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were calculated from CT scan images at level of intervertebral disc between L4 and L5, and body mass index (BMI) in kg/m2 at the time of endoscopy was also recorded. Cases and controls were compared in univariate and multivariable analyses.RESULTS:We identified 36 cases and 93 controls. There were no significant differences between cases and controls in age (mean 63 yr), gender (98% men), or race (71% white Caucasian). BMI was significantly greater in cases than controls (27 vs 24; p = 0.006). BMI >30 kg/m2 was associated with a greater risk of BE than lower BMI (odds ratio 4.0; 95% CI: 1.4–11.1, p = 0.008). VAT was approximately 1.5-fold greater in cases than controls (183 vs 115 cm2; p < 0.0001), whereas SAT was less different (248 vs 200 cm2; p = 0.03). We estimated that each 10-cm2 increase in VAT was associated with 9% increase in risk of BE. Interestingly, VAT remained independently associated with BE in the model that adjusted for BMI, and in that model, BMI was not significantly associated with BE.CONCLUSIONS:Obesity seems to be associated with an increased risk of BE. Abdominal visceral adiposity might mediate most of this risk.
Anticoagulation Therapy for Venous Thromboembolism in the Real World　- From the COMMAND VTE Registry.

BACKGROUND Venous thromboembolism (VTE) has a long-term risk of recurrence, which can be prevented by anticoagulation therapy.Methods and Results:The COMMAND VTE Registry is a multicenter registry enrolling 3,027 consecutive patients with acute symptomatic VTE between January 2010 and August 2014. The entire cohort was divided into the transient risk (n=855, 28%), unprovoked (n=1,477, 49%), and cancer groups (n=695, 23%). The rate of anticoagulation discontinuation was highest in the cancer group (transient risk: 37.3% vs. unprovoked: 21.4% vs. cancer: 43.5% at 1 year, P<0.001). The cumulative 5-year incidences of recurrent VTE, major bleeding and all-cause death were highest in the cancer group (recurrent VTE: 7.9% vs. 9.3% vs. 17.7%, P<0.001; major bleeding: 9.0% vs. 9.4% vs. 26.6%, P<0.001; and all-cause death: 17.4% vs. 15.3% vs. 73.1%, P<0.001). After discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy, the cumulative 3-year incidence of recurrent VTE was lowest in the transient risk group (transient risk: 6.1% vs. unprovoked: 15.3% vs. cancer: 13.2%, P=0.001). The cumulative 3-year incidence of recurrent VTE beyond 1 year was lower in patients on anticoagulation than in patients off anticoagulation at 1 year in the unprovoked group (on: 3.7% vs. off: 12.2%, P<0.001), but not in the transient risk and cancer groups (respectively, 1.6% vs. 2.5%, P=0.30; 5.6% vs. 8.6%, P=0.44). CONCLUSIONS The duration of anticoagulation therapy varied widely in discordance with current guideline recommendations. Optimal duration of anticoagulation therapy should be defined according to the risk of recurrent VTE and bleeding as well as death.