Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of marketing capabilities, absorptive capacity, and innovation performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze effects of absorptive capacity (ACAP) on organizational performance. The model looks at the mediating influence of marketing capabilities (innovative capability and new product development capability (NPDC)) and innovation performance (IP). Design/methodology/approach This study takes a quantitative approach by using survey data from 333 Brazilian manufacturer managers involved with strategic marketing processes. Structural equation modeling was used to test the theoretical hypotheses. Findings Results indicate that ACAP does not have a direct impact on organizational performance. The relation is fully mediated by marketing capabilities (innovative capability and NPDC) and IP. Research limitations/implications According to the research findings, managers should put efforts in the ACAP as well as marketing capabilities that will result in better organizational performance. This research is limited to the context of manufacturer firms in Brazil. However, it is suggested that an application of this research can be conducted in different industries and different countries. Originality/value This study contributes to theory and management practice. First, no study has explored all these constructs together. Through the relationship between ACAP and performance, the authors found that marketing capabilities and IP can fully mediate the former proposed relation. The authors’ contribution is the understanding of the role of ACAP influence on performance. Managers should be encouraged to invest in companies’ ACAP as well as marketing capabilities to differentiate themselves from competitors and improve performance.
Implant Tooth-Supported Removable Partial Denture with at Least 15-Year Long-Term Follow-Up.

PURPOSE The aim of the present report is to describe the long-term follow-up of cases treated with implant tooth-supported removable partial denture (ITSRPD) after at least 15 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study sample comprised 20 consecutively partially edentulous patients treated with ITSRPD. Implants were placed in order to improve unfavorable removable partial denture design resulting from unfavorable teeth distribution and biomechanical considerations, esthetic, or periodontal challenges. All patients were followed up every 6 months for the first 2 years and annually thereafter for at least 15 years. Recall visits for professional cleaning and oral hygiene re-enforcement were scheduled every 3 to 6 mounts. RESULTS A total of 42 implants were placed in 20 patients and restored with ITSRPD. All implants and prosthetic devices functioned successfully throughout the 15 years of follow-up. Three patients had gone through further implant placement several years after ITSRPD was provided, and a fixed implant-supported restoration was provided on the original and new implants. No implant failure was noted during follow-up, resulting in a rate for implant survival of 100% for the study. Marginal bone loss around implants ranged between 0 and 2 mm (mean 0.64 ± 0.6 mm). During the follow-up period, prosthetic complications were minor and included one rest rupture. All patients answered a questionnaire and were satisfied with the prosthesis. They reported good chewing ability and stability of the prosthetic devices. CONCLUSIONS ITSRPD can be used with predictable long-term results in carefully selected and well-maintained population. Patients should be advised of their role in maintenance, and a comprehensive recall system is mandatory to obtain satisfactory long-term results.
Slow and fast dietary proteins differentially modulate postprandial metabolism

Abstract The quality of dietary proteins is influenced by their content and composition of amino acids and bioavailability. Recent data suggest that the digestion and absorption kinetics of proteins influences the effects of protein ingestion on the metabolic processes. Slowly and fast-digested dietary proteins differentially modulate postprandial protein and glucose metabolism. This is an important factor for defining the physiological outcome and application for nutritional purposes of different dietary protein sources.
Within-Mother Estimates of the Effects of WIC on Birth Outcomes in New York City

There is a large literature suggesting that "WIC works" to improve birth outcomes. However, methodological limitations related to selection into the WIC program have left room for doubt about this conclusion. This paper uses birth records from New York City to address some limitations of the previous literature. We estimate models with mother fixed effects to control for fixed characteristics of mothers and we directly investigate the way that time-varying characteristics of mothers affect selection into the WIC program. We find that WIC is associated with reductions in low birth weight, even among full term infants, and with reductions in the probability that a child is "small for dates. " These improvements are associated with a reduction in the probability that the mother gained too little weight during pregnancy. Improvements tend to be largest for first born children. We also find that women on WIC are more likely to be diagnosed with chronic conditions, and receive more intensive medical services, a finding that may reflect improved access to medical care.
Changes in forest land use and management in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, 1990–2010, with a focus on the Danum Valley region

In an earlier special issue of this journal, Marsh & Greer summarized forest land use in Sabah at that time and gave an introduction to the Danum Valley Conservation Area. Since that assessment, during the period 1990–2010, the forests of Sabah and particularly those of the ca 10 000 km2 concession managed on behalf of the State by Yayasan Sabah (the Sabah Foundation) have been subject to continual, industrial harvesting, including the premature re-logging of extensive tracts of previously only once-logged forest and large-scale conversion of natural forests to agricultural plantations. Over the same period, however, significant areas of previously unprotected pristine forest have been formally gazetted as conservation areas, while much of the forest to the north, the south and the east of the Danum Valley Conservation Area (the Ulu Segama and Malua Forest Reserves) has been given added protection and new forest restoration initiatives have been launched. This paper analyses these forest-management and land-use changes in Sabah during the period 1990–2010, with a focus on the Yayasan Sabah Forest Management Area. Important new conservation and forest restoration and rehabilitation initiatives within its borders are given particular emphasis.
Pathogen- and NaCl-Induced Expression of the SCaM-4 Promoter Is Mediated in Part by a GT-1 Box That Interacts with a GT-1-Like Transcription Factor1

The Ca2+-binding protein calmodulin mediates cellular Ca2+ signals in response to a wide array of stimuli in higher eukaryotes. Plants express numerous CaM isoforms. Transcription of one soybean (Glycine max) CaM isoform, SCaM-4, is dramatically induced within 30 min of pathogen or NaCl stresses. To characterize the cis-acting element(s) of this gene, we isolated an approximately 2-kb promoter sequence of the gene. Deletion analysis of the promoter revealed that a 130-bp region located between nucleotide positions −858 and −728 is required for the stressors to induce expression of SCaM-4. A hexameric DNA sequence within this region, GAAAAA (GT-1 cis-element), was identified as a core cis-acting element for the induction of the SCaM-4 gene. The GT-1 cis-element interacts with an Arabidopsis GT-1-like transcription factor, AtGT-3b, in vitro and in a yeast selection system. Transcription of AtGT-3b is also rapidly induced within 30 min after pathogen and NaCl treatment. These results suggest that an interaction between a GT-1 cis-element and a GT-1-like transcription factor plays a role in pathogen- and salt-induced SCaM-4 gene expression in both soybean and Arabidopsis.
Disruption of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Signaling in Sim1 Neurons Reduces Physiological and Behavioral Reactivity to Acute and Chronic Stress

Organismal stress initiates a tightly orchestrated set of responses involving complex physiological and neurocognitive systems. Here, we present evidence for glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)-mediated paraventricular hypothalamic circuit coordinating the global stress response. The GLP-1 receptor (Glp1r) in mice was knocked down in neurons expressing single-minded 1, a transcription factor abundantly expressed in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Mice with single-minded 1-mediated Glp1r knockdown had reduced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to both acute and chronic stress and were protected against weight loss associated with chronic stress. In addition, regional Glp1r knockdown attenuated stress-induced cardiovascular responses accompanied by decreased sympathetic drive to the heart. Finally, Glp1r knockdown reduced anxiety-like behavior, implicating PVN GLP-1 signaling in behavioral stress reactivity. Collectively, these findings support a circuit whereby brainstem GLP-1 activates PVN signaling to mount an appropriate whole-organism response to stress. These results raise the possibility that dysfunction of this system may contribute to stress-related pathologies, and thereby provide a novel target for intervention. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dysfunctional stress responses are linked to a number of somatic and psychiatric diseases, emphasizing the importance of precise neuronal control of effector pathways. Pharmacological evidence suggests a role for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in modulating stress responses. Using a targeted knockdown of the GLP-1 receptor in the single-minded 1 neurons, we show dependence of paraventricular nucleus GLP-1 signaling in the coordination of neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses to acute and chronic stress. To our knowledge, this is the first direct demonstration of an obligate brainstem-to-hypothalamus circuit orchestrating general stress excitation across multiple effector systems. These findings provide novel information regarding signaling pathways coordinating central control of whole-body stress reactivity.
Alleviation of commercial collagen sponge- and membrane-induced apoptosis and dysfunction in cultured osteoblasts by an amino acid derivative.

PURPOSE The objectives of this in vitro study were to determine whether the commercial collagen material used in bone augmentation procedures induces oxidative stress-mediated adverse effects on the viability and function of osteoblasts and to determine whether N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant amino acid derivative, can alleviate these effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Commercial collagen sponge (Collaplug) and membrane (BioGide) were treated with NAC. Rat calvaria-derived osteoblasts were directly seeded on these materials with or without NAC pretreatment. Cytotoxic evaluation was performed by flowcytometric cell viability assay, confocal laser microscopic analysis of attached cell morphology and reactive oxygen species (ROS) localization, and alkaline phosphatase staining. RESULTS Cell viability was less than 40% on both collagen sponge and membrane 24 hours after seeding and increased to 50% with NAC pretreatment. Cell death was characterized by apoptosis. Colonization of attached cells was sparse on the untreated sponge and membrane on day 1, and the cells were round, small, and filled with intense and closely packed intracellular ROS. In contrast, NAC-pretreated material had dense cell colonies consisting of well-spread osteoblasts and fully developing cytoskeleton and cellular processes with little ROS generation. On day 7 of culture, NAC-pretreated collagen sponge and membrane yielded an expanded alkaline phosphatase-positive area occupying 60% and 80% of the surface area, respectively, whereas the untreated collagen materials had limited alkaline phosphatase activity (7% or less). CONCLUSIONS Commercial collagen sponge and membrane induced considerable cell death, impaired initial function, and generated extraordinary intracellular ROS in attached osteoblasts, whereas NAC pretreatment substantially ameliorated these effects. The potential benefits of NAC's detoxifying capacity on bone regeneration using collagen matrix materials in an animal model should be confirmed with further study.
Maternal Dietary Fat and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Developing Foetal Rat Brain

Abstract: Female rats were fed pursed diets containing 10% safflower oil, which is high in linoleic acid, from approximately 2 weeks prior to mating until the 14th day of gestation. They were then fed purified diets containing safflower oil, soybean oil (containing linoleic and linolenic acids), or hydrogenated coconut oil (essential fatty acid deficient). On days 16, 18, and 21 of gestation, foetuses were removed by caesarean section and the brains were subjected to fatty acid analysis. By day 16 of gestation, the ethanolamine glycerophospholipids and combined serine‐inositol glycerophospholipids were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly arachidonic acid. Between days 16 and 21 of gestation, there was a marked increase in the C22‐polyunsaturated acids in these glycerophospholipids, with 225n‐6 deposited in foetuses from dams fed safflower or coconut oils and 22:6n‐3 deposition occurring in the soybean oil group; the effects of essential fatty acid deficiency in this period were minimal. A similar pattern was evident in the choline glycerophospholipids but this fraction contained less of the polyunsaturated acids. The data are consistent with increased placental transfer of highly unsaturated fatty acids or increased foetal synthesis of these compounds during the last week of gestation, with the actual fatty acid pattern reflecting the dietary fat available to the dam.
TOURISM INTENTION: THE EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF PULL, PUSH AND PERCEIVED SECURITY FACTORS IN NIGERIA

Tourism industry in recent time has suffered from pervasive insecurity issues which significantly affect the performance of the industry. The aim of this study is to investigate the joint effect of push, pull and perceived security factors on tourism intention in Nigeria. In order to conduct this research, questionnaires were distributed to 650 respondents. Out of the distributed questionnaires, only 310 were eventually used for the analysis. The researchers employed Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings of this study reveal that push and pull factors have a positive and significant effect on tourist intention. The result equally shows a negative effect of perceived security factor on tourist intention. The results presented may serve as a direction for academia, policy makers and other practitioners.
A general framework for deterministic service guarantees in telecommunication networks with variable length packets

Proposes a direct, simple and general treatment for providing deterministic quality-of-service (QoS) guarantees in telecommunication networks with variable-length packets. The traffic in such networks is modelled by marked point processes that consist of two sequences of variables: the arrival times and the packet lengths. We propose a new traffic characterization, called g-regularity, to characterise a marked point process. Based on the new traffic characterizations, we introduce two basic network elements: (i) traffic regulators that generate g-regular marked point processes, and (ii) g-servers that provide QoS for marked point processes. Network elements can be joined by concatenation, "filter bank summation" and feedback to form a composite network element. We illustrate the use of the framework by various examples that include G/G/1 queues, VirtualClock, guaranteed rate servers in tandem, segmentation and reassembly, jitter control, dampers, window flow control, and queues with service curve-based earliest deadlines.
The loyalty of Muslim customers on the Indonesian Islamic banks: the role of corporate image, satisfaction, and trust

This study aims to investigate the factors that affect the loyalty of Muslim customers in Indonesian Islamic banking industry. Based on the literature review, this study uses customer satisfaction, corporate image, and customer trust as variables that are expected in affecting the loyalty of Muslim customers. Data collection was conducted through a survey that involved 274 Muslim customers. The model was tested using hierarchical regression. The results show that customer’s satisfaction and customer’s trust have an important role to build Muslim customers loyalty in Indonesia Islamic banking industry. Furthermore, the results show that customer’s trust function as a mediator role (partially) for the relationship of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Dysglycemia in Patients Receiving Gatifloxacin and Levofloxacin in an Outpatient Setting

Study Objectives. To assess the prevalence of dysglycemia (hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia) associated with oral levofloxacin and gatifloxacin therapy in an outpatient setting, and to determine the characteristics of patients who developed dysglycemia while receiving either fluoroquinolone.
Generation Z's Motivations for Following Brands on Facebook Brand Fan Pages: A Focus Group Study

The Generation Z, who use Facebook in order to get in touch with their friends, is a target audience for brands aiming to promote their products and services through Facebook marketing. But, Facebook marketing is a challenge for brands as it intervenes in this social domain. Therefore, whether Facebook marketing targeting these young people is an effective method or it is a waste of time for brands is a good question to ask. In order to find that the motivations of young people to interact with brands by liking brands’ Facebook corporate brand fan pages were investigated in this research. With this aim, three qualitative focus group interviews were conducted with young students born after 1995, representing the Generation Z in Eskisehir, Turkey. Within the scope of the research, the number of brands that the participants like on Facebook and the reasons why they like Facebook corporate brand fan pages were primarily looked at. Then, the participants’ interactions with brand generated content, brand representatives and other customers on Facebook brand fan pages were interrogated. Following that, the influence of Facebook marketing on purchasing products and services was examined. The research revealed that most of the young students are influenced by brand generated content on Facebook corporate brand fan pages and tend to shop as a result. The results gained in this study can be helpful to marketers in determining their communication strategies on Facebook brand fan pages.
Insomnia and health problems in Canadians.

STUDY OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of, and to identify the relative contribution of selected factors associated with insomnia in the Canadian population age 15 and older. DESIGN Weighted analysis of cross-sectional data from the Canadian General Social Survey, Cycle 6, 1991. Prevalence estimates were calculated for the total and age-specific Canadian population age 15 and older. Multiple logistic regression techniques were employed to study the contribution of an array of sociodemographic, lifestyle, stress, and physical health factors to the experience of insomnia. SETTING N/A. PARTICIPANTS A representative sample of the Canadian household population age 15+ (n=11,924). INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Twenty-four percent of the Canadian population age 15+ report insomnia. The following factors were associated with insomnia in multivariate logistic regression: female gender, being widowed or single, low education, low income, not being in the labor force, ever having smoked, life stress, specific chronic physical health problems (circulatory, digestive and respiratory disease, migraine, allergy and rheumatic disorders), pain, activity limitation and health dissatisfaction. Age was not significantly associated with insomnia. CONCLUSIONS Insomnia was highly prevalent among the non-institutionalized Canadian population age 15 and older. A very stressful life, severe pain and dissatisfaction with one's health demonstrated the highest odds ratios associated with insomnia. Increasing age per se and lifestyle factors were not significantly associated with insomnia.
Ambulance redeployment and dispatching under uncertainty with personnel workload limitations

ABSTRACT Emergency Medical Services (EMS) managers are concerned with responding to emergency calls in a timely manner. Redeployment and dispatching strategies can be used to improve coverage that pertains to the proportion of calls that are responded to within a target time threshold. Dispatching refers to the choice of which ambulance to send to a call, and redeployment refers to repositioning of idle ambulances to compensate for coverage loss due to busy ambulances. Redeployment moves, however, impose additional workload on EMS personnel and must be executed with care. We propose a two-stage stochastic programming model to redeploy and dispatch ambulances to maximize the expected coverage. Our model restricts personnel workload in a shift and incorporates multiple call priority levels. We develop a Lagrangian branch-and-bound algorithm to solve realistic size instances. We evaluate the model performance based on average coverage and average ambulance workload during a shift. Our computational results indicate that the proposed Lagrangian branch-and-bound is significantly more efficient than CPLEX, especially for large problem instances. We also compare our model with benchmarks from the literature and show that it can improve the performance of an EMS system considerably, in particular with respect to mean response time to high-priority calls.
Effect of excess dietary sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus on excreta moisture of laying hens

1. Four experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium or phosphate on the water intake and excreta moisture of laying hens. A fifth experiment examined the effect on these variables of increasing amounts of 2 different sodium salts (chloride or bicarbonate) and the interactions with 2 levels of dietary phosphorus. 2. All experiments involved individually caged laying hens fed on diets varying in 1 or 2 minerals in replacement for washed sand. The experimental diets contained mineral concentrations that either met or exceeded the expected requirement of the hens. The diets were given for a 7 or 8 d feeding period and food and water intakes were measured and excreta were collected for the last 48 h of each feeding period. These data were corrected for evaporative water loss to the environment during the collection period. 3. Increasing dietary concentrations of sodium, potassium or phosphorus gave linear increases ( P <0.001) in the water intake of the laying hens and linear increases ( P <0.01) in the moisture content of their excreta. Each 1 g/kg increase in dietary mineral increased the moisture content of the excreta by 9.04 ( ± 1.57), 11.95 ( ± 2.02) and 5.59 ( ± 0.31) g/kg ( ± standard error) for sodium, potassium and phosphorus, respectively. Increasing concentrations of dietary calcium did not significantly affect the water intakes or excreta moisture levels of the laying hens. 4. The fifth experiment showed that, although there was a sodium × phosphorus interaction ( P <0.05), the effects of the 2 mineral additions were approximately additive. There were no significant differences ( P >0.05) in water intakes or excreta moisture contents due to the 2 different sodium salts (chloride or bicarbonate).