Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microstructural development: Organizational differences of the fiber architecture between children and adults in dorsal and ventral visual streams

Visual perceptual skills are basically mature by the age of 7 years. White matter, however, continues to develop until late adolescence. Here, we examined children (aged 5–7 years) and adults (aged 20–30 years) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) fiber tracking to investigate the microstructural maturation of the visual system. We characterized the brain volumes, DTI indices, and architecture of visual fiber tracts passing through white matter structures adjacent to occipital and parietal cortex (dorsal stream), and to occipital and temporal cortex (ventral stream). Dorsal, but not ventral visual stream pathways were found to increase in volume during maturation. DTI indices revealed expected maturational differences, manifested as decreased mean and radial diffusivities and increased fractional anisotropy in both streams. Additionally, fractional anisotropy was increased and radial diffusivity was decreased in the adult dorsal stream, which can be explained by specific dorsal stream myelination or increasing fiber compaction. Adult dorsal stream architecture showed additional intra‐ and interhemispheric connections: Dorsal fibers penetrated into contralateral hemispheres via commissural structures and projection fibers extended to the superior temporal gyrus and ventral association pathways. Moreover, intra‐hemispheric connectivity was particularly strong in adult dorsal stream of the right hemisphere. Ventral stream architecture also differed between adults and children. Adults revealed additional connections to posterior lateral areas (occipital‐temporal gyrus), whereas children showed connections to posterior medial areas (posterior parahippocampal and lingual gyrus). Hence, in addition to dorsal stream myelination or fiber compaction, progressing maturation of intra‐ and interhemispheric connectivity may contribute to the development of the visual system. Hum Brain Mapp, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effects of service on multichannel retailers ' brand equity

Purpose – This research aims to provide insight on the interactive effects of service quality and e-service quality on perceptions of retailer brand equity and also extend and test the efficacy of Baker ' s service environment typology in both offline and online service experiences. Design/methodology/approach – A within-subjects, simulated shopping experience immerses consumers in both offline and online shopping environments and, subsequently, consumers are surveyed regarding both offline and online quality as well as aggregated evaluations of retailer brand equity. Findings – Results demonstrate that consumer perceptions of offline and online service quality have a positive effect on retailer brand equity and service quality and e-service quality interact, such that e-service quality has a stronger effect on brand equity offline quality is low. The results also support the application of offline service environment frameworks for online retailing. Research limitations/implications – The results demonst.
Understanding of Evolution May Be Improved by Thinking about People

The theory of evolution is poorly understood in the population at large, even by those with some science education. The recurrent misunderstandings can be partly attributed to failure to distinguish between processes which individual organisms undergo and those which populations undergo. They may be so pervasive because we usually explain evolutionary ideas with examples from non-human animals, and our everyday cognition about animals does not track individuals as distinct from the species to which they belong. By contrast, everyday cognition about other people tracks unique individuals as well as general properties of humans. In Study 1, I present experimental evidence that categorization by species occurs more strongly for non-human animals than for other people in 50 British university students. In Study 2, I show, in the same population, that framing evolutionary scenarios in terms of people produces fewer conceptual errors than when logically identical scenarios are framed terms of non-human animals. I conclude that public understanding of evolution might be improved if we began instruction by considering the organisms which are most familiar to us.
Tilburg University Internal and External Discipline Following Securities Class Actions

Companies are sometimes accused of misleading the market. The SEC can punish this with enforcement actions. Alternatively, shareholders can seek redress through a shareholder class action (SCA). While some literature has examined SEC actions, it has not examined SCAs, and has not examined external discipline and the managers’s future employment prospects after either action. Thus, using a sample of 416 securities class actions, this paper shows that SCAs are a catalyst to promote disciplinary takeovers, CEO/CFO turnover and CEO/CFO pay-cuts, and harm CEOs future job-prospects. This suggests that even if the law governing SCAs is sub-optimal, they can still induce internal and external discipline.
Justifying the investment in information systems

Organizations invest heavily in information systems and technology because of various reasons. For the investment to be approved by the management of the organization, a business plan that justifies the investment should be executed. Traditionally, these investments were justified with easy-to-use financial techniques. Because of the strategic nature of modern information systems in organizations, the relevance of these traditional justification techniques is questioned. This research was undertaken to identify specific issues that contribute to the problem managers have in justifying the investment in information technology.
Do Accounting Earnings or Free Cash Flows Provide a Better Estimate of Capital Gain Rates of Return on Stocks

There are two widely accepted approaches used to estimate the market value of a firm's equity (Vs). The accounting approach assumes the estimated Vs is based on the discounted value of a firm's future net income stream (NI). A finance model assumes that the value of a firm's stock (Vs) is related to the performance of its discounted future free cash flows to equity (FCFE). The motivation of this paper is to discover whether the accounting earnings approach or the finance FCFE approach provides a better explanation for estimating the capital gain rates of return on American and Japanese equities. Three sets of hypotheses were developed and regression analysis was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Financial data from a large sample of American and Japanese companies provided the information for testing the hypotheses. The regression results found a strong statistical relationship existed between net earrnings and capital gain rates of return for both American and Japanese companies. However, the Fama-MacBeth t value was only significant for the Japanese data, which cast doubt on the predictability of the net earnings approach based on American data. The study found the free cash flow to equity measure was not closely related to the capital gain rates of return for either the American or Japanese companies. However, a strong relationship was discovered to exits between the capital gain rates of return and the cash flow associated with operations, interest and financing for the American companies. Cash flows related to net investment and working captial were not consistently related to the capital gain returns for American and Japanese companies.
A Pure Logic-Based Approach to Natural Reasoning

The paper presents a model for natural reasoning that combines theorem proving techniques with natural logic. The model is a tableau system for a higher-order logic the formulas of which resemble linguistic expressions. A textual entailment system LangPro, an implementation of the model, represents a tableau-based prover that directly operates on linguistic expressions. After training and evaluating on a textual entailment dataset, the prover shows accuracy comparable to the state-of-the-art results with almost perfect precision. Due to its reliable judgements, the system is also able to detect dubious problems in the dataset.
Building Trust in E-Banking: Where is the Line between Online and Offline Banking?

This paper examines the role of situational normality cues (online attributes of an e-banking website) and structural assurance cues (size and reputation of the bank, and the quality of traditional service at the branch) in a consumer’s trust in and use of e-banking. Data were collected from a survey and a usable sample of 202 was obtained. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis was used to test the model. Results show that traditional service quality and website features that give customers confidence build trust in e-banking. Bank managers should use good service at the branch as an opportunity to build trust in e-banking.
Comparison of EGFR mutation status between plasma and tumor tissue in non-small cell lung cancer using the Scorpion ARMS method and the possible prognostic significance of plasma EGFR mutation status.

BACKGROUND The aims were to compare the consistency of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in the plasma and tumor tissue of NSCLC patients, and to explore the prognostic significance of plasma EGFR mutation status in tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)-treated patients with tumor EGFR mutation. METHODS We evaluated EGFR gene (exons 18, 19, 20 and 21) mutation status in paired plasma and tumor tissue from 94 NSCLC patients before EGFR-TKIs treatments using the Scorpion amplification refractory mutation system (Scorpion-ARMS) method. RESULTS Our results demonstrated that the rates for EGFR mutations in 94 NSCLC patients were 20% (19/94, plasma samples) and 40% (38/94, tumor tissue samples), respectively. The consistency of EGFR mutations between plasma and tissue reached 80% (75/94, P<0.001). The sensitivity of tests using plasma samples was 50% (19/38) and the specificity was 100% (49/49) compared with tissue samples. 29 of the 38 patients were treated with TKIs. Among the 29 patients, 14 patients had EGFR mutations in both plasma and tumor tissue, and these patients had a significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than those with EGFR mutations in tumor tissue only by univariate analysis (P=0.019). CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrated the feasibility and potential utility of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a source of specimens for EGFR mutation detection using the Scorpion ARMS method. Moreover, plasma EGFR mutation status before TKIs therapy might be of prognostic significance for TKIs-treated NSCLC patients with tumor tissue EGFR mutation.
Two Genetic Loci for Resistance to Kasugamycin in Escherichia coli

There are two loci for resistance to the antibiotic kasugamycin (Ksg) in Escherichia coli. Mutations at ksgA resulted in 30S ribosomal subunit resistance to Ksg. The map location of ksgA was near minute 0.5: ksgA was 95% cotransducible with pdxA, and the apparent gene order was thr. ksgA. pdxA. Studies in stable ksgA/ksgA+ merodiploids showed that sensitivity was dominant over resistance. Mutations at a second gene (ksgB), located between minutes 25 and 39, resulted in phenotypic KsgR indistinguishable from ksgA mutations, but ribosomes from ksgB strains were sensitive to the drug in vitro. Spontaneous and induced mutations to KsgR were usually of the ksgA (ribosomal) type.
The Governance of Social Enterprise in Taiwan: An Analysis Based on 2010 Survey Findings and Four Cases

Social enterprises in Taiwan are in a stage of growth, and are becoming more diversified. Solving the problem of unemployment and alleviating poverty seem to be two major goals pursued by NPOs when they set up a social enterprise. In order to make further inquiry into the development of social enterprises within the Taiwanese community, we consider it significant to shed light on the issues of the governance of social enterprises. As a result, this paper aims to explore the governance of social enterprises in Taiwan, including the analysis of several dimensions on issues such as the dynamics of the governance structure and function, board composition and CEO, and institutional adjustments in the board and CEO within the social enterprise sector in Taiwan. The data used for this paper come from surveys conducted in 2010. In addition, this paper will be supplemented by a collection of the qualitative data from interviews with key leaders (e.g., board members and CEOs) of four social enterprises in Taiwan.
Research on Gossip: Taxonomy, Methods, and Future Directions

A half century of gossip research from multiple disciplines is reviewed. Discussed are definitions of the construct; social, evolutionary, and personal functions of the practice; and data collection methods. Though people engage in the practice frequently, there has been relatively little psychological research on gossip. The layperson's understanding of the term is included in, but insufficient to encompass, definitions used by researchers. Most data are ethnographic and discursive, and few parametric data exist. The area could benefit from better experimental methods and instruments. Neurobiological and social network analysis methods are promising foundations for further study. There are real-world implications for understanding gossip. Strengthening gossip theory and research methods will beneficially inform the way we view the practice in context.
Seasonal Variation in Hemoglobin A1c: Is It the Same in Both Hemispheres?

Introduction: There are several reports from locations in the northern hemisphere of seasonal variation in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels with higher values noted in the cooler months. The variation has been attributed to holiday seasons, temperature differences, and changes in diet. This article describes the seasonal variation in both hemispheres and in a country on the equator with minimal temperature variation. Methods: The mean and median HbA1c by month was calculated for a maximum of 2 years for HbA1c data from the different locations: Edmonton and Calgary, Canada; Singapore; Melbourne, Australia; and Marshfield, Wisconsin. The mean monthly temperature for each location was found from available meteorological information. Results: In both northern and southern hemispheres, the HbA1c was higher in cooler months and lower in the warmer months. In Singapore, where there is minimal temperature variation, there is also minimal variation in HbA1c values over the year. The difference in HbA1c over a year appears to be related to the difference in temperature. Conclusion: Hemoglobin A1c is higher in cooler months and lower in the warmer months in both hemispheres. In a country with minimal monthly temperature variation, there is only minimal variation in HbA1c values through the year. In all locations, the mean and median HbA1c declined over the study period, possibly due to better glycemic control of patients with diabetes or an increase in use of HbA1c as a screening test for diabetes or a combination of both.
ANALISIS PENGARUH KEPUASAN KERJA, LOYALITAS KERJA, DAN LINGKUNGAN KERJA NON FISIK TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN (Studi Pada Bank Indonesia Kota Semarang)

T his study is motivated by the performance level of employees at Bank Indonesia Semarang which has not optimal. Based on interviews pre - survey indicated issues raised by job satisfaction, loyalty, and the work environment to support the process of employee performance. This study aims to examine and analyze the effect of job satisfaction, job loyalty, and non-physical work environment on the performance of employees of Bank Indonesia Semarang. This study uses three independent variables namely job satisfaction, job loyalty, and non-physical work environment with one dependent variable is the performance of employees. T his study is applied toward 50 employees in Bank Indonesia Semarang by spreading questionnaires to collect the data eith criteria of respondent minimum 10 years working life. Sampling techniques in this study using purposive sampling method. The data analysis method used in this study include validity, reliability, classic assumption test, multiple linear regression analysis, F test, t test, and the coefficient of determination. Based on the results of t - test and multiple linear regression analysis showed that job satisfaction, job loyalty, and non-physical work environment positive and significant effect on employee performance.The coefficient of determination shows that the performance of employees of Bank Indonesia Semarang influenced by job satisfaction, job loyalty, and non-physical work environment by 74.9% while the remaining 25.1% is influenced by variables - other variables not examined in this study.
Structural and personal factors contributing to job dissatisfaction in a large scale Greek organization of the service sector (Bank): A nationwide study of the attitudes and motivation of bank employees in Greece for the job of teller

This is an exploratory study of a main issue in a large commer­ cial bank in Greece. The research has been undertaken with the initiative of the Administration of a Greek Bank, in an effort to define the reasons for reluctance or unwillingness of the Bank’s employees to accept the job of teller. The study also examines the impact of new technology, the kind and degree of adjustment im­ posed on tellers, i.e. their new work roles, the existing problems related to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and the weaknesses of the system.Thirty five Branches of the national network participated in the study with a sample of 427 employees of both sexes representing various geographical regions of Greece, various age groups of dif­ ferent educational, social and economic backgrounds, and various grades within the Bank. Data were collected through question­ naires, which were supplemented by intensive personal interview­ ing.Combining the material from the questionnaires and the insights obtained by the personal interviews, we reached certain conclu­ sions as to the response of bank employees to technical innovation and change in their traditional work roles. An analysis of the na­ ture of the requirements of change introduced, the content and context of the new work roles, the individual characteristics, at­ titudes and perceptions of bank tellers, and various organizational dimensions, made clear that certain structural and personal factors contribute to Job Dissatisfaction, as a result of a new division of labor and new work roles which are required of a new technology. The findings of this study show that such factors must be taken into consideration in designing sociotechnical systems. Due to the scarcity of similar studies in Greece, we have no way to compare our findings. This work is therefore exploratory and constitutes an original sociological study of a large Greek organiza­ tion. It is an attempt (a) to test, in the Greek setting, theoretical hypotheses developed by similar studies in foreign organizational settings;
Reducing Commercial Vehicle Road Accident Costs

Presents information relating to the scale of road traffic accidents in the UK involving commercial vehicles. Establishes the extent of the accident problem and explores some of the main causes of vehicle accidents including human nature, the role of the driver, vehicle operators and government road transport strategy. Introduces some general measures to reduce commercial vehicle accidents such as improved driving, safety cultures, vehicle improvements and government policy. Provides a case study of a company which gained many benefits from reducing vehicle accident levels through the implementation of a vehicle accident database.
Evidence from the cytology of Azotobacter chroococcum of a relationship with Rhizobium and the Bacillaceae.

Summary: The structure of the cell envelopes in Azotobacter chroococcum and the behaviour and mode of formation of the spore-like ‘cysts’ suggest that this organism has a close phylogenetic relationship with the Bacillaceae, and that accordingly the main genera of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, Azotobacter, Rhizobium, and Clostridium, have a relatively recent common origin.
Advances in molecular-based diagnostics in meeting crop biosecurity and phytosanitary issues.

Awareness of crop biosecurity and phytosanitation has been heightened since 9/11 and the unresolved anthrax releases in October 2001. Crops are highly vulnerable to accidental or deliberate introductions of crop pathogens from outside U.S. borders. Strategic thinking about protection against deliberate or accidental release of a plant pathogen is an urgent priority. Rapid detection will be the key to success. This review summarizes recent progress in the development of rapid real-time PCR protocols and evaluates their effectiveness in a proposed nationwide network of diagnostic laboratories that will facilitate rapid diagnostics and improved communication.
When Do Customer Contact Employees Satisfy Customers?

Previous service workplace research has indicated the impact of supportive supervisors, teams, other departments, and technology on employee satisfaction and organizational commitment. These variables in turn have been shown to influence customer contact employee behavior and customer satisfaction. In this article, the authors explore how these variables relate to employees’ capacity to satisfy customers. Using a structural equation modeling methodology, the authors found that in terms of direct effects on employees’ capacity to satisfy customers, some variables (e.g., other department support) were more important than others (e.g., technology). Some variables (e.g., other department support) had a direct effect on employees’ capacity to satisfy customers, some had a mediated effect (e.g., supervisor support), and some had both a direct and mediated effect (e.g., technology). The capacity of employees to satisfy customers is strongly dependent on a set of mutually supportive variables.
How New Consumers’ Consumption Patterns Caused Changes in Food Distribution Channels in Croatia

In general, channels of meat distribution in Croatia include (a) direct sale in open market area; (b) local stand-alone butcher shops that co-operate with some farms offering their meat there; (c) chains of butcher shops; (d) supermarkets and hypermarkets; (e) the channel of Horeca (hotels, restaurants, snack bars). The whole Croatian meat market has 300,000 tons estimated value, but it has met with changing trends in consumption because consumers have less time for home-prepared meals. Moreover, consumers prefer one-stop shopping and large-scale retailers due to their variety of merchandise offered. The main goal of the article is to find whether new consumption patterns affect the way of butchering and the choice of distribution channels in the case of the Croatian meat market. Therefore, the qualitative research among consumers and meat distributors in three Croatian regions was conducted. The research reveals consumers’ meat outlet preferences.
An Empirical Investigation of the Relationship between Quality Management Factors and Customer Satisfaction, Improved Competitive Position and Overall Business Performance

This study investigates the impact of quality management practices on three measures of organisational performance comprising customer satisfaction, improved competitive position and overall business performance. To investigate these relationships, a factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to determine the most salient quality management practices, which were then regressed against the three measures of organisational performance using Multivariate Analysis of Variance. The findings show that quality management factors such as top management philosophy, measurement and open organisation have significant associations with business competitive position, whereas marketing process improvement and employee training have significant associations with customer satisfaction. The results also suggest that top management philosophy, measurement and open organisation, and marketing process improvement are associated with overall business performance.