Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Segmenting Markets with Conjoint Analysis

Conjoint analysis is a useful measurement method for implementing market segmentation and product positioning. The authors describe how recently developed optimal product design models provide a way to test the effectiveness of a selected class of market targeting strategies. They first propose a conceptual framework for describing segmentation in the context of conjoint analysis input data. Then they apply that framework to an illustrative case study entailing physicians’ preferences for a newly developed prescription drug. They conclude with a discussion of the limitations of the proposed method.
Using Social Media for Dynamic Library Service Delivery: The Nigeria Experience

This paper examines how Nigerian Libraries can leverage on social networking and social media skills to provide dynamic library services in the face of dwindling economic problems in Nigeria. The unprecedented technological advancement of the 21 st century, no doubt has impacted on library services globally and in Nigeria in particular. The social media hype has gradually crept into the library profession- with social sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, Library Thing, Ning; it has become evident that our services will need to change to meet the growing needs of our end users. Libraries in Nigeria have been challenged like never before to render more proactive and more value added services to meet the ever changing needs of our patrons. This paper is therefore, an attempt to examine the present scenario in library services delivery with these new and emerging technologies. Challenges faced by Nigerian libraries in the use of these social media are investigated and possible solutions proffered.
Consumer reactions to product placement strategies in television sponsorship

Reports the results of an experimental study that examines the impact of different strategies of product placement on consumer reactions in the context of television sponsorship. Four factors were manipulated: type of placement, sponsor’s image, type of television program and sponsor‐program congruity. Uses a factorial design comprising these four factors, which was operationalised by means of 12 brief written vignettes. Indicates that strategies of product placement impact differently on consumers’ evaluative and ethical judgements and that their effects interact with the type of television program. Suggests that evaluations of product placement are most negative in the context of mini‐series/drama television programs. Furthermore, product placements that play a passive role and are not clearly expressed within the program are generally perceived as less ethical, especially when they appear in information/services magazines. Also determines that sponsor‐program congruity leads to better ethical and evaluative consumer reactions for all types of television program considered except mini‐series/dramas. Implications for research and practice are derived from these results.
Efficiency of Resources Use in Urban Milk Production in the State of Tamil Nadu, India

Received: Revised: Accepted: May 30, 2013 August 23, 2013 October 01, 2013 The Study was under taken to analyze the Productivity of Resource in Milk Production in urban areas of Tamil Nadu. A Total Sample Size of 90 dairy farmers was selected from three urban milk shed areas of Tamil Nadu namely Chennai (Tambaram), Erode and Vellore for the present Study. To estimate the productivity of resources in milk production, Cobb Douglas Production Function was used. The co-efficient of multiple determinations (adjusted R) was 0.912, indicating that the five variables selected for the analysis had explained 91.2 percent variation in total milk production. The Results of CobbDouglas Production Function revealed that concentrate, green fodder and labour had Positive and highly significant (P<0.01) influence on Milk Production. The result of allocative efficiency of Resources in milk production revealed that concentrates, labour and veterinary charges were under-utilized, whereas green fodder and dry fodder were over-utilized.
Ethics at the end of life: Who should make decisions about treatment limitation for young children with life‐threatening or life‐limiting conditions?

It is now ethical orthodoxy that parents should be involved in the decision‐making about their children's health care. This extends to decisions about whether to continue or to limit life‐sustaining medical treatment for a child with a life‐limiting or life‐threatening condition. What remains contested and uncertain is the extent and nature of parental involvement, especially in this emotionally charged situation. In particular, should it be the parents, who are the ultimate decision‐makers, taking final responsibility, should it be a shared decision, or should it be a medical decision that parents are simply asked to consent to?
Influenza in the Intensive Care Unit

Influenza remains an important epidemic viral infection. Thousands of deaths occur and billions of dollars are spent each year with influenza-related illnesses. Morbidity and mortality are largely attributed to respiratory complications that may require intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Medical and neonatal ICUs, transplant units, chroniccare wards, and nursing homes are at increased risk for nosocomial outbreaks of influenza, which are characterized by abrupt onset and rapid spread. In this article, the authors review the current concepts, recent advances, and management strategies in influenza-associated pneumonia. Pertinent issues to the critical care practitioner are discussed in detail.
Distress during the induction of anesthesia and postoperative behavioral outcomes.

UNLABELLED We determined whether children who are extremely anxious during the induction of anesthesia are more at risk of developing postoperative negative behavioral changes compared with children who appear calm during the induction process. Children (n = 91) aged 1-7 yr scheduled for general anesthesia and elective outpatient surgery were recruited. Using validated measures of preoperative anxiety and postoperative behaviors, children were evaluated during the induction of general anesthesia and on Postoperative Days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14. Using a multivariate logistic regression model, in which the dependent variable was the presence or absence of postoperative negative behavioral changes and the independent variables included several potential predictors, we demonstrated that anxiety of the child, time after surgery, and type of surgical procedure were predictors for postoperative maladaptive behavior. The frequency of negative postoperative behavioral changes decreased with time after surgery, and the frequency of negative postoperative behavioral changes increased when the child exhibited increased anxiety during the induction of anesthesia. Finally, we found a significant correlation (r) of 0.42 (P = 0.004) between the anxiety of the child during induction and the excitement score on arrival to the postanesthesia care unit. We conclude that children who are anxious during the induction of anesthesia have an increased likelihood of developing postoperative negative behavioral changes. We recommend that anesthesiologists advise parents of children who are anxious during the induction of anesthesia of the increased likelihood that their children will develop postoperative negative behavioral changes such as nightmares, separation anxiety, and aggression toward authority. IMPLICATIONS Anesthesiologists who care for children who are anxious during the induction of anesthesia should inform parents that these children have an increased likelihood of developing postoperative negative behavioral changes.
Regional climate variability driven by foehn winds in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Warm, dry and gusty foehn winds are frequently experienced in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs), Antarctica; however, their significance in the region's climate is unknown. Foehn events in the MDVs are caused by topographic modification of southwesterly airflow which is related to the occurrence of synoptic‐scale cyclones in the Amundsen/Ross Sea region. The intra‐ and interannual frequency and intensity of foehn events therefore varies in response to the position and frequency of cyclones in this region that are believed to be strongly influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Here, we present a 20‐year climatology of foehn winds from observational records in the MDVs. The SAM is found to significantly influence foehn wind frequency during the Antarctic summer and autumn months, whereas ENSO only holds significant correlations with winter air temperatures in the MDVs. The positive relationship between the SAM and the foehn wind regime in summer is particularly significant as foehn winds frequently cause summer temperatures to rise above 0 °C leading to extensive melt and thaw in MDVs. Foehn winds are a major climatological feature of the MDVs with their frequency and duration affecting the region's temperature records and their trends. Accordingly, analysis of the region's weather and climate records and predictions of future impacts of climate change on the MDVs is incomplete without consideration of foehn winds and their influence. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Facility familiarity and the home advantage in professional sports

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of facility familiarity on the home advantage. In order to test for facility familiarity, archival data from professional basketball, hockey, and soccer games (n = 1,590) was classified into three blocks. The first block was games immediately prior to the relocation to a new venue; the second block was games immediately after relocating to the new venue; and, the third block was games following a period of relocation. Overall, the results provide little support for facility familiarity as an explanation of the home advantage. However, there was evidence of facility familiarity as an explanation of the home advantage when team quality is introduced as a possible moderator. Specifically, high quality teams suffered after a move from their familiar venue, whereas low quality teams seemed to benefit. Implications for the home advantage are discussed.
A Behavioral Model of Demandable Deposits and its Implications for Financial Regulation

A model is developed which rationalizes contracts that give depositors the right to obtain funds on demand even when depositors intend to use these funds for consumption in the future. This is explained by depositor overoptimism regarding their own ability to collect funds in a run. Capitalized institutions serving depositors with such beliefs emerge in equilibrium even if depositors and bank owners have the same preferences and the same investment opportunities. Various government regulations of these institutions, including minimum capital levels, requirements concerning the assets they may hold, deposit insurance and compulsory clawbacks in bankruptcy can raise the average ex post welfare of depositors.
Sovereign Default and Private Government Information

This paper develops a model of sovereign debt in which the government has some private information about the domestic economy. Sovereign borrowing is sustainable without enforcement, as repayment is a costly signal about the hidden economic fundamental. The signaling mechanism is able to jointly explain three empirical observations: (1) sovereign defaults usually happen in bad macroeconomic conditions, (2) foreign credit to the private sector contracts after the government defaults and expands after subsequent improvements in sovereign ratings, and (3) the current accounts and interest rates are usually counter-cyclical, especially in emerging markets. Furthermore the model reveals a novel positive externality of precautionary savings on the sustainability of sovereign debt. It also predicts that domestic agents, if left on their own, will under-insure against the risk of sovereign defaults. A numerical exercise shows that the information channel can explain a nontrivial level of sovereign borrowing. Overall, the paper argues that private government information plays an important role in understanding a country's ability to borrow from abroad.
The Relationship between Stock Returns and Past Performance of Hotel Real Estate Industry in the US: Is Hotel Real Estate prone to overinvestment

Hotel real estate industry is an important economy in the U.S. This study examines the return patterns of hotel real estate stocks in the U.S. from 1990 to 2007. This study utilizes an integrated framework which includes the most critical explanatory variables to investigate the determinants of the contrarian or momentum profits of the hotel real estate industry. The study finds that the magnitude and persistence of future returns of hotel real estate stocks can be predicted based on past returns, past earning surprises, trading volume, firm size, and holding period. The evidence of this paper strongly confirms that short-horizon contrarian profits are partially due to lead-lag effects, while in the intermediate-term price momentum profits and long-term contrarian profits are partially due to the firmsâ€™ overreaction to past price. My result tends to support the price overreaction hypothesis, and is clearly inconsistent with the risk-based hypothesis and the underreaction hypothesis. The study also confirms the earning underreaction hypothesis and finds the high volume stocks tend to earn high momentum profits in the intermediate-term. The study finds that the earning momentum effect for hotel stocks is more short-lived in persistence and smaller in magnitude than for the whole market on average. Possible explanation is that products and services of hotel industry are highly perishable. Near term earnings information of hotel stocks could be more easily and precisely estimated and therefore reflected into the prices than what could be done for other industries. The key finding of this study is that price momentum portfolios (or contrarian portfolios) of big hotel firms underperform that of small hotel firms and the hotel price momentum portfolio (or contrarian portfolios) significantly underperform that of the overall market over the intermediate-term (or the long-term). It implies the hotel industry, particularly big hotel firms, have executed more conservative growth strategy after the 1980sâ€™ hotel oversupply and financial problem. It could be also possibly caused by big hotel REITs which are less likely to overinvest compared with the overall stock market. The study suggests that a conservative hotel growth strategy accompanied by an internal-oriented financing policy is appropriate in a period of prosperity.
Nutrition intervention in the treatment of eating disorders, from bench to bed

Eating disorders (EDs), including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) are a group of mental illnesses that have challenged treatment providers, caregivers, and indeed, people diagnosed with an eating disorder. These disorders are defined by clinical criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (1). Presently, the definitions of EDs are being redefined as the DSM task force works on creating the DSM-V criteria, which may include specific criteria for binge eating disorder (BED) and revised thresholds for diagnoses. A discussion of the American Psychiatric Association proposed changes to the DSM diagnostic criteria for eating disorders can be found in the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Position Paper “Nutrition Intervention in the Treatment of Eating Disorders” (2).
The cutaneous basophil response to mitogens.

Basophil-rich skin reactions have been elicited in normal guinea pigs with local injections of phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen. Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, a B cell mitogen, had no such effect. These results suggest that T cells may mediate such reactions by releasing a factor chemotactic for basophils.
Maslow's hierarchy and food tourism in Finland: five cases

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the sectors of food tourism in Finland by using Maslow's hierarchy of needs in the classification.Design/methodology/approach – Previous research on food tourism concentrates on the role of food as an attraction, as a cultural phenomenon, and as an experience. Moreover, food from productional and motivational viewpoints is reviewed briefly. The empirical data consists both of the secondary data and an interview.Findings – The findings introduce five sectors of food tourism where the needs and motivations are linked with Maslow's hierarchy of needs.Practical implications – The practical implications are that the food tourism promoters could emphasize the needs and motivations when marketing food tourism services.Originality/value – Sectors of food tourism in Finland classified by the hierarchy of needs are presented, providing practical implications for food tourism promoters and thus offering motivations for food tourism.
New Evidence on Long-Run Output Convergence Among Latin American Countries

This study assesses long-run real per capita output convergence among selected Latin American countries. The empirical investigation, however, is based on an alternative approach. Strong convergence is determined on the basis of the first largest principal component, based on income differences with respect to a chosen base country, being stationary. The qualitative outcome of the test is invariant to the choice of base country and, compared to alternative multivariate tests for long-run convergence, this methodology places less demands on limited data sets. Using annual data for the period 1960–2000, strong convergence is confirmed for the Central American Common Market. However, an amended version of the test confirms weaker long-run convergence in the case of the Latin American Integration Association countries.
Lending Networks of China's Listed Companies: The Role of Financial Leverage, Firm Size, and Performance

This study is the first to explore the determinants of the egocentric lending networks of stock listed companies in China. Egocentric lending networks are constructed using the public loan announcements of firms listed on China’s two stock exchanges combined with cross-ownership shares connecting the lending institutions. The data cover 2060 observations over the period of 2007 to 2012. The study demonstrates that large, high-growth firms and firms with low leverage are more likely to have less-constrained lending networks. In contrast, highly indebted firms with poor performance tend to have more-constrained lending networks. The lending networks of firms with higher shares of state ownership, however, are not significantly related to the standard firm characteristics, suggesting that partly state-owned corporations in China still enjoy privileged access to bank financing, despite substantial reforms and growing competition in China’s banking sector.
Better than their reputation? – Do hotel and restaurant students drink more?‡

It has been suggested that workers in the hotel and restaurant sector are high consumers of alcohol. Larsen (1994), for example, reported that students in restaurant and hotel administration programmes obtained higher scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) than other students. The present study was designed to test whether the self-selection or the learning and socialization explanation better accounts for these findings. Students (n = 172) studying for various careers within the service sector were surveyed. Students in tourism (including hotel and restaurant) programmes and students who had had some work experience from the industry obtained the highest AUDIT scores. However, when controlling for age in a multiple regression model predicting alcohol use, the effects of study group and work experience disappeared. These results are inconclusive, although if workers in the tourism, hotel and restaurant industries actually drink more, the results may be interpreted as supportive of the socialization hypothesis.
Costs in electronic commerce B2C from customer's perspective

Electronic commerce B2C (business to consumer) represents one of the most attractive and profitable electronic modes in today’s economy, both from the perspective of the customer and from the firm’s point of view. However, capturing customers and retaining them in such a competitive medium constitutes a challenge that can only be met by a serious and rigorous analysis of value. However, the customers’ disposition to enjoy the benefits of on-line shopping depends on the reduction or elimination of the barriers to, or costs of, that shopping mode. The empirical validation of a scale of costs in electronic commerce B2C from the customer perspective stands out as the principal conclusion that design, which represents the cost of learning of the context of the service, and economy, which measures the economic cost of the transaction, constitutes the fundamental barriers to the online purchase. Security, on the other hand, is beginning to lose its significance as an access barrier, thanks to the firms’ efforts to limit the risks of online shopping to the customer.
Stakeholder Views on Waste and Its Management in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

Management of waste in Ghana is primarily the responsibility of District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies in partnership with private waste management companies. The main objective of this study was to assess stakeholder views on waste and its management in Tamale Metropolis. Purposive sampling was used to interview a total of 11 stakeholders from both private and public sectors to solicit their views on the problem of waste generation and its management in the Tamale Metropolis. The study revealed that 100% of the stakeholders considered waste and its management as a serious problem in the Tamale Metropolis. The stakeholders considered improper waste disposal as the major problem in the Metropolis. It is therefore eminent that the fastest growing city in West Africa in recent years is gradually becoming a slum despite being Original Research Article Adongo et al.; JSRR, 6(5): 340-349, 2015; Article no.JSRR. 2015.159 341 adjudged the cleanest city in Ghana on three occasions. Out of the 11 respondents, 91% of them believed there is consultation and collaboration among waste stakeholders in the Metropolis whilst only 9% disagreed. The study also revealed that 91% of the stakeholders participated in waste management decision making whilst 9% have never participated in waste management decisionmaking in the Metropolis. This infers that there is a comprehensive collaboration between stakeholders in the management of waste in the Metropolis. The study revealed that waste management challenges in the Metropolis are as a result of deficiencies in technical, financial and institutional frameworks as well as social constraints.
Relationship Lending: Does the Number of Banks Matter? Evidence from Us

This paper shows the importance of banking market competition jointly with the number of bank relationships to identify the circumstances where banks and firms are able to establish mutually beneficial long-term relationships. We empirically analyze the effect of the duration of the relationship on the availability of credit and the interest rate on loans using a US survey of small firms. We find that relationship lending is more likely to arise when banking market competition is low and when firms restrict themselves to borrow from relatively few lenders. We show that banking competition and lending relationships are compatible provided that the firm confers monopoly power to the financial institution by committing to borrow exclusively from it.