Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Internal Communication: Does It Help To Create Employee Engagement And Trust In A Single Irish Retail Company?

This dissertation is attempting to delve into the area of Internal Communication and investigate if it plays a role in the creation of employee engagement and trust within a single retail store. This research builds on research carried out in the area of Internal Communication by Mishra, Boynton and Mishra (2014), which investigates a large segment of the PR industry. This research aims to investigate a smaller segment of the retail industry in order to gain a greater insight into the role that Internal Communication plays in a business. This is a qualitative study and interviews with six employees from a chosen Irish retail company were carried out in order to answer the main research question. An extensive literature review was conducted, and existing academic theories were tested. The findings of the research proved to be very interesting and contribute greatly to the topic area. This is the first research conducted in this area in terms of the Irish Retail Industry. Future areas of research on the topic of Internal Communication have also been suggested due to the light shed on the area resulting from the completion of this research project.
Dual-Grating Spectral Beam Combination of High-Power Fiber Lasers

We describe a dual-grating spectral beam combination (SBC) system to combine multiple high-power fiber laser outputs while maintaining near-diffraction-limited beam quality. The two gratings are parallel in a grating rhomb configuration, with input and output beams that are parallel but shifted with wavelength, rather than the typical angular dispersion of a single grating. The resulting advantage of the dual-grating SBC over other beam combination systems is the relaxation of the linewidth requirement. We combined two fiber lasers with output powers of 115 W each and linewidths of about 0.15 nm ( ~40 GHz) to produce a combined beam of 190 W power with near-diffraction-limited beam quality (M 2 ~ 1.18).
Measuring User Innovation in the UK: the importance of product creation by users

Innovation activities have been traditionally considered the domain of specialist producers who design, develop and commercialise new technologies that are then passively adopted by users. This producer-centred model, inspired by the pioneering work of Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter, is linked to a specific set of policies to encourage innovation through the use of intellectual property rights and government subsidies for these producers. However, there is a growing body of research showing that users – both firms and individual consumers – play a much more active role in processes of innovation than it had been generally believed. Users create and modify products and services to serve their own needs, and often make these innovations freely available to each other, as well as producers. Many successful products in the market were initially developed by users, and eventually adopted and commercialised by producers. This suggests a shift in the locus of innovation in advanced economies such as the UK: technology and market trends are changing the way innovation gets done, and by whom. For example, as design and communication costs decline due to rapid improvements in computer-based design tools and Internet technologies, user and open collaborative innovation models are beginning to complement, and in some cases supplant, traditional, producer-centred innovation processes over a steadily wider range of conditions. These findings and trends represent fundamental challenges to producer centered models of innovation and to policies – including the current intellectual property rights framework – that are related to that model. To date, most studies of user innovation have focused on specific consumer and industrial categories. But cross-industry studies of the phenomenon are needed to build a robust evidence base for policy making, and to support managerial decision-making. This report sets out to address this gap in the understanding of the role of users – including individual consumers and business firms – in processes of innovation across a range of sectors. It presents findings from a world-first survey of product innovation by consumers, and from the first cross-industry survey of user process innovation by UK firms.
The Effect of Voluntary Disclosure on Firm Risk and Firm Value: Evidence from Management Earnings Forecasts

This study investigates whether the voluntary disclosure of management earnings forecasts influences investors’ assessment of firm risk and firm value. We find a significant negative relationship between the issuance of management earnings forecasts and a variety of measures of firm risk (idiosyncratic risk, stock return volatility, beta, and bid-ask spreads), with more frequent, more precise and more accurate earnings forecasts further decreasing firm risk. Our results therefore suggest that information quality is an important determinant of both diversifiable risk and nondiversifiable systematic risk. We also demonstrate that management earnings forecasts are positively associated with firm value as captured by Tobin’s Q while more frequent, precise and accurate forecasts further enhance valuation premiums. Finally, we find that management earnings forecasts impact firm value not only through a reduction in firm risk, but also through changing investors' perceptions about future cash flows. Our results are robust to various sensitivity checks. Overall, releasing high-quality management earnings forecasts is associated with important capital market benefits.
Sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of hypertension with different methods.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate sensitivity and specificity of different protocols for blood pressure measurement for the diagnosis of hypertension in adults. METHODS Cross-sectional study conducted in a non-probabilistic sample of 250 public servants of both sexes aged 35 to 74 years in Vitória, southeastern Brazil, between 2008 and 2010. The participants had their blood pressure measured using three different methods: clinic measurement, self-measured and 24-hour ambulatory measurement. They were all interviewed to obtain sociodemographic information and had their anthropometric data (weight, height, waist circumference) collected. Clinic measurement and self-measured were analyzed against the gold standard ambulatory measurement. Measures of diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive and negative predictive values) were calculated. The Bland & Altman method was used to evaluate agreement between ambulatory measurement (standard deviation for daytime measurements) and self-measured (standard deviation of four measurements). A 5% significance level was used for all analyses. RESULTS Self-measured blood pressure showed higher sensitivity (S=84%, 95%CI 75;93) and overall accuracy (0.817, p<0.001) in the diagnosis of hypertension than clinic measurement (S=79%, 95%CI 73;86, and overall accuracy=0.815, p<0.001). Despite the strong correlation with daytime ambulatory measurement values (r=0.843, p<0.001), self-measured values did not show good agreement with daytime systolic ambulatory values (bias=5.82, 95%CI 4.49;7.15). Seven (2.8%) cases of white coat hypertension, 26 (10.4%) of masked hypertension and 46 (18.4%) of white-coat effect were identified. CONCLUSIONS The study shows that self-measured blood pressure has higher sensitivity than clinic measurement to identify true hypertension. The negative predictive values found confirm the superiority of self-measured when compared to clinic in identifying truly normotensive individuals. However, clinic measurement cannot be replaced with self-measured, as it is still the most reliable method for the diagnosis of hypertension.
Is there a rationale for aggressive breast cancer liver metastases resections in Polish female patients? Analysis of overall survival following hepatic resection at a single centre in Poland.

INTRODUCTION Breast cancer (BC) makes up nearly 26% of malignant tumours worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in European women. With approximately 18,000 new cases of BC diagnosed in Polish women annually, breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) is respectively an increasing issue. Recent data found in literature indicates improved survival following liver resection with systemic therapy. OBJECTIVE The aim of study was to evaluate surgical treatment in patients with isolated BCLM. MATERIALS AND METHOD During 2009-2013, a retrospective study was undertaken and 30 cases analysed. From nearly 2,000 liver resections performed, 11 female patients at the mean age of 59.18 years with BCLM were qualified for surgery. RESULTS The median time between primary and secondary treatment was 3.5 years (1-7). One patient (9.1%) presented an extrahepatic lesion - bone metastasis. The left lobe, right lobe and both lobes of the liver were affected, respectively, in 3 (27.3%), 4 (36.4%) and 4 (36.4%) patients. 5 patients (45.5%) presented single hepatic lesion, in contrast to the maximum number of lesions which equalled 6 in the right lobe. Average hospitalisation period was 13.27 days and discharge on the 11.3 postoperative day. One-year survival was 72.7% (8 patients); therefore, three-year survival was 36.4% (4 patients). CONCLUSIONS Oncological centres should assess BCLM patients more openly and qualify them for hepatic resection along with adjuvant systemic treatment in order to improve overall survival. This, however, needs to be studied in a multicentre randomized trial.
Molecular and morphologic characterization of superficial‐ and deep‐subcutaneous adipose tissue subdivisions in human obesity

Human abdominal subcutaneous white adipose tissue (SAT) is composed of two different subcompartments: a “superficial” SAT (SSAT), located between the skin and a fibrous‐fascia plane; and a deeper SAT, located under this fibrous fascia plane, indicated as “deep” SAT (DSAT).
Impact of bias correction to reanalysis products on simulations of North American soil moisture and hydrological fluxes

Simulating land surface hydrological states and fluxes requires a comprehensive set of atmospheric forcing data at consistent temporal and spatial scales. At the continental-to-global scale, such data are not available except in weather reanalysis products. Unfortunately, reanalysis products are often biased due to errors in the host weather forecast model. This paper explores whether the error in model predictions of the initial soil moisture status and hydrological fluxes can be minimized through a bias reduction scheme to the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast and National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis products. The bias reduction scheme uses both difference and ratio corrections based upon global observational data sets. Both the corrected and original forcing data were used to simulate land surface states and fluxes with a land surface model (LSM) over North America. Soil moisture, snow depth, and runoff output from the LSM are compared to observations to assess the impact of the bias correction on simulation accuracy. Results of this study demonstrate the sensitivity of LSMs to bias in the forcing data, and that implementation of a bias reduction scheme reduces errors to the simulation of soil moisture, runoff, and snow water equivalence. Accordingly, the initial soil moisture fields produced should be more representative of actual conditions, and therefore more useful to the climate modeling community. Results suggest that modelers using reanalysis products for forcing LSMs, in particular for the establishment of initial conditions, should consider a bias reduction strategy when preparing their input forcing fields.
Community bank performance in slower growing markets : finding sound strategies for success

A substantial number of community banks in the Tenth Federal Reserve District are located in rural areas that are experiencing slower economic growth, a less vibrant business environment, and little or no population increase. As a result, these banks face a variety of challenges, including how to maintain prosperous banking operations, find sound lending opportunities, and attract an adequate supply of deposits. Other possible challenges involve finding capable staff, growing and achieving an efficient scale of operations, and contributing to the health of their communities. ; This article looks at how banks that operate in slower growing markets are responding to these challenges. As a group, Tenth District banks in slower growing counties appear to be performing at a satisfactory level, but they fail to match the returns achieved by banks in faster growing markets, and they also fall short on several other performance measures. ; A portion of the banks in slower growing markets, though, are doing remarkably well. Telephone interviews with senior officers at these “high performing” banks revealed a number of strategies and keys to their success—all of which could provide an excellent focal point for other banks in low-growth markets. These successful strategies include: getting the basic business of banking down right as the first step; being open to new business opportunities that are consistent with the bank’s resources and expertise and then taking a slow and careful approach in entering these activities; and actively assisting the local community and the bank’s next generation of customers.
Are short sellers stakeholders

This paper analyses the role of short sellers in the context of stakeholder theory and poses the question: should short sellers be considered as stakeholders? The paper examines the conditions under which short sellers operate and how short selling can be a profitable activity. Next the paper considers the view of short sellers from the perspective of the finance literature and this perspective is contrasted with concerns which are frequently expressed in the news media about the activities of short sellers. The constraints on short selling are discussed, together with the phenomenon of optimism in analysts’ forecasts which is believed to support ‘high’ share prices. The usefulness of the preceding analysis is then discussed in the context of stakeholder theory and the paper discusses some potential policy implications in terms of corporate governance and financial reporting. The paper concludes that short sellers can legitimately be regarded as stakeholders and, indeed, encouraging short sellers to operate more effectively in the market as well as providing fuller disclosure of their activities could provide a useful anti-dote to some of the excessive and unjustified share price rise which have been seen in recent years in failing companies.
Sibling species within Paramecium jenningsi revealed by PCR-RFLP

Summary. Paramecium jenningsi Diller et Earl, 1958 is classified in the so-called “aurelia” subgroup. The original assumption of the monomorphic status of P. jenningsi (Sonneborn 1970) has been repeatedly challenged over the years with the application of increasingly sophisticated methods and knowledge of the geographic distribution of particular strains of this species. Investigations concer ning genetic polymorphism suggested the existence of two sibling species in P. jenningsi, comprised of strains inhabiting India, Saudi Arabia, China and Japan. In order to confirm the existence of these sibling species, here we apply the PCR-RFLP method for analysis of a fragment of the hsp70 gene coding for the Hsp70 cytosol heat shock protein. PCR-RFLP with enzymes Alu1I and EcoRI did not reveal size polymorphism of restriction fragments. Band patterns obtained with enzyme Tru1I showed variation corresponding to genetic polymorphism and were subject to comparative analysis using the BIO1D program which applies Nei and Li’s and Jaccard’s similarity coefficients. The r esults of these analyses are homology trees showing the genetic similarity between West-Central Asian and Japanese groups, the intra-grou p similarity coefficients had a value of 1, i.e. the strains were 100% homologous. The similarity between both of these groups was calculate d as 32% and 20% depending on which coefficient was used. West-Central Asian and Japanese groups detected in this study on the basis of PCRRFLP result can be considered separate species after interpretation of inter-strain crosses, which have shown the existence of reproductive isolation barriers between West-Central Asian and Japanese strains on the basis of the percentage of surviving clones.
A technological platform to optimize combinatorial treatment design and discovery for chronic spinal cord injury

Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with the development of serious medical concerns. In fact, it is increasingly well documented that most SCI patients who survive the first 24 hr will rapidly develop, within a few months to a few years, cardiovascular problems, type II diabetes, muscle wasting, osteoporosis, immune deficiencies, and other life‐threatening problems. The cellular mechanisms underlying these so‐called secondary health complications remain unclear, and no drug or standard approach has been developed to specifically treat these complications. To investigate the cellular and metabolic changes associated with chronic SCI and functional recovery, work mainly from our laboratory recently has led to the characterization of a mouse model of chronic paraplegia. This review reports cellular, systemic, and metabolic changes (associated mainly with secondary health complications) occurring within a few days to a few weeks after SCI in low‐thoracic spinal cord–transected mice. We also describe our research platform developed to ease technological transfer and to accelerate drug‐screening studies in animals. A global understanding of the many chronic changes occurring after SCI together with efficient tools and approaches for testing new or existing drug candidates is likely to yield the design of innovative treatments against secondary complications that combine cellular plasticity–modulating agents, locomotor network–activating drugs, hormonal therapy, and exercise training. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Circulatory, respiratory and behavioral responses in isoflurane anesthetized llamas.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the circulatory, respiratory and behavioral effects of isoflurane (ISO) anesthesia in llamas during mechanical ventilation and spontaneous breathing. DESIGN Prospective randomised study. ANIMAL Six adult, neutered male llamas (10 ± 1 years [mean ± SD], 179 ± 32 kg). MATERIALS AND METHODS Animals in which the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) had been previously determined were anesthetized with ISO in oxygen. Inspired and end-tidal (ET) ISO were sampled continuously. Arterial blood pH, respiratory and circulatory variables, and clinical signs of anesthesia were recorded at three doses (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 times the individual animal's MAC; mean MAC value 1.13%) of ISO during spontaneous and controlled ventilation. A series of Latin squares was used to determine order of dose. Controlled ventilation (CV) (target PaCO2 38 ± 5 mm Hg [5.0 ± 0.6 kPa]) preceded spontaneous ventilation (SV) at each dose. Animals breathed spontaneously for approximately 10 minutes prior to data collection. Body temperature was maintained at 37 ± 0.6 °C. Circulatory and respiratory data were analysed with a mixed model, least squares analysis of variance, for repeated measures taken at equally spaced intervals. p < 0.05. RESULTS Dose and mode of ventilation had significant influences on measured variables. For example, heart rate increased as dose increased; 67 ± 14 beats minute-1 at 1.0 MAC-CV versus 77 ± 6 beats minute-1 at 2 MAC-CV. Conversely, mean arterial pressure decreased with increasing dose; 82 ± 13 mm Hg at MAC-CV versus 52 ± 15 mm Hg at 2 MAC-CV. Arterial CO2 increased with increasing dose during SV; 45 ± 5 mm Hg [6 ± 0.6 kPa] at MAC versus 53 ± 4 mmHg [7 ± 0.5 kPa] at 2 MAC. Reflex activity (e.g. palpebral reflex) and muscle tone (e.g. jaw tone) decreased while eyelid aperture increased with increasing anesthetic dose. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The influence of ISO dose and mode of ventilation on circulatory and respiratory variables in llamas is qualitatively similar to that reported in other species. Changes in reflex activity and muscle tone may be used to guide appropriate anesthetic delivery in ISO-induced llamas.
Hardy-Sobolev spaces of complex tangential derivatives of holomorphic functions in domains of finite type

In this paper, we prove Fefferman-Stein like characterizations of Hardy-Sobolev spaces of complex tangential derivatives of holomorphic functions in domains of finite type in $\boldsymbol C^n$. We also study the relationship between these complex tangential Hardy-Sobolev spaces and the usual ones. We also obtain partial results on domains not necessarily of finite type.
Secure Hybrid VLC-RF Systems With Light Energy Harvesting

In this paper, a hybrid visible light communication-radio frequency (RF) system, including a legitimate receiver (R) and an eavesdropper (E) is considered. R can harvest energy from the light emitted by light emitting diodes (LEDs), which is used for the information transmission between R and the RF receiver which is close to the LED. It is assumed that E tries to eavesdrop the information delivered from R to the RF receiver and R is with finite energy storage. Considering the randomness of the locations of R and E, the statistical characteristics of the received signal-to-noise ratio at the RF receiver and E are characterized; then, we derive the analytical expressions for exact and asymptotic secrecy outage probability by using the stochastic geometry method. Finally, simulations are carried out to verify our proposed analytical models.
Predictors of pain during oocyte retrieval

Abstract Introduction: Pain during oocyte retrieval remains prevalent despite detailed and specific pain management protocols. Exploring the role of psychosocial risk factors of pain during the oocyte retrieval could identify possible targets for prevention. The present study assessed pain prevalence and possible risk factors for experiencing extreme pain levels in a large cohort of women receiving assisted reproductive technologies (ART) treatment. Methods: Participants were 810 first attendees about to begin treatment with ART. The participants completed questionnaires at three time points: at their 21st day of the cycle, during the waiting time before the oocyte retrieval surgery and after the oocyte retrieval. Results: Fifty-one (6.9%) of the women reported the oocyte retrieval to be very or extremely painful. The results of a multiple logistic regression indicated that the significant predictors of high pain intensity, measured before the oocyte retrieval, were negative gynecological experiences and side effects of hormonal treatment. Variables measured after the oocyte retrieval associated with pain intensity were higher levels of anxiety during the oocyte retrieval, lower levels of perceived control and longer duration of the procedure. Discussion: The findings of the present study may help to identify those women who are at increased risk of experiencing unacceptable pain levels during oocyte retrieval procedures and the medical staff is advised to take psychological factors into account.