Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Price of Winning and the Impact on the NCAA Community

In many cases, athletics department spending has been spurred by a desire to field more competitive athletics programs, and it has been assumed that spending more would result in greater on-the-field success for the athletics program. However, little empirical evidence exists to support this assumption, and few studies have explored financials trends related to cost-benefit of intercollegiate athletics program. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between on-the-field success and spending while also exploring current trends. The authors drew longitudinal data from EADA reports and then examined the association with Directors’ Cup rankings at the end of these respective seasons. The results indicated that a relationship between overall expenses and on-the-field success does exist, and points to operating expenses, rather than coaching salaries and recruiting expenses, as having greatest influence on this relationship. The cost-benefit analysis and trends over time are also explored.
A comparison of Malaysian and American groups using a Group Decision Support System

The vast majority of research conducted on Group Decision Support Systems has been based upon groups using the English language. In this paper, we describe a Group Decision Support System developed at the University of Mis sissippi that supports meetings of groups speaking English, German, French, Malay, or any other language which uses the Roman alphabet (including accent marks). A pilot study was conducted comparing American students using English with Malaysian students using alternatively English and Malay. All groups used a Group Decision Support System to exchange comments or solutions regarding the assigned problem. In general, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of production blocking (ease of communica tion), evaluation apprehension (fear of peer criticism), and overall meeting satisfaction in either language. These results support our hypothesis that Group Decision Support Systems can be used effectively regardless of a group's nationality or language.
The sagittal growth of the foetal cranial base.

There is an increase in the angular relationship between the anterior and posterior cranial components in foetal life. The angular changes taking place seem to occur in the region of the sphenoethmoidal junction. The spheno-occipital element of the cranial base showed stability during foetal life, whereas the spheno-ethmoidal part of the cranial base angles increased in the corresponding period. A large angle in any one of the cranial base angles is followed by large angles in the rest of the cranial angles. A large cranial base angle is followed by a large anterior total facial height and a relatively posterior rotation of the upper jaw, retrognathic lower face and a relatively posterior rotation of the lower jaw. The growth of the anterior cranial base is more active than the growth of the posterior cranial base. The ethmoidal and sphenoidal parts of the anterior cranial base contribute equally to the increase in length. A long anterior cranial base is followed by a large spheno-ethmoidal angle and rela.
Optimization of Lateral Superjunction Based on the Minimum Specific ON-Resistance

The optimization methodology of the minimum specific ON-resistance RON,min for the lateral superjunction device is proposed based on the concepts of charge and potential electric fields in this paper. From the RON,min method, a new relationship between RON and breakdown voltage VB is developed, and the analytical formulas are obtained to directly give the doping concentration N and the drift length Ld. The calculated results, including the 800 and 1600 V examples, are in good agreement with the simulations. The optimized designs are also compared with the existing experimental and simulated data. It is shown that RON from the proposed optimization method is minimum, and the methodology of RON,min is universal.
Learning About Causal Systems Through Play

It is commonly believed that children are able to learn through play. Recent studies have found that children are able to learn causal rules through free play (Sim & Xu, in press). One such study found that children learned how to correctly activate machines, using either a block that was the same shape or the same color as the machine, when given five minutes to play with them. However, would children be able to learn a more complex causal rule through free play as well and would their performance be comparable to children who were didactically taught the same causal rule? In the current study, we show that children are able to learn more complex causal rules through free play. We also show that children perform significantly better when learning these rules through free play or by first engaging in free play and then observing, as opposed to solely through observation.
The Impact of Nonprofit Brand Orientation on Organisational Performance

Brands have becoming increasingly important to many nonprofit organisations. Consequently, brand orientation has emerged as an attractive business philosophy in this sector. In this study, the relationship between nonprofit brand orientation (NBO) and organisational performance is examined. Findings suggest that there is a positive association between the dimensions of NBO and nonprofit organisational performance. Further, successful nonprofit organisations tend to be more brand-oriented than their less successful counterparts. Limitations of the study are noted and suggestions for ongoing research offered.
VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS OF GINGER OIL PREPARED ACCORDING TO IRANIAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND CONVENTIONAL METHOD: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Background: Herbal medicines formulated as oils were believed to possess more powerful effects than their original plants in Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM). One of the popular oils suggested for treatment of various indications was ginger oil. In the present study, to suggest a more convenient method of oil preparation (compared to the traditional method), ginger oil has been prepared according to both the traditional and conventional maceration methods and the volatile oil constituents have been compared. Material and Methods: Ginger oil was obtained in sesame oil according to both the traditional way and the conventional (maceration) methods. The volatile oil of dried ginger and both oils were obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Results: Fifty five, fifty nine and fifty one components consisting 94 %, 94 % and 98 % of the total compounds were identified in the volatile oil of ginger, traditional and conventional oils, respectively. Conclusion: The most dominant compounds of the traditional and conventional oils were almost similar; however they were different from ginger essential oil which has also been to possess limited amounts of anti-inflammatory components. It was concluded that ginger oil could be prepared through maceration method and used for indications mentioned in ITM.
E-Government services in local governments a study of development in Swedish municipalities

Abstract This article presents a study concerning e-Government services at local governments in Sweden. The purpose of the study is to investigate and critically analyse the development of e-Services in Swedish municipalities and through interviews collect, compare and assess data about actual local e-Government services in Sweden in order to find areas of assimilation and divergence. Based on a sample of 24 municipalities in Sweden, the results show that the development and implementation of e-Services are in their infancy and only a few e-Services have been implemented yet. E-Services offered today are basal and primary and closely connected to citizens' daily life. It is difficult to identify many clear and distinct patterns in the development; however, some minor patterns can be identified. The development projects identified in the study are, in most cases, detached projects for the development and implementation of e-Services. The nature of many of the projects today resembles projects for learning rather than projects for production and these have the character of bottom-up projects rather than top-down.
Paclitaxel/carboplatin/etoposide versus paclitaxel/topotecan for extensive stage small cell lung cancer: A Minnie Pearl Cancer Research Network randomized prospective phase II trial.

7205 Background: Platinum plus etoposide chemotherapy is currently standard for patients (pts) with extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Nonplatinum doublets of active newer drugs may be superior. METHODS The purpose of this randomized phase II trial was to compare the toxicity, response rates, and progression-free survival (PFS) of platinum/etoposide-based chemotherapy to paclitaxel plus topotecan. Between December 1999 and June 2003, 120 pts with extensive stage small cell lung cancer were randomized to receive either Arm A (60 pts): paclitaxel 200mg/m2 day 1, carboplatin AUC 6 day 1, oral etoposide 50mg alternating with 100mg for 10 consecutive days for 4 cycles (repeated every 3 weeks) versus Arm B (60 pts): paclitaxel 175mg/m2 day 1, and topotecan 1.5mg/m2 days 1, 2, and 3, for 4 cycles (repeated every 3 weeks). Eligibility required no prior chemotherapy, ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1, and normal organ function. RESULTS Pts were evenly matched with respect to PS, visceral metastases, number of metastatic sites, and gender. There were 68 men and 52 women. Grade 3/4 neutropenia/thrombocytopenia: Arm A - 20 pts (33%)/6 pts (10%); Arm B - 27 pts (45%)/14 pts (23%). Nonhematologic toxicity was similar in both arms. Overall response rates were 77% (38 pts) in Arm A and 49% (25 pts) in Arm B (p=0.03) with 13% (8 pts) with complete responses in Arm A and 6.5% (4 pts) in Arm B (p=0.12), respectively. The median PFS in Arm A was 7.4 months versus 5.5 months for Arm B (p=0.0043). Progression-free survival at 12 months and 18 months was 15% and 8% in Arm A and 8% and 0% in Arm B, respectively. Median survival in Arm A was 10.6 months versus 9.1 months in Arm B (p=0.2581). The 12-month and 18-month survival was 38% and 20% in Arm A and 30% and 13% in Arm B, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The overall toxicity profile, response rate, and PFS of paclitaxel/carboplatin/etoposide (Arm A) is superior to the nonplatinum doublet of paclitaxel plus topotecan (Arm B). [Table: see text].
The impact of corporate governance mechanisms on earnings management

The role of corporate governance is to reduce the divergence of interests between shareholders’ and managers. The role of corporate governance is more useful when managers have an incentive to deviate from shareholders’’ interests. One example of management’s deviation from shareholders’’ interests is the management of earnings through the use of accounting accruals. The primary objective of this paper is to examine the association between corporate governance internal mechanisms (ownership concentration, board independence, CEO dominance) and external mechanism (institutional shareholders’) and earnings management. Firm size and leverage are control variables. The population used in this study comprises firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) between 2004 and 2008, the sample comprises 196 firms. Panel data method is employed as technique to estimate the model. We find that firms with higher ownership concentration and board independence manage earnings less, while firms with higher institutional holdings manage earnings more, there is positive significant association between the existence of CEO-Chairman duality and earnings management. This study also found a positive significant association between firm size and leverage and earnings management.
Recursive Boolean algebras with recursive atoms

A Boolean algebra (henceforth abbreviated B.A.) is said to be recursive if B is a recursive subset of the natural numbers N and the operations ∧ (meet), ∨ (join), and ¬ (complement) are partial recursive. Let denote the set of atoms of and denote the ideal generated by the atoms of . Given recursive B.A.s and , we write ≈ if is isomorphic to and ≈r if is recursively isomorphic to , i.e., if there is a partial recursive isomorphism from onto . Recursive B.A.s have been studied by several authors including Ershov [2], Fiener [3], [4], Goncharov [5], [6], [7], LaRoche [8], Nurtazin [7], and the author [10], [11]. This paper continues a study of the recursion theoretic relationships among , , and the recursive isomorphism type of a recursive B.A. we started in [11]. We refer the reader to [11] for any unexplained notation and definitions. In [11], we were mainly concerned with the possible recursion theoretic properties of the set of atoms in recursive B.A.s. We found that even if we insist that be recursive, there is considerable freedom for the properties of . For example, we showed that if is a recursive B.A. such that is recursive and is infinite, then (i) there exists a recursive B.A. such that and both and are recursive and (ii) for any nonzero r.e. degree δ, there exist recursive B.A.s , , … such that for each i, is of degree δ, is recursive, is immune if i is even and is not immune if i is odd, and no two B.A.s in the sequence are recursively isomorphic.
Vitamin D-Binding Protein Concentrations Quantified by Mass Spectrometry.

A new liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric assay for vitamin D–binding protein was compared with both monoclonal and polyclonal immunoassays. The monoclonal assay may depend on the isoforms present, which may explain racial differences in concentrations of vitamin D–binding protein.
Prospective, Randomized, Open-Label Trial Comparing the Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of an Acne Treatment Regimen with and without a Probiotic Supplement and Minocycline in Subjects with Mild to Moderate Acne

Background: Systemic antibiotics are an effective treatment for acne vulgaris. However, intolerable side effects may invariably occur. Objective: To determine whether probiotics reduce the side effects imparted by systemic antibiotics while working synergistically with the latter in treating inflammatory acne. Methods: Forty-five 18- to 35-year-old females were randomly assigned to one of three arms in this prospective, open-label study. Group A received probiotic supplementation, whereas group B received only minocycline. Group C was treated with both probiotic and minocycline. Clinical and subjective assessments were completed at baseline and during the 2-, 4-, 8-, and 12-week follow-up visits. Results: All patients demonstrated a significant improvement in total lesion count 4 weeks after treatment initiation (p < .001), with continued improvement seen with each subsequent follow-up visit (p < .01). At the 8- and 12-week follow-up visits, group C had a significant decrease in total lesion count versus groups A (p < .001) and B (p < .01). Two patients (13%) from group B failed to complete the study secondary to vaginal candidiasis. Conclusion: Probiotics may be considered a therapeutic option or adjunct for acne vulgaris by providing a synergistic antiinflammatory effect with systemic antibiotics while also reducing potential adverse events secondary to chronic antibiotic use.
CYTOTOXICITY AND IMMUNOLOCALIZATION OF FUMONISIN B1 IN DEC99 AND BALB/C 3T3 CELL LINES

Fumonisins are widespread mycotoxins, produced by several species of Fusarium moulds that contaminate mainly crops, and food and feed based on cereals. These metabolites represent a significant health treat for humans and animals because of their toxic and carcinogenic effects. The present study aims to ascertain the cytotoxic effects of FB1 on permanent lines and its subcellular localization. In the present study, the cytotoxic effect of fumonisin B1 (FB1) on DEC99 (duck embryo cells) and BALB/c 3T3 (mouse embryo fibroblasts) cell lines was assessed by Neutral Red Uptake (NRU) test and standard Pappenheim and fluorescent AO/PI double staining. Intracellular distribution of FB1 in DEC99 cells was examined by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy methods. The results from the NRU test indicated that DEC99 cells are more sensitive to the toxic effect of FB1 than BALB/c 3T3 cells. AO/PI double staining revealed morphological features of apoptosis of cells treated with 300 µg FB1/ml. The immunofluorescent and immunogold labeling of FB1 revealed the localization of the micotoxin in the cytoplasm and the nucleus of the cells. The presented results clearly indicate that the cell line DEC99 is a useful model system for studies on the cytotoxic effects of fumonisins.
Absence of synaptophysin near cortical neurons containing oligomer Aβ in Alzheimer's disease brain

Soluble amyloid β protein (Aβ) oligomers have been considered recently to be responsible for the cognitive dysfunction that sets in prior to senile plaque formation in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. By using the newly prepared antibody against oligomer Aβ, rather than fibrillar or monomer Aβ, we observed that oligomer Aβ in AD brains was localized as clusters ofdot‐likeimmunostains in the neurons in a manner different from that in senile plaques. The relationship of oligomer Aβ with synaptophysin, a synaptic molecular marker, was examined because oligomer Aβ is widely believed to be related to synaptic failure. We observed that immunostainings for synaptophysin were absent near neurons bearing clusters of oligomer Aβ. The present study provides morphological evidence to support the idea that accumulated oligomer Aβ, but not fibrillar Aβ, is closely associated with synaptic failure, which is the major cause of cognitive dysfunction. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effect of customer orientation on frontline employees job outcomes in a new public management context

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the role of customer orientation in a model of affective and behavioural job outcomes grounded in Bagozzi's reformulation of attitude theory in the new public management context of a former public sector government department that has undergone corporatisation and now operates as a state‐owned enterprise (SOE). Design/methodology/approach – Frontline employees (FLEs) complete a self‐administered questionnaire on how customer orientation affects their job satisfaction and organisational commitment, and how these job attitudes impact service recovery performance and turnover intentions. Data obtained from the FLEs were analysed using the structural equation modeling‐based partial least squares methodology.Findings – Seven of eight hypotheses are supported. Results suggest that there is a significant influence of customer orientation on job satisfaction and organisational commitment, which in turn influence service recovery performance and turnover intentions.Practical im.
Modeling destination brand equity in an emerging long haul market

The destination branding literature emerged as recently as 1998, and there remains a dearth of empirical data that tests the effectiveness of brand campaigns over time. This paper reports the results of an investigation into consumer-based brand equity for Australia as a long haul destination in an emerging South American market. In spite of the high level of academic interest in the measurement of perceptions of destinations since the 1970s, few previous studies have examined perceptions held by South American consumers. Findings suggest that destination brand awareness, brand image, and brand value are positively related to brand loyalty for a long-haul destination. The results also indicate that Australia is a more compelling destination brand for previous visitors compared to non-visitors.
Evaluation of green supply chain management practices in the Malaysian automotive industry

Becoming 'green' has become the latest challenge to automobile manufacturers. Greening the supply chain is viewed as an effective strategy towards environmental friendly products. This study used a set of measures and metrics to evaluate the green supply chain practices of the major automotive companies in Malaysia. The evaluation was conducted based on the various echelons involved in each company's supply chain. Ten major suppliers and 100 customers were selected for the evaluation of each company. The internal operations of the organisations were also assessed. The results were analysed and inferences were drawn based on the results. It was found that green supply chain management in Malaysia has not received adequate attention. The study culminated with recommendations for further studies.
Turnover and Ecological Release in the Avifauna of Mona Island, Puerto Rico

MODERN biogeographic theory states that the number of species in a class or other large taxonomic unit that inhabits an island is maintained within narrow bounds by a dynamic steady state between colonization and extinction' (MacArthur and Wilson 1967). Although a recent experimental test of the theory upheld most of its expectations (Simberloff and Wilson 1969), there remains a paucity of data on natural colonization and extinction rates from which to judge the time scale of faunal turnover on islands of varying geographic status. Two previous studies of avifaunal turnover on islands have come to our attention, one involving the California Channel Islands (Diamond 1969) and the other, Karkar, a volcanic island off the north coast of New Guinea (Diamond 1971c). Here we report on changes in the birdlife of Mona Island that have transpired since the turn of the century. Mona is especially well suited for the measurement of turnover for a number of reasons: its terrestrial avifauna consists of a very limited number of species, most of which are common; its topography and vegetation are extremely uniform, making unlikely the possibility that species have escaped detection in small pockets of habitat; it is large enough (24 square miles) to provide living space for numerically ample populations, yet small enough to cover on foot from end to end; it has suffered comparatively little disturbance by man; and its avifauna has been thoroughly surveyed on several prior occasions, first in 1901. In having a fauna that is entirely composed of species found on the nearby western end of Puerto Rico, Mona also lends itself to a study of ecological release, an expansion in density, distribution, or behavior that is commonly observed when the performance of a species is recorded under high and low intensities of competition (Crowell 1961, 1962; Willis 1966; Diamond 1969, 1971a, 1971b; MacArthur et al. 1972). The presence of a gradient of habitat in Puerto Rico that extends from areas of high to low rainfall makes it possible to select a plot having almost any desired combination of structural characteristics. By comparing the censuses of matched plots, one obtains good control over at least some of the variables that potentially regulate faunal composition and density. The second part of the paper presents the results