Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Connecting Value Assessment and Dynamic Pricing of Services to the Performance Journey Mapping Framework

This paper introduces the integration of value and pricing into the Performance Journey Mapping (PJM) framework. Companies are often insecure when it comes to service pricing due to a lack of applicable tools and methods that support them to find an appropriate price for their services. Value-based pricing approaches turned out to be superior to other ones but lack appropriate tools and adaptations for service pricing. The connection of value assessment and service pricing within PJM and the development of a supporting tool set shall enable companies to perform value-based pricing for their services in order to obtain performance growth.
Kangaroo mother care could significantly reduce the duration of phototherapy for babies with jaundice

Objective: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) was reported to be correlated with the time of phototherapy for babies with neonatal jaundice in the previous studies. The purpose of this study was to verify the effectiveness of KMC on phototherapy for neonatal jaundice. Methods: 216 newborn babies with neonatal jaundice were collected in this study and randomly divided into KMC group and control group. 112 babies in KMC group were received indirect KMC from their parent every day until the end of phototherapy, while the 104 babies in control were received conventional care. The time of phototherapy for neonatal jaundice was used to evaluate the influence of KMC. Results: In this study, we proved that the type of jaundice could significantly influence onset of jaundice, peak bilirubin and time of phototherapy (P < 0.05 for all). Besides, babies with jaundice received KMC recovered early from jaundice, compared with control group (P = 0.000). In addition, the gestational age was significantly correlated with peak bilirubin (P = 0.000). Conclusion: The type of jaundice and KMC can influence the effectiveness of phototherapy for infants with neonatal jaundice. KMC could significantly reduce the duration of phototherapy for babies with jaundice, which might be helpful for the care of neonatal jaundice.
A passivity checking algorithm for delay-based macromodels of lossy transmission lines

This paper presents a new algorithm for verifying passivity in macromodels of lossy multiconductor interconnects. The macromodels considered in this paper are constructed from the method of characteristics and include delay element. The new algorithm is derived from the results of a new theory that describes the necessary and sufficient conditions of positive-realness in dynamical system described by delay differential equations.
Consumer attitude towards intention to purchase green foods in chicken meat industry

Article history: Received 5 July 2016 Received in revised form 28 October 2016 Accepted 18 November 2016 The aim of this study is to present the consumer attitude towards the intention to purchase green and Halal foods of the chicken meat industry in Malaysia. The major objective is to analyze the factors affecting on intention to purchase towards green and Halal foods of the chicken meat industry in Malaysia. The factor of natural content, convenience, knowledge of Halal and green foods issue, familiarity, price consciousness, attitude towards purchasing and demographic profile are affecting of the intention to purchase green and Halal foods of the chicken meat industry. Simple random sampling and questionnaires were taken to targeting 500 respondents, however, 377 respondents were only qualified. Descriptive Analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be tested into this study. By understanding the attitude, marketers can target the right market and gain profitable.
Current concepts on active immunization against respiratory syncytial virus for infants and young children

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most important causative agent of viral respiratory tract infections in infants and young children. Passive immunization against RSV became available recently, but this does not apply to an effective vaccine as a result of dramatic adverse results of immunization with a RSV candidate vaccine in the 1960s and the lack of full knowledge of the immune response induced by RSV. Nonetheless intensive research during the past two decades has resulted in several interesting candidate vaccines, of which some have gone through testing in humans. These include the subunit vaccines PFP-1, PFP-2, BBG2Na and cold-passaged/temperature-sensitive mutants. The development of candidate vaccines against RSV is discussed. Because of questions, uncertainties and difficulties with the development of effective vaccines against RSV, it will probably be at least another 5 to 10 years before routine immunization against RSV becomes available.
Understanding the role of web-benefits in cross-buying

This study seeks to develop and test a framework for understanding the direct and indirect effect of web-benefits derived from bank on cross-buying of financial services. The purpose of this paper further includes exploring the mediating role of switching costs on the inter-relationships between web-benefits, relationship quality, and cross-buying intentions. The theoretical framework is developed on the logic of prior research that technology affects the customer-firm relationships and relationships influence the purchasing intentions of customers. Research data were collected from banking customers in Rajasthan state. Using bank intercept technique, 347 questionnaires were collected. Structural equation modelling was applied to examine the relationships among the constructs. Findings suggest that web-benefits provided by the bank have only indirect effect on the cross-buying intentions through switching costs. Results also revealed that the higher the perceived switching costs and relationship quality, the higher the cross-buying intentions.
Inhibition of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Signal Transduction in Endotoxin-Tolerized Mouse Macrophages: Dysregulation of Cytokine, Chemokine, and Toll-Like Receptor 2 and 4 Gene Expression1

In this study, the effect of in vitro endotoxin tolerance on LPS-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, transcription factor induction, and cytokine, chemokine, and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and 4 gene expression, as well as the involvement of TNF and IL-1 signaling pathways in tolerance, were examined. Pretreatment of mouse macrophages with LPS inhibited phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases, and p38 kinase; degradation of I-κBα (inhibitory protein that dissociates from NF-κB) and I-κBβ; and activation of the transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1 in response to subsequent LPS stimulation. These changes were accompanied by suppression of LPS-induced expression of mRNA for GM-CSF, IFN-γ-inducible protein-10, KC, JE/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage-inflammatory protein-1β, and macrophage-inflammatory protein-2, with concurrent inhibition of chemokine secretion. In contrast to control cells, endotoxin-tolerant macrophages exhibited an increased basal level of TLR2 mRNA, and failed to increase levels of TLR2 mRNA or to down-regulate TLR4 gene expression upon restimulation with LPS. As judged by transcription factor activation, LPS and IL-1 were found to induce a state of cross-tolerance against each other, while no such reciprocal effect was seen for LPS and TNF-α. In addition, macrophages from TNFR I/II double knockout mice were LPS tolerizable, and blocking of endogenous TNF-α with TNFR-Fc fusion protein did not affect the capacity of LPS to tolerize macrophages. These data extend our understanding of LPS-signaling mechanisms that are inhibited in endotoxin-tolerized macrophages and suggest that endotoxin tolerance might result from impaired expression and/or functions of common signaling intermediates involved in LPS and IL-1 signaling.
The Expression of Adhesion Molecules and the Influence of Inflammatory Cytokines on the Adhesion of Human Pancreatic Carcinoma Cells to Mesothelial Monolayers

Objectives: Pancreatic cancer has a tremendously deplorable prognosis. Peritoneal dissemination frequently occurs after surgical resection of the tumor. Specific adhesion molecules may be of great importance in local tumor recurrence. These adhesion molecules may be influenced by inflammatory cytokines produced during surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1&bgr; (IL-1&bgr;), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-&agr; (TNF-&agr;), on the interaction between pancreatic tumor cells and mesothelial cells. Methods: An experimental in vitro model was designed using Panc-1, MiaPaCa-2, and BxPC-3 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. Primary cultures of mesothelial cells were incubated with the inflammatory cytokines, and after the incubation, the adherence of the different pancreatic cell lines was measured. By means of immunocytochemical staining and enzyme immunoassay, the expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and CD44) and counterparts (LFA-1 and VLA-4) was investigated. Results: Preincubation of the mesothelial monolayer with IL-1&bgr; or TNF-&agr; resulted in enhanced tumor cell adhesion of the MiaPaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells. The amount of stimulation for the MiaPaCa-2 cells was more than 100% versus the control situation and for BxPC-3 cells between 20% to 35%. IL-6 did not affect the tumor cell adhesion of the MiaPaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells. The adherence of Panc-1 was not enhanced after preincubation of the mesothelial monolayers with the inflammatory cytokines. Mesothelial cells show a significant enhancement of expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and CD44 after stimulation with IL-1&bgr; and TNF-&agr;. Conclusions: The presented results prove that IL-1&bgr; and TNF-&agr; are significant stimulating factors in pancreatic tumor cell adhesion in vitro and may therefore account for tumor recurrence to the peritoneum in vivo. The immunocytochemical staining results demonstrate that ICAM-1 and CD44 important adhesion molecules and interference with their function may decrease the incidence of peritoneal tumor recurrence after curative resection of pancreatic cancer.
Towards a theory of cultural influence on the development of accounting systems internationally

Cultural Influences on Accounting and Its Practices Accounting is far more than methodologies, numbers and financial statements. It holds to basic rules and standards to preserve the profession’s purpose, but is also shaped by a variety of internal and external forces. The accounting practice actually signifies and represents the culture in which it is performed. So every nation should use effective, independent and high quality accounting and auditing standards, practice high quality auditing standards, establish audit firms with effective quality controls worldwide, launch profession-wide quality assurance and active regulatory oversight. Therefore above factors can consider as the research solutions. Accounting provides useful information to decision makers, thus as the business environment has changed it influence for culture because of culture is a subsection of the business environment. As a result of these changes it may effect for organization’s accounting standards. Alternatives of the cultural influence could produce or destroy information related to the international accounting standards. Although there are significant benefits to implementing international accounting standards and it is increasing in importance there are still many challenges to further development and confident implementation. To best understand these challenges one must look at the factors that influence the development of accounting regulations. Such factors can include social and cultural values, political and legal systems, business activities and economic conditions, standard setting processes, capital markets and forms of ownership and finally cooperative efforts by nations. These factors if properly understood can moderate or even eliminate the challenges to international accounting standards. International accounting standards are important today and will most certainly become more important for the future as they are further developed. Thus International Accounting Standards are central to this concept.
Copy-number analysis of topoisomerase and thymidylate synthase genes in frozen and FFPE DNAs of colorectal cancers.

BACKGROUND Archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens represent an important resource for pharmacogenomic analysis in retrospective clinical studies but the quality of results from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples is of concern due to the fact of the degradation of DNAs and RNAs from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. METHODS In the present study, we used DNA from fresh frozen as well as formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor to detect copy-number changes in colorectal cancer, and our data shows that formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded DNAs were able to deliver reliable copy-number data, and that quantitative PCR had the ability to detect copy-number changes from deletion to amplification, with high concordance of copy-number calls among formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded and frozen DNAs. RESULTS The amplification of topoisomerase I and deletion of thymidylate synthase were found in 23% (12/52) and 27% (14/52) of colorectal cancers, but EGF receptor amplification was not common (5/52, <10%). Among 52 colorectal cancers, 31 tumors were both topoisomerase I and thymidylate synthase diploid, which may have a worse outcome for tumor chemotherapy; and there were five tumors with favorable genomics (topoisomerase I amplification and thymidylate synthase deletion). Furthermore, topoisomerase I-amplified tumors had a two-times higher RNA level and a nearly twofold higher protein expression level than did the diploid tumors (p < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively), but there were no correlations between copy-number status and RNA or protein level for thymidylate synthase. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests a potential pharmacogenomic influence of topoisomerase I copy-number alteration on its RNA/protein expressions, which could be reflected on tumor response to chemotherapy in human colorectal cancer.
Sara Invitto-Carola Capone-Graziano Gigante-Giulia Piraino-Bianca Sisinni

A ‘delay effect’ occurs when a subject hears the sound of his own voice that is delayed by few milliseconds. This abnormal feedback induces difficulties in the articulation of language. This study aims to investigate ERP modulation during an auditory Posner paradigm an auditory delay effect (DAF) training. Main ERPs results highlighted delayed latencies and greater amplitudes after DAF. This can indicate how auditory feedback systems affect motor and auditory attentional early processes, by altering not only the task itself in language performance, but also producing a delayed bias in ERP components. So, if the acoustic feedback is naturally presented without delayed latency (NDAF), subjects will have no difficulty in producing verbal language and no ERP bias. If the stimulus is presented as DAF, subjects will present difficulties in articulating language, and will show ERP bias, in particular in frontoparietal, in temporoparietal, and in parietal ROI. This highlights the momentary interruption of an automatic process.
LARES mission operations

LAser RElativity Satellite (LARES) is an Italian Space Agency mission that started operations on February 2012 after a successful launch on ESA's VEGA qualification flight. The satellite is covered with retroreflectors that allow accurate laser ranging tracking from the stations of the International Laser Ranging Service. Data of laser ranged satellites are publicly available for scientific analysis and in the case of LARES are being used mainly for testing general relativity and in particular the Lense-Thirring effect due to the rotation of Earth. Although designed for fundamental physics, the LARES mission is also very useful for geodesy and geodynamics and it will provide, among other things, improvement of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame. After a description of the scientific objectives and of the satellite, the paper will focus on the operations required to run the mission.
Stock Return Predictability by using Market Ratio, Trading Volume, and Stock Variance

The objective of this research is to examine the effect of financial ratios, such as book-to-market ratio, dividend-yield ratio, dividend-price ration, dividend-payout ratio, earnings-to-price ratio, cash flow-to-price ratio, trading volume, and stock variance, as the independent variable to stock return predictability on IDX Composite and 9 sectors listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange. This research uses quantitative perspective with linier regression and model in a panel data for all of the research’s observation that used in this research. The number of observation in this research are 1125, consists of 225 firms that has been enlisted on Indonesia Stock Exchange for 2011-2015 period. The result shows that book-to-market ratio, dividend-yield ration, cash flow-to-price ratio, and stock variance have positive significant effect on stock return predictability. Earnings-to-price ratio shows that it has a negative significant effect on stock return predictability, while dividend-payout and trading volume appear to be having no significant effect on stock return predictability Keyword: Stock return predictability, financial ratio, trading volume, stock variance
Crop yield losses due to ozone in Punjab and Haryana 9557 1 . 2 Metrics to assess the impact of ozone on crop yields

In this study we use a high-quality data set of in situ ozone measurements at a suburban site called Mohali in the state of Punjab to estimate ozone-related crop yield losses for wheat, rice, cotton and maize for Punjab and the neighbouring state Haryana for the years 2011–2013. We intercompare crop yield loss estimates according to different exposure metrics, such as AOT40 (accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40) and M7 (mean 7-hour ozone mixing ratio from 09:00 to 15:59), for the two major crop growing seasons of kharif (June–October) and rabi (November– April) and establish a new crop-yield–exposure relationship for southern Asian wheat, maize and rice cultivars. These are a factor of 2 more sensitive to ozone-induced crop yield losses compared to their European and American counterparts. Relative yield losses based on the AOT40 metrics ranged from 27 to 41 % for wheat, 21 to 26 % for rice, 3 to 5 % for maize and 47 to 58 % for cotton. Crop production losses for wheat amounted to 20.8± 10.4 million t in the fiscal year of 2012–2013 and 10.3± 4.7 million t in the fiscal year of 2013–2014 for Punjab and Haryana taken together. Crop production losses for rice totalled 5.4± 1.2 million t in the fiscal year of 2012–2013 and 3.2± 0.8 million t in the year 2013– 2014 for Punjab and Haryana taken together. The Indian National Food Security Ordinance entitles ∼ 820 million of India’s poor to purchase about 60 kg of rice or wheat per person annually at subsidized rates. The scheme requires 27.6 Mt of wheat and 33.6 Mt of rice per year. The mitigation of ozonerelated crop production losses in Punjab and Haryana alone could provide > 50 % of the wheat and ∼ 10 % of the rice required for the scheme. The total economic cost losses in Punjab and Haryana amounted to USD 6.5± 2.2 billion in the fiscal year of 2012– 2013 and USD 3.7± 1.2 billion in the fiscal year of 2013– 2014. This economic loss estimate represents a very conservative lower limit based on the minimum support price of the crop, which is lower than the actual production costs. The upper limit for ozone-related crop yield losses in all of India currently amounts to 3.5–20 % of India’s GDP. The mitigation of high surface ozone would require relatively little investment in comparison to the economic losses incurred presently. Therefore, ozone mitigation can yield massive benefits in terms of ensuring food security and boosting the economy. The co-benefits of ozone mitigation also include a decrease in the ozone-related mortality and morbidity and a reduction of the ozone-induced warming in the lower troposphere.
The effect of corporate social responsibility on financial performance in Nigeria: a multi-dimensional analysis

This study examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) dimensions and financial performance in the Nigerian listed companies. The population of the study is 196 listed companies in the Nigerian stock exchange. The sample is determined to be 130 companies out of which 99 responses were received. The study adopts survey design and structural equations modelling (SEM) was conducted using smart PLS 2.0 software. It was found that customer, employee and investor relations have a positive significant effect on financial performance of Nigerian listed firms. Future studies are encouraged to examine the effect of other CSR dimensions that are not examined in the present study, on financial performance.
Executive Functioning of Combat Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

This study investigates neuropsychological deficits in recently deployed veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Veterans discharged from 2007 to 2012 were recruited from Veterans Affairs clinics. Independent groups of participants with mTBI (n = 57) and those without TBI (n = 57) were administered the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Combat Exposure Scale, Word Memory Test, and the Self-Awareness of Deficits Interview. Neuropsychological instruments included the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Letter and Category Fluency, Trail-Making Test-Parts A and B, Christiansen H-abbreviated, Soper Neuropsychology Screen, Wechsler Memory Scale subtests Logical Memory I and II, and the Street Completion Test. The mTBI group performed significantly worse on all of the executive and nonexecutive measurements with the exception of Category Fluency, after controlling for age, depression effort, and combat exposure. Depression and combat exposure were greater for the mTBI group. The mTBI group scored poorer on effort, but only the Multiple Choice subtest was significant. The mTBI group had good awareness of their deficits.
An economic model of multi-level marketing

This paper offers an economic model of the operation of multi-level marketing (MLM) firms in competitive and non-competitive markets. The model takes a recursive approach to analyse decision making at the distributor level in order to understand basic issues in the MLM market and firm structure. Specifically, it is shown that under reasonable assumptions MLM firms will have a limited structure. In cases where commissions increase with the number of levels, MLM firms will include no more than six to nine levels in equilibrium. In cases of fixed commissions, market conditions dictate a cap on the number of distributors. These conditions imply a limited “multi-level” structure. They also imply that the revenues of the median distributor are mainly a result of direct sales and not a result of commissions. The model also suggests that MLM firms will only arise where marketing costs are substantial, and that it is primarily individuals with small outside offers who choose to become distributors. Finally, the model provides a formula that calculates market prices for a monopoly MLM firm.