Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Experiential Marketing on Customer Purchase Intention: A Study of Passenger Car Market

This study attempts to explore and interrogate a potential strategy by developing relationship of experiential marketing with customer purchase intention in competitive passenger car market. This study scrutinizes the importance of the experiential marketing approach to the Indian passenger car market from the customer’s perspective. Mixed-method research design has been preferred here, an approach increasingly used in social science research. This research design deals with exploratory analysis, followed by quantitative analysis techniques. The interpretive basis for the evaluation has been provided through multiple regression analysis. This study shows that all the structural experiential modules are affecting the customer purchase intention in the automobile (passenger car) market, where feel, think and sense experiences have a strong influence on customer purchase intention. This research is particularly important in determining the effect of experiential marketing on the customer purchase intention with respect to passenger car market. Considering the current economic slowdown where Indian automobile industry is facing a slowdown in sales, the findings of the study can be useful for passenger car companies in developing better marketing strategies.
Comparison of different serological methods to detect antibodies specific to Neospora caninum in bovine and canine sera

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite responsible for paresis in dogs and abortion in cattle worldwide. Dogs serve as a definitive host, while cattle serve as intermediate host. Many different methods have been developed to detect specific antibodies present in cattle and dog serum. In the present study, the dense granule protein NcGRA6 was incorporated in a latex beads agglutination test (LAT), and compared to other serological methods, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the direct agglutination test, the immunoblot, and the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Using the IFAT as the reference method, 100 sera isolated from Algerian cattle and 100 sera isolated from Algerian dogs, both possibly infected with N. caninum, were used to evaluate the LAT. The sensitivity, specificity, and kappa index were calculated for each host species and assay. For dog sera, the sensitivity and the specificity of the LAT was 76% and 100%, respectively. The McNemar test showed that the LAT was not significantly different from IFAT (P > 0.05). For cattle sera, the sensitivity and the specificity of the LAT were 60% and 100%, respectively. The McNemar test indicated that the LAT was significantly different from IFAT (P < 0.01) and that the LAT was only positive for cattle sera with titers of 1:800 or greater, indicating that LAT can be used for cattle in a clinical context. As well, the LAT has the advantage of being easy and rapid to perform compared to the other assays.
Performance measurement in supply chain entities: balanced scorecard perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine what senior supply chain executives measure and how they perceive performance measurement from a balanced scorecard (BSC) perspective.Design/methodology/approach – A survey designed from the four perspectives of the BSC framework is conducted on senior executives involved in the supply chain functions of client firms, and those executives from the logistics service provider industry.Findings – Despite the need to provide a balanced approach to performance measurement, firms remain focused on traditional financial measures (gross revenue, profit before tax, and cost reduction). From a supply chain perspective, the non‐tangible measures such as customer satisfaction are most measured. Other key logistics performance indicators include on‐time delivery, and customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implications – The findings are based on a sample size of 113. Thus, some respondent clusters are smaller than others. Hence, the results may not be r.
Merger Motives For U.S. Utility Acquirers: Evidence From Performance, Risk Metrics, And Executive Compensation

We study post-acquisition performance of US public utilities that acquired other US exchange listed firms during 1996-2002. We find that acquirer shareholders do not gain any abnormal returns from the acquisition over the two years following the acquisition and there are no unexpected gains in the underlying operating performance of the acquirers. We also find that while stock acquirers show a decrease in post-acquisition performance, their CEO salary increases relative to the industry. This suggests that method of payment may be an important factor in discerning the motivation for an acquisition. Lack of clarity regarding effects of a complex process like an acquisition, for shareholders and perhaps even the management, combined with potential increase in prestige and salary for the management, may be the motivation for M&A activity in stock mergers. Cash acquirers may be more careful and consequently do not show subsequent underperformance.
Systemwide Commonalities in Market Liquidity

We explore statistical commonalities among granular measures of market liquidity with the goal of illuminating systemwide patterns in aggregate liquidity. We calculate daily invariant price impacts described by Kyle and Obizhaeva [2014] to assemble a granular panel of liquidity measures for equity, corporate bond, and futures markets. We estimate Bayesian models of hidden Markov chains and use Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis to measure the latent structure governing liquidity at the systemwide level. Three latent liquidity regimes -- high, medium, and low price-impact -- are adequate to describe each of the markets. Focusing on the equities subpanel, we test whether a collection of systemwide market summaries can recover the estimated liquidity dynamics. This allows an economically meaningful attribution of the latent liquidity states and yields meaningful predictions of liquidity disruptions as far as 15 trading days in advance of the 2008 financial crisis.
Scalable and Optimal Speed-Up Parallel Algorithms for Template Matching on Arrays with Reconfigurable Optical Buses

The computational model on which the algorithms are developed is the array with reconfigurable optical buses (AROB). It integrates the advantages of both optical transmission and electronic computation. The main contributions of this paper are in designing several optimal and/or optimal speed-up template matching algorithms with varying degrees of parallelism on the AROB model. For an N × N digitized image and an M × M template, when the domains of the image and the template are O(log N)-bit integers, we first design several basic operations for window broadcasting and rotation. Then based on these basic operations, three efficient and scalable algorithms for template matching are derived using various numbers of processors on a two-dimensional (2-D) or 3-D AROB. For 1 ≤ r ≤ N, 1 ≤ p ≤ M ≤ q ≤ N, one runs in time using r × r processors, another runs in , (resp. ) time using pN × pN/log M (resp. pN × pN × log N) processors, and the other runs in (resp. ) time using pq × pq/log M (or pq × pqN × log N) processors, respectively. The latter two algorithms can be tuned to run in O(1) time on a 2-D AROB. To the best of our knowledge, there are no algorithms which can reach this time complexity for this problem on a 2-D array architecture.
The Fiscal Roots of Delayed Financial Liberalization in Western Europe, 1960-1991

Capital controls survived in a number of European financial systems until the late 1980s, whereas other countries espoused a much more liberal approach. Why were financial reforms so controversial and controls so hard to dismantle? In the paper the determinants of delayed liberalization are empirically investigated for a panel of 16 European countries from 1960 to 1991. We find evidence in favour of a public finance interpretation of different attitudes towards financial liberalization.
Lithium: a review of its metabolic adverse effects

Treatment with lithium has long been recognized to be associated with metabolic adverse effects notably hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, weight gain and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. It is important that clinicians prescribing lithium are aware of these adverse effects and have a strategy for their detection and management. We review aspects of these actions of lithium including their prevalence, risk factors, biochemical changes involved and management, and discuss some advances that have been made in their understanding in recent years.
Is Technical Analysis Profitable Even for an Amateur Investor? Evidence from the Greek Stock Market (2002-12)

The purpose of this paper is to examine if even the simplest trading rules could take advantage of the market’s inefficiency and lead to profitable trading decisions. For this reason we examine the profitability of the simplest trading rules, using only the simple moving averages (SMA) rules that even an amateur investor could apply. In order to examine the specific issue we use a data sample from the Greek stock market during the period 2002-12. The results suggest that even if we take into account the most expensive transaction fees the trading rules signal profitable investment decisions; therefore even an amateur trader and/or investor who does not have a significant amount of money to invest (which may lead to reduced transaction costs) could take advantage of the market’s inefficiency. Behavioral finance theories may provide some useful and alternative explanations regarding some of the reasons that contribute to the Greek stock market’s inefficient environment.
Phosphonate utilization by bacterial cultures and enrichments from environmental samples

A selection of axenic microbial strains and a variety of environmental samples were investigated with respect to the utilization of a series of natural and xenobiotic phosphonates as the sole phosphorus source for growth. Phosphonate degradation was observed only with bacteria and not with eucaryotic microorganisms. All representatives of the phosphonates examined supported bacterial growth, with the exception of methylphosphonate diethylester. Yet, distinctly different phosphonate utilization patterns were noted between phosphonate-positive strains. C-P bond cleavage by a photosynthetic bacterium is reported for the first time; growing photoheterotrophically, Rhodobacter capsulatus ATCC 23782 was able to utilize 2-aminoethylphosphonate and alkylphosphonates. Bacteria with the potential to utilize at least one of the phosphonate moieties from the xenobiotic phosphonates Dequest 2010, Dequest 2041, and Dequest 2060 were detected in all environments, with only two exceptions for Dequest 2010. Phosphonate P utilization to an extent of 94 and 97%, for Dequest 2010 and Dequest 2041, respectively, provided evidence that a complete breakdown of these compounds with respect to the C-P bond cleavage can be achieved by some bacteria. The results suggest that phosphonate-utilizing bacteria are ubiquitous, and that selected strains can degrade phosphonates that are more complex than those described previously.
Les comites d'audit en France un an apres le rapport Vienot

Les comites d'audit sont aujourd'hui presentes comme un mecanisme privilegie permettant d'ameliorer le gouvernement des entreprises. Plusieurs facteurs incitent a la mise en place de comites d'audit en France: le contexte des "affaires" qui a mis en evidence une certaine inefficacite des mecanismes de controle classiques, l'internationalisation des sources de financement (fonds de pension), l'activisme des actionnaires minoritairs, etc.
Concurrent Vision Dysfunctions in Convergence Insufficiency With Traumatic Brain Injury

Purpose This study assessed the prevalence of convergence insufficiency (CI) with and without simultaneous vision dysfunctions within the traumatic brain injury (TBI) sample population because although CI is commonly reported with TBI, the prevalence of concurrent visual dysfunctions with CI in TBI is unknown. Methods A retrospective analysis of 557 medical records from TBI civilian patients was conducted. Patients were all evaluated by a single optometrist. Visual acuity, oculomotor function, binocular vision function, accommodation, visual fields, ocular health, and vestibular function were assessed. Statistical comparisons between the CI and non-CI, as well as inpatient and outpatient subgroups, were conducted using &khgr;2 and Z tests. Results Approximately 9% of the TBI sample had CI without the following simultaneous diagnoses: saccade or pursuit dysfunction; third, fourth, or sixth cranial nerve palsy; visual field deficit; visual spatial inattention/neglect; vestibular dysfunction; or nystagmus. Photophobia with CI was observed in 16.3% (21 of 130), and vestibular dysfunction with CI was observed in 18.5% (24 of 130) of the CI subgroup. Convergence insufficiency and cranial nerve palsies were common and yielded prevalence rates of 23.3% (130 of 557) and 26.9% (150 of 557), respectively, within the TBI sample. Accommodative dysfunction was common within the nonpresbyopic TBI sample, with a prevalence of 24.4% (76 of 314). Visual field deficits or unilateral visual spatial inattention/neglect was observed within 29.6% (80 of 270) of the TBI inpatient subgroup and was significantly more prevalent compared with that of the outpatient subgroup (p < 0.001). Most TBI patients had visual acuities of 20/60 or better in the TBI sample (85%; 473 of 557). Conclusions Convergence insufficiency without simultaneous visual or vestibular dysfunctions was observed in about 9% of the visually symptomatic TBI civilian population studied. A thorough visual and vestibular examination is recommended for all TBI patients.
Is Director Industry Experience Valuable

We investigate whether investor reactions to the announcement of a new outside director appointment significantly depend upon the director's experience in the appointing firm's industry. Our sample includes 688 outside director appointments to boards of S&P 500 companies from 2005 to 2010. We find significantly higher announcement returns upon appointments of experienced versus inexperienced directors. To alleviate endogeneity concerns, we use the deaths of 200 directors holding 280 outside directorships as an identification strategy and find significantly more negative announcement returns associated with the deaths of experienced versus inexperienced directors. However, while our results are robust to accounting for time-fixed unobservable director and firm characteristics, we still cannot completely rule out endogenous firm-director matching driving our results.
Total Gains from Mergers and Acquisitions

This study features the impact of takeovers on both target and bidding firms traded on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). The study investigates a long-window abnormal return, or during a period of twelve months before and after the announcements using several metrics. Their long-term bid period returns were measured by cumulative, buy-and-hold average abnormal returns estimated from the market and market-adjusted models. The three parametric statistic tests: Standardized-residual test, standardized cross-sectional test and conventional t-tests were used for significance tests of the means. The findings suggest that a Thai takeover results in substantial and positive total gains for the event firms’ shareholders.
A biased survey of map enumeration results

This is a survey paper presenting map enumeration results obtained by the author, either alone or jointly with other researchers, as well as some of the other results in the literature that are the most relevant to the author's work. The results discussed in this paper include counting and generating maps and hypermaps of various types on orientable surfaces. The counting is achieved by means of closed-form formulas where possible, and otherwise - again, if possible - by computationally efficient algorithms.
Analysis of Differential Messenger RNA Expression Between Bovine Blastocysts Produced in Different Culture Systems: Implications for Blastocyst Quality1

Abstract Using reverse transcriptase-amplified fragment length polymorphism (RT-AFLP) analysis of differential mRNA expression and semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, we compared mRNA expression in bovine blastocysts from 4 sources, known to differ in quality in terms of their ability to withstand cryopreservation: 1) in vitro culture in synthetic oviduct fluid of in vitro-matured (IVM)/in vitro fertilized (IVF) zygotes; 2) in vitro culture in TCM-199 supplemented with granulosa cells (coculture) of IVM/IVF zygotes; 3) in vivo culture in the ewe oviduct of IVM/IVF zygotes; or 4) superovulation, artificial insemination, and nonsurgical embryo recovery. Total mRNA was isolated from pools of blastocysts and reverse transcription was performed. Triplicate reactions from each sample were displayed, and only consistent banding variations were recorded. Using AFLP-differential display assay, we found that cDNA banding patterns are highly conserved between the 4 groups of blastocysts studied; however, there was a difference of 7% in bands either missing or expressed across the groups. Fifty bands were reamplified, and a sequence comparison search revealed similarity of 14 isolated fragments to ribosomal and mitochondrial genes, 16 matched to described cDNA, and 20 corresponded to unknown sequences that may represent novel genes. The study of 7 differentially expressed mRNAs known to be involved in developmental process in the embryo suggests roles for apoptosis, oxidative stress, gap junctions, and differentiation in the determination of embryo quality. The aberrant transcription patterns detected in in vitro-produced bovine embryos compared with those produced in vivo may explain their reduced quality in terms of viability after cryopreservation.
Research on utility measure of firm tangible and intangible resources-based on utility theory

The resource-based view of the firm (RBV) believes that resources are the foundation of enterprises' survival and development. However, the resources investment of firms do not always achieve the expected output in practice, besides, there is not a good way to measure the utility degree of resources investment in the current study, which largely hinder the investors to allocate resources effectively. Thus, it is urgent to discuss the question of utility measure of the firm resources investment. In response to this gap, this study constructs a utility measure model of enterprises' tangible and intangible resources based on utility theory, through the solution to utility parameters to calculate enterprise resources investment utility value, and finally takes Shanghai Automotive of China as an example to provide further analysis. Therefore, this study offers a tool for enterprises to measure resources investment utility that improves the feasibility and validity of using RBV to solve resource allocation problems in some extent.
Human Capital and Predictable Stock Returns: A Dynamic Asset Pricing Approach

This study addresses the role of human capital as a measure in the predictability of stock returns. The study specifically examines the relationship between the wages-consumption ratio and firm based human capital measure in the predictability of stock returns. Results of our study confirm that both aggregate and firm based proxies of human capital have a causal relationship with stock returns. However, with the introduction of factors those mimic size, value, and market risk, the predictability of wages-consumption ratio as a proxy for human capital seems trivial. Specifically we find evidence that firm based measures of human capital provide a better proxy to predict stock returns. We also find a causal relationship of firm based measure of human capital with market risk proxy.
A Lactobacillus acidophilus Strain of Human Gastrointestinal Microbiota Origin Elicits Killing of Enterovirulent Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium by Triggering Lethal Bacterial Membrane Damage

ABSTRACT The human gastrointestinal microbiota produces antagonistic activities against gastrointestinal bacterial pathogens. We undertook a study to investigate the mechanism(s) by which a Lactobacillus acidophilus strain of human microbiota origin antagonizes the gram-negative enteroinvasive pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. We showed that the cell-free culture supernatant of L. acidophilus strain LB (LB-CFCS) induced the following effects in S. enterica SL1344: (i) a decrease in intracellular ATP that paralleled bacterial death, (ii) the release of lipopolysaccharide, (iii) permeabilization of the bacterial membrane, and (iv) an increase in the sensitivity of Salmonella to the lytic action of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Finally, we showed using two mutant strains of Salmonella, PhoP MS7953s and PmrA JKS1170, that the two-component regulatory systems PhoP-PhoQ and PmrA-PmrB that regulate the mechanisms of resistance to antibacterial agents in Salmonella did not influence the anti-Salmonella effect of LB-CFCS.
Analysing Indian Consumers’ Online Shopping and Purchasing Behaviour

The present study explores the online shopping and purchasing behaviour by specifically examining the demographic, computer and internet usage experiences of the respondents. Purpose sampling was used and overall 221 respondents participated in the study. Questions were asked specifically to the respondents to categorize them into buyers and online non-buyers. Another specific question stratified the buyers into four different categories– Online non shopper-Abandon, Online non shopper-Visitor, Online non shopper-Browser and Online buyer. The online buyers were stratified into ‘experience goods’ and ‘search goods buyers’. Chi Square, t-test, ANOVA were applied to recognise their demographic and technological differences and attitudinal differences in consumer and marketing behaviour. Buying intention and purchased were analysed using logistic regression.
The Overconfidence Effect in Marketing Management Predictions

Estimating the likelihood of future events is a critical aspect of making a variety of marketing management decisions. Prior research has shown very robust patterns in the probability assessments of individuals, the predominant finding being that individuals are overconfident. The author theoretically investigates why overconfidence occurs by drawing on prior work on how cognitions are used in decisions. Specifically, the effects of evaluative feedback, counterfactual reasoning, and expertise are explored in two experiments in the context of making strategic marketing predictions. The findings provide some novel insights on overconfidence and accuracy of predictions. They suggest that (1) “humbling” feedback increases accuracy and lowers overconfidence, (2) overconfidence from being “blind sided” can be reduced by counterfactual reasoning, and (3) “richness” of experts’ mental representations results in higher overconfidence. The author concludes with a discussion of these findings and managerial implications.