Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Internet Banking Adoption in Kenya: The Case of Nairobi County

The adoption of Internet banking as a platform for carrying out banking services has continued to rise globally. This can be attributed to a number of factors such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, self-efficacy, relative advantage, compatibility, and result demonstrability. This paper is based on findings of an MBA study that was conducted in Nairobi County, Kenya between 2010 and 2011. The purpose of the study was to establish the factors that influence adoption of internet banking among the individuals who have accounts with commercial banks in Nairobi County, Kenya. This research used two commonly applied and empirically supported models of information technology adoption to achieve this objective. In this study, technology acceptance model (TAM) is extended by two external variables, namely risk and self-efficacy. The second model used is a reduced version of perceived characteristics of innovation (PCI) model, without the image and voluntariness constructs. A survey was carried out on 300 individuals in Nairobi, Kenya. The results show that internet banking use in Kenya is very low. Only 24.82% of the respondents use Internet banking services. This is despite the high rate of internet access recorded. The internet banking use is popular to both the male and the younger generations. Internet banking is still at its nascent stages as demonstrated by the length of usage response. The results also reveal that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, self-efficacy, relative advantage, compatibility, and result demonstrability have a significant association with intention to use internet banking, while risk, visibility and trialability are not significant. Both the modified TAM and PCI models used in the study have a similar explanatory power of slightly over 20% of the variance in intention. In the TAM model, perceived usefulness and self-efficacy are significant variables, while compatibility is the only variable significant for the PCI model. Further, results indicate that users’ perceptions of various aspects of internet banking are more positive than non-users’ perceptions, except for risk. Although risk is found to be insignificant in this study, considering results of prior studies, further studies are required to examine its influence on intention. The study recommends that, banks should consider launching campaigns to demonstrate the usefulness and benefits of internet banking as a promotional and marketing measure. Additionally, banks must make a continuous effort to understand consumers’ requirements and design a delivery of their products and services in such a way that it is consistent with customers’ requirements, beliefs and the way customers are accustomed to work. Banks websites should facilitate customers with a ‘one stop comprehensive financial’ service. As well as arranging for a hands-on training for prospective users to enhance their self-efficacy.
The French hypermarket: Could it be developed in the States?

Both America and France, at different periods, have been rich in retail innovation. One of the most interesting formats to emerge from France has been the hypermarket, a concept which soon spread rapidly across Europe. Now one or two groups are seeking to develop the hypermarket formula in the States. What chance of success do they have? Professor Tordjman recently spent one year at the Harvard Business School as an invited professor, and in this special feature he puts the arguments for and against.
Search and Prices in the Medigap Insurance Market

This paper studies search and prices in the Medigap insurance market. Using data on market shares, insurer characteristics, and plan prices, we estimate to what extent prices can be explained by search and product differentiation. In our model, consumers search across Medigap insurers for prices as well as plan types. Our estimates indicate search costs are substantial: the estimated median cost of searching for an insurer is $22. Using the estimated parameters we nd that eliminating search costs could result in price decreases of as much as 5 percent, along with increases in average consumer welfare of up to $321.
Multiple growth factors regulate coronary embryonic vasculogenesis

Mechanisms regulating coronary vascularization are not well understood. To test hypotheses regarding the influence of key growth factors and their interactions, we studied vascular tube formation (vasculogenesis) in collagen gels onto which quail embryonic ventricles were placed and incubated in the presence of growth factors or inhibitors. Vasculogenesis in this model is dependent on tyrosine kinase receptors, since tube formation was totally blocked by genestein. Tube formation was attenuated when anti‐bFGF or anti‐VEGF neutralizing antibodies were added to the medium and nearly completely inhibited when the both were added. The attenuation associated with anti‐VEGF was due primarily to a decrease in assembly of endothelial cells, while that associated with bFGF was primarily due to a reduction in endothelial cells. Soluble tie‐2, the receptor for angiopoietins, also had an inhibitory effect and, when added with either anti‐bFGF or anti‐VEGF, markedly attenuated tube formation. At optimal doses, tube formation was enhanced 6.5‐fold by bFGF and 2.5‐fold by VEGF over the controls. Each of these growth factors was dependent upon the other for optimal induction of tube formation, since neutralizing antibodies to one markedly reduced the potency of the other. VEGF potency was also markedly reduced when soluble tie‐2 was added to the medium. Tube formation was virtually totally blocked by exogenous TGF‐β at doses > 1 ng/ml, while neutralizing TGF‐β antibodies enhanced tube formation 2‐fold in the 30 ng–30 μg range. These data provide the first documentation of multiple growth factor regulation of coronary tube formation. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genomic diversity and antigenic variation of HIV‐1: links between pathogenesis, epidemiology and vaccine development

Recent analysis of primate lentivirus genomes (1) indicates that lentiviruses have infected primates for hundreds of years. The pathogenicity of such viruses may fluctuate due to the high evolution rate of some parts of the viral genome. Fixed nucleic acid substitutions in the gag gene appear to be caused by random fixation of selectively neutral mutants, whereas nonrandom fixation of selectively advantageous mutants, as has been observed for MHC molecules and serine protease inhibitors, appears to be operational for some hypervariable env gene regions. The former is characterized by an excess of silent mutations independent of the rate of change, the latter by an excess of nonsilent mutations. This latter type of selection may especially characterize the third variable region of the external HIV envelope (V3), which contains the principal neutralization domain. —Goudsmit, J.; Back, N. K. T. ; Nara, P. L. Genomic diversity and antigenic variation of HIV‐1: links between pathogenesis, epidemiology, and vaccine development. FASEB J. 5: 2427–2436; 1991.
Introducing Interface Management in New Product Family Development

Abstract Creating product platforms from which many products can easily be leveraged is an issue of increasing concern for many companies. This article introduces and explores the concept of interface management (IM) in new product platform development. IM is the distinct process of developing and defining the physical platform interfaces. The concept of IM is empirically explored in two product family development projects in the Swedish manufacturing industry that have been longitudinally studied for more than 3 years. It is proposed that firms which have a product family development approach that is associated with an extensive IM process enjoy a high degree of freedom in deciding how to balance its time to market for individual products with the beneficial utilization of design familiarities across all products. Moreover, if product managers understand and explicitly focus on the IM process, the often challenging shift from a single product development approach to a product family development approach is likely to be facilitated.
STEM CELLS mRNA-engineered mesenchymal stem cells for targeted delivery of interleukin-10 to sites of in fl ammation

Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Center for Regenerative Therapeutics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA; Harvard—Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA; Wellman Center for Photomedicine and Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; and Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Effects of national culture on earnings quality of banks

We examine the relation between four dimensions of national culture and earnings quality of banks using a sample of banks from 39 countries. Our main analysis, which focuses on the pre-financial crisis period 1993–2006, indicates that banks in high individualism, high masculinity, and low uncertainty avoidance societies manage earnings to just-meet-or-beat the prior year's earnings. In tests of income smoothing through loan loss provisions, we find that banks in high individualism, high power distance, and low uncertainty avoidance societies report smoother earnings. Our exploratory analysis of the effects of national culture on accounting outcomes during the financial crisis period 2007–2008 indicates that cultures that encourage higher risk-taking experienced more bank troubles in the form of larger losses or larger loan loss provisions.
Do restaurant precincts need more parking? Differences in business perceptions and customer travel behaviour in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Restaurateurs in Australian cities often resist local government car parking management regimes and advocate for increased parking provision in restaurant precincts. But are restaurateurs’ views of the importance of car parking to their trade in line with reality? To explore this question this study surveyed restaurant businesses and customers in parallel at three major restaurant precincts in inner-city Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The novelty of this paper is in being able to cross-analyse business’ perceptions with customers travel behaviour to evaluate the validity of restaurateurs’ perceptions about the importance of car travel and parking, and perceptions about transport infrastructure need. Survey data is adopted to constructed discrete choice models that are used to estimate the restaurant customers’ preference of transport mode for dining in restaurants and simulations on transport cost subsidy used to identify the impact of different policy outcomes. The findings indicate that, unlike restaurateurs’ perceptions, customers who prefer walking, cycling and public transport are more likely to contribute significantly more revenue to the restaurant trade than business owners and managers perceive. The results should help local authorities make better planning decisions about transport infrastructure supply and parking control in conjunction with the restaurant sector as well as help businesses understand that the promotion of sustainable transport options may be more beneficial to their bottom line.
Cooperation and competition in relationships between competitors in business networks

Traditionally the relationships between competitors in the industrial market have been based on competition. The network approach and literature about strategic alliances have provided new insights into cooperation between firms based on the value chain. The empirical findings from two in‐depth studies, the rack and pinion industry and the lining industry, show that a firm can be involved in four different types of horizontal relationships at the same time. Apart from relationships consisting of competition or cooperation, a firm can live in symbiosis by coexisting with other relationships, or being involved in a relationship simultaneously containing elements of both cooperation and competition. Consequently, a successful firm needs to focus on relationship management in order to achieve a portfolio consisting of the four types of relationships to other horizontal firms.
Firm Size and Export Intensity

This paper presents a unifying theory, explaining the different relationships between firm size and export intensity that have been found in previous studies. We propose that transaction costs economies and different types of resources induce a moderating effect on the firm size and export intensity relationship. Data on international businesses in the Netherlands are used to test the theoretical framework empirically, and support is found for different industries.
A Study of the GSEs' Single-Family Underwriting Guidelines: Executive Summary

This exploration combines and analyzes information from three sources to assess the potential effects the GSEs' underwriting and appraisal guidelines on the funding of loans on properties affordable to lower-income people and in underserved areas, and the impacts automated underwriting and credit scoring technology have on low- to moderate-income and minority borrowers. In addition, it includes information about lenders' perceptions about the effects of the GSEs' guidelines on minority mortgage applicants, since minorities' lower average incomes and wealth mean that underwriting guidelines are likely to disqualify higher proportions of minority applicants.
Crohn's disease in the ileal pouch after total colectomy for ulcerative colitis: findings on pouch enemas in six patients.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to describe our experience with six patients who developed Crohn's disease in the ileal pouch or distal ileum after a total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis. CONCLUSION Pouch enemas showed characteristic findings of Crohn's disease, including nodularity, thickened folds, ulceration, cobblestoning, strictures, sinus tracks, and fistulas to the perianal region and vagina. It is important for radiologists to be aware of the findings of Crohn's disease in the ileal pouch and distal ileum on radiographic studies of the pouch after total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis because of the implications for patient management.
Price Impact of Block Trades and Price Behavior Surrounding Block Trades in the Indian Capital Market

We analyze the permanent (information effect) and temporary (liquidity effect) impact of block trades transacted in the National Stock Exchange of India. Block trades are identified using multiple criteria based on trade value and trade volume. Overall, the permanent price impact is more for block purchases than for block sales indicating that block purchases are more informative than block sales, which may be motivated by liquidity need. Unlike in other markets, we observe that the temporary impact is greater than the permanent impact in case of block purchase. We classify the block trades as All-or-None (AON) and Not-AON trades depending on the number of transactions through which a block order is executed. As expected, the price impact is higher for Not-AON trades as compared to AON trades (which can be assumed to be pre-negotiated trades). Further, arrival of multiple block trades increases market confidence on the information. The permanent price impact is higher for days where there are more than one block trade of similar nature than for days with only one block trade. To analyze the speed of market response to the information associated with block trades, we have used the ‘transaction time event approach’, as used by Holthausen et al. (1990). We find that the prices start increasing (front running) 8 minutes before block purchases but not in case of block sales i.e. some information about the impending block purchase is factored in by the market when the block trade is for purchases. Further, in the case of block sales, prices revert quickly leaving very small permanent price impact.
Brand Performance Comparatives

In traditional importance‐performance analysis, self‐reported relative importance weights and “own” brand performance ratings are combined to yield assessments of current market standing. Discusses the pressing need for comparatives to avoid major problems in brand performance assessments within traditional importance‐performance analysis. These comparatives ideally include performance assessments of competitors′ brands, although several other possibilities exist: norms provided by “own” brand past performance, comparison to an “ideal brand”, and segment comparisons.
Command-Filtered-Based Fuzzy Adaptive Control Design for MIMO-Switched Nonstrict-Feedback Nonlinear Systems

The adaptive fuzzy tracking control design problem for multi-input and multi-output uncertain switched nonstrict-feedback nonlinear systems with arbitrary switchings is investigated in this paper. Fuzzy logic systems are introduced to identify the unknown nonlinear functions (for state measurable case) and model the uncertain nonlinear systems (for state immeasurable case). Both state feedback and observer-based output feedback control design schemes are developed based on combined command filter and adaptive fuzzy control technique. The proposed adaptive fuzzy controllers not only solve the “explosion of complexity” problem existing in conventional backstepping control schemes, but as well as avoid the calculation of partial derivatives. Furthermore, the stability of the fuzzy control systems under arbitrary switchings is proven based on the common Lyapunov function method. Two simulation examples are presented to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategies.
Feasibility of fuel cell systems using forest residues

Time of distributed generation has arrived for dealing with fossil fuel reduction, the reduction gas emissions and the sustainable development. This paper presents the characteristics of forest residues utilization in hybrid systems composed of solid oxide fuel cell and gas turbines. The profitability of these systems is evaluated by tools and methods related to the economic analysis, taking into account the main parameters. Various profitability analyses are completed regarding different scenarios. The profitability index is established as function of the radius, the optimum radius and electric power of system are determined for some scenarios where the project is viable.
Why so Many Mutual Funds? Mutual Fund Families, Market Segmentation and Financial Performance

Why are there so many mutual funds around? What leads the industry to segment itself into an ever-increasing number of categories? What can be said about such a market configuration in terms of welfare? To address these questions we model the process that endogenously leads to market segmentation and to fund proliferation in the mutual fund industry. We argue that these phenomena can be seen as marketing strategies used by the managing companies to exploit investors' heterogeneity. We explain category and fund proliferation providing an industry-specific micro foundation on the basis of basis of the "spillover" that the perfomance of a fund provides to all the other funds belonging to the same family. We argue that market forces may induce a sub-optimal number of mutual funds and categories and identify the factors that determine such inefficiency. Mutual fund performance is endogenously derived as a function of investors' and managing companies' tastes and technology. This lets us shed new light on the determinants of mutual fund performance and reconsider the traditional methods of testing fund efficiency.
Stomatocytosis: A Hereditary Red Cell Anomaly Associated with Haemolytic Anaemia

IT is generally accepted that increased osmotic fragility of the red cells indicates spherocytosis. We describe here, however, a congcnital haeniolytic anaemia occurring in a mother and daughter, and characterized by a grossly increased osmotic fragility associated not with spherocytosis, but with another morphological abnormality of the red cells. Stained films show that many of the red cells of both patients contain a well demarcated linear unstained area across their centre, instead of the normal circular area of pallor; because this appearance suggcsts a mouth-like orifice in the cell, we have chosen to use the term ‘stomatocytosis’ to describe t h s condition, which also differs from hereditary spherocytosis in that neither patient was clinically cured by splenectomy.
Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Block Tumor Growth Both by Lytic Activity and IFN g-Dependent Cell-Cycle Arrest

To understand global effector mechanisms of CTL therapy, we performedmicroarray gene expression analysis in amurinemodel using pmel-1 T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic T cells as effectors and B16melanoma cells as targets. In addition to upregulation of genes related to antigen presentation and the MHC class I pathway, and cytotoxic effectormolecules, cell-cycle–promoting genes were downregulated in the tumor on days 3 and 5 after CTL transfer. To investigate the impact of CTL therapy on the cell cycle of tumor cells in situ, we generated B16 cells expressing a fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell-cycle indicator (B16-fucci) and performed CTL therapy in mice bearing B16-fucci tumors. Three days after CTL transfer, we observed diffuse infiltration of CTLs into the tumor with a large number of tumor cells arrested at the G1 phase of the cell cycle, and the presence of spotty apoptotic or necrotic areas. Thus, tumor growth suppression was largely dependent on G1 cell-cycle arrest rather than killing by CTLs. Neutralizing antibody to IFNg prevented both tumor growth inhibition andG1arrest. ThemechanismofG1 arrest involved the downregulation of S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) and the accumulation of its target cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 in the B16-fucci tumor cells. Because tumor-infiltrating CTLs are far fewer in number than the tumor cells, we propose that CTLs predominantly regulate tumor growth via IFNg-mediated profound cytostatic effects rather than via cytotoxicity. This dominance of G1 arrest over other mechanisms may be widespread but not universal because IFNg sensitivity varied among tumors. Cancer Immunol Res; 3(1); 26–36. 2014 AACR. See related commentary by Riddell, p. 23