Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empirical study and discriminant analysis of airline services in the Yangtze River Delta of China.

Like any other civil aviation marketplace around the world, the airline services in China become fiercely competitive. To stay competitive in the airline industry in China, it is critical for an airline to get an essential understanding of customer’s ongoing needs and know whether their needs are satisfactorily met. In this paper, an empirical study of the current airline service needs and quality in the Yangtze River Delta of China is explored using exploratory factor analysis. Discriminant analysis is further conducted to identify key service dimensions. Quantitatively and in an exploratory manner, structural equation models are employed by utilizing the IBM SPSS statistics tool. The findings in this study show that price, flight schedule, and customer relational benefit are crucial factors impacting on service quality and customer satisfaction in the current Chinese civil aviation market. To an airline, the highly valuable implications of the findings include a strong recommendation of adopting dynamic pricing schemes and improving flight schedules in the regions of China where high-speed train services become available. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA
Change-related expectations and commitment to change of nurses: the role of leadership and communication.

AIM The purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model linking the impact of expectations on commitment to change and to explore whether change-related communication is a mediating variable between leader-member exchange and expectations. BACKGROUND Expectations for change outcomes are an important condition to increase nurses' commitment to change. To understand the role of leadership and communication in expectations development is crucial to promote commitment to change. METHOD A predictive, non-experimental design was used in a random sample of 395 nurses. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the hypothesized model. RESULTS Positive expectations had a direct effect on affective commitment to change, whereas negative expectation had a direct effect on continuance commitment to change. Leader-member exchange and communication influenced nurse's expectations about change. Communication partially mediated the relationship between Leader-member exchange and expectations. CONCLUSION These findings suggested that nurses' expectation about change were strongly linked to commitment to change. Furthermore, the enhancement of communication and relationship with leader contributed to the development of positive and negative expectations. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT Strategies to promote commitment to change include developing positive expectations about change outcomes and building high-quality leadership style oriented to the communication.
Novel Sperm and Gonadotropin‐releasing Hormone‐based Recombinant Fusion Protein: Achievement of 100% Contraceptive Efficacy by Co‐immunization of Male and Female Mice

Improvements in long‐term female contraception can be achieved by vaccinating with sperm‐derived proteins. Here, recombinant proteins comprising either (i) N‐ (amino acid residues 1–80) or C‐ (amino acid residues 76–126) terminal fragments of mouse sperm protein 17 (Sp17) fused to the promiscuous T non‐B cell epitope of tetanus toxoid (TT), amino acid residues 830–844 followed by di‐lysine linker (KK) (TT‐KK‐Sp17N or TT‐KK‐Sp17C, respectively) or (ii) mouse equatorin (amino acid residues 21–185) fused to the T non‐B cell epitope of bovine RNase (amino acid residues 94–104) were expressed in Escherichia coli. Immunization of female FVB/J mice, using alum as an adjuvant, led to the generation of high antibody titers against the above proteins. Antibodies against both N‐ and C‐terminal fragments of Sp17 reacted with the entire capacitated mouse spermatozoa, whereas those against equatorin reacted exclusively with the equatorial region. Despite the reactivity of all immune sera, only sera from mice immunized with TT‐KK‐Sp17N and TT‐KK‐Sp17C significantly reduced mouse in vitro fertilization. Mating studies of the immunized females with un‐immunized male mice revealed the highest infertility in the TT‐KK‐Sp17C‐immunized group. In an attempt to further boost the immune response, the C‐terminal fragment of Sp17 was expressed as fusion protein with a tandem repeat of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) (Sp17C‐GnRH2). Immunization of both male and female mice with Sp17C‐GnRH2 led to higher contraceptive efficacy compared to mice immunized with TT‐KK‐Sp17C. Interestingly, mating studies wherein partners were both immunized with Sp17C‐GnRH2 showed a complete failure of female mice to conceive. Thus, immunization of both males and females with Sp17C‐GnRH2 has the potential to increase contraceptive efficacy. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 1048–1059, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Relationship between Collective Efficacy and Precompetitive Affect in Rugby Players: Testing Bandura's Model of Collective Efficacy

This study extended research examining Bandura's (1997) proposed model of collective efficacy. Specifically, it examined the relationships between groups' collective efficacy and the precompetitive anxiety and affect they experienced. Prior to a competitive match 66 male Rugby Union footballers from 6 teams (2 university teams and 4 county league teams) completed a single-item measure of confidence in their team winning the forthcoming match, a 10-item measure of confidence in their team performing well in the forthcoming match, the modified Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Stepwise (forward) multiple regression analyses indicated that scores for collective efficacy accounted for only 6.3% of the variance in the intensities of cognitive state anxiety and only 22% of the variance in the positive affect experienced prior to the rugby match. The results indicate that concerns with the team's ability to win a match were associated with high cognitive state anxiety and that doubts regarding the team's ability to perform well were related to low positive affect. Given the magnitude of predicted variances, the findings seem to give some support to Bandura's proposal that the beliefs in collective efficacy of individuals engaged in a team task are related to precompetitive affective reactions and the experience of state anxiety.
Techniques in Market Measurement: The Jackknife

The “jackknife” technique developed by Tukey (1958), although rarely used in marketing, promises to be widely applicable. The very name of the technique was chosen to express its versatility. The jackknife offers the researcher the opportunity to reduce bias, perform significance tests, and assess the validity and stability of analyses without requiring a large sample. The author describes the jackknife method, applies the method to an analysis of international marketing effectiveness, and discusses some of its unresolved problems.
Influence of Acute Myocardial Infarction and rt-PA Therapy on Circulating Fibrinogen

Summary In 12 patients treated with 100 mg rt-PA/3 h for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), serial fibrinogen levels were measured with the Clauss clotting rate assay (“functional fibrinogen”) and with a new enzyme immunoassay for immunologically intact fibrinogen (“intact fibrinogen”). Levels of functional and “intact fibrinogen” were strikingly different: functional levels were higher at baseline; showed a more pronounced breakdown during rt-PA therapy; and a rebound phenomenon which was not seen for “intact fibrinogen”. The ratio of functional to “intact fibrinogen” was calculated for each individual patient and each time point. The mean ratio (n = 12) was 1.6 at baseline, 1.0 at 90 min, and increased markedly between 8 and 24 h to a maximum of 2.1 (p <0.01), indicating that functionality of circulating fibrinogen changes during AMI and subsequent thrombolytic therapy. The increased ratio of functional to “intact fibrinogen” seems to reflect a more functional fibrinogen at baseline and following rt-PA infusion. This is in keeping with data that the relative amount of fast clotting “intact HMW fibrinogen” of total fibrinogen is increased in initial phase of AMI. The data suggest that about 20% of HMW fibrinogen are converted to partly degraded fibrinogen during rt-PA infusion. The rebound phenomenon exhibited by functional fibrinogen may result from newly synthesized fibrinogen with a high proportion of HMW fibrinogen with its known higher degree of phosphorylation. Fibrinogen- and fibrin degradation products were within normal range at baseline. Upon infusion of the thrombolytic agent, maximum median levels of 5.88 μg/ml and 5.28 μg/ml, respectively, were measured at 90 min. Maximum plasma fibrinogen degradation products represented only 4% of lost “intact fibrinogen”, but they correlatedstrongly and linearly with the extent of “intact fibrinogen” degradation (r = 0.82, p <0.01). In contrast, no correlation was seen between breakdown of “intact fibrinogen” and corresponding levels of fibrin degradation products. We conclude from our data that the ratio of functional to immunologically “intact fibrinogen” may serve as an important index for functionality of fibrinogen and select patients at high risk for early reocclusion. Only a small proportion of degraded functional and “intact fibrinogen”, respectively, is recovered as fibrinogen degradation products. There seems to be a strong correlation between the degree of elevation of fibrinogen degradation products and the intensity of the systemic lytic state, i.e. fibrinogen degradation.
The Effect of Brand Equity on Purchase Intention: An Empirical Investigation with Special Reference to Car Owner in West Delhi

Brand equity is a set of brand asset and liability linked to a brand its name and symbol add to or subtract from the value provided by a product or service to a firm and/or to the firm’s customer. Strong brand not only enables marketer to reduce their marketing cost but also helps to charge premium price for their product. Thus, Brand equity plays very important role in purchase decision for a particular brand of product.Indian car industry is growing at a rapid rate. India’s passenger vehicle market ranks seventh largest; larger than markets like United Kingdom, France and Spain by volume. Almost every big manufacturer is expanding its market in India with their new competitive products. The study was based on the Aaker’s Model with the object to establish the relationship between Brand Equity and Purchase Intention in relation to car owner in west Delhi.The empirical study was done through the structured questionnaire with the sample size of 200. The data was collected using convenient random sampling from various areas in west Delhi. The data was analysed using SPSS 19.0 software various statistical tests viz., correlation, regression, and Structural equation modeling is used to test various hypotheses.The finding revels that brand equity has significant positive effect on purchase intentions. So, the marketer should carefully consider the brand equity components while designing their strategies.
The effect of web interface features on consumer online shopping intentions

Amid the storm of hype over Internet adoption, it is observed that during the past years, organizations have taken considerable interest in eagerly acquiring computer hardware and software to implement electronic commerce (e-commerce) applications mostly to the detriment of human aspects of the information technology (IT) solutions (Freemantle, 2002; Lockwood & Lamp, 2000). Various Internet technologies, mostly the Web, have been implemented to offer online goods and services. Many credible estimates suggest that Internet buying and selling will account for close to $2 trillion of annual economic activity by 2004 (Citrin et al., 2003; Fry, 2000). While the promise of the Internet has become a reality many businesses cannot afford to ignore, use of this medium for communication and information has not been matched by its equivalent use for shopping (Citrin et al., 2003). Most notable are Web design problems that frustrate consumers' online exchange activities (A. T. Kearney, 2000). This study proposes that features incorporated in the design of Web site interfaces can affect consumer online behavioral intentions to purchase and revisit. The study draws upon theories and prior studies in the fields of management, consumer behavior, management information systems, and related disciplines to address the research question of whether and how Web site interface design features determine online consumers' perceptions, attitudes, flow experienced, and their online purchase and revisit intentions. Using data from a sample of 266 online consumers, the “best fit” structural model was selected among three a priori structural models. Results of the study confirmed most of the relationships hypothesized in the research model. It was found that, indeed, different categories of interface features have different influence levels on consumers' perceptions. Whereas motivator factor was significantly related to the perceived informativeness, entertainment, and irritation; hygiene factor indicated significant relationships with only irritation. The study also found statistically significant support for the relationships between most of the perceptual variables and perceived usefulness of the site as well attitude toward the site. The role of flow experienced in determining purchase and revisit intentions received statistically significant support. Overall, the results of this study provide important insights into the online consumer experience, with implications for academic research and e-commerce systems design.
Readability of Corporate Social Responsibility Communication in Malaysia

This study examines the readability of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication (disclosure) for a sample of listed companies in Malaysia. The study employs Readability Formulae and finds that the extent of syntactic complexity making it difficult to comprehend the CSR communication of the listed companies varies from very difficult to fairly difficult. There is a relationship between the readability of the CSR communication and companies' performance. Our findings imply that management of poorly performing companies deliberately choose difficult language in CSR communication which supports the obfuscation hypothesis. Our study contributes significantly to research in CSR literature by enumerating the syntactical difficulties in the corporate annual CSR communications. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Tough Love: The Effects of Debt Contract Design on Firms' Performance

I investigate whether restrictive loan covenants disrupt or improve firms’ operating performance. Using an instrumental variables approach to address the endogenous relationship between covenant strictness and firms’ efficiency, I find that stricter loan covenants lead to an increase in profitability and firm value even when firms do not violate a covenant. Stricter covenants improve performance only in firms with managerial agency conflicts: those without large shareholder ownership, facing softer competition in their product market, or with weaker shareholder rights. The evidence suggests that by designing stringent contracts ex ante, creditors create positive externalities in poorly governed firms through managerial incentives. Received December 7, 2018; editorial decision May 31, 2019 by Editor Uday Rajan. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Novel Threadlike Structures on the Surfaces of Mammalian Abdominal Organs are Loose Bundles of Fibrous Stroma with Microchannels Embedded with Fibroblasts and Inflammatory Cells

Novel threadlike structures (NTSs) on the surfaces of mammalian abdominal organs have recently attracted interests regarding their ability to transport fluid, enable cell migration, and possibly facilitate cancer metastasis. Nevertheless, histological studies of NTSs have been sporadic and often have inconsistent interpretations of the NTS internal structure. In this article, we provide a synthetic and consistent view of the NTS internal structure: the NTS is a loose bundle of fibrous stroma that forms interstitial channels and microsinusoids infiltrated with inflammatory cells. The fibroblasts are embedded in the stroma and mostly aligned along the major axis of the NTS. The sinusoids, which are in inconsecutive cross sections, have boundaries more or less delineated by extracellular fibers, partly surrounded by endothelial-like cells, or both. We compare these morphological features to other well-known connective tissues (i.e., trabecular meshwork and lymphatic capillary) and discuss the biomechanical and biological functions of NTSs based on their structural characteristics.
Effect of Rain-Shelter Cultivation of Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Gernischet on the Phenolic Profile of Berry Skins and the Incidence of Grape Diseases

Rain-shelter cultivation is an effective cultural method to prevent rainfall damage during grape harvest and widely applied in the Chinese rainy regions. In this study we investigated the effect of rain-shelter cultivation on grape diseases and phenolic composition in the skins of Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Gernischet grape berries through the comparison with open-field cultivation at two vintages (2010 and 2011). The results showed that rain-shelter cultivation reduced the incidence of grape diseases significantly and delayed the maturation of Cabernet Gernischet fruits. With regards to most of the phenolic compounds identified in this study, their content in grape samples under rain-shelter cultivation was decreased compared to those under open-field cultivation. However, rain-shelter cultivation stimulated the accumulation of dihydroquercetin-3-O-rhamnoside in grape skins during grape maturation. These were related with micrometeorological alterations in vineyards by using plastic covering under rain-shelter cultivation. It suggests the rain-shelter cultivation makes possible the cultivation of “Cabernet Gernischet” grapes in an organic production system, for providing a decrease in the incidence of diseases and the dependence on chemical pesticides in the grape and wine industry.
Targeted CNS Expression of Interferon-γ in Transgenic Mice Leads to Hypomyelination, Reactive Gliosis, and Abnormal Cerebellar Development

Circumstantial and experimental evidence has implicated the immune cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) as a key mediator in the pathological changes that are observed in many demyelinating disorders, including the most common human demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis. To produce an animal model with which to study the effects of IFN-gamma on the CNS, we have generated transgenic mice in which the expression of IFN-gamma has been placed under the transcriptional control of the myelin basic protein (MBP) gene. Transgenic mice generated with this construct have a shaking/shivering phenotype that is similar to that observed in naturally occurring mouse models of hypomyelination (e.g., shiverer, jimpy, quaking), and these transgenic animals have dramatically less CNS myelin than control animals. Reactive gliosis and increased macrophage/microglial F4/80 immunostaining were also observed. Additionally, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II mRNA levels were increased in the CNS of MBP/IFN-gamma transgenic mice, and the increase in MHC class I mRNA expression was detected in both white and gray matter regions. Furthermore, cerebellar granule cell migration was abnormal in these animals. These results strongly support the hypothesis that IFN-gamma is a key effector molecule in immune-mediated demyelinating disorders and indicate that the presence of this cytokine in the CNS may also disrupt the developing nervous system.
Market Valuation and Acquisition

Using a sample of 700 acquisition announced in the Shanghai security market during 2002 and 2006, with the help of event study and multivariate regression framework, this article investigates whether acquisitions occurring during booming markets are fundamentally different from those occurring during depressed markets. The results shows that in the short-run, the market seems to look more favorably upon acquisition announcements during high-valuation markets , and in the long-run, acquirers buying during low-valuation markets create significantly more shareholder wealth.
Micro and macro level determinants of sport participation

Purpose – Sport participation is not exclusively determined by individual socio‐demographic factors (micro level) since infrastructure factors such as the availability of sport facilities and sport programmes (macro level) can also play a role in this regard. The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence for these determinants of sport participation using multi‐level analyses.Design/methodology/approach – A survey among the resident population in the city of Munich was carried out in 2008 (n=11,715). Furthermore, secondary data on the available sport infrastructure in every urban district of Munich (n=25) were collected. Multi‐level analyses were conducted to find the micro and macro level determinants of sport participation.Findings – The results show that aside from micro level factors, the availability of swimming pools and parks is especially important for residents’ sport activity. Moreover, sport activity in non‐profit sport clubs can be enhanced by both a good supply of sport programmes offered .
PERFORMANCE AND SUCCESSOR CHOICE: THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF GOVERNANCE AND OWNERSHIP

This study examined influences on whether chief executive successors are chosen from inside or outside an organization. We examined the choice of a successor as a function of organizational performance as moderated by the composition of an organization's board of directors and its ownership structure. Results indicate that performance influences successor choice, but board composition, firm ownership, and ownership concentration moderate that relationship. These relationships were examined using data from 67 semiconductor producers over a 22-year period. Few events that occur in organizations are as substantively important or as open to potential contention as chief executive succession. The replacement of a chief executive can critically enhance or diminish the power of organizational members and have important consequences for an organization's future strategy and structure (Pfeffer, 1981). How a succession event occurs and who is appointed as the successor reflect the future direction of an organization and can indicate how organizational resources will be allocated in the future (Allen & Panian, 1982; Friedman & Olk, 1989). In particular, researchers have singled out whether a successor comes from inside or outside a firm as critical in succession (Reinganum, 1985). This study examined the influence of the composition of a firm's board of directors and the structure of its ownership in the choice of a chief executive successor. Following past research, we predicted that the type of successor chosen will depend on the organization's past performance. However, the particular focus of this research was on how board and ownership influences moderate the relationship between performance and successor choice.