Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of E-Learning System Service Quality and Users' Acceptance on Organizational Learning

This study examines the effects of e-learning system service quality and users‟ acceptance on organizational learning. The sample was drawn from 15 companies certified by the E-Learning Quality Certification Center of Taiwan. The authors used UTAUT, SERVQUAL, and SLAM scales to collect data, and the structural equation model (SEM) to examine the hypothesized model. The results show that (1) e-learning system service quality has a positive effect on acceptance and use of e-learning technology, (2) the latter has a positive effect on organizational learning effectiveness, and (3) acceptance and use of e-learning technology plays a full mediating role in the relationship between e-learning system service quality and organizational learning effectiveness. Although e-learning system service quality has no direct effect on organizational learning effectiveness, the result has practical implications for institutions in that e-learning system service quality can strengthen organizational learning effectiveness via well-structured e-learning technology. When implementing e-learning, institutions should manage both e-learning technology and the quality of e-learning service. The more users are satisfied with e-learning service, the
Reasoned action theory: an application to alcohol‐free beer

Observes that between 1985 and 1989 consumption of low‐alcohol and alcohol‐free beer grew by over 500 per cent, yet expectations of a large and expanding market into the 1990s were not fulfilled, partly because of economic downturn. Explains that as the economy recovers, some brewers are anticipating renewed growth. Reports an application of reasoned action theory to the roles of attitudes, norms, behavioural control and habit in predicting behavioural intention regarding consumption of alcohol‐free beer, in the very different market environment of the 1990s. Details how data were collected by means of a postal questionnaire, which revealed, unexpectedly, that not getting drunk was not found to be an important predictor of intention, and, instead, behavioural intention was chiefly determined by beliefs concerning taste and health. Also discovered that normative influences, especially friends for non‐users and family for users, were secondary predictors, and that neither habit nor perceived behavioural control added to the efficacy of the model. Concludes, however, that this does not necessarily negate the potential value of perceived behavioural control, and makes some suggestions for the practical application of the findings to marketing strategy.
Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Free and Liposome-Encapsulated Catechin after Intravenous and Intraperitoneal Administration

Our previous studies demonstrated the efficacy of liposome-encapsulated catechin on the reduction of liver toxicity in rats with the injection of carbon-tetrachloride in vivo. In this investigation, pharmacokinetics of catechin after the injection of solution and liposomal catechin formulations developed in our laboratory were studied in rats. Two different formulations, one multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) intended for sustained release and other small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) intended for targeted release were used. MLVs were injected by IP route while SUVs by IV route. Pharmacokinetic properties of liposome- encapsulated and free catechin were compared. Concentrations of the drug in plasma were determined by HPLC. PK analysis was performed using either WINNONLIN or KINETICA and both, compartmental and non-compartmental parameters were evaluated. Results indicated that, when catechin liposomal formulations were administered by IV and IP routes, mean residence time (MRT), half-life (t1/2) and the volume of distribution (Vd) were higher (P<0.05), and clearance (CL) was lower (P<0.05) than in the case of the free form. When the formulation was administered by I.P. route, the area under the curve (AUC) and the time to peak concentration (tmax) were significantly higher (P<0.05), and maximum concentration (Cmax) of catechin was lower than those of the free form. The results obtained in the present study showed that liposome encapsulated catechin provides the effective and prolonged plasma concentration after IV and IP administration.
Stock Splits as a Value Creation Vehicle

Stock splits have been for a long time a puzzling phenomenon that can bear particular consequences for stock’s liquidity as well as for a stock price. I perform an analysis of stock splits accomplished between 2000 and May 2011 inclusive by companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange. I seek to identify whether the stock splits under consideration constitute any signal to existing and potential shareholders and whether the stock split can add value to shareholders’ wealth. I use three methods to analyze the impact of splits on subsequent price performance of 629 stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange, i.e. mean adjusted return method, market model method and market adjusted return method. The data used contain daily rates of return and the event window encompasses the time period of [40;+40], i.e. the interval from the 40th stock exchange trading session preceding the stock split to the 40th session after the stock split, as well as the first session after the stock split. In the wake of the stock split the volatility of abnormal returns as measured with standard deviation declines under three methods employed by: 6.58%, 46.71%, and 48.24%, respectively. This fact is indicative of benefits derived from splitting the shares, e.g. stabilization of the share price and consequently a change in stock’s risk–return profile. In turn, it can alter market participants’ perception of a given stock. What is more, shareholders’ gains as measured with cumulative abnormal rates of return, all 1–percent significant, reached within the event window outperform pre-split benefits, i.e. achieved as a result of a buy–and–hold strategy within the time frame of [–40;–1] as well as those attained in the post–split era, i.e. in the interval [+1:+40], using the same strategy. Investors who pursued the first strategy averaged with the cumulative abnormal rates of returns for three methods used at the level of: 41.76%, 15.28%, and 39.77%, respectively. Therefore the stock split can be viewed as a value creation vehicle. On the other hand, these findings show that managers that expect an improvement in financial health of their companies decide to split the shares thus conveying information what, in turn, is congruent with the signaling hypothesis. Moreover, in the aftermath of the stock split one may observe a substantial increase in the stock price what underlines the fact that stock splits are in general good news.
Beyond the M-form: toward a managerial theory of the firm

Driven by a set of radical changes in their internal and external environments, large global corporations are innovating a new organizational form. Premised on knowledge and expertise rather than capital or scale as the key strategic resource, this new form is fundamentally different from the multidivisional organization that had emerged in the 1920s and had become the dominant corporate model in the post-War years. In this article, we describe this new organization using Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) as an illustration, and highlight its differences from the classic M-form by contrasting its structure, processes and decision-making mechanisms against the models proposed by Chandler (1962), Bower (1970) and Cyert and March (1963). Our conceptualization of this emerging organization is grounded in a managerial perspective that is very different from the disciplinary foundations of existing economic and behavioral theories of the firm. We conclude by arguing for the need to create a 'managerial theory of the firm' that would be more attuned to the premises of the key actors within the firm so as to be able to illuminate the corporate world as seen by managers and encompass the issues that they perceive to be important.
Expression of the nucleoside‐derived drug transporters hCNT1, hENT1 and hENT2 in gynecologic tumors

Deoxynucleoside analogs are used in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors. Their transport across the plasma membrane may determine their cytotoxicity and thus nucleoside transporter (NT) expression patterns may be of clinical relevance. Lack of appropriate antibodies for use in paraffin‐embedded biopsies has been a bottleneck to undertake high‐throughput analysis of NT expression in solid tumors. Here we report the characterization of 2 new antibodies raised against the low‐affinity equilibrative NTs, hENT1 and hENT2, suitable for that purpose. These 2 antisera, along with a previously characterized antibody that specifically recognizes the high‐affinity Na‐dependent concentrative NT, hCNT1, have been used to analyze, using a tissue array approach, NT expression in gynecologic cancers (90 ovarian, 80 endometrial and 118 uterine cervix carcinomas). Human CNT1 was not detected in 33% and 39% of the ovarian and uterine cervix carcinomas, respectively, whereas hENT1 and hENT2 expression was significantly retained in a high percentage of tumors (91% and 96% for hENT1, 84% and 98% for hENT2, in ovarian and cervix carcinomas, respectively). Only a few endometrial carcinomas (15%) were found to be negative for hCNT1, but they all retained hENT1 and hENT2 expression. In ovarian cancer, the loss of all 3 NT proteins was a more common event in the clear cell histologic subtype than in the serous, mucinous and endometrioid histotypes. In uterine cervix tumors, the loss of expression of hCNT1 was significantly associated with the adenocarcinoma subtype. In summary, hCNT1 was by far the isoform whose expression was most frequently reduced or lost in the 3 types of gynecologic tumors analyzed. Moreover, NT expression is related to the type of gynecologic tumor and its specific subtype, hCNT1 protein loss being highly correlated with poor prognosis histotypes. Since hCNT1, hENT1 and hENT2 recognize fluoropyrimidines as substrates, but with different affinities, this study anticipates high variability in drug uptake efficiency in solid tumors. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Impact of Brand Value Announcements on Firm Value

U.S. firms are not required to report the values of internally-developed brands on their balance sheets. This paper tests whether brand value estimates provided by an external organism, i.e., the consultancy firm Interbrand, are value relevant. Unlike prior value relevance studies we use an event study analysis, which enables us to assess (i) whether brand value announcements have a causal impact on stock prices, (ii) what is the magnitude of the impact, and (iii) whether there are cross-sectional differences in the brand value impact. We document that stockholder reactions to brand value announcements are both statistically and economically significant. Stock prices are linearly increasing in the magnitude of the brand value change relative to the previous year's estimated value.
Improving Supply Chain Efficiency Through Wholesale Price Renegotiation

In a decentralized supply chain, double marginalization is an important source of inefficiency. We suggest in this paper a simple mechanism to reduce it that uses a wholesale price contract and renegotiation. Our mechanism only requires repeated interaction, and rational behavior from the players. Specifically, over T rounds of negotiation, the supplier proposes different prices in each round, and the buyer places orders at the quoted price. Even though prices are decreasing in time, the buyer places a positive order, to force the supplier to reduce its price in the following round. This interaction results in higher profits for both supplier and buyer. We solve the buyer and supplier problems and show that, as T increases, supply chain efficiency tends to 100%, and the sub-optimality gap decreases with 1/T. Finally, we discuss how these results can be applied to design negotiation processes.
Attainment and maintenance of reliability of axis I and II disorders over the course of a longitudinal study.

The baseline interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, follow-up interrater reliability, and follow-up longitudinal reliability of axis I and axis II diagnoses were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) and the Diagnostic Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders (DIPD-R). Excellent kappas (>.75) were found in each of these reliability substudies for the majority of axis II disorders diagnosed five times or more. Dimensional reliability figures for axis II diagnoses were generally somewhat higher than those for their categorical counterparts; most intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were in the excellent range. Excellent kappas were also found in each of these four reliability substudies for over half of the axis I disorders diagnosed five times or more. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that the reliability of axis II disorders is both good to excellent and practically equivalent to that found for most axis I disorders. The results of this study also suggest that high levels of reliability, once achieved, can be maintained over time for both axis I and II disorders.
Thailand diabetes registry project: type of diabetes, glycemic control and prevalence of microvascular complications in children and adolescents with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To determine the etiology, glycemic control and prevalence of microvascular complications in Thai diabetic patients who were diagnosed at the age of less than 18 years and who attended diabetes clinics in university or tertiary care hospitals. MATERIAL AND METHOD A cross-sectional, multi-center, hospital-based diabetes registry was carried out from diabetes clinics of 11 tertiary centers. Demographic data including laboratory results and microvascular complications were recorded. RESULTS Two-hundred-and-fifty out of the 9419 (2.66%) diabetic patients were diagnosed before the age of 18 years, 78% had Type 1 diabetes (T1DM), 18.4% had Type2 diabetes (T2DM) and 3.6% had other types of diabetes. Mean +/- SD HbAlc of T1DM was 9.3 +/- 2.5, T2DM was 9.7 +/- 2.6 and other types of diabetes were 8.6 +/- 4%. The majority of patients had poor glycemic control according to ADA and WHO guidelines. The percentage of patients who had diabetes for more than 5 years but had not been screened for nephropathy and retinopathy were 57.7% and 16% in T1DM and were 46.4% and 14.2% in T2DM respectively. A significant correlation between microvacular complications (nephropathy and retinopathy) and duration of disease was found in T1DM (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The majority of Thai children and adolescents with diabetes had TIDM and unsatisfactory glycemic control. Screening for microvascular complications was under international standard. The national strategic plan for management of this disease especially in this age group should be urgently implemented.
Prevalence of cerebral microemboli in systemic lupus erythematosus: transcranial Doppler.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and predictors of microemboli on transcranial Doppler (TCD) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS One hundred sixty-seven patients with SLE underwent TCD testing. RESULTS. Fifteen of 153 patients (9.8%) who successfully underwent TCD testing had microembolic events. Predictors of TCD microemboli included valve repair or replacement (p < 0.0001) and higher SLE Disease Activity Index (p = 0.07). Antiphospholipid antibodies and atherosclerotic plaque on carotid duplex were not associated with TCD microemboli. CONCLUSION TCD microemboli may represent a noninvasive method to ascertain risk of stroke in SLE. TCD microemboli are not associated with traditional stroke risk factors. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if TCD microemboli are predictive of future stroke in SLE.
Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Severity of Relapsing Experimental Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Regulate the Cutting Edge: Central Nervous System

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) have both stimula-tory and regulatory effects on T cells. pDCs are a major CNS-infiltrating dendritic cell population during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis but, unlike myeloid dendritic cells, have a minor role in T cell activation and epitope spreading. We show that depletion of pDCs during either the acute or relapse phases of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis resulted in exacerbation of disease severity. pDC depletion significantly enhanced CNS but not peripheral CD4 (cid:1) T cell activation, as well as IL-17 and IFN- (cid:2) production. Moreover, CNS pDCs suppressed CNS myeloid dendritic cell-driven production of IL-17, IFN- (cid:2) , and IL-10 in an IDO-independent manner. The data demonstrate that pDCs play a critical regulatory role in negatively regulating pathogenic CNS CD4 (cid:1) T cell responses, highlighting a new role for pDCs in inflammatory autoimmune disease. The Journal of Immunology, 2008, 180: 6457–6461.
Your life on hold

Customer phone contact with companies is a service encounter that can turn out to be a liability if customers perceive their time on hold as too long or unenjoyable. This paper reports on two studies that demonstrated that different waiting conditions (silence, music, or choice of listening alternatives) affected customer-perceived waiting time and customer perception/satisfaction with the company.
Outcomes for Disabled Service Users

the forefront of policy debate. Often, younger disabled people require support that is more flexible, or of a different type, than that which social services can offer. For example, people may require assistance with making decisions concerning work, both paid and voluntary, or in parenting. The main aim of the study was to see whether these areas of assistance could be incorporated into assessments and reviews. These areas were named ‘outcomes’, which meant goals that service users wished to achieve. Before the research began, the researchers synthesised findings from previous work with disabled service users into the outcomes framework (see Box 1). This was incorporated into assessment and review practices and used by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals from one Social Services Department in England. The researchers evaluated the processes of change and their impact on professionals and service users. The main findings were:
Oral naltrexone maintenance treatment for opioid dependence.

BACKGROUND Research on the clinical application of oral naltrexone agrees on several things. From a pharmacological perspective, naltrexone works. From an applied perspective, however, the medication compliance and the retention rates are very poor. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of naltrexone maintenance treatment versus placebo or other treatments in preventing relapse in opioid addicts after detoxification. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL - The Cochrane Library issue 6 2010), PubMed (1973- June 2010), CINAHL (1982- June 2010). We inspected reference lists of relevant articles and we contacted pharmaceutical producers of naltrexone, authors and other Cochrane review groups. SELECTION CRITERIA All randomised and controlled clinical trials which focus on the use of naltrexone maintenance treatment versus placebo, or other treatments to reach sustained abstinence from opiate drugs DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Three reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data. One reviewer carried out the qualitative assessments of the methodology of eligible studies using validated checklists. MAIN RESULTS Thirteen studies, 1158 participants, met the criteria for inclusion in this review.Comparing naltrexone versus placebo or no pharmacological treatments, no statistically significant difference were noted for all the primary outcomes considered. The only outcome statistically significant in favour of naltrexone is re incarceration, RR 0.47 (95%CI 0.26-0.84), but results come only from two studies.Comparing naltrexone versus psychotherapy, in the two considered outcomes, no statistically significant difference was found in the single study considered.Naltrexone was not superior to benzodiazepines and to buprenorphine for retention and abstinence and side effects. Results come from single studies. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS The findings of this review suggest that oral naltrexone did not perform better than treatment with placebo or no pharmacological agent with respect to the number of participants re-incarcerated during the study period. If oral naltrexone is compared with other pharmacological treatments such as benzodiazepine and buprenorphine, no statistically significant difference was found. The percentage of people retained in treatment in the included studies is however low (28%). The conclusion of this review is that the studies conducted have not allowed an adequate evaluation of oral naltrexone treatment in the field of opioid dependence. Consequently, maintenance therapy with naltrexone cannot yet be considered a treatment which has been scientifically proved to be superior to other kinds of treatment.
Social Media in Disaster Response:Queensland Police Service - Public Engagement During the 2011 Floods

Social Media, particularly Microblogging services, are now being adopted as an additional tool for emergency service agencies to be able to interact with the community at all stages of a disaster. Unfortunately, no standard framework for Social Media adoption for disaster management exists and emergency service agencies are adopting Social Media in an ad-hoc fashion. This paper seeks to provide a general understanding of how Social Media is being used by emergency service agencies during disasters, to better understand how we might develop a standardised framework of adoption. In this study of the 2010/11 Queensland Flood event, Facebook broadcast messages from the Queensland Police Service to the general public, were analysed by genre. Findings show that these Microblogging activities were mostly about information distribution and warning broadcasts and that the strength of Social Media for two-way communication and collaboration with the general public, was under-utilised during this event.