Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the role of social media in relationship marketing in retail banking : opportunities & challenges in South East Europe

This work presents the research exploring the role of Web 2.0 technologies and social media in relationship marketing (RM) in the retail banking sector and specifically their role in the banking industry of the South-East European (SEE) region. Following unresolved questions in the literature regarding the value of social in the retail banking sector and its aptitude to support relationships between banks and clients, this research explores the multifaceted reality of how social media is accommodated in bank-client relationships in the SEE retail banking context. The goal of this research is to arrive to theoretical implications for expanding the current knowledge in the RM domain and possible roles that social media play for its implementation in the era of Web 2.0 communications. The aim of this research is also to provide practical insights on the scope of Web 2.0-enabled RM strategies in retail banking. Research is conducted with an interpretivist qualitative approach and via multi-method design comprised to address the multifaceted reality of social media and RM in banking, addressing the perspectives of banks as well as consumers. Research incorporates web- based observation study illustrating the rates and progress of social media adoption among banks in the SEE region, qualitative case studies illustrating banking approaches to RM and social media adoption and focus groups portraying the perspectives of consumers regarding the phenomenon of social media in banking. Thesis offers theorisations that the adoption of social media surpasses the trend status and conveys an important marketing value for reaching the younger population of consumers. Although social media are not precedent for the establishment of relationships between banks and modern-day consumers, they provide the opportunity to instate pre-relationship rapport between clients and banks which could serve as basis for future relations and enticement to loyalty.
Relationship quality, on‐line banking and the information technology gap

In a world of escalating competitiveness, information technology (IT), such as online banking, and relationship marketing are becoming increasingly important to marketers. This paper investigates the impact of IT in a relationship marketing context. In particular it focuses on how customers use a combination of IT channels to interact with their financial service provider and how this interaction affects the relationship quality between the customer and the financial service provider. This study provides empirical evidence that indicates that those customers who do not exhibit an “IT gap” have more positive perceptions of their relationship with their financial service provider. These findings suggest that firms that fail to provide channels that their customers seek and value will find it more difficult to forge strong relationships with their customers – a critical condition for success in many of today’s industries.
Competitiveness as a Strategic Outcome of Corporate Social Responsibility

There is a gap in the literature concerning the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate strategy. This study analyses the influence of CSR on competitiveness as a strategic dimension of companies. It addresses the conditions under which CSR has a positive influence on competitiveness through testing the moderator effect of corporate strategy, size, and industry. Based on an empirical study of 144 companies, the results show a positive effect of CSR on competitiveness, which is stronger for large companies and for companies that follow a proactive (vs reactive) strategy, while no differences appear between service and manufacturing industries. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Methionine enkephalin (MENK) improves lymphocyte subpopulations in human peripheral blood of 50 cancer patients by inhibiting regulatory T cells (Tregs)

MENK, a penta-peptide is considered as being involved in the regulatory feedback loop between the immune and neuroendocrine systems, with marked modulation of various functions of human immune cells. The aim of the present work was to investigate change of lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood of 50 cancer patients before and after treatment with MENK. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of peripheral blood from 50 cancer patients were isolated by density gradient centrifugation using Ficoll-Paque solution and cultured with MENK. We measured proliferation of total nucleated cells, subpopulations of individual CD4+T cells, CD8+T cells, CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg), natural killer cells (NK) before and after treatment with 10-12M MENK in cell culture by flow cytometry (FCM). Our results indicated that MENK showed a strong inhibiting effect on Treg cells while it stimulated marked proliferation of other lymphocyte subpopulations. All data obtained were of significance statistically. It was therefore concluded that MENK could work as a strong immune booster with great potential in restoring damaged human immune system and we could consider MENK as a drug to treat cancer patients, whose immune systems are damaged by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Furthermore we could consider MENK as a chemotherapy additive, which would sustain immune system of cancer patients during the process of chemotherapy to get maximized efficacy with minimized side effect.
Linking perceived value and loyalty in location‐based mobile services

Purpose – To analyze the direct effect of perceived value dimensions (monetary, convenience, social, emotional, conditional and epistemic value) on attitudinal and behavioral components of loyalty: commitment and behavioral intentions to use location‐based mobile services.Design/methodology/approach – An online survey for users of a mobile location‐based directory service “Where is the nearest? ”Findings – The behavioral intentions were most influenced by conditional value; the context, in which the service is used, followed closely by commitment and to some extent monetary value. Commitment can be enhanced through building emotional value and conditional value by focusing on offering fun service experiences in the right context. The influence of social and epistemic value was not significant.Research limitations/implications – Further research is encouraged on the relative importance of the value dimensions' influence on loyalty in global markets.Practical implications – The minor influence of monetary va.
Changes in cycling efficiency during a competitive season.

PURPOSE To monitor training-related changes in gross efficiency (GE) over the course of a competitive cycling season. METHODS Fourteen trained cyclists (mean +/- SD: 34 + 8 yr, 74.3 +/- 7.4 kg, Wmax = 406 +/- 43 W, V O2max = 59.5 +/- 3.8 mL x kg x min) with at least 3 yr competitive experience completed five laboratory tests during a competitive cycling season. The tests measured lactate threshold (LT), onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA), maximal oxygen uptake (V O2max), maximal minute power (Wmax), and GE. The data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. RESULTS GE changed significantly over the course of the competitive cycling season (P < 0.05), increasing over the precompetition phase of the season (19.6% vs 20.6%; P < 0.05). GE was maintained during the main competitive phase of the season (20.6% vs 20.3%; P > 0.05) and then decreased during the postcompetitive phase to 19.4% (P < 0.05). The precompetition changes in GE were related to the total time spent training and the time spent above OBLA intensity (r = 0.84 and 0.80, respectively). Riders who spent the most time training between LT and OBLA intensities (r = 0.87; P < 0.05) were better able to maintain GE. A significant inverse relationship was also identified between the changes in GE and the percentage change in training below LT over the competitive phase of the season. CONCLUSION GE changes over the course of a competitive cycling season and is related to the volume and intensity of training conducted.
Modeling Laryngeal Muscle Activation Noise for Low-Order Physiological Based Speech Synthesis

Physiological-based synthesis using low order lumped-mass models of phonation have been shown to mimic and predict complex physical phenomena observed in normal and pathological speech production, and have received signiﬁcant attention due to their ability to efﬁciently perform comprehensive parametric investigations that are cost prohibitive with more advanced computational tools. Even though these numerical models have been shown to be useful research and clinical tools, several physiological aspects of them remain to be explored. One of the key components that has been neglected is the natural ﬂuctuation of the laryngeal muscle activity that affects the conﬁguration of the model parameters. In this study, a physiologically-based laryngeal muscle activation model that accounts for random ﬂuctuations is proposed. The method is expected to improve the ability to model muscle related pathologies, such as muscle tension dysphonia and Parkinson’s disease. The mathematical framework and underlying assumptions are described, and the effects of the added random muscle activity is tested in a well-known body-cover model of the vocal folds with acoustic propagation and interaction. Initial simulations illustrate that the random ﬂuctuations in the muscle activity impact the resulting kinematics to varying degrees depending on the laryngeal conﬁguration.
Agribusiness Franchising in India: Experience and Potential

Agribusiness or agricultural franchising is quite new in India, though it is quite commonly used in other businesses like fast food, hotel and other service industries where service quality is crucial to maintain brand equity. There have been only a few experiments in this field in the recent past by some corporate agencies, both private and public. This paper locates the rationale for franchising in agribusiness from global literature and from the Indian smallholder agricultural context where other ways of reaching small farmers or linking them with markets have not worked. It then analyses a few cases of failure and success in franchising in agribusiness by corporate agencies and compares and contrasts them for inferring on better management of franchising and its wider applicability in the Indian agribusiness context.
DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

The dynamic capabilities framework analyzes the sources and methods of wealth creation and capture by private enterprise firms operating in environments of rapid technological change. The competitive advantage of firms is seen as resting on distinctive processes (ways of coordinating and combining), shaped by the firm’s (specific) asset positions (such as the firm’s portfolio of difficult‐to‐trade knowledge assets and complementary assets), and the evolution path(s) it has adopted or inherited. The importance of path dependencies is amplified where conditions of increasing returns exist. Whether and how a firm’s competitive advantage is eroded depends on the stability of market demand, and the ease of replicability (expanding internally) and imitatability (replication by competitors). If correct, the framework suggests that private wealth creation in regimes of rapid technological change depends in large measure on honing internal technological, organizational, and managerial processes inside the firm. In short, identifying new opportunities and organizing effectively and efficiently to embrace them are generally more fundamental to private wealth creation than is strategizing, if by strategizing one means engaging in business conduct that keeps competitors off balance, raises rival’s costs, and excludes new entrants. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Relationship between Auditors and Clients, and Its Effect on the Quality of Auditing in Accepted Companies in Tehran Stock Exchange

Effective factors of auditing from auditors' point of view are factors which affect the discovery of financial statements or incentive of statement reports. One of these factors is the distance between auditor and client. In the present study, in order to investigate the role of the distance between auditors and clients in the quality of accepted audits of companies in Tehran stock exchange during 2006-2009, 50 questionnaires were distributed and after completion, data was extracted using non-parametric methods; three distinct methods of the research were used to check the assumptions. The first method involves comparison of average obtained from variables indicator, the second method of analysis was ANOVA to determine correlations between the distance of variable under study and the third was using the correlation coefficient. The results of the study show that by reducing the spatial distance between the auditor and the client, financial information can be improved. Also, the distance of economic factors and information inconsistency between the auditor and client, blocks the ease of transfer of information and reports submitted by internal auditors' information, and rated higher than reports submitted by the auditors.
Molecular diversity of the Planctomycetes in the human gut microbiota in France and Senegal

Until now, Planctomycetes bacteria were considered as environmental organisms. Nevertheless, some studies detected Planctomycetes DNA from human gut. We therefore explored the human gut Planctomycetes content. Planctomycetes‐specific PCR primers were designed to amplify a 240–bp 16S rRNA gene fragment in human stool specimens from individuals in France and in Senegal and from endocarditis patients receiving antibiotics in France. PCR products were then cloned and sequenced. PCR detection revealed a significantly higher prevalence (1.8% vs 0.4%, p = 0.05) and higher diversity (62 vs 6 phylotypes, p = 0.02) of Planctomycetes 16S rRNA gene in stool specimens collected in Senegal than in France. Also, stool specimens from endocarditis patients exhibited non‐significantly higher prevalence (0.6% vs 0.4%) and the ratio of phylotypes by positive patient (3 vs 1.5) than those collected from untreated French individuals. Gemmata sp. related sequences were found in 6/12 individuals. Planctomycetes organisms are a part of the human digestive tract microbiota. Their diversity varied by environment including the geographical origin of the individual and antibiotics treatment.
Innovative marketing in SMEs

– The purpose of this paper was to investigate the concept of innovative marketing and how it manifests itself in the context of small‐to medium‐sized enterprises. , – The literature relating to the characteristics of SMEs, and innovative marketing are reviewed to identify the key elements of innovative marketing and SMEs. This review and the key elements identified contribute to an overall conceptualisation of innovative marketing for SMEs. , – The discussion considers and provides a description of innovative marketing in SMEs. Innovative marketing does not just relate to products, new product development, and technological development but is also evident in other aspects of marketing related activities and decisions and is very specific to the context and needs of the SME. , – The focus of this paper is on taking the relevant themes from the literature and considering them in the light of SME marketing and in the context of SME business activities.
Aortic Atheromas and Stroke

Aortic atherosclerosis is the most common disease of the aortic arch, and patients with complicated aortic atheroma should be considered at risk of stroke. There is indeed controversy about whether and how to treat these patients. This review analyzes the literature data about the epidemiology, the association between atheroma and stroke, the classification of aortic atheroma plaques, the imaging diagnostic process, the therapeutics options, and the clinical trials performed in this clinical setting.
Expression and Functional Analysis of Tumor-Related Factor S100A4 in Antler Stem Cells

Annual antler renewal is a stem cell–based epimorphic process driven by antler stem cells (ASCs) resident in antlerogenic periosteum (AP). Antlerogenic periosteal cells express a high level of S100A4, a metastasis-associated protein, which intrigued us to explore what role S100A4 could play in antler regeneration. The present study set out to investigate expression and effects of S100A4 in the ASCs and their progeny. The results showed that not only did cells from the AP express a high level of S100A4, but also the pedicle periosteum and the antler growth center. In the antler growth center, we found S100A4-positive cells were specifically located in blood vessel walls and in vascularized areas. In vitro, recombinant deer S100A4 protein stimulated the proliferation of the AP cells, promoted proliferation, migration and tube formation of human vascular endothelial cells, and enhanced migration of Hela cells, but not AP cells. These findings demonstrated that S100A4 in the ASCs may play a significant role in stimulating angiogenesis, proliferation, but not motility, of ASCs. Deer antlers offer a unique model to explore how rapid cell proliferation with a high level of S100A4 expression is elegantly regulated without becoming cancerous.
Assessing the Mating ‘Health’ of Commercial Honey Bee Queens

ABSTRACT Honey bee queens mate with multiple males, which increases the total genetic diversity within colonies and has been shown to confer numerous benefits for colony health and productivity. Recent surveys of beekeepers have suggested that ‘poor queens’ are a top management concern, thus investigating the reproductive quality and mating success of commercially produced honey bee queens is warranted. We purchased 80 commercially produced queens from large queen breeders in California and measured them for their physical size (fresh weigh and thorax width), insemination success (stored sperm counts and sperm viability), and mating number (determined by patriline genotyping of worker offspring). We found that queens had an average of 4.37 ± 1.446 million stored sperm in their spermathecae with an average viability of 83.7 ± 13.33%. We also found that the tested queens had mated with a high number of drones (average effective paternity frequency: 17.0 ± 8.98). Queen “quality” significantly varied among commercial sources for physical characters but not for mating characters. These findings suggest that it may be more effective to improve overall queen reproductive potential by culling lower-quality queens rather than systematically altering current queen production practices.
Multidisciplinary Case Study on Higher Education: An Innovative Experience in the Business Management Degree.

Higher education is constantly changing and looking for innovative educational solutions in order to increase the level of the students knowledge and skills. As an important part of this set of educational policies, a new process is emerging for the ideation, planning and implementation of multidisciplinary case studies for students with the aim of developing their knowledge, meaning learning, skills and abilities that necessary for a more complete picture of the problems. In this regard, this paper shows the main results obtained with the realization of joint innovative activity experience developed by multidisciplinary areas in the Business Administration Degree (Management, Corporate Finance and Statistics). This joint activity was proposed on a voluntary basis for those students interested in working in a complete practice with other students and also as a way of replacing the individual activities of each area of knowledge. Fourteen groups of 4-5 people have done this case study, on average, the percentage of participation is about 70% of the students. The design of this methodology with an evaluation system implies students receive a significant percentage of their continuous evaluation. Also, it has allowed the students to achieve at a practical level, the how to and knows how (versus levels, ordered from low to high level of knowledge: dos, shows how, knows how and knows) of a particular set of generic and specific skills.
Investigating the Key Routes to Customer Delight

Recent empirical research has shown the benefits for the service firm of providing customer delight. With this link established, it is now important to garner a greater understanding of the drivers of customer delight from the customer's perspective. In response, this research addresses three focal issues: (1) evaluating the types of employee behaviors in a service encounter that lead to delight, (2) assessing consumers' expectations prior to their delightful encounter, and (3) ascertaining the differences between satisfactory and delightful encounters at the customer level. The findings indicate that employee affect and employee effort are the strongest factors in producing delight. These factors were both ranked higher than employee skills with regard to delight. Importantly, it seems that the power of these factors has not been fully revealed in previous research. Further, this research provides support for the usefulness of both the disconfirmation paradigm and the less-utilized needs-based model for evaluating customer delight.
Prevalence of Exfoliation Syndrome in Patients Scheduled for Cataract Surgery: A Hospital-based Study in Northern Jordan

Purpose: To assess the frequency of exfoliation syndrome (XFS) in Jordanian patients scheduled for cataract surgery. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 445 consecutive patients who had cataract surgery at our center over one year. Data collected included age, sex, presence of XFS, predominant type of lens opacity and intraocular pressure (IOP). Results: Mean age of the total study population was 64.1 years (range 40-97). Average age was higher in the XFS group in comparison to the non-XFS group. XFS was present in 46 patients out of 445 patients (10.3%), of whom 54% were unilateral. Mean IOP was higher in the XFS group. Nuclear sclerosis was the predominant lens opacity in both groups with a higher frequency in those with XFS. Conclusions: XFS is relatively common in Jordanian patients scheduled for cataract surgery. Careful diagnosis and scrutiny of XFS in cataract patients may help to prepare for and avoid potential surgical complications.
Food Variety and Dietary Diversity Scores to Understand the Food-Intake Pattern among Selected Malaysian Households

Food variety scores (FVS) and dietary diversity scores (DDS) were estimated based on foods consumed weekly by 285 Malaysian households using a food frequency questionnaire. The scoring system of FVS and DDS was based on a scale of 0–7 and 0–6 respectively. The mean household FVS and DDS was 164.1 ± 93 and 6 ± 0.4. The age of respondents (husbands or wives; p < .01), sex (p < .05), and household food expenditure (p < .01) had a significant influence on both FVS and DDS. The food-intake pattern of Malaysian households showed that their typical diets had high protein and energy-based foods.
Scaling Population Density to Body Size in Rocky Intertidal Communities

Interspecific comparisons of animal population density to body size has been the subject of active research in the last decade, especially for terrestrial animals when considering particular taxa or taxonomic assemblages. Studies of rocky intertidal communities showed that animal population density scales with body size to the -0.77 power. This relation held within local communities representing a broad array of animal taxa and was not affected by a dramatic alteration in the network of between-species interactions, as revealed by two long-term human exclusion experiments.