Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do women like options more than men? An examination in the context of service recovery

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the benefits of letting customers choose among compensation methods following a service failure. The author is also interested in the role of gender in influencing satisfaction with the compensation method and post‐recovery emotions.Design/methodology/approach – A between‐subjects quasi‐experiment was conducted in addition to a series of pretests.Findings – Findings from this study indicate that women are more satisfied with the compensation when given the opportunity to choose from alternatives than are men. Moreover, women seem to value the act of choosing more than their male counterparts. The findings further suggest that service operators and retailers might benefit from offering the customer a choice between hedonic and utilitarian compensation options as part of the service recovery process. Letting the customer choose his/her preferred recovery option enhances satisfaction with the chosen compensation method, thus somewhat mitigating the ill‐effects of service .
Ownership Structure and Performance of the Listed Tunisian Companies

Across this study, we propose to study the role of the ownership structure in the discipline of executives and test if the managerial shareholdings, the concentration of property and the property of the institutional investors improve the performance of companies. Based on a sample of 17 Tunisian firms listed on the TSE between 2001 and 2005, we performed the variables regressions of ownership structure on the various measures of accounting and stock market performance. Our results show that the concentration of ownership acts positively only on the accounting performance measured by ROE and the ownership of the institutional investors has a positive and significant effect on the accounting and stock market performance, while the managers shareholding has a negative and significant effect on the market performance measured by the Marris ratio.
Long-term care in the United States: an overview.

Although long-term care receives far less U.S. policy attention than health care does, long-term care matters to many Americans of all ages and affects spending by public programs. Problems in the current long-term care system abound, ranging from unmet needs and catastrophic burdens among the impaired population to controversies between state and federal governments about who bears responsibility for meeting them. As the population ages, the pressure to improve the system will grow, raising key policy issues that include the balance between institutional and noninstitutional care, assurance of high-quality care, the integration of acute and long-term care, and financing mechanisms to provide affordable protection.
U.S. Corporate and Bank Insolvency Regimes: An Economic Comparison and Evaluation

In the U.S., the insolvency resolution of most corporations is governed by the federal bankruptcy code and is administered by special bankruptcy courts. Most large corporate bankruptcies are resolved under Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings. However, commercial bank insolvencies are governed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and are administered by the FDIC. These two resolution processes--corporate bankruptcy and bank receiverships--differ in a number of significant ways, including the type of proceeding (judicial versus administrative); the rights of managers, stockholders and creditors in the proceedings; the explicit and implicit goals of the resolution; the prioritization of creditors--claims; the costs of administration; and the timeliness of creditor payments. These differences derive from perceptions that "banks are special. " This paper elucidates these differences, explores the effectiveness of the procedural differences in achieving the stated goals, and considers the potential economic consequences of the different structures.
Consumers’ perceptions of the country‐of‐origin effect on purchasing intentions of (in)conspicuous products

The country‐of‐origin effect and product consumption conspicuousness are examined. This study strengthens our understanding of the importance of the COO effect as it is investigated with respect to consumers’ purchasing intentions of public vs. private and luxury vs. necessity products. For instance, does the COO effect differ in its importance in the purchasing decision of conspicuous vs. inconspicuous products? A product’s country of origin has a stronger effect when considering luxury products. The conspicuous aspect of the consumption comes second.
Corilagin inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation by inducing G2/M phase arrest

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of most common types of malignant tumours. Therefore, it is very important to identify powerful drugs and their antitumour mechanisms. Corilagin has a significant antitumour potential and lower toxicity in normal cells in vitro. The IC50 values of corilagin for normal Chang‐liver cells and the HCC cell lines Bel7402 and SMMC7721 were 131.4, 24.5 and 23.4 µM, respectively, in the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. MHCC97‐H xenografts in Balb/c mice intraperitoneally injected with 30 mg/kg corilagin for 5 weeks showed a 47.3% inhibition of tumour growth in vivo. Furthermore, data from flow cytometry and Western blot analyses of cell cycle and cell cycle‐related proteins suggest that corilagin arrests SMMC7721 cells at the G2/M phase by downregulating p‐Akt and cyclin B1/cdc2 and upregulating p‐p53 and p21Cip1. In conclusion, corilagin is a potential antitumour drug that is effective in retarding the growth of HCC, which is correlated with the activation of p‐p53‐p21Cip1‐cdc2/cyclin B1.
The Comparative Study of Craniofacial Structural Characteristic of Individuals With Different Types of Cleft Palate

To compare craniofacial structural characteristic of individuals with different types of cleft palate and to lay a foundation for better treatment protocol for patients with cleft palate, we chose a sample consisting of 12 patients with Treacher Collin syndrome, 15 patients with Pierre Robin sequence, 40 patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate, and 40 patients with isolated cleft palate who met certain criteria. Lateral cephalometric radiographs were obtained from each subject. A total of 22 variables, comprising 11 angular, 9 linear, and 2 ratio measurements, were studied. The z-scores were analyzed during paired Student t test. The data showed us that there seems to be no difference in craniofacial structures between patients with isolated cleft palate and normal persons. Patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate who had only cleft lip repaired exhibit such characteristics as midface retrusion, relatively excessive lower facial height, and more obtuse gonial angle. The cranial base areas of individuals with Treacher Collin syndrome and Pierre Robin sequence are similar to those of normal persons. Mandibular hypoplasia in both vertical and horizontal dimensions and maxillary retrusion can be found in patients with Treacher Collin syndrome, while only mandibular hypoplasia in the horizontal dimension can be found in patients with Pierre Robin sequence. The developmental deficiency of craniofacial structures seems to be a separate deformity, not the direct outcome of cleft palate defect.
Role, Epidemiology, and Natural History of Benign Uterine Mass Lesions

IntroductionBoth major tissue types of the uterine corpus-the endometrium and the myometrium-can develop nonmalignant mass lesions, especially during a woman's fertile years. Endometrial polyps, consisting of endometrial glands, fibrotic stroma, and central thick-walled vascular channels, protru
Capturing human motion using body‐fixed sensors: outdoor measurement and clinical applications

Motion capture is mainly based on standard systems using optic, magnetic or sonic technologies. In this paper, the possibility to detect useful human motion based on new techniques using different types of body‐fixed sensors is shown. In particular, a combination of accelerometers and angular rate sensors (gyroscopes) showed a promising design for a hybrid kinematic sensor measuring the 2D kinematics of a body segment. These sensors together with a portable datalogger, and using simple biomechanical models, allow capture of outdoor and long‐term movements and overcome some limitations of the standard motion capture systems. Significant parameters of body motion, such as nature of motion (postural transitions, trunk rotation, sitting, standing, lying, walking, jumping) and its spatio‐temporal features (velocity, displacement, angular rotation, cadence and duration) have been evaluated and compared to the camera‐based system. Based on these parameters, the paper outlines the possibility to monitor physical activity and to perform gait analysis in the daily environment, and reviews several clinical investigations related to fall risk in the elderly, quality of life, orthopaedic outcome and sport performance. Taking advantage of all the potential of these body‐fixed sensors should be promising for motion capture and particularly in environments not suitable for standard technology such as in any field activity. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physicochemical characterization and drug‐release properties of celecoxib hot‐melt extruded glass solutions

The interest in hot‐melt extrusion (HME) as a drug delivery technology for the production of glass solutions is growing rapidly. HME glass solutions have a tendency to recrystallize during storage and also typically have a very dense structure, restricting the ingress of dissolution fluid and retarding drug release. In this study, we have used HME to manufacture glass solutions containing celecoxib (CX) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and have assessed the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as a pore‐forming agent to enhance drug release. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the formation of glass solutions following extrusion. All extrudates exhibited a single glass transition temperature (Tg), positioned between the Tg values of CX and PVP. The instability of glass solutions is a significant problem during storage. Stabilization may be improved through the appropriate choice of excipient to facilitate drug–polymer interactions. The Gordon–Taylor equation showed that the Tg values of all extrudates expected on ideal mixing were lower than those observed experimentally. This may be indicative of drug–polymer interactions that decrease free volume and elevate the Tg. Molecular interactions between CX and PVP were further confirmed using Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Storage stability of the extrudates was shown to be dependent on drug loading. Samples containing a higher CX loading were less stable, which we ascribed to decreased Tg and hence increased mobility within the drug–polymer matrix. The solubility of CX was improved through the formulation of extruded glass solutions, but release rate was relatively slow. Exposure of extrudates to scCO2 had no effect on the solid‐state properties of CX but did produce a highly porous structure. The drug‐release rate from extrudates after scCO2 exposure was significantly higher.
A scale for measuring attitude toward private label products and an examination of its psychological and behavioral correlates

A measure of consumers’ attitude toward private label brands is developed, and its psychometric properties are assessed. Predictions are then tested regarding relationships between private label attitude and (1) latent perceptual and sales promotion constructs, and (2) purchase behaviors measured in a field setting. The measure is positively related to value consciousness, deal proneness, and smart-shopper self-perceptions, and negatively related to the propensity to be brand loyal and hold price-quality perceptions. Predictive validity of the private label measure is supported by a positive relationship with private label purchases from a grocery store shopping trip. Despite a positive relationship between the latent constructs of private label attitude and deal proneness, the consumer segment that allocated a high percentage of total purchases to private label products made fewer purchases on sale or with a coupon. These findings suggest that consumers may choose between price-related deals and private label purchases.
Supply chain resilience: definition of concept and its formative elements

The objective of this paper is to conceptualize Supply Chain Resilience (SCRes) and identify which supply chain capabilities can support the containment of disruptions and how these capabilities affect SCRes. Through a systematic and structured review of literature, this paper provides insights into the conceptualization and research methodological background of the SCM field. A total of one hundred and thirty four carefully selected refereed journal articles were systematically analyzed leading to the introduction of a novel definition for SCRes, which the authors view as the as the ability to proactively plan and design the Supply Chain network for anticipating unexpected disruptive (negative) events, respond adaptively to disruptions while maintaining control over structure and function and transcending to a post-event robust state of operations, if possible, more favorable than the one prior to the event, thus gaining competitive advantage. Finally, a critical examination of existing conceptual frameworks for understanding the relationships between the SCRes concept and its identified formative elements, is taking place.
Job Characteristics, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment for Hotel Workers in Turkey

This research focused primarily on the effect of job characteristics on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the hotel industry. Data were collected from 252 hotel workers in Turkey. Two multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify the impact of job characteristics on employees’ overall job satisfaction and affective commitment. In addition, a simple regression analysis was used to identify the relationship between overall job satisfaction and affective commitment. The results indicated that the job characteristics, interaction, feedback, and autonomy had significant impacts on both job satisfaction and affective commitment. The findings further indicated that a significant relationship exists between job satisfaction and affective commitment.
What Do Insiders Know? Evidence from Insider Trading Around Share Repurchases and SEOs

We examine complementarities in information contained in insider trades prior to open market share repurchase and seasoned equity offering announcements on one hand and information contained in announcements of these events on the other hand, using a comprehensive sample of over 4,300 repurchase and nearly 1,800 SEO announcements. Our first intuitive result is that insiders’ net buying increases before repurchases and decreases before SEOs. Second, we examine whether insider trades prior to SEOs and share repurchases contain more information about event firm valuation and future performance than insider trades during other times. We find that pre-event insider trading is a strong predictor of event announcement returns. Further, the long-term drift following repurchase announcements is strongly positively related to the extent of net buying activity by insiders in the six months before the repurchase announcement. Third, we examine the nature of information contained in pre-event insider trading and find that higher insider net purchasing before both types of events predicts better post-event operating performance. In addition, in the case of repurchases, more insider buying is associated with a larger reduction in post-event cost of capital. These results do not seem to be driven by investor sentiment. Taken together, our results suggest that there is complementarity between information in event announcements and that in pre-event insider trading and that insider trades seem to be especially informative prior to important corporate events.
Accounting is from Mars, marketing is from Venus: establishing common ground for the concept of customer profitability

Marketing and Management Accounting (MA) have traditionally been seen as poles apart in terms of both focus and approach. Innovative developments in MA measures and increasing pressure on marketers to "prove" their worth, combined with technological advancements in database management are, however, contributing to a need for more effective synergy. An examination of the treatment and coverage of customer profitability (CP) in both the MA and marketing literatures and in a sample of forty textbooks: (i) confirms apparent synergy in CP research, (ii) identifies how each discipline approaches the subject and (iii) examines similarities and differences in the approach to the measurement and management of CP. Both disciplines show a sporadic and variable interest in CP and there is still a long way to go in order to develop consistent definitions, language and application methods for the concept. The marketing literature shows confusion and contradiction in its understanding of this issue but does take an innovative approach to the subject. It advocates the measurement of future customer lifetime profit potential through two closely linked additional concepts – customer lifetime value (CLV) and customer equity (CE) both of which the management accounting literature largely ignores, perhaps highlighting the accountant's inbuilt conservatism and reluctance to wrestle with these more creative and judgement based measures. A conceptual model is presented as a means to clarify the differences between CP, CLV and CE, and to establish a common "platform of understanding" both within and between the two disciplines in order that further research progress can be made.
Mandatory use of technology-based self-service: does expertise help or hurt?

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the effects of two types of expertise (self-service technology and service type) on the disconfirmation of customers’ expectations and the use-related outcomes of technology-based self-service (TBSS). Design/methodology/approach – This empirical study pertains to the mandatory use of a national public transport chip card in The Netherlands based on a sample of 267 users of this TBSS. Findings – The findings show that technology experts experienced a less positive disconfirmation of expectations and reported less positive evaluations of the new self-service than technology novices. Technology experts also showed lower intentions to engage in positive word-of-mouth than technology novices. The evaluation of the self-service by technology novices is more positive for those that are service experts as compared to service novices, while the evaluation by technology experts is more negative for those that are service experts as compared to service novices. Research limit.
Regional patterns among soil nematode assemblages in Australasian pastures and effects of management practices

Abundance, composition and diversity of nematode assemblages at 58 sites from five Australasian regions (New Zealand, South Australia, coastal southern Australia, New South Wales and Queensland) are analysed with particular reference to rainfall, pasture type and proportions of plant-, bacterial- and fungal-feeders. Nematode abundance was generally related to plant production or surrogates such as soil carbon concentration. Diversity was lowest in Queensland, where absolute abundance was lower than expected, given the carbon concentrations in the soil. The composition of the nematode community indicated that bacterial-mediated decomposition was more important in coastal southern Australia (winter-spring rainfall) than in northern New South Wales (summer-dominant rainfall). Within the southern region, the contribution of bacteria relative to fungi increased with sward legume content. Cephalobidae were the most abundant bacterial-feeders in every region. Across 11 non-irrigated New Zealand sites and the 40 Australian sites, Rhabditidae showed strong correlations with rainfall. Conversely, under drier conditions, fungal-feeding nematodes were more important, as expected where plant residues are less readily decomposed. While the low contribution of plant-feeding nematodes in coastal southern Australia may be related to sampling time, suppressive factors in the soil may have contributed. Simple cluster analysis placed 40 of the 58 sites into discrete regional clusters, but local climate and soil conditions, on both the ancient Australian and young New Zealand landscapes, explain other groupings. Impacts of elevated carbon dioxide and intensification of land management on nematode abundance and functional groups are also described.
Different Schedules of Granulocyte Growth Factor Support for Patients With Breast Cancer Receiving Adjuvant Dose-Dense Chemotherapy: A Prospective Nonrandomized Study

PurposeThis prospective, nonrandomized study evaluates 4 schedules of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant dose-dense chemotherapy regarding febrile neutropenia, treatment delays, and costs. Patients and MethodsTwo hundred and thirty-one patients were enrolled to receive adjuvant dose-dense chemotherapy with 4 G-CSF schedules: filgrastim (300 mcg) days 3 to 10 [n = 84 (36.4%) group A]; days 3 to 7 [n = 26 (11.3%) group B]; days 5, 7, 9, and 11 [n = 64 (27.7%) group C], or pegfilgrastim (6 mg) on day 2 [n=57 (24.6%) group D]. ResultsThirteen patients were hospitalized due to 14 episodes of febrile neutropenia; 3 in group A, 3 in group B, 1 in group C, and 6 in group D. No statistically significant difference was observed among the 4 groups. Fewer febrile neutropenic events were observed in group C than in group D (P=0.041). No statistically significant differences were observed in treatment delays or other hematological toxicities. Average overall G-CSF cost per patient in groups A and D was $8500 versus $4400 in groups B and C. ConclusionsWe found a trend in favor of the shorter G-CSF schedule. A larger, prospective randomized trial should be carried out to evaluate shorter versus standard filgrastim and pegfilgrastim schedules with regard to clinical outcomes, hematological and nonhematological toxicities, and impact in costs.