Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An empirical study on the effect of e‐service quality on online customer satisfaction and loyalty

Purpose – Over the past few years, e‐commerce has become increasingly popular in China. Recent research has shown that it is widely accepted that customer satisfaction and loyalty for online purchases is lower than that for shopping in more traditional ways. How to maintain and increase the satisfaction and loyalty of online customers is a challenging issue for online retailers. The purpose of this paper is to try to understand what affects customer satisfaction and loyalty.Design/methodology/approach – A new conceptual model of customer satisfaction and loyalty in online purchases is developed, where four dimensions of e‐service quality – efficiency, requirement fulfillment, system accessibility, and privacy – are the four predictors from Parasuraman's E‐S‐QUAL. A partial least square estimation algorithm was then applied to analyze data from a sample of 164 online buyers from a range of backgrounds. Goods purchased include furniture, books, clothes, software, and digital products.Findings – The results .
Is diabetes associated with cognitive impairment and cognitive decline among older women? Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group.

BACKGROUND The long-term effect of type 2 diabetes on cognitive function is uncertain. OBJECTIVE To determine whether older women with diabetes have an increased risk of cognitive impairment and cognitive decline. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Four research centers in the United States (Baltimore, Md; Portland, Ore; Minneapolis, Minn; and the Monongahela Valley, Pennsylvania). PARTICIPANTS Community-dwelling white women 65 years and older (n = 9679). MEASUREMENTS Physician-diagnosed diabetes and other aspects of health history were assessed by interview. Three tests of cognitive function, the Digit Symbol test, the Trails B test, and a modified version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (m-MMSE), were administered at baseline and 3 to 6 years later. Change in cognitive function was defined by the change in the score for each test. Major cognitive decline was defined as the worst 10th percentile change in the score for each test. RESULTS Women with diabetes (n = 682 [7.0%]) had lower baseline scores than those without diabetes on all 3 tests of cognitive function (Digit Symbol and Trials B tests, P<.01; m-MMSE, P = .03) and experienced an accelerated cognitive decline as measured by the Digit Symbol test (P<.01) and m-MMSE (P = .03). Diabetes was also associated with increased odds of major cognitive decline as determined by scores on the Digit Symbol (odds ratio = 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.23) and Trails B (odds ratio, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-2.39) tests when controlled for age, education, depression, stroke, visual impairment, heart disease, hypertension, physical activity, estrogen use, and smoking. Women who had diabetes for more than 15 years had a 57% to 114% greater risk of major cognitive decline than women without diabetes. CONCLUSION Diabetes is associated with lower levels of cognitive function and greater cognitive decline among older women.
Travel Blogs and the Implications for Destination Marketing

This study explores travel blogs as a manifestation of travel experience. Visitor opinions posted on leading travel blog sites were analyzed to gain an understanding of the destination experience being manifested. Travel blogs on Charleston, South Carolina, were collected through the three most popular travel blog sites and three blog search engines. Blogs were analyzed using semantic network analysis and content analysis methods to ascertain what bloggers were communicating about their travel experiences. Results revealed that major strengths of the destination were its attractions: historic charm, Southern hospitality, beaches, and water activities. Major weaknesses included weather, infrastructure, and fast-service restaurants. Qualitative results demonstrated that travel blogs are an inexpensive means to gather rich, authentic, and unsolicited customer feedback. Information technology advances and increasingly large numbers of travel blogs facilitate travel blog monitoring as a cost-effective method for destination marketers to assess their service quality and improve travelers' overall experiences.
The perception of environmental quality in Aveiro, Portugal: a study of complaints on environmental issues submitted to the City Council

This paper presents an environmental diagnosis based on public complaints on environmental issues submitted to the Environmental Department of the Aveiro City Council, Portugal, between 2000 and 2005. It discusses the potential influences of these in local environmental planning and governance. The paper has been organised into five sections. The first of these introduces the study. The second section focuses on the conceptual approaches relating to environmental grassroots movements, the main actors involved in these movements and the role played by the local government. It also contains a brief review of the most recent urban environmental quality challenges in the European context together with a description of the main features of the associated political and legal framework in Portugal. The third section describes the case study and the methodology used. The results of the empirical study are detailed in the fourth section. The final section critically analyses these results with emphases on the temporal evolution of the submission of complaints, the actors involved, the local environmental problems and their associated spatial pattern as well as the responses given by the City Council. This information may then be used to provide a useful indicator for the perception of environmental quality as well as a credible instrument for the visualisation and evaluation of local performance in terms of environmental planning and management.
Segmenting Potential Nature-Based Tourists Based on Temporal Factors

The opportunity to experience nature-based activities at a destination with climate variations is a major driver of visitation for tourists. Despite significant research into seasonality and nature-based activity preferences, academic researchers are not profiling activity-oriented tourists into segments based on temporal factors such as seasons. To address this research gap, an expert panel was first asked to classify activities collected in a large secondary Norwegian tourist questionnaire into seasons. Next, 8,962 potential nature-based tourists were segmented based on summer, winter, and year-round activity preferences. When seasonality was taken into account, four clusters were identified. A combined model where seasonality was not addressed yielded fewer segments, and differing variables indicating that segmentation researchers may benefit from considering a fifth segmentation factor, namely temporal, in future. Theoretical and practical implications from this research are outlined and opportunities for future research are provided.
Assessing the intergenerational correlation in disability pension recipiency

A disturbing phenomenon in modern welfare states is the positive correlation in the probability of receiving disability benefits across generations. Understanding the intergenerational transmission mechanism is crucial, especially when the proportion of the working-age population receiving public benefits or support is increasing in most OECD countries. Using data from Norway, a country where around 10% of the working-age population rely on disability benefits, this article addresses whether children’s exposure to parents receiving disability benefits induces a higher probability of receiving such benefits themselves.
Stress response in postpartum women with and without obsessive-compulsive symptoms: an fMRI study.

BACKGROUND During the postpartum period, some women might be under a considerable amount of stress and at increased risk for on-set or exacerbation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Little is known about the stress response correlates during the postpartum period and in patients with OCD. This study aimed to examine the cerebral, psychologic and endocrine correlates of the stress response in patients with OCD and during the postpartum period. METHODS Women with postpartum OCD, healthy postpartum women and healthy mothers past the postpartum period underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while facing a reliable psychosocial stressor (the Montreal Imaging Stress Task). Stress-related psychologic and endocrine responses (i.e., cortisol) were obtained. RESULTS We enrolled 12 women with postpartum OCD, 16 healthy postpartum women and 11 healthy mothers past the postpartum period in our study. Compared with healthy postpartum counterparts, postpartum women with OCD had a heightened self-reported and endocrine stress response associated with a distinct brain activation pattern in response to psychosocial stress involving the orbitofrontal and temporal cortices. Moreover, compared with mothers assessed in a period of time beyond the postpartum period, healthy postpartum women did not differ in psychologic and cortisol response to stress, but recruited different brain regions, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, during exposure to stress. LIMITATIONS Potential confounding factors, such as medication use, breastfeeding, parity and personality factors, may have modulated the stress-related endocrine response and could not be assessed in this study. CONCLUSION Obsessive-compulsive disorder and the postpartum period differentially influence the brain circuitry underlying psychosocial stress as well as the psychologic and endocrine responses.
The Growing Phenomenon of Private Tutoring

Does private tutoring increase parental choice and improve student achievement, or does it exacerbate social inequalities and impose heavy costs on households, possibly without improving student outcomes? Private tutoring is now a major component of the education sector in many developing countries, yet education policy too seldom acknowledges or makes use of it. This survey of the literature examines the extent of private tutoring, identifies the factors that explain its growth, and analyzes its cost-effectiveness in improving student academic performance. It also presents a framework for assessing the efficiency and equity effects of tutoring. The results suggest that even taking equity concerns into account, tutoring can raise the effectiveness of the education system under certain reasonable assumptions. Guidance is offered for attacking corruption and other problems that diminish the benefits of private tutoring.
MBWA (Managing by Walking Around)

In an excerpt from their new book, A Passion for Excellence, the authors show how managers at all levels can be more effective through MBWA (Managing By Walking Around). This process involves listening to your customers, keeping in touch with your people (staff), and paying attention to innovation. MBWA means spending time away from your desk or office and really listening—which is both the most obvious and hardest thing to do, but which is the mark of leadership and excellence.
A comparative study of glial and non‐neural cell properties for transplant‐mediated repair of the injured spinal cord

Cell transplantation is one strategy for encouraging regeneration after spinal cord injury and a range of cell types have been investigated for their repair potential. However, variations in study design complicate determination of which cells are most effective. In this study we have carried out a direct comparison of the regenerative and integrative properties of several cell preparations following transplantation into the lesioned rat spinal cord. Transplants included: (i) purified olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) and (ii) fibroblast‐like cells, from olfactory bulb (OBFB‐L), (iii) a 50:50 mixture of (i) and (ii) (OEC/OBFB‐L), (iv) dissociated nasal mucosa (OM), (v) purified peripheral nerve Schwann cells (SCs), (vi) peripheral nerve fibroblasts, and (vii) skin fibroblasts (SF). All transplants supported axonal regeneration: OECs and SCs promoted the greatest regeneration while OBFB‐like cells were least efficient and mixed cell populations were less effective than purified populations. Tract‐tracing experiments demonstrated that none of the cell types promoted regeneration beyond the lesion. Although all cell types prevented cavity formation, the extent of astrocytic hypertrophy [GFAP immunoreactivity (IR) at the transplant/lesion site] differed markedly. OECs and SCs were associated with the least GFAP‐IR, fibroblasts and fibroblast‐like cells resulted in greater GFAP‐IR while hypertrophy surrounding transplants of OM was most extensive. These differences in host‐transplant reactivity were confirmed by transplanting cells into normal spinal cord where the cellular interaction is not complicated by injury. Thus, purified glial cells have advantages for transplant‐mediated repair, combining maximal support for axonal regeneration with a minimal astrocytic reaction around the transplant site. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Portfolio analysis with a large universe of assets

Covariance matrix optimization algorithms are applied to a large number of assets. A previous paper by Burgess and Bey (1988) suggests that attempting to optimize a large number of securities with the traditional covariance matrix model is not practical. An alternative approach ranks the securities with the reward to volatility (reward to beta) ratio and then optimizes a smaller subset of securities with the covariance matrix model. This study proposes additional screening methods such as stochastic dominance, reward to variability (R/V) ratios, reward to lower partial moment (R/LPM) ratios, and the optimization of subgroups, and provides an empirical test of the various screening methodologies. The results indicate that the full covariance critical line optimization algorithm is surprisingly robust compared to the other techniques.
Role of Supportive Leadership as a Moderator between Job Stress and Job Performance

Stress is a major problem faced by employees in the working environment that affects performance. This problem can be resolved if employees receive support from their leaders. This study was conducted to examine the moderating effect of supportive leadership on the relationship between job stress and job performance. Supportive leadership is an important factor enhancing employee performance in organizations. In this research, 200 employees were considered from 4 educational institutions. Data was collected using a well-developed questionnaire. The empirical results reveal that supportive leadership has a negative effect on job stress and directly impacts job performance. The study also revealed that Supportive Leadership moderates the relationship between these constructs. The paper concludes with recommendations for further research.
Mandatory Audit-Partner Rotation, Audit Quality and Market Perception: Evidence from Taiwan

We examine the effectiveness of mandatory audit-partner rotation in promoting audit quality using audit data in Taiwan where a five-year audit-partner rotation became de facto mandatory in 2004. Using both absolute and signed abnormal accruals and abnormal working capital accruals as proxies for audit quality, we find some evidence that audit quality of companies subject to mandatory audit-partner rotation in 2004 is higher than audit quality of companies not subject to rotation in 2004. However, audit quality of companies subject to mandatory rotation in 2004 is lower than audit quality of these same companies in 2003 under the old audit partners. Furthermore, audit quality of companies subject to mandatory rotation in 2004 is indistinguishable from audit quality of companies whose audit partners were voluntarily rotated before 2003. Therefore, the effect of mandatory audit-partner rotation on audit quality, in terms of auditors constraining management's extreme income-increasing or extreme income-decreasing accruals, is mixed. In contrast, using earnings response coefficients as a proxy for investor perceptions of audit quality, we consistently find that investors perceive mandatory audit-partner rotation as enhancing audit quality, suggesting that mandatory audit-partner rotation enhances auditor independence in appearance.
Fragmentation and Clustering in Vertically Linked Industries

This paper models the location of two vertically related firms in a low labor cost country and in a country with a large market. The upstream industry is more labor intensive than the downstream industry. We find that spatial fragmentation occurs for low values of the input-output coefficient and intermediate values of the transport rate, particularly if the countries are very asymmetric in size. Otherwise, we obtain agglomeration either in the low cost country (when the transport rate is low) or in the large market (when the transport rate is high). Multiple agglomerated equilibria arise when the transport cost of the intermediate good is significant.
Circulating Adiponectin: Associations with Risk Factors and the Reynolds Risk Score in Women without Prior Major Cardiovascular Events

Objective: Adiponectin may play an important role in the interplay between metabolic changes and cardiovascular risks. Our aim was to establish if plasma adiponectin can be used to detect the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in women without a history of major cardiovascular events and to evaluate its correlation with the global cardiovascular risk expressed by the Reynolds risk score (RRS). Methods: 148 consecutive women without a history of cardiovascular events with or without MetS have been investigated. Clinical risks factors as well as plasma levels of lipids, fasting glucose and adiponectin were determined. Results: As expected, circulating adiponectin was lower in women with MetS: 26.8 ± 20.4 versus 44.3 ± 26.7 μg/ml (p < 0.001) and inversely related to the number of MetS features (r = –0.33, p < 0.001). The latter was further associated with the total cardiovascular risk calculated using RRS (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). However, there was no relationship between circulating adiponectin and this score (r = –0.14, p = NS). Conclusions: Plasma adiponectin levels are significantly lower in women with MetS, but as a stand-alone tool plasma adiponectin may be of little value in the diagnosis MetS. Circulating adiponectin levels are not associated with the global cardiovascular risk calculated using RRS.
Do Audit Fees Reflect Risk Premiums for Control Risk?

This study examines whether audit fees reflect risk premiums in the presence of control risk after controlling for audit effort through audit delay. Our results indicate that auditors adjust risk premiums as well as audit efforts in response to altered control risk. Further analysis shows that the extent of risk premium adjustment varies depending on the severity of the underlying internal control problems. Overall, these findings provide insights into the distinct role of audit effort and risk premium in audit pricing decisions.
Influence of barriers to participation and attitudes toward adult education on small business managers' participation in adult education

This study investigated the influence of deterrents to participation and attitudes toward adult education on small business managers' participation in adult educational activities. It involved 600 small business managers in Nebraska. Usable data packets were received from 302 individuals for a response rate of 50.3%. The data were collected with the Adult Attitudes Toward Continuing Education Scale (AACES), the Deterrents to Participation Scale-General (DPS-G), and a demographic data sheet. The data were organized to facilitate statistical analysis. The statistical analysis included correlational analysis, factor analysis, and discriminant analysis. Since the AACES and DPS-G were newly constructed, it was necessary to check their overall reliability, construct validity, and content validity with the small business population. This study found that the AACES and DPS-G were both reliable instruments. In addition, the AACES was found to possess content and construct validity. However, while the DPS-G possessed construct validity, it did not possess content validity. The SPSS factor analysis program was used to analyze the factors underlying the AACES and DPS-G. Three orthogonal factors were identified on the AACES which were labeled Personal Need and Benefit, Formal Learning, and Participation in Continuing Education. Four orthogonal factors were identified on the DPS-G which were labeled Personal Problems, Course Structure, Self-Concept, and Time. Discriminant analysis was done with select demographics along with the total score from the AACES and DPS-G. A second discriminant analysis was done with select demographics along with the underlying factors on the AACES and DPS-G. In the first discriminant analysis it was found that attitudes toward adult education were the most powerful discriminators of adult education participation. The second discriminant analysis revealed that attitudes toward participating in formal continuing education and Time were the most powerful discriminators of participants and nonparticipants in adult educational activities. INFLUENCE OF BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION AND ATTITUDES TOWARD ADULT EDUCATION ON SMALL BUSINESS MANAGERS' PARTICIPATION IN ADULT EDUCATION by Charles Gunnard Ericksen, Jr. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Bozeman, Montana June 1990
The demand for test match cricket

Within an allocation of time framework, a demand function for test match cricket in Britain is estimated using 248 observations of daily attendances drawn from 52 matches over the period 1984 to 1992. We find that the time intensity of international cricket does have a mild deterrence effect on attendance as earnings rise. Consistent with other studies in the economics of sport, there is evidence that uncertainty of outcome augments demand. However, it is cricket, demographic and day specific, rather than economic, variables which account for most of the demand variation. The introduction in 1991 of test match cricket on Sundays added over 4000 spectators to total attendances.