Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Manager's Perspective on Virtual Customer Integration for New Product Development

Despite the high potential of virtual customer integration (VCI) methods for new product development (NPD) mentioned in the literature, practical use is still limited. This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of managers’ perspectives on VCI and their intentions to use these methods for NPD. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) served as basis for developing a research model, which considers managers’ cognition, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control as important factors affecting their intention to apply VCI. Because more recent literature has expressed doubts about the explanatory potential of the rather simple TPB model, a more complex alternative model was proposed for comparison. The alternative model included the market orientation of the company, the hierarchical position of the innovation manager as well as the manager’s level of innovativeness as additional explanatory variables. An empirical online study was conducted in the field of consumer goods and services. Based on a sample of 216 German-speaking innovation managers, the results show that the model derived from the TPB explains 68% of the variance in the managers’ intention to apply VCI compared with 69% of variance explained by the model containing additional explanatory variables. An extension of the model does not significantly improve its explanatory power. Managers show high interest in virtually integrating customers in NPD processes. Managers consider identification of future customer needs, a broader decision basis, increased efficiency in gathering and use of customer information, and increased customer retention as major advantages of VCI. Disadvantages considered by managers in making their overall judgment are the lack of secrecy and only incremental innovations. The perceived potential contribution of VCI to NPD, the assessment of its general acceptance within the company, and the perceived ability of innovation managers to successfully implement VCI mainly influence the adoption decision. Managers’ attitudes toward VCI have no significant influence on their intention to use VCI. The results suggest that strong promotion of VCI through senior management would enforce the positive effect of subjective norms on applying VCI. Measures such as including VCI on innovation managers’personal scorecard, trainings offered, and cross-functional meetings could help speed up VCI in NPD processes by increasing innovation managers’ perceived behavioral control toward VCI.
Unusual nighttime impulsive foF2 enhancement below the southern anomaly crest under geomagnetically quiet conditions

[1] An unusual nighttime impulsive electron density enhancement was observed on 6 March 2010 over a wide region of South America, below the southern crest of the equatorial anomaly, under low solar activity and quiet geomagnetic conditions. The phenomenon was observed almost simultaneously by the F2 layer critical frequency (foF2) recorded at three ionospheric stations which are widely distributed in space, namely Cachoeira Paulista (22.4°S, 44.6°W, magnetic latitude 13.4°S), Sao Jose dos Campos (23.2°S, 45.9°W, magnetic latitude 14.1°S), Brazil, and Tucuman (26.9°S, 65.4°W, magnetic latitude 16.8°S), Argentina. Although in a more restricted region over Tucuman, the phenomenon was also observed by the total electron content (TEC) maps computed by using measurements from 12 GPS receivers. The investigated phenomenon is very particular because besides being of brief duration, it is characterized by a pronounced compression of the ionosphere. This compression was clearly visible both by the virtual height of the base of the F region (h′F) recorded at the aforementioned ionospheric stations, and by both the vertical electron density profiles and the slab thickness computed over Tucuman. Consequently, neither an enhanced fountain effect nor plasma diffusion from the plasmasphere can be considered as the single cause of this unusual event. A thorough analysis of isoheight and isofrequency ionosonde plots suggest that traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) caused by gravity wave (GW) propagation could have likely played a significant role in causing the phenomenon.
Exploring the Role of Self-Regulatory Capacity in Vocabulary Learning of Iranian EFL Learners

As the role of vocabulary is very essential in language learners’ ability to convey their intended messages, this study has tried to examine the use of self-regulated learning strategies in vocabulary learning of 100 EFL intermediate level learners studying in language institutes of Neyriz, Iran. Using survey method of research, data were collected by administration of ‘Self-regulating Capacity in Vocabulary Learning’ scale (SRCvoc). The obtained results revealed that the participants were moderate users of self-regulated strategies in their vocabulary learning and considering the subscales, environmental regulation obtained the highest mean, being the most influential one while the least influential subscale was emotional regulation. In addition, males had a higher mean score in use of self-regulatory strategies. The outcome of this study will hopefully lead to teachers’ attempts in providing students with the required domain, instrumental support, and strategy knowledge to operate independently and have a better performance in their vocabulary learning.
ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF FAIR VALUE ACCOUNTING: A REVIEW OF RECENT LITERATURE

The purposes of this study are two-fold. First, we draw from the findings of prior literature reviews and theoretical studies to develop two hypotheses geared towards explicating the economic consequences of fair valuation. We respectively refer to these hypotheses as the business model hypothesis and the hardness hypothesis. Second, we test these hypotheses by reviewing previous research from the top three journals in the field. We find that the relationship between fair valuation and the usefulness of accounting information varies as a function of the business model employed by the entity under consideration. We also find that the effects of fair valuation are contingent upon differences in the hardness with which relevant assets and/or liabilities are measured. Overall, our results suggest that differences in an entity’s business model and the hardness associated with fair value accounting measurement have measurable effects both on valuation and contracting usefulness of accounting information.
Changes in morphology and diet of the coral Stylophora pistillata along a depth gradient

The light-limited environment of tropical coral reefs has not been intensively studied due to technical limitations. Studying this vast part of the coral reef is paramount to understanding the ecological and physiological significance of coral-algae symbiosis and defining the boundaries imposed on its bathymetric distribution by the underwater light field. In the present study we describe morphological changes in colonies of the coral Stylophora pistillata and track changes in its carbon sources (autotrophic/heterotrophic behavior) along its full bathymetric distribution. The growth form of hermatypic corals must compromise between an optimal light-trapping surface facil- itating photosynthesis and other structures and/or mechanisms that enhance exploitation of nutrient- rich sources such as zooplankton. That architectural modulation is constrained within the species- specific structural and biological characteristics. We found that the profusely branched S. pistillata colonies shift between subspherical morphology at high-light environments to a planar structure at depth. The stable carbon isotopic composition (δ 13 C) of the host coral tissue changed from a value of -15‰ in shallow water to -23‰ at the deep reef. The latter value indicates either a carbon source with a stable isotope composition equal or below -23‰ or, alternatively, internal carbon cycling between host and algae that involves isotopic fractionation (e). The δ 13 C values showed significant correlation to morphological traits, but contradicting trends were found within the traits. A clear shift to heterotrophy was not apparent, which, therefore, suggests that the internal cycling and Rubisco activity are the dominant processes determining isotopic composition.
Beam-excited whistler waves at oblique propagation with relation to STEREO radiation belt observations

Abstract. Isotropic electron beams are considered to explain the excitation of whistler waves which have been observed by the STEREO satellite in the Earth's radiation belt. Aside from their large amplitudes (~240 mV/m), another main signature is the strongly inclined propagation direction relative to the ambient magnetic field. Electron temperature anisotropy with Te⊥>Te||, which preferentially generates parallel propagating whistler waves, can be excluded as a free energy source. The instability arises due to the interaction of the Doppler-shifted cyclotron mode ω=−Ωe+kVbcosθ with the whistler mode in the wave number range of kc/ωe≤1 (θ is the propagation angle with respect to the background magnetic field direction, ωe is the electron plasma frequency and Ωe the electron cyclotron frequency). Fluid and kinetic dispersion analysis have been used to calculate the growth rate of the beam-excited whistlers including the most important parameter dependencies. One is the beam velocity (Vb) which, for instability, has to be larger than about 2VAe, where VAe is the electron Alfven speed. With increasing VAe the propagation angle (θ) of the fastest growing whistler waves shifts from θ~20° for Vb=2VAe to θ~80° for Vb=5VAe. The growth rate is reduced by finite electron temperatures and disappears if the electron plasma beta (βe) exceeds βe~0.2. In addition, Gendrin modes (kc/ωe≈1) are analyzed to determine the conditions under which stationary nonlinear waves (whistler oscillitons) can exist. The corresponding spatial wave profiles are calculated using the full nonlinear fluid approach. The results are compared with the STEREO satellite observations.
Impact of model resolution on simulated wind, drifting snow and surface mass balance in Terre Adélie, East Antarctica

Abstract This paper presents the impact of model resolution on the simulated wind speed, drifting snow climate and surface mass balance (SMB) of Terre Adélie and its surroundings, East Antarctica. We compare regional climate model simulations at 27 and 5.5 km resolution for the year 2009. The wind speed maxima in Terre Adélie and the narrow glacial valleys of Victoria Land are better represented at 5.5 km resolution, because the topography is better resolved. Drifting snow sublimation is >100 mm a-1 in regions with high wind speeds. Our results indicate a strong feedback between topography, wind gradients and drifting snow erosion. As a result, SMB shows much more local spatial variability at 5.5 km resolution that is controlled by drifting snow erosion, whereas the large-scale SMB gradient is largely determined by precipitation. Drifting snow processes lead to ablation in the narrow glacial valleys of Victoria Land. The integrated SMB equals 86 Gt. Although wind climate, drifting snow processes and SMB variability are better represented at 5.5 km, the area-integrated SMB is not significantly different between the simulations at 27 and 5.5 km. A horizontal resolution of 27 km is sufficient to realistically simulate ice-sheet wide SMB.
A Theory of Profit Sharing, Income Inequality and Capital Accumulation

The relationship between economic development and income inequality isn’t neutral vis-à-vis the role of the financial system in responding to the needs of different categories of agents. Indeed, as shown by the literature of the persistent inequality (e.g. Banarjee and Newman, 1993; Piketty, 1997), taking in account the asymmetric impact of the financial imperfections on wealthy and poor agents changes the pace of the Kuznets (1955) relationship between economic development and income inequality. In this paper we try to analyze the effect of introducing profit-sharing financial contract between banks and entrepreneurs on the evolution of the capital accumulation/income inequality relationship. It is interestingly shown that income inequality disappears when the economy reaches a second stage of development.
Measurement properties of the Illness Perception Questionnaire in practitioners working with patients with co-morbid schizophrenia and learning disability

Rationale, aims and objectives: The widely-used Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) adapted for use in patients with major mental health problems and those who care and work with them, was originally developed for evaluating the illness perceptions of patients with physical pathology. There have been concerns expressed regarding the appropriateness of the IPQ and derivative measures of it in axis I disorders such as schizophrenia. The current investigation examined the measurement characteristics of a modified version of the IPQ in mental health practitioners working with patients with schizophrenia co-morbid with learning disability. Method: Two hundred and ten mental health practitioners working with patients with schizophrenia co-morbid with learning disability participated in the study. Contemporary models of the measurement structure of the IPQ were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. The internal reliability of the IPQ was also evaluated. Results: Single factor, 5-factor and 6-factor models were evaluated against data. All models were found to offer a poor fit to the data. The internal reliability of the measure was also found to be unsatisfactory overall. Conclusions: Consistent with one previous study that has found poor measurement characteristics of the IPQ when used in the context of schizophrenia, the current study found the measure to be a poorly performing index of illness perceptions. Echoing previous observations of the use of this tool in axis I disorder, it is recommended that a new measure of illness perceptions be developed using contemporary research methodology sensitive to the context of psychotic illness in order to provide a more effective tool for the provision of person-centered psychiatry and healthcare.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS ICT AND MEDIA TOOLS IN LEARNING ENGLISH AND THEIR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the attitudes of university students towards using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and media tools in learning English and their emotional intelligence. It also investigated whether the attitudes of university students towards using ICT and media tools in learning English and their emotional intelligence varied according to their gender and departments. The Turkish adaption of the revised Schutte emotional scale and The Attitude Scale for the Use of Media and ICT in Learning English were used as instruments to collect data in the study, which involved 143 female and 84 male, in total 227, university students. The independent t test, one way analysis of variance and Pearson product moment correlation technique were used to analyze the data obtained related with the variables gender, departments and emotional intelligence respectively. A positive relationship between the attitudes of participants and emotional intelligence was found. The other finding was that the attitudes of university students towards ICT and media use in learning English varied significantly according to their gender and departments. It was recommended that more comprehensives studies be conducted with different and various working groups to develop new language programs from broader perspectives. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the attitudes of university students towards using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and media tools in learning English and their emotional intelligence. It also investigated whether the attitudes of university students towards using ICT and media tools in learning English and their emotional intelligence varied according to their gender and departments. The Turkish adaption of the revised Schutte emotional scale and The Attitude Scale for the Use of Media and ICT in Learning English were used as instruments to collect data in the study, which involved 143 female and 84 male, in total 227, university students. The independent t test, one way analysis of variance and Pearson product moment correlation technique were used to analyze the data obtained related with the variables gender, departments and emotional intelligence respectively. A positive relationship between the attitudes of participants and emotional intelligence was found. The other finding was that the attitudes of university students towards ICT and media use in learning English varied significantly according to their gender and departments. It was recommended that more comprehensives studies be conducted with different and various working groups to develop new language programs from broader perspectives.
Proximate, Phytochemical and Micronutrient Composition of Sida acuta

Sida acuta, a shrub belonging to Malvacea family, is widely distributed in pan tropical areas and it has many folk medicine applications that varies from one region to another. The proximate, phytochemical and micronutrient (minerals and vitamins) composition of Sida acuta leaves were determined and quantified in this study using standard analytical methods. The result for proximate composition (%) was 9.03+0.06, 19.13+0.15 0.67+0.06, 6.33+0.06, 9.50+0.01 and 55.30+0.10 for moisture, protein, fat, ash, fibre and carbohydrate respectively and values obtained for the phytochemicals were 125.0+0.00mg/100g tannin, 406.67+2.89mg/100g saponin, 1751.67+2.89mg/100g alkaloid, 1255.0±0.0 mg/100g flavonoids, 85.0+0.0mg/100g terpenoids and 90.0+0.0mg/100g phenolics. The result of micronutrient analysis gave 22.43± 0.21 mg/100g, 0.33±0.06mg/100g, 0.10±0.0mg/100g, 0.02±mg/100g and 925±0.0mg/100g for ascorbic acid, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and β-carotene, respectively, and the values for calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and magnesium were 85.0+0.0mg/100g, 4.867+0.06mg/100g, 65.0+0.0mg/100g, 110+0.0mg/100g and 24.5±0.0mg/100g respectively. The phytochemical composition of Sida acuta are in significant quantities to confer diverse therapeutic effects while the values for proximate and micronutrient composition indicate that Sida acuta would provide beneficial nutrients.
Do Online Reviews Improve Product Quality? Evidence from Hotel Reviews on Travel Sites.

In this study, we demonstrate empirical evidence supporting the game theoretic argument that the presence of online reviews can curtail branded firms' quality advantage over independent firms due to signaling in experience good markets. Exploiting heterogeneous review platform penetration rates across markets in a dataset covering 89% of U.S. hotels, we show that markets with greater platform penetration exhibit greater gains in independent hotel quality. Independent hotels located in median peak penetration platform-defined markets improved their quality by an average of . 129 stars as measured using composite online travel agent (OTA) star ratings, eroding 41% of the advantage held by chains in the absence of online reviews. We address measurement noise challenges for hotel quality and platform penetration using state space models to reveal latent quality and platform penetration trends. Additionally, we resolve endogeneity due to contemporaneous confounds by exploiting review platforms' imperfect market definitions that divide areas of hotel agglomeration into separate review platform markets that quasi-exogenously assign hotels to different levels of exposure to online reviews. Our research suggests that online review platforms play an important role in facilitating competition on quality.
The Effects of Frequency on Pronoun Production

The present study aims to examine whether pronoun production is influenced by referent frequency. We used a story continuation task and manipulated the frequency of referent nouns in one-entity (the woman(HF)/ postman(LF) skated to the house) and two-entity contexts (HF Subject-LF Object: the girl(HF) calmed the monk(LF) & LF Subject-HF Object: the postman(LF) warned the mother(HF)). We found that frequency had no effect in one-entity contexts. However, the frequency effect was significant in twoentity contexts. When the subject had a high frequency while the object had a low frequency (HF Subject-LF Object), the rate of pronoun use increased for subject but decreased for object referents, compared to when the subject had a low frequency while the object had a high frequency (LF Subject-HF Object). That is, participants tended to use more pronouns for high frequency referents. This suggests that frequency is a factor that modulates pronoun production in the presence of multiple entities. We discuss the implications of our results in terms of existing theories.
Revisiting carbon Kuznets curves with endogenous breaks modeling: evidence of decoupling and saturation (but few inverted-Us) for individual OECD countries

This paper tests for a carbon Kuznets curve (CKC) by examining the carbon emissions per capita–GDP per capita relationship individually, for 21 OECD countries over 1870–2010 using a reduced-form, linear model that allows for multiple endogenously determined breaks. This approach addresses several important econometric and modeling issues, e.g., (1) it is highly flexible and can approximate complicated nonlinear relationships without presuming a priori any particular relationship; (2) it avoids the nonlinear transformations of potentially nonstationary income. For 10 of 14 countries that were ultimately estimated, the uncovered emission–income relationship was either (1) decoupling—where income no longer affected emissions in a statistically significant way, (2) saturation—where the emissions elasticity of income is declining, less than proportional, but still positive, or (3) no transition—where the emissions elasticity of income is (or very near) unity. For only four countries did the emissions–income relationship become negative—i.e., a CKC. In concert with previous work, we conclude that the finding of a CKC is country-specific and that the shared timing among countries is important in income-environment transitions.
Influence of polyethylene glycol-8-lauryl ester in the structural lipid of the elastic liposomes

This study compared the physicochemical characteristics of conventional and elastic liposomes in terms of surfactant incorporation, flow rate, elasticity, mean diameter, phospholipid content and permeation capability. Surfactants were incorporated into conventional liposomes in order to enhance the transdermal transport of drugs through the stratum corneum. The unilamellar liposomes produced composed of egg phosphatidylcholine (PCegg) as the structural component and polyethylene glycol-8-lauryl ester (PEG8L) as the elastic component. Results showed fluidity increased of the lipid bilayer with surfactant incorporation, and particle integrity was preserved. These factors determined the ability of elastic liposomes to permeate nanoporous membranes. The elastic liposomes presented a size of ~100 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.38. The flow rate of the liposomes through membranes obeyed Darcy's law, with characteristics similar to those of water. The findings demonstrate the potential of elastic liposomes for transdermal drug administration. Key words: Liposomes, surfactants, transdermal transport.