Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Market Orientation Adoption among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) in South Africa

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine the determinants and barriers of market orientation by SMEs in South Africa. Methodology: Data was collected using the personal face-to-face interviews with the use of a structured questionnaire. A total of 350 SMES were selected randomly and visited within the various municipal areas in Vaal Triangle. These were obtained from Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) and Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA). Seventy-seven SMEs refused to participate resulting in 273 usable questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the dimensions using the principal component analysis. Findings: A four-factor structure accounting for over 62,14% of total variance was established and discussed. The reliability analysis, reflected coefficient values ranging from 0.743 to 0.893 indicating satisfactory internal consistency amongst variables within each dimension. Implications: By analysing the determinants the adoption of market orientation among SMEs, managers and marketers are presented with recommended strategies and implications on how to manipulate market orientation for effective business performance. Marketing capacities of SMEs may be strengthened through implementing market orientation. Originality: SMEs are vital for socio-economic progress for developing economies. Effective implementation of market orientation can assist SMEs’ growth and development. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013. v4n6p55
Bronchial epithelium as a key regulator of airway allergen sensitization and remodeling in asthma.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways manifesting as intermittent airflow limitation, which over time may become progressive (1). Both in the allergic and nonallergic forms of the disease there is evidence of an altered local T cell response in favor of Th2 cytokine release resulting in B cell isotype switching to IgE; mast cell, eosinophil, and basophil recruitment; and activation and release of a wide range of inflammatory mediators (2). However, it has become clear that, by itself, inflammation is not able to explain many of the features characteristic of chronic asthma and that restructuring of the airway wall is also required (3). This “remodeling” response presumably accounts for the incomplete therapeutic efficacy of corticosteroids, with persistence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and the progressive decline in pulmonary function over time that occurs in those asthmatic individuals with more chronic and severe disease (1). Although atopy, the propensity to generate allergen-specific IgE, is one of the strongest risk factors for asthma, especially in children and young adults, only 10% of atopics develop chronic asthma and, as adults, asthma occurs in the absence of atopy, most notably in those with more severe and chronic disease. It seems plausible that, rather than IgE-mediated inflammation being the initiator of disordered airway function, the epithelium itself is abnormal and it is this that predisposes the individual with asthma toward local allergen sensitization, and the injurious effects of respiratory viruses and air pollutants (including tobacco smoke). A disordered epithelium could also provide a basis for airway remodeling in asthma.
The effects of divorce and custody arrangements on children's behaviour, development and adjustment

A group of experts from developmental and clinical psychology, sociology,social welfare, and law met at a conference centre in Middleburg, Virginiaon December 1-4, 1994, under the sponsorship of the U.S. National Instituteof Child Health and Human Development. The group's mandate was to evaluateexisting knowledge regarding the ways in which children are affected bydivorce and the varying custody arrangements that follow it. Many of thediscussions also addressed the ways in which the adverse effects of divorcemight be ameliorated by changes in policy or practice. This documentrepresents a statement co-signed by most of the participants summarizingareas of agreement regarding the current status of knowledge in this areaand outlining topics in need of further research. The report is designed toguide various legislatures, the judiciary, the bar, and the various mentalhealth professionals who are involved in counselling or educating familiesexperiencing separation or divorce, as well as those who mediate oradjudicate the disputes regarding the custody of minor children. Thepreliminary draft of this consensus document was prepared by Michael E. Lamband Kathleen J. Sternberg following the three-day conference, withadditional redrafting by Ross A. Thompson. The draft was reviewed andrevised by the other participants over the ensuing months. This report,revised in accordance with the participants' comments, is a product of this process.
Debtor Protection, Credit Redistribution, and Income Inequality

A debtor-friendly bankruptcy regime limits the amount of assets creditors can seize from distressed individuals. In response, creditors may redistribute credit towards richer and more able individuals. We show that increasing the amount of asset protection in bankruptcy (exemptions) leads to higher income inequality in the state. Using geographic variation in banking market structure and variation in capital needs across industries, we show that the increase in income inequality is mediated by a credit market channel. We analyze different population groups and find that the increase in inequality is driven by a growing income gap between unskilled and skilled individuals that affects both self-employed and wage workers. We also find a drop in the employment rate and in the relative wage of unskilled workers. Our results indicate that the redistribution of credit leads to an imbalance in economic opportunities among entrepreneurs that reduces the aggregate demand for unskilled labor.
Experience, context-of-use and the design of product usability

This study argues that including aspects of user experience relevant to the user's knowledge of a product's context-of-use in the early stages of product design can enhance the design of product usability. To explore these issues, research was undertaken to respond to three research questions: (i) What aspects of user experience influence people's understanding of product usability? (ii) What is the nature of the differences between users' and designers' understandings of product usability? (iii) How can context-of-use and human experience enhance the design of product usability? Findings from the study have shown that experience, context-of-use and knowledge about a product's usability are interrelated. Conceptual principles and design principles were established based on findings to explain (i) the relationships between aspects of experience and areas of product usability and (ii) differences between designers' and users' concepts of product usability. These principles responded to the first two research questions. Causal relationships found between experience and product usability suggested the need to implement them in an accessible manner for a product design process. A design tool -- named the Experience and Context Enquiry Design Tool (ECEDT) -- was devised to exemplify the implementation of findings. A trial run verified that the type of information that ECEDT brings to designers could assist them to address usability and experience issues during the early stages of the design process. This result responded to the third research question of the study. This study's conceptual principles and design principles contribute new knowledge to design theory and practice. This knowledge contributes to design theory in providing greater detail about the differences between designers and users than that addressed by existing theory; it contributes to design practice as it informs designers about the aspects of human experience that prompt users' understanding of a product's use. In doing so, it can potentially assist in the design of products that embed new technological applications, and support the design of product usability.
Accuracy of Sonographically Guided Intra‐articular Injections in the Native Adult Hip

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of sonographically guided intra‐articular injections performed in the native adult hip using contrast‐enhanced fluoroscopy as a reference standard. Methods. Twenty‐eight consecutive patients (ages 32–91 years; mean, 68 years) referred to the pain clinic for intra‐articular hip injections were recruited to participate. In each case, a 2‐ to 6‐MHz curvilinear array transducer was used to place the needle into the hip joint at the femoral head‐neck junction using an oblique sagittal approach. A contrast‐enhanced fluoroscopic examination was then completed and assessed by an independent observer to determine needle placement accuracy. Once accurate placement was confirmed, the therapeutic injection proceeded. Results. Thirty hip injections were completed in 15 women and 13 men (1 man and 1 woman received bilateral injections). The patients' body mass index (BMI) ranged from 20 to 39 kg/cm2 (mean, 28 kg/cm2) and procedure time from initial scanning to injection averaged 112 seconds (range, 47–187 seconds). Overall, 97% of sonographically placed needles were accurate. The single inaccurate placement resulted from inadvertent needle withdrawal from the joint capsule during connection of the extension tubing for contrast agent injection in a young patient with a BMI of 28 kg/cm2 and no hip effusion. Conclusions. Sonographic guidance can be used to inject the native adult hip joint with acceptable accuracy. When using the oblique sagittal approach, operators must be aware of the possibility of needle withdrawal from the joint due to the limited intra‐articular space within the target region, particularly in the absence of effusion.
Current concepts in hypospadias surgery

Abstract: Anatomical anomalies in hypospadias are an abnormal ventral opening of the urethral meatus, abnormal ventral curvature of the penis and abnormal distribution of the foreskin around the glans with a ventrally deficient hooded foreskin. The techniques of hypospadias surgery continue to evolve. The current standard of care for hypospadias repair includes not only a functional penis adequate for sexual intercourse and urethral reconstruction offering the ability to stand to urinate, but also a satisfactory cosmetic result. Tubularized incised plate repair has been the mainstay for distal hypospadias. In cases of proximal hypospadias, one‐stage repairs such as the Duckett repair or the Koyanagi repair have been well established, while two‐stage repairs remain important alternatives. Whether dorsal plication or ventral lengthening should be used to correct penile curvature is still controversial, and long‐term results are required. Efforts have been made in this decade to improve cosmetic appearance, constructing a slit‐like meatus or performing foreskin reconstruction, and to prevent onerous complications.
DESCRIPTION AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THEILERIA YOUNGI N. SP. FROM A NORTHERN CALIFORNIAN DUSKY-FOOTED WOODRAT (NEOTOMA FUSCIPES) POPULATION

An epidemiologic study designed to identify the small mammal reservoir for the zoonotic WA1-type babesial parasite resulted in the discovery of a small, intraerythrocytic piroplasm in smeared blood from dusky-footed woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes) in northern California. The woodrat parasites were isolated and compared to other piroplasm parasites based on their morphology, antigenicity, and genetic characteristics. These studies indicated that the woodrat parasites were not the WA1-type babesial agent but were of the genus Theileria. We accordingly named it Theileria youngi. The prevalence in the woodrat population was high (61%). Infection was unrelated to gender or age of the woodrats. Potential vectors for this tick-transmitted parasite included 3 species of ticks recovered from the woodrats, Dermacentor occidentalis, Ixodes woodi, and Ixodes pacificus. Mostly larval or nymphal stages were recovered, suggesting transstadial transmission is possible. This is the first piroplasm fully characterized from a dusky-footed woodrat.
Research complications due to Haemobartonella and Eperythrozoon infections in experimental animals.

DESPITE MAJOR ADVANCES in laboratory-animal science during recent years, infectious diseases of experimental animals continue to undermine the validity of many experiments. Clinically silent infections are particularly important and perplexing because they often go undetected until their presence is heralded by aberrations in experimental data. Haemobartonellosis and eperythrozoonosis are prime examples because of their extreme subtlety and profound influence on a great variety of studies. The purpose of this paper is first, to describe the essential features of these often unrecognized infections, giving special emphasis to mechanisms by which they are known to interfere with research technics, and secondly, to report on recent advances in the development of methods for their detection. Reviews dealing with the basic microbiology of these organisms have been published by others.1 2 Therefore, our discussion will be limited to features of the organisms and host responses salient to (1) natural transmission and maintenance of latent infections in laboratory animal stocks, (2) experimental procedures responsible for accidental transmission of these infections, (3) alterations in reticuloendothelial function and immune response of infected animals, (4) mechanisms involved in activation of latent infections, (5) modifications of host responses in laboratory-animal models of infectious diseases resulting from intercurrent Haemobartonella or Eperythrozoon infections, and (6) detection and control measures.
Identification and characterization of an insular auditory field in mice

We used voltage‐sensitive‐dye‐based imaging techniques to identify and characterize the insular auditory field (IAF) in mice. Previous research has identified five auditory fields in the mouse auditory cortex, including the primary field and the anterior auditory field. This study confirmed the existence of the primary field and anterior auditory field by examining the tonotopy in each field. Further, we identified a previously unreported IAF located rostral to known auditory fields. Pure tone evoked responses in the IAF exhibited the shortest latency among all auditory fields at lower frequencies. A rostroventral to dorsocaudal frequency gradient was consistently observed in the IAF in all animals examined. Neither the response amplitude nor the response duration changed with frequency in the IAF, but the area of activation exhibited a significant increase with decreasing tone frequency. Taken together, the current results indicate the existence of an IAF in mice, with characteristics suggesting a role in the rapid detection of lower frequency components of incoming sound.
Phacomatosis Pigmentokeratotica

Localio et al.6 advocated obliteration of the dead space by tight closure of the gluteus maximus. However, if the resection has been extensive, the residual soft tissue is often insufficient for adequate closure. In these circumstances Santora et al.1 suggest that prosthetic mesh should be used prophylactically to reconstruct the pelvic floor and reduce the likelihood of sacral herniation1. Symptomatic sacral hernia following sacrectomy is a rare but important complication, and during the initial surgical resection an attempt should be made to close the soft tissues adequately. Like other groups we have found that polypropylene mesh offers a simple, adaptable, and effective method of hernia repair and pelvic floor reconstruction.
in vivo assessment of mitochondrial functionality in human gastrocnemius muscle by 31P MRS. The role of pH in the evaluation of phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate recoveries from exercise

In this study we compared the kinetics of phosphocreatine (PCr) and Pi recovery, and their dependency on cytosolic pH in 38 normal individuals. Spectra were acquired during rest, work and recovery. A time resolution of 10 s was used to obtain detailed information. The kinetics of PCr and Pi recovery almost overlapped when the lowest value of cytosolic pH reached during recovery (termed the minimum pH) was <6.95, while they were completely dissociated when the minimum pH was >6.95. This result is interpreted as indirect in vivo evidence of the kinetic control exerted by ADP on mitochondrial oxidation. Our results represent a rationale for new experimental conditions to be used in clinical routine studies of pathologies due to primary or secondary mitochondrial malfunction.
Comparison of Genotypic and Phylogenetic Relationships of Environmental Enterococcus Isolates by BOX-PCR Typing and 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing

ABSTRACT Environmental Enterococcus spp. were compared by BOX-PCR genotyping and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to clarify the predictive relationship of BOX-PCR fingerprints to species designation. BOX-PCR and 16S rRNA gene relationships agreed for 77% of strains. BOX-PCR provided superior intraspecies discrimination but incorrectly identified some strains to the species level and divided some species into multiple groups.
Release of potassium, lipids, and proteins from nonionic detergent treated chicken red blood cells

The plasma membrane of erythrocytes, as of other cells, is thought to act as the barrier responsible for maintaining intracellular gradients of most ions and small molecular species between the cell and its environment. Controlled application of the nonionic detergent Brij 58 effectively opened the erythrocyte plasma membrane, as judged by electron microscopy and lipid mobilization, but the cytoplasm maintained much of its integrity for about 30 min. Release of K+ correlated well with release of protein into the surrounding medium. The results demonstrate that permeabilization of the erythrocyte plasma membrane does not result in an instantaneous equilibration of small ions, such as K+, between the cell and its environment. A comparison was made between erythrocytes treated with Brij 58 and Triton X‐100. The lipid and protein solubilizing actions of Triton X‐100 were not as easily separable in time as those of Brij 58. The results of treatment of the erythrocytes with different types of nonionic detergents suggest that the membranolytic and cytoplasmic protein destabilizing actions of nonionic detergents correspond with their hydrophilic‐lipophilic balance numbers (HLB values). © 1994 wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Increased risk of late posttraumatic seizures associated with inheritance of APOE epsilon4 allele.

BACKGROUND Late posttraumatic seizures are a common complication of moderate and severe traumatic brain injury. Inheritance of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allele is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer disease, progression to disability in multiple sclerosis, and poor outcome after traumatic brain injury. OBJECTIVE To determine whether inheritance of APOE epsilon4 is associated with increased risk of developing late posttraumatic seizures. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Neurosurgical service at an urban level I trauma center.Patients Patients admitted with a diagnosis of moderate and severe traumatic brain injury were enrolled. METHODS Six months after injury, patients were contacted to determine functional outcome (according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Expanded [GOS-E]) and the presence of late posttraumatic seizures. Genotype at the APOE locus was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. RESULTS DNA and outcome information was obtained from 106 subjects. Six months after injury, 31 (29%) had a poor outcome (GOS-E score, 1-4), 47 (44%) had an intermediate outcome (GOS-E score, 5-6), and 28 (26%) had a favorable outcome (GOS-E score, 7-8). Twenty-one patients (20%) had at least 1 late posttraumatic seizure. The relative risk of late posttraumatic seizures for patients with the epsilon4 allele was 2.41 (95% confidence interval, 1.15-5.07; P =.03). In this cohort, inheritance of APOE epsilon4 was not associated with an unfavorable GOS-E score 6 (P =.47). CONCLUSIONS Inheritance of the APOE epsilon4 allele is associated with increased risk of late posttraumatic seizures. In this cohort, this risk appears to be independent of an effect of epsilon4 on functional outcome. A better understanding of the molecular role of APOE in neurodegenerative diseases may be helpful in developing antiepileptogenic therapies.
Surface Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies of Hydrogen Bonding and Hydrophobicity

Surface vibrational spectroscopy by sum-frequency generation was used to study hydrophobicity at the molecular level at various interfaces: water—surfactant-coated quartz, water-hexane, and water-air. In all cases, hydrophobicity was characterized by the appearance of dangling hydroxyl bonds on 25 percent of the surface water molecules. At the water-quartz interface, packing restrictions force the water surface layer to have a more ordered, ice-like structure. A partly wettable water-quartz interface was also studied.
Increased ocean carbon export in the Sargasso Sea linked to climate variability is countered by its enhanced mesopelagic attenuation

Abstract. Photosynthetic CO2 uptake by oceanic phytoplankton and subsequent export of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the ocean interior comprises a globally significant biological carbon pump, controlled in part by the composition of the planktonic community. The strength and efficiency of this pump depends upon the balance of particle production in the euphotic zone and remineralization of those particles in the mesopelagic (defined here as depths between 150 and 300 m), but how these processes respond to climate-driven changes in the physical environment is not completely understood. In the Sargasso Sea, from ~1996–2007, we have observed a decade-long >50% increase in euphotic zone integrated autotrophic biomass (estimated from chlorophyll TChl-α), prokaryotic phytoplankton, primary production and shallow (150 m) POC export coinciding with a shift in the mean phase of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) from consistently positive to neutral but variable. During this same period mesopelagic POC flux attenuation has doubled such that carbon sequestration below 300 m, the maximum winter/spring ventilation depth, has not changed. The increased mesopelagic POC attenuation appears mediated by changes in plankton community composition and metabolic activity in both the euphotic and mesopelagic zones. These changes are counter to extant hypotheses regarding inter-relationships between phytoplankton community composition, productivity and carbon export, and have significant impacts on how the Sargasso Sea ecosystem, at least, is modeled. Moreover, these time-series observations suggest that processes in the euphotic zone and mesopelagic are tightly coupled and should be considered together in future research.
Determinants of success for online communities: an empirical study

Although online communities can significantly facilitate collaboration among Internet users, the determinants of success of online communities have seldom been studied empirically. Using the updated DeLone and McLean information systems success model as a theoretical framework, this study proposes a research model to examine the determinants for successful use of online communities. Based on a survey of 165 community members, this study uses structural equation modelling (SEM) approach to investigate the research model. The analytical results strongly support the appropriateness of the research model in identifying the determinants of success of online communities. The analytical results also showed that system quality, information quality and service quality had a significant effect on member loyalty through user satisfaction and behavioural intention to use the online community. Finally, this study discusses the implications of these findings and offer directions for future research.