Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Value Proposition Development Framework for Industrial Service

Value proposition is a key concept in the research on service and in the practice of service management. Value propositions are described as tools to communicate and motivate a joint value creation opportunity among involved organizations and stakeholders. The future orientation and intangibility of service places value proposition as the key element of competitive service business. However, the concept of value proposition if often vaguely defined, the underlying theoretical concepts missing, and the managerial practices to create value propositions unexplored. This study investigates how valuefocused industrial companies build value propositions by conducting customer value research. Building on our findings, we suggest theoretical and managerial frameworks for value proposition development.
Fault detection and mitigation in WLAN RSS fingerprint-based positioning

The provision of reliable location estimates in case of unpredicted failures or malicious attacks, which inject faults and compromise the performance of the positioning system, is very important. Thus, our main interest is on the fault tolerance of WLAN fingerprint-based methods, rather than the absolute positioning error in the fault-free case. We study the Nearest Neighbor method and as a first step we develop a robust detection scheme to accurately detect faults. We incorporate this into a hybrid positioning method that switches to a modified distance metric, instead of the Euclidean, if faults are present. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach exhibits higher resilience to faults compared to other positioning methods.
1 Performance Appraisals and Job Satisfaction

Formal performance appraisals (PA) are one of the most important human resource management practices in companies. In this paper, we focus on the reaction of employees to these performance assessments. In particular, we investigate the effect between the incidence of being formally evaluated by a supervisor and job and income satisfaction. Building on a representative, longitudinal sample of more than 12,000 individuals from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), we apply fixed effects regressions and find a significantly positive effect of PA on job satisfaction, which is driven by appraisals that are linked to monetary outcomes. Furthermore, the moderating effects of personality traits (Big Five, locus of control) on the relationship between PA and job satisfaction are explored. We find a negative interaction term between PA without any monetary consequences and both employees scoring high on openness to experience and internal locus of control. This suggests that for these employees appraisals, which induce performance monitoring without any monetary consequences, have a detrimental effect on job satisfaction rates.
Linking Customer-Based Brand Equity with Business Performance – A Conceptual Framework

This study examines the relationship between brand equity and business performance in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry. By understanding the dimensions of brand equity, the study focuses on the important contributors to brand equity. The purpose of this paper is to identify and understand the relationship between brand equity and the business performance.Building on existing conceptual and empirical data, the study proposes a conceptual framework in which brand equity dimensions - that is, brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality and brand associations are related to the business performance. The study would serve to be a brief Literature Survey in addition to proposing a conceptual model on the Subject.
Valproic Acid Attenuates Disease Symptoms and Increases Endogenous Myelin Repair by Recruiting Neural Stem Cells and Oligodendrocyte Progenitors in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Background: Inefficient remyelination of demyelinated plaques in multiple sclerosis (MS) leads to secondary axon degeneration and progressive disability. Therapies that potentiate remyelination would be of immense help for managing MS. Objective: Here, we report the effects of valproic acid (VPA) on focal experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (fEAE). Methods: fEAE was induced in Wistar rats by immunizing the animals with guinea pig spinal cord homogenate emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant and with pertussis toxin (PT) injection into the spinal cord at the level of T8 vertebra on day 18 after immunization. VPA 300 mg/kg was applied for 4 days after or 8 days before PT administration. Behavioral evaluation, histological assessment and immunohistofluorescence assays were used to evaluate the outcomes. Results: VPA administration had no effect on the development of symptoms, but after discontinuing VPA, animals showed faster recovery. Eight days of pretreatment with VPA accelerated the recovery phase of EAE and increased the number of remyelinated axons in the lesion area. VPA pretreatment also increased the recruitment of neural stem cells and oligodendrocyte precursors within the lesion. Conclusions: Results suggest VPA as a potential therapy for remyelinating the lesions in MS and for faster recovery from disease relapses. The effect of VPA seems to be mediated by endogenous progenitors recruitment.
Medieval Preparations of Urinary Steroid Hormones

Introduction OUR knowledge of the endocrine functions of the sexual organs of man and mammals is an acquisition of comparatively recent date. Endocrinology as a whole indeed does not go back beyond the beginning of the present century. By the end of the twenties a great deal of important knowledge about the endocrine secretions of the testis and ovary, the placenta and the adrenals had been attained, as may be seen in the collective work Sex and Internal Secretions, edited by Edgar Allen i 1932. The sme period had seen the establishment of the correct formula of the steroid ring system by Wieland, Windaus, Diels, Bernal, Rosenheim and King; and this opened the way for the sweeping advances in the field of androgens and oestrogens which have taken place since then. * We are now familiar with a large number of substances of androgenic and oestrogenic activity naturally occurring in the body, and we are also able to make use of derivatives of these substances which do not naturally occur in Nature but which may have very useful properties for our purposes. Since the knowledge of the steroid sex hormones is thus such a characteristic achievement ofmodern science, it seems hardly believable that in any phase of ancient or medieval science it should have been possible to make preparations which possessed activity of this kind. Nevertheless, we have recently come upon a corpus ofmaterial which indicates that this was accomplished by the Chinese iatro-chemists between the tenth and the sixteenth centuries A.D. Guided by theories of traditional Chinese type, not of course the same as those of modern science, and using urine as their starting-point, they succeeded in preparing mixtures ofandrogens and oestrogens in relatively purified form and employing them in medicine. The classical discovery ofAschheim & Zondek in 1927 that pregnancy urine contains rich amounts ofsteroid sex hormones,t and the subsequent discoveries of the presence of similar substances in urine from other sources, was thus anticipated by many centuries in these Chinese empirical preparations. In the present paper we wish to set forth the evidence which we have found. +~
Here's the Beef: Factors, Determinants, and Segments in Consumer Criticism of Advertising

A comprehensive model of attitudes toward advertising includes three personal utility factors (product information, social image information, and hedonic amusement) and four socioeconomic factors (good for economy, fostering materialism, corrupting values, and falsity/no-sense). The proposed 7-factor model was tested on two independent samples: collegians (188) and householders (195) from Ohio and Mississippi Valley states, explaining 62% and 56% of the variance in their global attitudes, respectively. The model's dimensions were used to profile these publics and to identify attitudinal segments within them. Most respondents exhibited conflict between an appreciation of the personal uses and economic value of advertising and an apprehension of cultural degradation.
A Finite Mixture Logit Model to Segment and Predict Electronic Payments System Adoption

Despite much hype about electronic payments systems (EPSs), a 2004 survey establishes that close to 80% of between-business payments are still made using paper-based formats. We present a finite mixture logit model to predict likelihood of EPS adoption in business-to-business (B2B) settings. Our model simultaneously classifies firms into homogeneous segments based on firm-specific characteristics and estimates the model's coefficients relating predictor variables to EPS adoption decisions for each respective segment. While such models are increasingly making their presence felt in the marketing literature, we demonstrate their applicability to traditional information systems (IS) problems such as technology adoption. Using the finite mixture approach, we predict the likelihood of EPS adoption using a unique data set from a Fortune 100 company. We compare the finite mixture model with a variety of traditional approaches. We find that the finite mixture model fits the data better, controlling for the number of parameters estimated; that our explicit model-based segmentation leads to a better delineation of segments; and that it significantly improves the predictive accuracy in holdout samples. Practically, the proposed methodology can help business managers develop actionable segment-specific strategies for increasing EPS adoption by their business partners. We discuss how the methodology is potentially applicable to a wide variety of IS research.
Culinary tourism in Córdoba (Spain)

Purpose – Gastronomy has become one of the key factors in the development and promotion of tourism, and offers the opportunity for certain locations to become specialised in culinary tourism. This paper aims to analyse the kind of tourist whose reason for travelling to a certain destination is to enjoy the local cuisine. In this case, the destination is Cordoba (Spain). Design/methodology/approach – A list of restaurants and eating establishments offering dishes typical of Cordoba was compiled. A questionnaire was designed with the aim of analysing and defining tourists' opinions of Cordoba's cuisine. This questionnaire was filled out by a random sample of tourists in one of ten different restaurants. Of these ten establishments, four were classified as restaurants, three as tabernas, and three as a mixture of both restaurant and taberna. In each restaurant, the questionnaire was distributed randomly among Spanish and foreign tourists in the city on a daily basis. A total of 213 questionnaires was obtained.
Dose Proportionality of Oral Etoricoxib, a Highly Selective Cyclooxygenase‐2 Inhibitor, in Healthy Volunteers

To assess dose proportionality of etoricoxib across the anticipated clinical dose range, a single panel of 12 healthy subjects was administered single oral doses of etoricoxib of 5,10, 20, 40, and 120 mg in an open, two‐part, five‐period crossover study. Plasma samples were collected after each dose and analyzed for etoricoxib concentrations. The pharmacokinetics of etoricoxib appear to be linear over the entire dose range examined, from 5 to 120 mg. Etoricoxib was found to be well tolerated across the 5 to 120 mg dose range.
KECK ECHELLETTE SPECTROGRAPH AND IMAGER OBSERVATIONS OF METAL-POOR DAMPED Lyα SYSTEMS

We present the first results from a survey of SDSS quasars selected for strong H i damped Lyα (DLA) absorption with corresponding low equivalent width absorption from strong low-ion transitions (e.g., C ii λ1334 and Si ii λ1260). These metal-poor DLA candidates were selected from the SDSS fifth release quasar spectroscopic database, and comprise a large new sample for probing low-metallicity galaxies. Medium-resolution echellette spectra from the Keck Echellette Spectrograph and Imager spectrograph for an initial sample of 35 systems were obtained to explore the metal-poor tail of the DLA distribution and to investigate the nucleosynthetic patterns at these metallicities. We have estimated saturation corrections for the moderately underresolved spectra, and systems with very narrow Doppler parameters (b ⩽ 5 km s−1) will likely have underestimated abundances. For those systems with Doppler parameters b > 5 km s−1, we have measured low-metallicity DLA gas with [X/H] <−2.4 for at least one of C, O, Si, or Fe. Assuming non-saturated components, we estimate that several DLA systems have [X/H] <−2.8, including five DLA systems with both low equivalent widths and low metallicity in transitions of both C ii and O i. All of the measured DLA metallicities, however, exceed or are consistent with a metallicity of at least 1/1000 of solar, regardless of the effects of saturation in our spectra. Our results indicate that the metal-poor tail of galaxies at z ∼ 3 drops exponentially at [X/H] ≲−3. If the distribution of metallicity is Gaussian, the probability of identifying interstellar medium gas with lower abundance is extremely small, and our results suggest that DLA systems with [X/H] < −4.0 are extremely rare, and could comprise only 8 × 10−7 of DLA systems. The relative abundances of species within these low-metallicity DLA systems are compared with stellar nucleosynthesis models, and are consistent with stars having masses of 30 M☉ < M* < 100 M☉. The observed ratio of [C/O] for values of [O/H] <−2.5 exceeds values seen in moderate metallicity DLA systems, and also exceeds theoretical nucleosynthesis predictions for higher mass Population III stars. We also have observed a correlation between the column density N(C iv) with [Si/H] metallicity, suggestive of a trend between mass of the DLA system and its metallicity.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis during Pregnancy

During pregnancy the most common metabolic complication is diabetes [1]. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) has recommended that each pregnancy be tested at 24 – 28 weeks for gestational diabetes by a two-step method (1-hour glucose assessment followed by a 3-hour glucose tolerance test (GTT) when necessary) [2]. The standard of care for those with an elevated 1-hour test involves a 3 hour GTT using either of the two widely accepted criteria (Carpenter/Coustan or National Diabetes Data Group) [2, 3]. Assessment by one of these criteria is important [1, 4].
Mutation Analysis of Violaxanthin De-epoxidase Identifies Substrate-binding Sites and Residues Involved in Catalysis*

Plants are able to deal with variable environmental conditions; when exposed to strong illumination, they safely dissipate excess energy as heat and increase their capacity for scavenging reacting oxygen species. Both these protection mechanisms involve activation of the xanthophyll cycle, in which the carotenoid violaxanthin is converted to zeaxanthin by violaxanthin de-epoxidase, using ascorbate as the source of reducing power. In this work, following determination of the three-dimensional structure of the violaxanthin de-epoxidase catalytic domain, we identified the putative binding sites for violaxanthin and ascorbate by in silico docking. Amino acid residues lying in close contact with the two substrates were analyzed for their involvement in the catalytic mechanism. Experimental results supported the proposed substrate-binding sites and point to two residues, Asp-177 and Tyr-198, which are suggested to participate in the catalytic mechanism, based on complete loss of activity in mutant proteins. The role of other residues and the mechanistic similarity to aspartic proteases and epoxide hydrolases are discussed.
Simple Auditory Reaction Time in Blind and Sighted Adolescents

This study compared simple auditory reaction times of 20 subjects aged between 11 and 15 yr. (M = 13), 10 born-blind from the Louis Braille Institut (Montréal) and 10 normal sighted subjects of the same age and sex. Their task was to press a telegraph key as fast as possible after presentation of an auditory stimulus. Each subject executed five blocks of 10 trials; the blocks were separated by a rest period of 1 min. The results showed no significant difference (p > .05) between born-blind and sighted people of the same sex and chronological age in regard to simple auditory reaction time.
Accidental intravenous administration of racemic adrenaline: two cases associated with adverse cardiac effects

Accidental intravenous administration of racemic adrenaline (epinephrine) is a rare but potentially lethal complication. We describe a case of a 68-year-old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who developed severe dyspnoea at home, and a case of an 81-year-old woman who had an allergic reaction associated with severe dyspnoea. The paramedics accidentally administered racemic adrenaline intravenously in both cases. Both patients suffered from severe cardiac adverse effects but their outcome was eventually favourable. Previous reports of accidental intravenous administration of racemic adrenaline are also reviewed. We discuss the potential risks of using racemic adrenaline, especially in the treatment of geriatric patients, and the possibilities of reducing the risk of accidents in drug administration.
Epidermal growth factor stimulates urokinase-type plasminogen activator expression in human gingival fibroblasts. Possible modulation by genistein and curcumin.

BACKGROUND Regulation of the extracellular matrix turnover is a crucial process in wound healing and the progress of periodontal disease. It has been proposed that urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), under the control of growth factors or cytokines, provides the proteolytic potential to the accomplishment of these cellular events. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is one of the growth factors that has been shown to be active in uPA regulation. METHODS In this study, we have assessed the effect of EGF on uPA expression in primary cultures of human gingival fibroblasts. We also studied the signaling pathways involved in this process and the role of the dietary phytoestrogens curcumin and genistein as potential modulators of this response. RESULTS Human gingival fibroblasts expressed a basal uPA activity, which was inhibited by genistein, but not by curcumin. After treatment with 10 ng/ml EGF, uPA production was strongly stimulated. Exposure to genistein and curcumin inhibited EGF-stimulated urokinase production, although only genistein showed a statistically significant inhibitory response. Using more specific inhibitors, we found that the mitogen-activated extracellular kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors PD98059 and SP600125 also blocked the EGF-dependent stimulatory effect. On the other hand, SB203580, inhibitor of the p38 member of mitogen-activated protein kinase family, did not alter this response. In accordance to these findings, EGF stimulated a potent activation of JNK and a mild activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2. Finally, EGF stimulated the phosphorylation of its receptor and tyrphostin (AG1478), curcumin and genistein were able to inhibit this stimulatory effect. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that EGF constitutes a strong stimuli on uPA expression in human gingival fibroblasts. Our data also shows that EGF-stimulated uPA production involves the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 and JNK signaling pathways and might be modulated by the natural phytoestrogens curcumin and genistein.
Reduction of NO- and EDHF-Mediated Vasodilatation in Hypertension: Role of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS), and endothelial dysfunction is related to the elevation of ADMA level in hypertension. Besides the NO-mediated pathway, the endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)-mediated pathway is involved in endothelial dysfunction. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the changes of endothelium-dependent dilatation of arteries in hypertension and the role of ADMA in NO- and EDHF-mediated vasodilatation. The great omental arteries were isolated from essential hypertensive and normotensive patients, and mesenteric arteries were isolated from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. NO-, EDHF-, and prostaglandin (PGI2)-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation were measured, and plasma concentrations of ADMA were determined in rats. Cultured endothelial cells were treated with ADMA (1–10 μM) for 48 h, and the mRNA and protein level of small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel 3 (SK3), which has been thought to be a key mediator of EDHF, was determined. Both NO- and EDHF-mediated endothelium-dependent responses were decreased in the great omental arteries of hypertensive patients and mesenteric arteries of SHR. Plasma levels of ADMA were significantly increased in SHR. In cultured endothelial cells, the expressions of SK3 mRNA and protein were concentration-dependently down-regulated in the presence of ADMA. The present study suggests that the inhibitory effect of ADMA on endothelial function not only involves NO-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation but also the EDHF-mediated pathways in hypertensive animals and humans, and that ADMA can down-regulate the expression of SK3 channels in endothelial cells.
The internationalization of wine SMEs in the midst of the economic crisis: pilot case studies from Greece, Albania & FYROM

Purpose of the paper : This paper explores the internationalization efforts of wine SMEs in three neighboring countries, namely Greece, Albania and FYROM. The aim is to identify particular issues faced by small wine producers in order to determine the variations among the countries. Methodology : Multiple case study analysis was used. In depth interviews with two wine entrepreneurs from each country were conducted to examine the barriers they are facing with their export activities. Findings : Interestingly enough, all three countries face similar barriers. The results indicate that negative Country of Origin Effect, Brand Equity and the Availability of Resources (due to their small size) are common and considered major export obstacles for the wine SMEs. However, although Greek wine SMEs have considerably more export experience and higher export performance, their negative Country of Origin Effect and Brand Equity remain major export obstacles. Research Limitations : The main limitation of this study is the sample’s characteristics, which do not allow for any generalization of the results and is not necessarily country representative. Research Implications : This research identifies specific common and prevalent export barriers that the investigated wine SMEs in the region face. Further research is required to explore each of the issues in depth. Furthermore, it is suggested that future research should focus separately on internal or external barriers in order to gain more comprehensive insights. Originality of the paper : This paper, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to examine and draw conclusions on the internationalization of wine SMEs in three countries of the Balkan Peninsula in the midst of the current economic crisis.