Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Television commercials in violent programming: An experimental evaluation of their effects on children

Using an experimental method, this study found that when a commercial was viewed immediately following a high-violence dramatic programming segment, children’s ad copy recognition scores were significantly lower and attitudes toward the ad and the advertised brand were significantly less favorable than when the commercial was viewed following a low-violence (but otherwise near-identical) program segment. The influence of program violence level on some advertising response measures was more pronounced when the commercial was positioned immediately following the dramatic programming segment than when immediately preceding it. The study cautions advertisers to examine carefully whether, in reaching for high audience ratings and cost efficiency through violent television programs, they may be sacrificing communication effectiveness of their brand advertising.
NON-LINEAR RELATIONSHIPS OF KEY DETERMINANTS IN INFLUENCING THE PROFITABILITY OF A LARGE PUBLIC SECTOR BANK IN INDIA

Earlier work helped us identify key determinants of bank profitability and share price performance. The focus of this paper is to further study the interactions of these determinants in influencing the profitability of a leading public sector bank in India. The key performance indicators (deposits, advances and business-per-employee) that influence profitability were selected from our earlier study and subjected to curve estimation analysis with net profit as dependent variable. The analysis suggested a non-linear relationship between net profitability and these determinants. A step wise multiple regression was performed on non-linear combinations of these determinants. The natural logarithm of deposits proved to be the critical determinant of profitability. This suggests that the chosen indicators can have a non-linear relationship with profitability.
Mapping biomass of a northern forest using multifrequency SAR data

The results of mapping standing biomass for a northern forest in Maine, using NASA/JPL AIRSAR polarimetric radar data, is presented. By examining the dependence of backscattering on standing biomass using backscatter modeling and aircraft data, it was determined, in agreement with other recent reports, that the cross-polarized (HV) data from longer wavelengths (L, P-band) were the best radar channels for mapping total above-ground forest biomass. The radar signal appeared to lose sensitivity to changes in biomass for dry biomass levels beyond about 15 kg/m/sup 2/ (150 Mton/Ha). The ratio of HV backscattering from two bands, a longer wavelength P (wavelength=68 cm) or L band (24 cm) to a shorter wavelength C band (6 cm), enhanced the correlation of the image signature to standing biomass (r/sup 2/=0.83 for P/C and r/sup 2/=0.79 for L/C) and showed increased sensitivity to dry biomass beyond 15 kg/m/sup 2/. >
Consensus in Networked Multiagent Systems With Stochastic Sampling

This brief addresses the consensus problem in networks with stochastic sampling, assuming that the sampling intervals are independently and identically distributed. Necessary and sufficient conditions to guarantee mean square consensus of both first-order and second-order multiagent systems are derived in terms of statistical properties of the sampling intervals. Numerical examples are also given to verify the theoretical results, revealing that the conditions on the sampling intervals are significantly relaxed in contrast to the previous sufficient conditions. By applying the first-order model to opinion consensus problems with intermittent interactions, it is finally found that the temporal heterogeneity of human activities impedes the opinion consensus forming.
A Comparative Profitability and Operating Efficiency Analysis of Public and Private Banks in Bangladesh

In this study, a comparative performance analysis between state-owned and privately-owned commercial banks of Bangladesh is carried out over the period between 2006 and 2010. On the contrary to expectations, statistical findings of the study produce surprising results. The results suggest that state-owned banks are as efficient as private banks but Private Banks have much higher mean values relative to public bank. Thus, it raises the question of â€˜â€˜whether to privatize banks or not? â€™â€™
Human Factors Based Recommendations for the Design of Medication Related Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)

This study is part of a research project aiming at developing advanced functions of medication related CDSS to support the monitoring of patients' therapeutic treatments based mainly on corresponding lab values. We adopted a user-centred approach to the design of these advanced CDSS functions. We collected existing recommendations in the literature and completed previous Human Factors (HF) field studies and analyses by focused observations and modeling. We present resulting HF based recommendations for the design of such advanced medication CDSS and focus more specifically on two innovative high level recommendations completing those already existing in the literature. For illustration purposes, an example of the operationalization of one of the recommendation is presented.
Food Labels’ Impact Assessment on Consumer Purchasing Behavior in Malaysia

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to validate the impact of food labels among Malaysian consumers using an extended theory of planned behavior model (TPB). In doing so, the study assessed the direct and indirect effect of food labeling on consumer intention to purchase or otherwise the food products of interest. A stratified random sampling technique was adopted in selecting 2,014 consumers in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The results of structural equation modeling supported the adequacy of the proposed model. This study contributes to and extends the understanding of food labeling and purchasing behavior, identifying the rationales for purchasing of food products with labels that contains information such as halal logo, ingredients, and nutritive value.
Age differences in consumers' search for information: Public policy implications.

We investigated whether consumers in their sixties (or older) can use nutritional information as accurately as younger consumers in a pair of studies, the first conducted in a supermarket setting, the second in a laboratory. Both studies indicate that, when shoppers are instructed to select a cereal according to specific nutritional criteria, elderly subjects are less likely than younger subjects to search intensely and to select an appropriate cereal. In the laboratory setting, however, the age-related differences diminished when subjects wrote down all the nutritional information acquired during their search. Age-related changes in information-processing ability may explain the findings. Implications for public policy are discussed.
Integrating Transactional and Relational Marketing Exchange: A Pluralistic Perspective

As interest in relational marketing has increased, there has been a tendency to emphasize theoretical and empirical developments focused on aspects of relational rather than transactional exchange. In contrast to this trend, we develop a conceptual model that integrates both perspectives in order to capture a more pluralistic view of the nature of marketing exchange. We integrate the concepts of environmental context, offer proposition and need structure together with the seller and buyer’s perceptions of each. We also incorporate a variety of transactional and relational marketing approaches in order to conceptualize how and why different exchange situations occur, and how mismatches may occur between a seller’s offer and the buyer’s needs.
Vibration analysis of submerged rectangular microplates with distributed mass loading

This paper investigates the vibration characteristics of the coupling system of a microscale fluid-loaded rectangular isotropic plate attached to a uniformly distributed mass. Previous literature has, respectively, studied the changes in the plate vibration induced by an acoustic field or by the attached mass loading. This paper investigates the issue of involving these two types of loading simultaneously. Based on Lamb's assumption of the fluid-loaded structure and the Rayleigh–Ritz energy method, this paper presents an analytical solution for the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the coupling system. Numerical results for microplates with different types of boundary conditions have also been obtained and compared with experimental and numerical results from previous literature. The theoretical model and novel analytical solution are of particular interest in the design of microplate-based biosensing devices.
Tracing social influence in responses to strategy change in an online community

Interest into the effects of social influence on members of online communities is growing but there is a lack of knowledge about the impact of influential members in online communities on responses to strategy change within the wider community. We explore social influence in responses to strategy change through content analysis of forum posts before and after a change in strategy. Acceptance or non-acceptance of strategy change and subsequent positive and negative behavioural responses online are dependent on individual factors. The details of these behavioural responses to a change in strategy are tabulated and included in a conceptual model to inform decision-makers. Strategy change precipitates a reduction in social influence effects. Non-acceptance of strategy change is associated with competitor advertisement, inflammatory behaviour, offensive behaviour and complaints. This negative behaviour has important ramifications for acceptance of strategy change within the wider community and impacts on the viability of setting up online forums.
Effects of Women’s Football Broadcastings on Viewers’ Moods and Judgments

The objective of this article is to improve the understanding of mood and judgment effects evoked by major televised sport events like national football matches. According to disposition theory of sport spectatorship, viewers’ affective experiences, specifically their moods, are assumed to be affected by the outcomes of the matches they watch. This study tests whether these mood effects depend on viewers’ team identification as well as viewers’ sex. Moreover, past research has indicated that mood changes as effects of sport viewing could influence viewers’ subsequent judgments in line with feeling-as-information theory. Based on this line of arguments, a quasi-experimental pre-post-test study with 180 participants was conducted to assess the moods and judgments (self-confidence, evaluation of the economic situation, government satisfaction) of viewers before and after a win and a defeat of the German national football team during the 2011 women’s FIFA World Cup. The results support disposition theory of sport spectatorship as well as feeling-as-information theory and give new insights into the moderating role of team identification and sex.
Diffuse optics for tissue monitoring and tomography

This review describes the diffusion model for light transport in tissues and the medical applications of diffuse light. Diffuse optics is particularly useful for measurement of tissue hemodynamics, wherein quantitative assessment of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin concentrations and blood flow are desired. The theoretical basis for near-infrared or diffuse optical spectroscopy is developed, and the basic elements of diffuse optical tomography are outlined. We also discuss diffuse correlation spectroscopy, a technique whereby temporal correlation functions of diffusing light are transported through tissue and are used to measure blood flow. Essential instrumentation is described, and representative brain and breast functional imaging and monitoring results illustrate the workings of these new tissue diagnostics.
Microalbuminuria in Diabetic Patients: Relationship to Lipid, Glyco-metabolic, Coagulation and Fibrinolysis Parameters

One hundred and sixteen insulin treated diabetic patients were evaluated for the relationship between the presence of microalbuminuria and several lipid, glyco-metabolic, coagulation and fibrinolysis factors. A significant correlation existed only between microalbuminuria and HbA1c (r = 0.23, p = 0.008) and D-dimer (r = 0.28, p = 0.002). After the subdivision of the patients in a group without (n = 85) and a group with microalbuminuria (n = 31) significant differences were found between these two groups for the HDL-cholesterol content (p less than 0.05), the HbA1c level (p less than 0.01) and for the D-dimer concentration (p less than 0.01). Comparison of the patient groups without and with microalbuminuria separately with a healthy volunteers group without albuminuria resulted in significant differences for HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerols, HbA1c, fructosamine, fibrin monomer and D-dimer, whereas fibrinogen also was significantly different between the diabetic group without microalbuminuria and the healthy volunteers group. Several factors predisposing for atherosclerosis (decrease of HDL-cholesterol, increase of triacylglycerols, coagulation activation with relatively insufficient fibrinolysis) were noticed in both diabetic groups without or with microalbuminuria, but more pronounced in the latter group. The appliance of a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve for HbA1c against microalbuminuria (cut-off level 20 micrograms/min) reconfirmed the value of adequate glycaemic control in diabetics for the prevention of microalbuminuria. In conclusion the results of this study show a significantly poorer glycaemic control in insulin treated diabetics with microalbuminuria than in those without microalbuminuria. The presence of lower HDL-cholesterol, higher triacylglycerols and the elevation of fibrin monomers and D-dimers is more pronounced in the microalbuminuria group. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Risk-Sharing As A Determinant Of Capital Structure: Internal Financing, Debt, And (Outside) Equity

This paper proposes a historically-grounded mechanism-design model of corporate finance, with two-side risk aversion under limited contract enforceability, where (inside) equity held by entrepreneurs, debt and (outside) equity coexist. This capital structure shares optimally the non-diversifiable risk associated with costly and risky ventures. Furthermore, it uniquely sustains the optimal risk allocation if agents' personal wealth is contractible at a higher enforcement cost than the projects' returns. Otherwise, the irrelevance theorem of Modigliani and Miller applies. Consistent with the theoretical predictions, we observe that (i) risk-averse merchants-entrepreneurs financed part of their ventures (hold inside equity) and raised additional funds from risk-averse investors through debt-like sea loan and equity-like commenda contracts when long-distance medieval trade was indeed highly costly and risky and that (ii) maritime insurance, with higher protection against the non-diversifiable "risk of loss at sea or from the action of men" but higher enforcement costs, did not develop until the mid-fourteenth century, when the ventures' costs and risk had decreased significantly. Whereas the model emphasizes the entrepreneurs' equity holdings and the limited-liability aspects of debt and equity, the choice between debt or equity derives from simple, although historically backed, information assumptions. The analysis is therefore complementary to other capital-structure theories based on agency costs, information asymmetries, signalling, transaction costs and incomplete contracting.
Group therapy as viewed by hospitalized patients.

A questionnaire was administered to 100 hospitalized patients in an attempt to assess which specific factors are helpful in short-term group psychotherapy. The results show that, at least from the patient's perspective, instillation of hope, group cohesiveness, altruism, and universality were believed to be the most useful. These results suggest some marked contrasts when compared with a similar study of psychiatric outpatients in long-term group therapy. It is suggested that these differences are a consequence of the interplay between the hospitalized patient's unique experience of himself and his participation in only the early stages of a group; the theoretical considerations and practical techniques of outpatient group psychotherapy may not always be applicable to hospitalized patients.
Types of Synergy and Economic Value: The Impact of Acquisitions on Merging and Rival Firms

Acquisitions, in general, have been demonstrated to create economic value. The intuitive reason underlying this value creation stems either from an ability to reduce costs of the combined entity, an ability to charge higher prices, or both. Current research in the area attributes these abilities to an opportunity to utilize a specialized resource. Our focus in this study is to compare three broad classes of resources that contribute to the creation of value. Following the conventional wisdom, these resources are classified as cost of capital related (resulting in financial synergy), cost of production related (resulting in operational synergy), and price related (resulting in collusive synergy). Given the limitations of our sample and research design, we find that collusive synergy is, on average, associated with the highest value. Further, the resources behind financial synergy tend to create more value than the resources behind operational synergy.
Bankruptcy Prediction Using Bayesian, Hazard, Mixed Logit and Rough Bayesian Models: A Comparative Analysis

Bankruptcy prediction has been a topic of active research for business and corporate institutions in recent times. The problem has been tackled using various models viz. Statistical, Market Based and Computational Intelligence in the past. In this work, we analyze bankruptcy using both parametric and nonparametric prediction techniques. This investigation concentrates on the impact of choice of cut off points, sampling procedures and business cycle on accuracy of bankruptcy prediction models. Misclassification can result in erroneous predictions leading to prohibitive costs to investors and economy. To test the impact of choice of cut off points and sampling procedures, four bankruptcy prediction models are examined viz. Bayesian, Hazard, Mixed Logit and Rough Bayesian techniques. To evaluate the relative performance of models, a sample of firms from Lynn M. LoPucki Bankruptcy Research Database in US is used. The choice of cut off point and sampling procedures are found to affect rankings of various models. The results indicate that empirical cut off point estimated from training sample resulted in lowest misclassification costs for all the models. Although Hazard and Mixed Logit models resulted in lower costs of misclassification in randomly selected samples, Mixed Logit model did not perform well across varying business cycles. Hazard model has highest predictive power. However, higher predictive power of Rough Bayesian and Bayesian modes when ratio of cost of Type I to cost of Type II errors is high is relatively consistent across all sampling methods. This advantage of Bayesian models may make them more attractive in current economic environment. This study also compares the performance of bankruptcy prediction models by identifying conditions under which a model performs better. It applies to a varied range of user groups including auditors, shareholders, employees, suppliers, rating agencies and creditors' concerns with respect to assessing failure risk.
Internal service recovery: developing a new construct

This paper introduces the concept of “internal service recovery” defined as what the organisation does to make internal customers (front‐line employees), who have recovered external customers from service failure, feel less frustrated and more confident of their ability to deal with dissatisfied customers in the future. Internal service recovery often requires reducing employees’ feelings of low perceived control and helplessness. The results from an exploratory study of staff and managers in four branches of a UK bank shows that although the concept and practice of external service recovery is well understood, internal reovery is not. It is suggested that the “traditional” ingredients of external recovery (response, information, action and compensation) may be appropriate for the internal customer. It is also suggested that the passive, alienated employee behaviour associated with “learned helplessness” may need to be addressed through additional interventions. The purpose of the paper is to encourage both researchers and managers to examine how the effectiveness of internal service recovery affects external service recovery and the satisfaction of both employees and customers.
Usefulness of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale in South India

Background: The number of older people with cognitive impairment being seen in out patient settings is increasing. A brief screening test, which is culturally and educationally fair, would be very useful for clinicians for identifying dementia in these settings. Objectives: To examine the new cognitive screening test, the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS), and to compare it with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Method: We administered MMSE and RUDAS to 116 subjects, consisting of 58 patients with mild to moderate dementia and 58 age and sex matched controls. The two screening tests were compared with regard to sensitivity and specificity. We looked at the correlation of both tests with years of formal education among the controls. Result: RUDAS had a similar sensitivity but better specificity than MMSE, but did have an educational bias. Conclusions: RUDAS is a useful brief screening test in clinical settings.
entitled Describing Essentials of Magnetism and Quality in Home Health and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine what Home Health nurses perceived to be the Essentials of Magnetism (EOM), the degree to which the EOM exists within each Home Health agency, and whether there was a relationship between quality Home Health agencies and their scores on the EOM. Home Health agencies were determined to be high or low quality agencies based on their published Home Health Compare results as obtained on the Medicare.gov website. The system research organizing model (SROM) was used as an organizing framework for this study. There is a plethora of research within the acute care setting establishing relationships between organizational attributes and quality outcomes. There is a lack of research in the Home Health setting exploring those same variables. The Nursing Work Index Revised (NWI-R) has been used in acute care research relating organizational attributes to quality patient outcomes. This instrument has also been utilized in the Home Health setting, but there have been no published psychometric analyses to confirm generalizability to this setting. Furthermore, research with this instrument has shown it to be unreliable in the acute care setting. The development and utilization of the EOM in the acute care setting provides a foundation for studies in other settings. Research in this study was conducted with two different sets of Registered Nurses in two different phases. The first phase of RNs (N = 106) determined what Home Health nurses perceived to be the EOM from the 37-item Dimensions of Magnetism (DOM) instrument developed by Kramer and Schmalenberg (McClure and Hinshaw, 2002). The top 10 EOM attributes were obtained by tabulation of the number of respondents to each