Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Psychometric Examination of Steenkamp and Baumgartner Change Seeker Index Scale in Indian Context

This study has attempted to do a validation exercise of the Steenkamp and Baumgartner (1995) shortened 7 item change seeker index scale (a measure of optimum stimulation level) in an Eastern emerging market like India. This study has attempted to analyse the factor structure of the scale in India where very limited published academic research is available on this topic. The psychometric properties of the change seeker index scale have been assessed using (corrected) item total correlations, principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Data has been collected through systematic sampling method from three hundred ninety respondents during February to April 2010 period in New Delhi. The study highlights the importance of all the seven items in the scale. Single factor has emerged in principal components analysis which explains 41.80% of variance in the data. The data indicates a satisfactory fit for the one factor model of 7 item change seeker index scale in the confirmatory factor analysis. The limitation of the paper lies in the fact that the data has been collected only in New Delhi, India which is the national capital. This shortened scale can be effectively used to measure change seeker index in Indian context for potential application areas like adoption of fashionable clothing, planning of atmospherics at organised retailing stores, travel and tourism destination choices and mobile commerce intentions among others.
Width of Clavicular Cortex in Osteoporosis

Thinning of the upper cortex of the clavicle, measured on a standard chest radiograph, may help in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. No precise level at which osteoporosis occurs can be given, but a reading of 1·5 mm. or under is indicative of osteoporosis, while a smaller incidence is associated with readings of 2 mm. and above. There is significant correlation between thinning of the clavicular cortex and other radiological indications of osteoporosis. Thinning may occasionally point to unsuspected bone disease, in osteomalacia as well as in osteoporosis. As chest radiographs are taken in a high proportion of both outpatients and inpatients, the method has a wide applicability.
Interlinguistic similarity and language death dynamics

We analyze the time evolution of a system of two coexisting languages (Castillian Spanish and Galician, both spoken in northwest Spain) in the framework of a model given by Abrams and Strogatz (Nature 424 (2003) 900). It is shown that, contrary to the model's initial prediction, a stable bilingual situation is possible if the languages in competition are similar enough. Similarity is described with a simple parameter, whose value can be estimated from fits of the data.
Combining Depth Information for Image Retargeting

This paper presents a novel image retargeting approach for ranging cameras. The proposed approach first extracts three feature maps: depth map, saliency map, and gradient map. Then, the depth map and the saliency map are used to separate the main contents and the background and thus compute a map of saliency objects. After that, the proposed approach constructs an importance map which combines the four feature maps by the weighted sum. Finally, the proposed approach constructs the target image using the seam carving method based on the importance map. Unlike previous approaches, the proposed approach preserves the salient object well and maintains the gradient and visual effects in the background. Moreover, it protects the salient object from being destroyed by the seam carving algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed approach performs well in terms of the resized quality.
Modeling the loading and fate of estrogens in wastewater treatment plants

Abstract Endocrine-disrupting compounds may produce infertility, nervous system disorders, and improper functioning of the immune system in humans and wildlife. Estrogens are classified as the most potent and common endocrine-disrupting compounds and the major point source for estrogen is municipal wastewater. Monitoring of estrogen is challenging, expensive, and intermittent; and therefore, the focus of this work is modeling estrone, 17β-estradiol, and 17α-ethynylestradiol concentrations from wastewater treatment plants in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, and Brandon, Manitoba. Demographic groups, excretion rates, population estimates, average daily flows, calculated estrogen transformation, calibration, calculated influent-to-effluent reduction percentages, and a treatment unit removal matrix are used to determine loading estimations of estrogen. Predicted average concentrations for EE2 and E2 in all the study sites exceed the threshold concentrations that could induce vitellogenin production by order of 13 and 2.3, respectively. The results demonstrate reasonable accuracy against previous measurements with r2 values ranging from 0.79 to 0.99 and RMSE values ranging from 0.5 to 9.4 ng/l and findings are consistent with concentrations reported in the literature. Upon further calibration with additional local data, the model may be used as a risk assessment analysis tool for these contaminants of concern.
Labor Regulation and Enterprise Employment in China

Using data from a national survey of Chinese manufacturing firms conducted in 2009, the authors analyze the impact of implementation of China's 2008 labor contract law on the employment of production workers. The authors found that cities with lax prior enforcement of labor regulations experienced a greater increase in enforcement after 2008 and slower employment growth, and that this finding is robust to inclusion of a rich set of city-level controls and the use of alternative measures of enforcement effort. Although firms affected by the global economic crisis did not report less strict enforcement of the new law, there is evidence that their employment adjustment was less sensitive to enforcement of labor regulations than firms not affected by the crisis.
Customer Evaluations of Service Complaint Experiences: Implications for Relationship Marketing

Many companies consider investments in complaint handling as means of increasing customer commitment and building customer loyalty. Firms are not well informed, however, on how to deal successfully with service failures or the impact of complaint handling strategies. In this study, the authors find that a majority of complaining customers were dissatisfied with recent complaint handling experiences. Using justice theory, the authors also demonstrate that customers evaluate complaint incidents in terms of the outcomes they receive, the procedures used to arrive at the outcomes, and the nature of the interpersonal treatment during the process. In turn, the authors develop and test competing hypotheses regarding the interplay between satisfaction with complaint handling and prior experience in shaping customer trust and commitment. The results support a quasi “brand equity” perspective—whereas satisfaction with complaint handling has a direct impact on trust and commitment, prior positive experiences mitigate, to a limited extent, the effects of poor complaint handling. Implications for managers and scholars are discussed.
Risk Profiling through a Behavioral Finance Lens

This piece examines risk profiling through a behavioral finance lens. Behavioral finance attempts to understand and explain actual investor behavior, in contrast to theorizing about investor behavior. It differs from traditional (or standard) finance, which is based on assumptions of how investors and markets should behave. Much has been written about the tension that exists between the willingness to take risk and the ability to take risk. Risk appetite is the willingness to take risk and risk capacity is the ability to take risk. In the behavioral context, risk appetite and risk capacity are defined in terms of known risks and unknown risks. Irrational client behavior often occurs when a client experiences unknown risks. To aid in the advisory process, advisors can use Behavioral Investor Types to help make rapid yet insightful assessments of what type of investor they are dealing with before recommending an investment plan. With a better understanding of behavioral finance vis-a-vis risk taking, practi.
Determination of heavy metal content and lipid profiles in mussel extracts from two sites on the moroccan atlantic coast and evaluation of their biological activities on MIN6 pancreatic cells

Mussels may concentrate pollutants, with possibly significant side effects on human health. Therefore, mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from two sites of the Moroccan Atlantic coast (Jorf Lasfar [JL], an industrial site, and Oualidia [OL], a vegetable‐growing area), were subjected to biochemical analyses to quantify the presence of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, and Pb) and to establish the lipid profile: fatty acid, cholesterol, oxysterol, phytosterol and phospholipid content. In addition, mussel lipid extracts known to accumulate numerous toxic components were tested on murine pancreatic β‐cells (MIN6), and their biological activities were measured with various flow cytometric and biochemical methods to determine their impacts on cell death induction, organelle dysfunctions (mitochondria, lysosomes, and peroxisomes), oxidative stress and insulin secretion. The characteristics of JL and OL lipid extracts were compared with those of commercially available mussels from Spain (SP) used for human consumption. OL and JL contained heavy metals, high amounts of phospholipids, and high levels of oxysterols; the [(unsaturated fatty acids)/(saturated fatty acids)] ratio, which can be considered a sign of environmental stress leading to lipid peroxidation, was low. On MIN6 cells, JL and OL lipid extracts were able to trigger cell death. This event was associated with overproduction of H2O2, increased catalase activity, a decreased GSH level, lipid peroxidation and stimulation of insulin secretion. These effects were not observed with SP lipid extracts. These data suggest that some components from OL and JL lipid extracts might predispose to pancreatic dysfunctions. Epidemiological studies would be needed to assess the global risk on human health and the metabolic disease incidence in a context of regular seafood consumption from the OL and JL areas. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 29: 1245–1261, 2014.
Numerical Investigation on the Evolution of Magnetic Field During the Ablation Processes of Wire Array in $Z$-Pinch

Based on the assumed distribution of plasma flow velocity and temperature, as well as the diameter of wire corona, the magnetic-field evolution during the ablation phase of the wire-array Z -pinch on the 3-MA Angara-5-1 is numerically investigated by means of the rocket model of wire ablation developed by S. V. Lebedev and the 1-D magnetic-field equation. The magnetic-field (current-distribution) evolution process was reproduced, and its changing tendency with the plasma flow velocity and temperature and the corona diameter were revealed. The numerical results show that there generally exist higher magnetic fields and current densities in the precursor column, which are going to be enhanced with the increase of electrical conductivity and plasma flow velocity while to be weakened with the increase of the diameter of the corona and the width of the thermalization layer of the ablated plasma stream, as well as with the decrease of coronal plasma temperature. The plasma in the column consequently tends to exhibit dynamic behavior, such as the experimentally measured contraction, emission, and expansion of precursor column. The current in the precursor column is about a few tens of kiloamperes, and about 5%-10% of the total current takes the path in the precursor plasma at the end of the ablation for the studied current. They would decrease with the increasing diameter of the corona and the decreasing coronal plasma temperature. In the corona region, the magnetic diffusion is dominant, while in the precursor region, particularly in the column, the magnetic convection is dominant. It is found that the corona plasma temperature obviously impacts the current density distribution in the corona region and the precursor one does not.
Preoperative sonographic diagnosis of sealed‐off perforated gastric ulcer

Perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) is a common surgical emergency. Early diagnosis and intervention are necessary to reduce the morbidity and mortality. Radiographic or sonographic detection of free air is neither sensitive nor specific for PPU. We report a case of sealed‐off PPU with direct sonographic demonstration of the perforation tract within the anterior wall of the gastric antrum. The diagnosis was confirmed at laparotomy. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 26:269–271, 1998.
Resonant dipole-dipole interaction in the presence of dispersing and absorbing surroundings

Within the framework of quantization of the macroscopic electromagnetic field, equations of motion and an effective Hamiltonian for treating both the resonant dipole-dipole interaction between two-level atoms and the resonant atom-field interaction are derived, which can suitably be used for studying the influence of arbitrary dispersing and absorbing material surroundings on these interactions. The theory is applied to the study of the transient behavior of two atoms that initially share a single excitation, with special emphasis on the role of the two competing processes of virtual- and real-photon exchange in the energy transfer between the atoms. In particular, it is shown that for weak atom-field interaction there is a time window, where the energy transfer follows a rate regime of the type obtained by ordinary second-order perturbation theory. Finally, it is shown that the resonant dipole-dipole interaction can change the singlet line of the emitted light to a doublet spectrum for weak atom-field interaction and the doublet spectrum to a triplet spectrum for strong atom-field interaction.
Cell death of prostate cancer cells by specific amino acid restriction depends on alterations of glucose metabolism

Selective amino acid restriction targets mitochondria resulting in DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cell death. This study shows that restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine (Tyr/Phe), glutamine (Gln), or methionine (Met) differentially modulates glucose metabolism, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), p53, and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) in these two cell lines. In DU145 cells, Gln and Met restriction increase glucose consumption, but Tyr/Phe restriction does not. Addition of glucose to culture media diminishes cell death induced by Tyr/Phe‐restriction. Addition of pyruvate reduces cell death due to Tyr/Phe and Gln restriction. Tyr/Phe, Gln and Met restriction increase phosphorylation of GSK3β‐Ser9, phosphorylation of p53‐Ser15 and reduce the mitochondrial localization of PDH. Addition of glucose or pyruvate to cultures significantly reverses the alterations in GSK3β, p53 and PDH induced by amino acid restriction. In p53‐null PC3 cells, Tyr/Phe, Gln and Met restriction decreases glucose consumption, reduces phosphorylation of Akt‐Ser473, and increases phosphorylation of GSK3β‐Ser9. Addition of pyruvate or glucose reduces death of Met‐restricted cells. Addition of glucose increases phosphorylation of Akt‐Ser473 in amino acid‐restricted cells reduces phosphorylation of GSK3β‐Ser9 in Tyr/Phe and Gln restricted cells and increases phosphorylation of GSK3β‐Ser9 in Met restricted cells. Addition of pyruvate reduces phosphorylation of GSK3β‐Ser9 in all amino acid‐restricted cells. In summary, cell death induced by specific amino acid restriction is dependent on or closely related to the modulation of glucose metabolism. GSK3β (DU145 and PC3) and p53 (DU145) are crucial switches connecting metabolism and these signaling molecules to cell survival during amino acid restriction. J. Cell. Physiol. 224: 491–500, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Apical myocardial injury caused by collateralisation of a septal artery during ethanol septal ablation

In patients who are refractory to medical treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, surgical myomectomy or percutaneous transluminal alcohol septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) is appropriate, with both the procedures having comparable results. In PTSMA ethanol is selectively injected into septal arteries supplying the hypertrophied septal myocardium. The authors describe a case of apical myocardial injury caused by passage of ethanol into the distal left anterior descending artery through a septal collateral that developed after double bolus injection of ethanol. They advocate single bolus injection of alcohol to avoid this complication.
Empirical Study: Do Fund Managers Herd to Counter Investor Sentiment?

Behavior among investors often influences one another. Investors may forego their own rational analysis but instead adopt behavior that is similar to the group. Recently, several studies note that this herding phenomenon (simultaneously trade the same stocks in the same direction) even exists in the behavior of institutional investors (Choe, Kho, and Stulz, 1999; Grinblatt, Titman, and Wermers, 1995; Kyrolainen and Perttunen, 2003; Lakonishok, Shleifer, and Vishny, 1992; Walter and Weber, 2006; Wermers, 1999; Wylie, 2005). There are three theoretical foundations for explaining institutional investor herding. First, in order to maintain or build a reputation when markets are imperfectly informed, managers may ignore their private information and hide in the herd (Brandenburger and Polak, 1996; Prendergast, 1993; Scharfstein and Stein, 1990; Trueman, 1994; Zwiebel, 1995). Second, managers may infer private information from the prior actions of agents (peer-group effects), and optimally decide to act alike (Bala and Goyal, 1998; Fung and Hsieh, 1999; Pound and Shiller, 1989). Third, institutional investors may receive the correlative private information from analyzing the same indicators (Banerjee, 1992; Bikhchandani, Hirshleifer, and Welch, 1992; Block, French, and Maberly, 2000; Froot, Scharfstein, and Stein, 1992; Hirshleifer, Subrahmanyam, and Titman, 1994) or favoring securities with specific characteristics (Del Guercio, 1996; Falkenstein, 1996; Gompers and Metrick, 2001; Payne, Prather, and Bertin, 1999).
Quantifying the Dynamic Effects of Service Recovery on Customer Satisfaction

This study examines two issues which have challenged prior experimental or survey research: (1) whether the time-varying effects of service recovery on customer satisfaction may follow a long decay or short decay and (2) why and what service recovery efforts have a higher and quicker buildup, with respect to the significance and timing of recovering customer satisfaction losses due to service failures. The authors do so with a real-world data set from China’s mobile phone markets. The authors developed multivariate time-series model to simulate the dynamic service recovery process and implemented Bayesian estimation to resolve overparameterization problem. The empirical results surprisingly reveal that apology-based service recovery efforts are the least effective in salvaging customer satisfaction, with the shortest decay and lowest buildup intensity. In contrast, quality improvement is the most effective, with the highest buildup and longest decay but slowest buildup toward the peak impact point. Compensation has moderate and stable impact overtime. Communications' impact on customer satisfaction builds up the quickest, though with mild endurance and magnitude. Also, the decomposition models enable managers to monitor how many percentages of customer satisfaction gains are originated from which types of service rescue efforts.
Traditional food preferences of tourists in Ghana.

Purpose – Individuals including tourists are known to be selective as to what they consider as appropriate food. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the traditional foods consumed by international tourists during their stay in Ghana, using the Analytical Hierarchical Process Model.Design/methodology/approach – The data used for the study were collected from a random sample of 675 out‐bound international tourists in Ghana at the departure lounge of the Kotoka International Airport between February and March, 2010.Findings – In total, 17 traditional foods were popular among Ghana's international tourists, with red red being the most favoured food whilst impotupotu was the least preferred food. It was concluded that Ghana has the potential to have a thriving local food industry that could be based on the seven topmost foods.Research limitations/implications – As the first description of traditional food preferences among Ghana's international visitors, this study is intended to provide a strong point for.
The effects of executives experiences and perceptions on their assessment of potential technological alliances

Researchers have only begun to provide explanations of how top executives' experiences and perceptions influence organizational decisions. Drawing from a broad theoretical base, this study tests the contention that top executives' personal experiences (age, educational background, and work experience), their perceptions of their firms' attitudes toward technology and risk, and their perceptions regarding their firms' past success with collaborative technological development influence their cognitive assessments of potential technological alliances. Results from the study suggest that top executives with a technical education place more weight on the opportunities provided by the alliance than those with other types of education. Moreover, executives from firms that are perceived to emphasize technology and to have had success with technological alliances in the past tend to focus more on the opportunities provided by the alliance and less on the riskiness of the venture. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Transfer of Stimulus Control across Instrumental Responses is attenuated by Extinction in Human Instru- mental Conditioning

Transfer of behavioral control by a discriminative stimulus (S D ) between different instrumental responses trained with the same outcome has been consistently observed in nonhuman animals, regardless of whether the discriminative stimulus and the instrumental response have undergone extinction. Based on this result, it has been proposed that extinction of nonhuman instrumental learning does not affect S D -outcome associations. Two experiments explored whether this was the case in human instrumental conditioning. Both experiments used a video-game task where participants pressed different colored keys to defend Andalusia from the attack of ships and planes. Key-pressing was reinforced with the destruction of the ship or plane. In Experiment 1 removing the response-contingent outcome extinguished the instrumental response, while responding to a non-extinguished response remained high. As in the animal literature, Experiment 2 found positive transfer of an S D between different responses that produce the same outcome, suggesting the formation of a S D -outcome association in human instrumental conditioning. Contrary to what has been found with nonhuman animals, extinction of the response in the presence of the S
THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS: A SURVEY OF CONNECTIVITY AND VISIBILITY

SUBTITLE: A NEW SURVEY SHOWS THAT MANY COMPANIES STILL RELY ON THE TRADITIONAL METHODS OF COMMUNICATING WITH THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS -- AND IN DOING SO THEY'RE MISSING OUT ON THE ADVANTAGES AFFORDED BY THE NEWER TECHNOLOGY. THE GOOD NEWS: THERE'S STILL TIME TO START LEVERAGING THE RESOURCES NOW AVAILABLE AND GAIN A LEG UP ON THE COMPETITION. THE FRAMEWORK PRESENTED AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE CAN HELP YOU START MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS.