Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumer perceptions of cause related marketing campaigns

Purpose – By replicating two seminal studies on cause‐related marketing (CRM) campaigns, this paper aims to investigate the influence of gender and of donation size on consumer perception of firm behavior, consumer attitude to product, consumer goodwill toward the CRM campaign, consumer perception of the benefit to the NPO, and consumer attitude toward CRM.Design/methodology/approach – An online experiment was conducted with 306 students from a German university to evaluate their responses to a CRM campaign. The presented campaign supported a German children's charity, and varied with regard to donation size.Findings – Consumer perception of firm behavior, consumer goodwill toward the CRM campaign, and consumer attitude to product vary significantly by gender. Donation size has a significant influence on consumer goodwill toward the CRM campaign and on consumer perception of the benefit to the NPO. The impact of donation size is rooted in external perceptions, and partly moderated by gender.Research limit.
Development of Robust Multivariate Calibration Models

Multivariate calibration is frequently used for the quantitative analysis of a wide variety of materials using spectroscopy in the agricultural and food industries, manufacturing industries, medical sciences, and pharmaceutical industries. To date, most of the research activities in the multivariate calibration literature have focused on data analysis for model building and prediction with methods such as principal-components regression or partial least squares regression. As an alternative to focusing on data-analytic activities, we consider the ability of an experimental design to improve the robustness of the resulting calibration model. Through an example involving diffuse reflectance measurements, we illustrate how consideration of environmental and instrumental factors during the experimental design phase can result in a calibration model that is robust (against natural environmental and instrument variations) and easy to maintain. In this example, the analyte of interest produces a spectroscopic signal that is very weak in comparison to the environmental and instrumental factors.
A cross-cultural study of leadership attitudes in three Baltic sea region countries

This study adds to previous research on the influence of national cultural values on leadership attitudes and introduces new findings for three countries Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland. The attitudes of managers and employees toward various aspects of leadership in these three geographically and historically similar countries are, in fact, different. Significant differences were found across countries on the following variables: control, supervision, view toward authority, commitment, decision type, initiative, preferred leader orientation, and leadership style. It is revealed that differences in attitudes are closely related to differences in country positions on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. This study provides interesting cues for managers working in the region.
A market-based Virtual Power Plant

The fast growing penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and the continuing trend towards a more liberalized electricity market requires more efficient energy management strategies to handle both emerging technical and economic issues. In this paper, a market-based Virtual Power Plant (MBVPP) model is proposed which provides individual DER units the accesses to current electricity markets. General bidding scenario and price signal scenario as two optional operation scenarios are operated by one MBVPP. In the end, a use case of a MBVPP with micro Combined Heat and Power (µCHP) systems demonstrates the potential benefits and operation scenarios of the MBVPP model.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN ROMANIA: FROM REGULATION TO IMPLEMENTATION

In Romania, the requirements on corporate governance are relatively recent compared to other member-states of the European Union, as they have been introduced in the national legislation since 2006. The objective of the present study is to assess the implementation, at this initial level, of the current relevant regulations. For this purpose, the research aimed at investigating the opinions of the Romanian public interest entities regarding the forms of control/audit applied in these entities and to point out the corporate governance practices in these entities with a precisely defined legal status. The study was carried out in 2009 and is based on empirical research methods. The questionnaires that were launched, collected, processed and analyzed were answered by representative public interest entities such as credit institutions, non-banking financial institutions, private pension funds, listed entities, national companies and societies.
Becoming respectable: low-income young mothers, consumption and the pursuit of value

ABSTRACT Teenage mothers find themselves caught between two discourses: the irresponsibility of youth and the responsibility of motherhood. We unravel some of the complexities surrounding the performance of socially approved ‘good mothering’, from a social position of restricted resources. We demonstrate the relevance of Skeggs’ notion of respectability in order to forge a deeper understanding of how young, low-income new mothers seek to secure social value and legitimacy via the marketplace. We identify a number of consumption strategies centred around identification and dis-identification, yet we recognise that young mothers’ careful marshalling of resources, in relation to consumption, risks being misread and could leave young women open to further scrutiny and negative evaluation, ultimately limiting their opportunity to secure a legitimate maternal identity.
In search for methodology for the collection and evaluation of farmers' indigenous environmental knowledge

Many of the conventional geographical methods of eliciting indigenous information from farmers are often unsuitable. Therefore this article suggests that pre-testing and evaluation of the conventional methods of eliciting information need to be conducted. Attempt was made particularly to search for the appropriate method of collecting and evaluating farmers' indigenous environmental knowledge in developing countries. The article concludes that information about farmers' knowledge of their environment in developing countries can not be obtained using a 'single-method' approach. An 'integrated-data-acquisition' technique is thereby considered as the appropriate method, the choice of which will largely depend on the researchers' understanding of the people's cultural characteristics, perception and decision-making process.
The Rise and Fall of Securitization

The rise and fall of nontraditional securitizations—collateralized debt obligations and mortgagebacked securities backed by nonprime loans—played a central role in the financial crisis. Little is known, however, about the factors that drove the pre-crisis surge in investor demand for these products. Examining insurance companies’ and mutual funds’ holdings of fixed income securities, we find evidence suggesting that both agency problems and neglected risks played an important role in driving investor demand for nontraditional securitizations prior to crisis. We also use our holdings data to shed light on the factors that drove the dramatic collapse of securitization markets beginning in mid-2007. Contrary to conventional crisis narratives, we find little evidence of widespread fire sales. Instead, our evidence is more consistent with the idea that a self-amplifying buyers’ strike drove the dramatic collapse of securitization markets.
Directional characteristics of action potential propagation in cardiac muscle. A model study.

Propagation of an elliptic excitation wave front was studied in a two-dimensional model of a thin sheet of cardiac muscle. The sheet model of 2.5 x 10 mm consisted of a set of 100 parallel cables coupled through a regular array of identical transverse resistors. The membrane dynamics was represented by a modified Beeler-Reuter model. We defined the charging factor (CF) to represent by a single number the proportion of input current used to charge the membrane locally below threshold and showed that CF is inversely correlated with the time constant of the foot of the action potential (tau foot) during propagation on a cable. A safety factor of propagation (SF) was also defined for the upstroke of the action potential, with SF directly correlated with the maximum rate of depolarization (Vmax) and, for cablelike propagation, with propagation velocity. Propagation along the principal longitudinal axis of the elliptic wave front is cablelike but, in comparison with a flat wave front, transverse current flow provides a drag effect that somewhat reduces the propagation velocity, Vmax, SF, and CF. With a longitudinal-to-transverse velocity ratio of 3:1 or more, the wave front propagating along the principal transverse axis is essentially flat and is characterized by multiple collisions between successive pairs of input junctions on a given cable; Vmax, SF, and CF are larger than for longitudinal propagation, but CF is no longer correlated with tau foot. There are transient increases in propagation velocity and Vmax with distance from the stimulation site along both principal axes until stablized values are achieved, and a similar transient decrease in tau foot. Away from the principal axes, the action potential characteristics change progressively along the elliptic wave front. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Enhanced TID Susceptibility in Sub-100 nm Bulk CMOS I/O Transistors and Circuits

This paper evaluates the radiation responses of 2.5 V I/O transistors and regular-threshold MOSFETs from a 90 nm commercial bulk CMOS technology. The data obtained from Co ionizing radiation experiments indicate enhanced TID susceptibility in I/O devices and circuits, which is attributed to the p-type body doping. A quantitative model is used to analyze the effects of doping and oxide trapped charge buildup along the sidewall of the shallow trench isolation oxide. These effects are captured in the general electrostatic equation for surface potential, which can be correlated to off-state leakage current. Device simulations are used in concert with experimental measurements and the analytical model to provide physical insight into the radiation response of each device type.
Conjugation in Escherichia coli: Interactions Affecting Recombination Frequencies for Markers Situated at the Leading End of the Donor Chromosome

Experiments have been performed to test the validity of a model which relates low recovery of very early donor markers in recombinants to the presence of sex-factor deoxyribonucleic acid at the leading end of donor deoxyribonucleic acid transferred by conjugation. This model has been found to be incorrect. The results obtained do not rule out the possibility that a piece of sex factor is transferred at the leading end, but indicate, however, that if this occurs it is not the cause of the low recovery of a very early donor marker.
Some nonexistence results for higher-order evolution inequalities in cone-like domains

Nonexistence of global (positive) solutions of semilinear higherorder evolution inequalities ∂ku ∂tk −∆u ≥ |u|, ∂ ku ∂tk −∆u ≥ |x|u, ∂ ku ∂tk − div (|x|Du) ≥ u with k = 1, 2, . , in cone-like domains is studied. The critical exponents q∗ are found and the nonexistence results are proved for 1 < q ≤ q∗. Remark that the corresponding result for k = 1 (parabolic problem) is sharp.
Origin of the SET Kinetics of the Resistive Switching in Tantalum Oxide Thin Films

In this letter, we discuss the kinetics of the resistive switch effect in tantalum oxide thin films. The time to switch from the high resistance state to the low resistance state (SET) was measured by using pulse measurement technique. It was found that the SET switching time has a clear relationship with the power of the leakage current flowing under the applied voltage before the SET. Although the dependence of the SET time on the applied voltage differ from cell to cell, this relationship is universal among the different cells. This implies that the Joule heating effect is the dominant driving factor of the SET, rather than the applied voltage. In addition, this relationship can account for the faster switching speed at an elevated temperature.
The quality of family interactions and marital satisfaction from pregnancy to the child’s age of 10 years: A preliminary report.

Family-level interactions became over last years one of the main focus of developmental and clinical research in developmental psychology and psychopathology. Since the demonstration of the emergence of triadic competences at the child’s 12 weeks of life, the role of triadic interactions in family functioning have been observed from different theoretical and methodological approaches, usually focusing on newborn families and the early infancy of the child. In this work, we will present a preliminary report about the development of the quality of family interactions and marital satisfaction, from pregnancy to the child’s age of 10 years. Family interactions were assessed on 14 non-referred families using the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP) paradigm and marital adjustment was assessed using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Results show that family interactions improve from pregnancy until the 9 month and then remain stable until school age. The mother’s perception of marital satisfaction, instead, continuously decreases over time.
Deposit Insurance Adoption and Bank Risk-Taking : an Empirical Investigation

Explicit deposit insurance scheme is a crucial ingredient of modern financial safety nets. This paper investigates the eect of deposit insurance adoption on individual bank risk-taking. Using a panel of banks across 118 countries during the period 1988-2010, I find that bank risk-taking significantly increases after deposit insurance adoption. This increase in bank risk-taking is largely driven by an increase in leverage risk : introduction of deposit guarantees significantly reduces bank capital buer. This paper also addresses important identification issues. Notably, simultaneous changes in banking regulation appear unlikely to explain this increase in risk-taking.
Vasopressin V2 receptor mutants that cause X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus: analysis of expression, processing, and function.

We investigated the biochemical and functional properties of five vasopressin V2 receptor mutants (L44F, L44P, W164S, S167L, and S167T) that were recently described in families with a history of X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. COS.M6 cells transfected with cDNA encoding these mutants acquired < 4% specific [3H]arginine vasopressin (AVP) binding sites on the cell surface in comparison with cells transfected with cDNA coding for the wild-type receptor. Membrane preparations from COS.M6 cells or human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing these mutants did not respond with an increase in adenylyl cyclase activity in response to AVP, which is in contrast to membranes from cells expressing the wild-type. By analyzing fusion proteins of the V2 receptor and Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase attached to the carboxyl terminus of the receptor moiety, we found that the mutants L44P, W164S, S167L, and S167T lacked complex glycosylation and were expressed at low levels. The data suggest that the mutants L44P, W164S, S167T, and S167L are misfolded and therefore retained within the endoplasmic reticulum and degraded. In contrast, the fusion proteins carrying the mutant L44F and the in vitro mutant S167A were expressed in their mature form at wild-type levels; however, only the mutant S167A was functionally active. Site-directed mutagenesis of S167 revealed that elimination of the endogenous hydroxyl group (S167A) yielded a protein with properties identical to those of the wild-type receptor, whereas both the introduction of a methyl group (S167T) and the replacement of the hydroxyl group by an isopropyl group (S167L) profoundly disturbed receptor processing. The data show that minute changes at codon 167 nearly abolish expression of a mature protein, thus defining structural requirements of this codon.
Vocational education and training in small ethnic minority businesses in the UK

Purpose – This paper seeks to investigate the provision of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Small Ethnic Minority Businesses (SEMBs) operating in the West Midlands region of the UK.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach is employed, involving in‐depth, face‐to‐face interviews with 66 owner/managers of small ethnic minority businesses located in the West Midlands region of the UK. The research sample included 26 graduate entrepreneurs and 40 non‐graduate respondents.Findings – Most of the SEMB owner/managers in this study exhibited a positive attitude towards VET. A large proportion of the respondents, however, admitted not to have provided any training during the previous 18 months of trading. Training provision appears to be affected by both “directly” and “indirectly” relevant factors. The majority of the SEMB owner/managers in the research sample do not have specific human resource strategies, audits, plans or related budgets, and training was offered largely on a reactive rathe.
Management Control in Nonprofit Organizations

I. INTRODUCTION 1. The Management Control Function 2. Characteristics of Nonprofit Organizations II. MANAGEMENT CONTROL PRINCIPLES 3. General Purpose Financial Statements 4. Analyzing Financial Statements 5. Full-Cost Accounting 6. Measurement and Use of Differential Costs 7. Pricing Decisions III. MANAGEMENT CONTROL SYSTEMS 8. The Management Control Environment 9. Programming and Program Analysis 10. Operations Budgeting 11, Control of Operations 12. Measurement of Output 13. Reporting on Performance: Technical Aspects 14. Reporting on Performance: Management Control Reports 15. Operations Analysis and Program Evaluation 16.Management Control Systems in Context Appendix: Answers to Practice Cases
Integrated Marketing Communications: Practice Leads Theory

ABSTRACT In the last 20 years, the integration of marketing functions has moved from theory to practice. Its specific applications may vary from market to market—indeed, from enterprise to enterprise—but integrated marketing communications (IMC) programs have become standard for marketing organizations, agencies, and the academic community. A review of the best IMC advertising and public relations practices in the United States, Korea, and Great Britain, however, reveals not just cultural divergence in adoption and practice, but also underlying weaknesses regarding IMC as a process and practice. The findings support the need to focus future IMC research within client organizations.
The influence of institutions on organizational performance via network structure

This research focusses on the influence of institutions on organizational performance via network structure. Two meta-hypotheses are tested: (1) institutions influence network structures and (2) network structures influence organizational performance. By applying the idea of institutions and organizations to the Open Source (OS) community, it is expected that restrictiveness of licenses influence the network structure of OS projects, and network structure influences processand outcome-based performance of OS projects. Empirical analyses are performed using the SourceForge database, a compilation of more than 30,000 active OS projects. The theories of Burt (2000, 2005) and Coleman (1990) are used in explaining the influence of levels of brokerage and closure as indicators of network structure. Findings show that restrictiveness of licenses is a negative predictor of both levels of brokerage and closure. Furthermore, levels of brokerage predict higher levels of both process-based and outcome-based performance. Levels of closure show no distinct pattern in explaining performance of OS projects. Higher levels of process-based performance are an indicator of higher overall performance outcomes. The findings are broadly consistent with our theoretical framework.
New aspects of viral necrotizing retinitis in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE To report the clinical, angiographic, and tomographic features of an adult patient with bilateral occlusive vasculitis and necrotizing retinitis preceding the onset of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis by 3 years. METHODS Observational case report. RESULTS A 39-year-old white man presented with sudden onset of decreased vision in his left eye. The patient reported a history of right visual loss 3 years ago after an episode of retinal vasculitis of unknown origin. At presentation, left fundus examination showed sensory retinal detachment and retinal hemorrhages in the left macula. Fluorescein angiography revealed occlusive vasculitis. Two weeks later, several circumscribed lesions of necrotizing retinitis appeared in the macula and in the midperiphery after a centrifugal linear pattern from the optic nerve. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography demonstrated focal areas of moth-eaten disorganization of the ganglion cell and nuclear layers with a spreading from the inner layers to the outer layers. CONCLUSION This unusual case of adult-onset subacute sclerosing panencephalitis may help improve our knowledge regarding the mechanism of retinal involvement in this disease. Clinical and tomographic findings suggest a continuous transneuronal spread of the measles virus from ganglion cells to the photoreceptor cells.
Population ecology and fishery of Cittarium pica (Gastropoda: Trochidae) on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

The West Indian Topshell Cittarium pica is artisanally collected on rocky shores along the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. There are neither data on the state of its exploitation nor exist any regulation of the fishery From October 2000 to March 2001, the population dynamics of this species were studied at an unexploited and two exploited sites to determine the present impact of the fishery on the resource. Average population density with 14 ind. /m2 about three times higher at the unexploited than at the exploited sites. Length-frequency histograms showed a strong shift towards smaller specimens at the exploited sites, which is also reflected in significantly higher rates of total mortality (Z = 4.05 and 4.47) when compared to the unexploited site (Z = 1.47). Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated as k = 0.19-0.28 (yr-1) and L infinity = 104 mm. No significant differences were found among sites. From these values a range of the growth performance index phi was computed (phi = 3.31-3.48) which lies at the lower end of the values reported for other tropical marine gastropods. The size at first maturity for both sexes combined was estimated as 29.20 +/- 1.14 mm. Exploitation rates > 0.6 for both exploited sites and a large fraction of small specimens (< 30 mm) in the catches suggest overexploitation and recruitment overfishing. Based on the estimated maximum sustainable yield we recommend regulative measures for the fishery such as a control of a minimum landing size of 40 mm and a closure of the fishery during its reproductive period (from July to November).