Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Customer Satisfaction and Implied Cost of Equity: Moderating Effects of Product Market Conditions and Chief Marketing Officer

A handful of prior marketing studies have examined the impact of customer satisfaction (CS) on the cost of equity (COE). These studies have estimated the COE using the ex post proxy (e.g., stock market beta) that may be susceptible to market fluctuations. Going beyond the conventional COE approach, we thus reestimate the effect of CS on COE, measured by the more robust ex ante expected returns (implied cost of equity [ICE]). Furthermore, we examine whether this relationship is subject to both external (product market conditions) and internal (chief marketing officer [CMO] presence) factors. Using 753 firm-year observations in the period 2000–2014, we find that firms with high satisfaction ratings have lower equity financing costs. The significant moderating effects of product market conditions and the presence of a CMO in firms are also observed. The negative relationship becomes weaker under conditions of greater product market competition and demand uncertainty, but stronger when a firm has a CMO in its senior management. Our findings provide useful insights for managers who need to justify and refine their marketing strategies in respect of CS to acquire a firm’s required level of equity financing costs. In addition, we highlight the importance of CMOs as significant contributors to the COE reduction. The results are also useful for investors when valuing a firm through the COE.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Is serum magnesium level a risk factor for its acute exacerbation?

Background: Determination of modifiable risk factors for treatment and prevention of acute chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation is very crucial. Therefore, the present study determined the role of serum magnesium level in acute COPD exacerbation. Methods: This prospective study involved 100 patients with an exacerbation of COPD. Demographic data were collected for all the patients, and serum magnesium (Mg2+) levels were determined at two different time intervals. These patients were given standard treatment for COPD. All the patients were followed up after one month and later at three-month intervals for one year. Results: Majority (72%) of the patients had serum Mg2+<1.7 mg/dL and the odds of hypomagnesemia was 6.54 times more during exacerbations than when they had stable COPD during follow-up. Patients with serum Mg2+<1.7 mg/dL had 9.34 times higher risk of an increased number of acute exacerbations. A significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in the mean serum Mg2+ levels and number of COPD exacerbations among patients with hypomagnesemia at different stages of COPD. Conclusion: Low serum magnesium level during acute exacerbation is correlated with the increased frequency of acute exacerbation in COPD.
Investigating Online Impulse Buying Behavior In South Asian Context

Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) paradigm this study focuses on online sales promotion, impulse buying tendency and social influence to examine online impulsive buying behavior of online customers of Pakistan. The study further assesses the mediating role of urge to buy impulsively on the relationship of sales promotion, impulse buying tendency, social influence and online impulse buying behavior. A total 576 questionnaires were distributed to students from four universities of using convenience sampling technique. The study has used SPSS (version 21.0) and PLS-SEM (version 3.2.8) for analyzing data at 0.05 critical level. According to the analysis results all the factors including sales promotion, impulse buying tendency and social influence significant influence on online impulse buying behavior. Results revealed the positive impact of targeted constructs on online impulse buying behavior with mediating role of urge to buy impulsively.The study adds new theoretical linkages and empirical evidences on the interaction between by sales promotion, impulse buying tendency, social influence and online impulse buying behavior with theoretical support of S-O-R Model. Moreover, this study is useful for e-marketers in assisting them to develop appropriate policies and customer-driven strategies by addressing customer’s online impulse buying behavior in south Asian context.
The impact of off-farm activities on rural households’ food security status in Western Ethiopia: The case of Dibatie district

Abstract This paper was analyzed the impact of off-farm activities on food security status of rural households in the Dibatie district of the Bebishangul Gumuz region. The study was used in a simple random sampling technique to select respondent households with proportionate sample size based on the number of households exist in sampled kebele administrations. The primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and key informants’ interview. Both descriptive statistics and econometric model (an endogenous switching probit) were used to analyze this data at household levels. This model accounts for selection bias resulting from unobserved factors that potentially affect both household’s participation and food security outcomes and also the model shows the counterfactual case of food security outcomes. Food security index is used to measure the food security status of sample households based on average kCal/day/adult equivalent. The result of this study revealed that about 59.4% of the households were food secure and 40.6% of households were food insecure. And also, about 55.4% of the households were off-farm participants and 44.6% of households were off-farm non-participants. Moreover, computing switch_probit command, the impacts of participant household have higher probability of food security status as compared with the counterfactual case of non-participants. In addition, the model result shows that variables such as household size, distance to the nearest market, age of household head, education level of household head, special skill, utilization of formal credit, access to electricity and frequency of extension contact were found to have a significant influence on off-farm participation. Finally, the study suggesting that the interventions designed to promote farmers participating in off-farm activities that are made to increase food security status at the household level in the study area. This is because there could be increased productivity effects in this off-farm economy, better agricultural linkages and indeed, stronger structural transformation of the rural economy.
External Procedural Justice: Do Just Supervisors Shape Officer Trust and Willingness to Take the Initiative With the Public?

Decades of empirical research have shaped our understanding of organizational justice in the workplace and public assessments of police procedures on the street, but only recently has a nascent wave of research sought to better understand the role that officer perceptions of supervisory procedural justice play in shaping their (un)fair interactions with the public. The nascent research testing this relationship has focused on the evidence that officer perceptions of trust in the public is a pathway between internal procedural justice and external procedural justice. This article tests the role of trust and a parallel pathway that incorporates the concepts of work engagement and personal initiative in the procedural justice literature. Relying on a survey of 638 Croatian police officers, this study finds that the effect of supervisory procedural justice on officers’ external procedural justice is positive but indirect through a measure of trust in the public and the proposed engagement/initiative mechanism. The implications of these findings for research and police practice are discussed.
An SBR System With a High Flocculent Biomass Concentration

Nitrification/denitrification processes at high flocculent biomass concentrations (11.6-13.4 g L -1 ) were studied in pilot Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). Optimal operating conditions for maximal nitrogen elimination efficiency were as follows: organic loading of 0.9 g COD L -1 d -1 , nitrogen loading of 0.11 gN L -1 d -1 , MLSS of 12 g L -1 and SRT of 52 days. Medium sized sludge flocs (0.1-0.4 mm) with excellent settle ability (SVI = 27 mL g -1 ) were formed during the experiment. Volumetric nitrogen removal rate of 90 mg NL -1 d -1 was achieved, which is twice as much as in SBR operating at low MLSS of 3.5 gL -1 and low SRT of 21 days. This process offers an attractive option for the treatment of highly polluted wastewaters with lower investment and operating costs.
Simplified manufacturing of advanced microstructured fibers for laser applications

In this work, we present a simplified method for manufacturing microstructured optical fibers, which was applied for an Yb-doped pentagonal large pitch fiber (LPF). Instead of using the classical stack & draw technique, which can become time-consuming and delicate, we used a one-step structuring of the cladding via deep-hole drilling in glass. The Ybdoped core was also realized in one-step by gas phase doping via MCVD. Additional nanostructuring steps of the core material were redundant due to the high radial homogeneity of the refractive index achieved, matched with high precision to the refractive index of the glass cladding. Numerical simulations were used to verify the method and analyze the scaling of the fiber towards larger mode field diameters, which is crucial for further scaling the power in fiber lasers.
Polymorphisms of Methylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFRC677T and A1298C) and Probable Depression in Postpartum Period in South Indian Women

Background: Two common variants of Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) are C677T and A1298C, which have been associated with general depression. Main objective of the study was to explore how these functional polymorphisms of MTHFR gene associate with the risk to develop postpartum depression. Method: 434 women were recruited in a study period of 3 years (January 2014 to December 2017) in a tertiary care centre. EPDS was administered at 6 weeks postpartum, with a cut-off score of ≥10 to define probable postpartum depression. Plasma was used for the estimation of circulating vitamin B12 metabolites and whole blood for extraction of DNA. Real time PCR using Taqman probes was used for genotyping the proposed SNP’s. Results: T allele of MTHFR C677T was associated with the risk of probable PPD (p = 0.024, OR = 1.67; 95% CI: 1.06-2.62) and presence of suicidal ideations in these women (p<0.001, OR = 2.90; 95% CI: 1.61-5.24). Haplotype 677T-1298A was associated with both the risk of probable PPD (p = 0.029, OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.05-2.64) and suicidal ideations (p <0.001, OR = 2.933; 95% CI: 1.60-5.35), whereas 677C-1298A was protective against suicidal ideations (p = 0.011; OR = 0.558; 95% CI: 0.35-0.88). Women with risk allele T were also associated with higher levels of circulating holotranscobalamin levels, and lower levels of vitamin B12, whereas risk allele C of A1298C had lower levels of holotranscobalamin. Limitations: Cross-sectional studyConclusion: Polymorphic variants of MTHFR gene might indicate susceptibility to develop probable depression in postpartum period. SignificanceMTHFR C677T has been widely reported in the literature to be associated with general depression. The association of this variant in susceptibility to develop postpartum depression is not widely studied. We observed T allele of MTHFR C677T to be associated with the risk of to develop depression and suicidal ideation in postpartum period. Higher levels of MMA and holotranscobalamin, and lower levels of vitamin B12 were associated with T allele of MTHFR C677T. Polymorphic variants of MTHFR gene might indicate susceptibility to develop depression in postpartum period.
Antimicrobial Activity of Vitex Negundo Linn. (Nirgundi) Leaves Extract

Background: Drug resistance to human pathogenic bacteria has been commonly reported from all over the world in recent years. Therefore there arises a need to develop alternative antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. Aims: To evaluate the antimicrobial potential of Vitex negundo Linn. (Nirgundi) leaf in vitro on both gram positive and gram negative organism. Material and Methods: Antimicrobial activity of ethanol extract of Vitex negundo Linn. leaves was carried out by adopting well diffusion method upon pure culture of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC- 25923) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC- 27736) bacteria procured from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). In the present study the concentration of 20 mg/ml, 40 mg/ml, 60 mg/ml, 80 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml of leaf extract was used. Results: The result showed the antimicrobial activities against all the above bacterial pathogens studied. The maximum zone of inhibition observed for S. aureus was 15 mm at the concentration of 80 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml and for E. coli and K. pneumoniae maximum ZOI noted was 12 mm and 11 mm at 100 mg/ml concentration respectively. Conclusion: The results suggested that the leaf extract of Vitex negundo Linn. indeed possessed signican't antimicrobial activity against all the bacteria tested but the effect was greater towards S aureus.
Child Development Knowledge and Father Engagement: The Mediating Role of Parenting Self-efficacy

Early father engagement is associated with numerous positive child outcomes including cognitive development, emotional regulation, and fewer problem behaviors. Various fathering programs attempt to encourage father engagement through teaching fathers about young children’s development and needs. This study examined 181 low-income fathers’ child development knowledge (self-perceived and objective) as predictors of father engagement (verbal stimulation, caregiving, and physical play) with infants. Additionally, parenting self-efficacy (PSE) was examined as a mediator. Results revealed that fathers’ self-perceived child development knowledge positively predicted engagement with infants (verbal stimulation and caregiving), but objective knowledge did not. PSE did not mediate the relationship between self-perceived knowledge and father engagement. These findings yield important implications for fathering research and interventions, suggesting that it may be particularly beneficial to increase fathers’ confidence in their ability to understand and meet their child’s needs rather than exclusively focusing on improving fathers’ knowledge of child development.
Detection of tuberculosis hotspots using spatial interpolation method in Mysuru district, Karnataka

Identification of tuberculosis (TB) affected sectors always keeps a check over the transmission in urban regions. Despite adequate therapy, the rate of infection is constant for decades in these regions. Information in residential address and identified TB affected sectors need accordance as per the studies by the researchers. In particular, as an intervention method, geographic information system (GIS) tools on TB epidemiology reveal significant geographical heterogeneity of TB spread in the region. The heterogeneous TB patterns in the local region is due to the person to person disease spread. Due to ongoing person-to-person transmission, TB represents heterogeneous spatial patterns with the local aggregation of cases. Many studies on the combination of TB patients based on their residential address and TB infection sites lack accordance. This study aimed to identify TB incidence using the geospatial features in the reported cases of Mysuru district, in Karnataka. The TB spatial epidemiology in Mysuru district was aimed in a defined geographical area which was deciphered by application of GIS (ArcGIS 10.2.2 demo version) with inverse distance weighted interpolation technique. Based on the reported cases, hotspots reveal, the uneven distribution of TB cases was noticed in Mysuru district. Incidence based spatial analysis suggested possible TB transmission sites and its dynamics in urban areas of Mysuru. Implementing these strategies could be useful for detecting the distribution of TB that can be targeted for screening and initiating the treatment regimen which interrupts the transmission and reduces TB incidence.
Measuring the Casimir Forces with an Adhered Cantilever: Analysis of Roughness and Background Effects

Technological progress has made possible precise measurements of the Casimir forces at distances less than 100 nm. It has enabled stronger constraints on the non-Newtonian forces at short separations and improved control of micromechanical devices. Experimental information on the forces below 30 nm is sparse and not precise due to pull-in instability and surface roughness. Recently, a method of adhered cantilever was proposed to measure the forces at small distances, which does not suffer from the pull-in instability. Deviation of the cantilever from a classic shape carries information on the forces acting nearby the adhered end. We calculate the force between a flat cantilever and rough Au plate and demonstrate that the effect of roughness dominates when the bodies approach the contact. Short-distance repulsion operating at the contact is included in the analysis. Deviations from the classic shape due to residual stress, inhomogeneous thickness of the cantilever, and finite compliance of the substrate are analysed. It is found that a realistic residual stress gives a negligible contribution to the shape, while the finite compliance and inhomogeneous thickness give measurable contributions that have to be subtracted from the raw data.
Mechanisms driving plant functional trait variation in a tropical forest

Abstract Plant functional trait variation in tropical forests results from taxonomic differences in phylogeny and associated genetic differences, as well as, phenotypic plastic responses to the environment. Accounting for the underlying mechanisms driving plant functional trait variation is important for understanding the potential rate of change of ecosystems since trait acclimation via phenotypic plasticity is very fast compared to shifts in community composition and genetic adaptation. We here applied a statistical technique to decompose the relative roles of phenotypic plasticity, genetic adaptation, and phylogenetic constraints. We examined typically obtained plant functional traits, such as wood density, plant height, specific leaf area, leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf dry mass content, leaf nitrogen content, and leaf phosphorus content. We assumed that genetic differences in plant functional traits between species and genotypes increase with environmental heterogeneity and geographic distance, whereas trait variation due to plastic acclimation to the local environment is independent of spatial distance between sampling sites. Results suggest that most of the observed trait variation could not be explained by the measured environmental variables, thus indicating a limited potential to predict individual plant traits from commonly assessed parameters. However, we found a difference in the response of plant functional traits, such that leaf traits varied in response to canopy‐light regime and nutrient availability, whereas wood traits were related to topoedaphic factors and water availability. Our analysis furthermore revealed differences in the functional response of coexisting neotropical tree species, which suggests that endemic species with conservative ecological strategies might be especially prone to competitive exclusion under projected climate change.
Home Dispossession and Commercial Real Estate Dispossession in Tourist Conurbations. Analyzing the Reconfiguration of Displacement Dynamics in Los Cristianos/Las Américas (Tenerife)

Since the onset of the global financial crisis, urban dwellers face an increasing number of obstacles in establishing themselves on the housing market. Against this backdrop, this paper addresses the variegated dynamics of real estate dispossession in the tourist conurbation Los Cristianos/Las Americas on an intra-urban scale. First, I will present the spatio-temporal patterns of dispossession for the period 2001–2015 using the ATLANTE database (CGPJ). Specifically, I analyze mortgage foreclosures and tenant evictions, both for residential and commercial spaces. Second, I delve deeper into local experiences of dispossession of the resident population and their housing and income conditions by means of questionnaires that I conducted in 2018. The data shows that mortgage foreclosures and dispossessions of residential spaces predominate the initial years after the crisis, albeit with varied spatial incidence. However, the increase in tenant evictions from 2014 onwards points to a reconfiguration of displacement dynamics. Indeed, as stated by the interviewees, staggeringly high rent burdens have become the main driver for displacement from both living and working spaces in recent years. Given the ongoing global pandemic, further and more nuanced research is necessary to grasp how these prevailing housing insecurities are shaped during and beyond the coronavirus crisis.
Viable Airborne and Deposited Microorganisms inside the Historical Museum of Crete

ABSTRACT Measurements of viable ambient microbial levels and of microbial deposits on surfaces were performed in the Historical Museum of Crete for a period of two years. The concentrations of airborne microbes in museum rooms showed a considerable variability, which is mainly related to indoor activities (such as the number of visitors), the regulation of the indoor environmental conditions and air exchange rate, the chemical composition and conservation treatment of the exhibits, as well as the cleaning and storage conditions. An enrichment of acid producing bacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, and autotrophic chemolithotrophic bacteria was encountered indoors. A considerable decrease of the measured viable microbes was measured after the deployment of photocatalytic ionizers in the different indoor sites ranging from 5.5 % to 76 %. The use of photocatalytic ionizers improved the air quality by reducing mainly the presence of acid producing bacteria, which may cause the deterioration of cultural heritage objects. The microbial colonization on 24 different painting materials and surfaces of model essays, without the use of any preservation treatment, was examined for an exposure period of 18 months. The results from the bacterial deposition on paintings showed a gradual colonization, specific to the materials and surfaces, in concentrations ranging from 10 to 300,000 CFU cm-2. Although airborne fungi were measured in the exhibition rooms (yearly average concentration: 143 ± 115 CFU m-3), no growth of fungi could be detected on the majority of the used painting materials of the model essays. Very slow fungal surface colonization could be only determined on tempera, charcoal, wax pastel, and carton board in low concentrations ranging from 70 to 200 CFU cm-2.