Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modern Slavery as a Management Practice: Exploring the Conditions and Capabilities for Human Exploitation

Scant attention has been paid to the phenomenon of modern slavery in the management literature. This article redresses this by identifying modern slavery as a management practice comprising exploiting/insulating capabilities and sustaining/shaping capabilities. I present a model specifying how these microorganization-level capabilities enable enterprises that deploy slavery to take advantage of the macroinstitutional conditions that permit the practice to flourish in the face of widespread illegality and illegitimacy. I then advance potential implications for management theory and suggestions for further theoretical and empirical research.
Bridging Interference Barriers in Self-Organized Synchronization

We consider self-organized synchronization in a wireless network, in a setting where there may be transmissions in the network interfering with the reception of synchronization pulses. Persistent existence of interference may prevent synchronization pulses from being heard, which potentially divides the network to multiple connected components separated by interference barriers. We investigate methods to coordinate the synchronization transmission and/or reception strategies within connected components, so that they may grow by bridging barriers. Symmetry in the self-organized connected component growth is broken by synchronization IDs, with a resolution mechanism allowing a finite ID space. Simulation results in a random network with distance-dependent path loss a represented. The coordination methods increase the probability of convergence from multiple connected components to a single connected component covering the whole network significantly.
First-principles study on electronic and optical characteristics of zinc vanadate photocatalyst

There are some key requirements for a semiconductor employed as photo-catalyst in photoelectrochemical cells which can be predicted by density functional theory (DFT) calculations providing a robust framework to monitor electronic and optical properties. To explore the requiredcharacteristicsfor solar applications, we perform first-principles calculations based on DFT for Zn2V2O7structure. The results illustrate an upper valence band incorporating almost exclusively of O 2p orbitals, while V 3d states are the main constituents of the conduction band, with a moderate mobility of charge carriers. Furthermore, optical calculations display an indirect band gap with a value of 2.52 eV and a mean absorption coefficient about 7×104 cm-1 in the UV-Vis range.
Participatory Multiple Objective Decision Making Processes: Emerging Approaches with New Challenges

Introduction For effective watershed management, data, technology and science need to be integrated with social, environmental and economic elements while recognising spatial and temporal variability. In Queensland, Australia, the direction in natural resource management is towards transparent, multi-objective, multi-stakeholder partnerships between government, industry and community groups for the allocation and use of watershed resources. This means holistic, transdisciplinary approaches to the sustainable, multiple use of resources are required, and that the process of engaging watershed stakeholders is both effective and efficient. The move towards a systems-based approach to evaluate management options has been facilitated by the development of multiple objective decision support systems (MODSS) to evaluate trade-offs between numerous and possibly conflicting objectives. However, the implementation of such tools requires a methodology to maximise participation by stakeholders and to ensure the decision making process is equitable, constructive and effective. This paper describes the process and initial outcomes where a multistakeholder, participatory decision making approach is used to evaluate and prioritise proposed water infrastructure developments in northern Queensland, Australia. The study examines four possible dam sites, each with three spillway heights, and is promoted by the Queensland Department of Natural Resources (QDNR). What emerges from this study is that the outcomes are dependent on the process of facilitation as much as the utility of a multiple objective decision support system. In addition, there is a better opportunity for the stakeholders to identify a consensus option when they are involved early in the process, and there is sufficient time to allow the stakeholders to explore scenarios in order to satisfy their concerns and preferences.
Retailers’ views of shopping centres: a comparison of tenants and non‐tenants

Builds on an article, which looked at tenant‐manager relationships in shopping centres, published by the authors in IJRDM, Vol. 24 No. 9. Using data from the same research project, this article compares the views of shopping centre and non‐shopping centre retailers. Despite many countries having seen a substantial growth in the number of shopping centres, not all retailers choose to locate within a shopping centre, and some retailers actively oppose shopping centres. A survey of clothing retailers in New Zealand showed that retailers in centres tended to have higher sales turnover than those outside centres. Retailers inside centres believed much more strongly that there are opportunities in locating within a centre. The main reasons for retailers not locating in centres were that the levels of rent are too high and the trading hours are too long.
Reliability Accelerated Testing of MEMS Acccelerometers

An attempt to assess the reliability of a batch of MEMS accelerometers is presented. The testing plan is application oriented and contains combined tests: thermal and mechanical stresses (two variants: vibration and tilting) were used. The results demonstrated the good reliability of the tested device, the failure rate being smaller than 6.10-8 h-1.
A Novel Keyword Suggestion Method to Achieve Competitive Advertising on Search Engines

Search engine advertising is a popular business model for online advertising and recently a new strategy (i.e. competitive advertising) is emerging. Competitive advertising is helpful for organizations to expand market shares from competitors, which is crucial to sustain competitive advantage. To achieve the goal of competitive advertising, appropriate and fruitful competitive keywords should be provided to advertisers. However, existing keywords suggestion methods usually recommend general business keywords based on co-occurrence analysis. They not only fail to enable competitive advertising, but also limit advertisers to a small number of hot keywords, causing high bidding costs. As a response, this study proposes a competitive keywords suggestion method based on query logs. It uses the indirect associations between keywords and the hidden topic information captured by query logs to recommend competitive keywords. Through the method, massive competitive keywords are mined out to help organizations achieve competitive advertising and simultaneously broaden the choices of keywords for search engine advertising. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate that the proposed method could have a good performance than other methods, proving that it can help organizations well achieve the goal of competitive advertising.
Constitutive Transcriptional Activation by a β-Catenin-Tcf Complex in APC−/− Colon Carcinoma

The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor protein binds to β-catenin, a protein recently shown to interact with Tcf and Lef transcription factors. The gene encoding hTcf-4, a Tcf family member that is expressed in colonic epithelium, was cloned and characterized. hTcf-4 transactivates transcription only when associated with β-catenin. Nuclei of APC−/− colon carcinoma cells were found to contain a stable β-catenin-hTcf-4 complex that was constitutively active, as measured by transcription of a Tcf reporter gene. Reintroduction of APC removed β-catenin from hTcf-4 and abrogated the transcriptional transactivation. Constitutive transcription of Tcf target genes, caused by loss of APC function, may be a crucial event in the early transformation of colonic epithelium.
Nonmonetary customer value contributions in free e-services

Offering services for free, a prevalent business model online, raises new questions for both service providers and marketing researchers: How do customers of free e-services contribute value without paying? What are the nature and dynamics of nonmonetary value contributions by nonpaying customers? On the basis of a literature review and interviews with senior executives of free e-service providers, this article presents a comprehensive overview of nonmonetary value contributions in the free e-service sector, including word of mouth, co-production, and network effects, as well as attention and data as two new dimensions, which have not been addressed in prior marketing research. By putting these findings in the context of the existing literature on customer value and customer engagement, the authors shed light on the complex processes of value creation in the emerging e-service industry, while also advancing marketing and service research in general. This study identifies several promising research avenues, such as the question of the extent to which customers are aware of the nonmonetary value they provide firms.
Are You Selling the Right Colour? A Cross‐cultural Review of Colour as a Marketing Cue

Should a marketer adopt a pan‐cultural or a culture‐specific approach when using colour in marketing? Colours exercise powerful effects and induce reactions based on both instincts and associations. Colours alter the meanings of the objects or situations with which they are associated and colour preferences can predict consumers' behaviour. This article reviews the psychological and socio‐cultural associations and meanings of colour(s) in a cross‐cultural marketing perspective and outlines their role as a marketing cue. Because cultural values, marketing objectives and desired customer relationship levels influence the choice of colour in corporate and marketing communications, it is argued that a cross‐cultural perspective of colour research and application is imperative for developing global marketing strategies.
Engagement in online communities: implications for consumer price perceptions

Modern consumers are engaged in online communities where interaction with paying and non-paying customers impacts their knowledge and perceptions of marketing strategies such as dynamic pricing practice. Given the increased transparency of pricing strategies due to information sharing via online platforms, service providers need to understand the extent to which online communities influence consumer perceptions of price fairness. Drawing from social information processing and social identity theories, we argue that online community engagement is positively related to consumers’ perceptions of the fairness of dynamic pricing strategies, and this relationship is fully mediated by community norms and rule familiarity. We further find the positive effect of community norms on perceived price fairness is stronger among consumers with a higher degree of online savviness.
Tissue doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis of heart transplantation rejection.

BACKGROUND Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is the gold standard method for the diagnosis of cellular rejection (CR) after heart transplantation (HT). OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) could detect CR > 3A and add diagnostic information compared to conventional Doppler. METHODS Fifty-four HT patients underwent 129 EMB and a TDI echocardiographic study within 24 hours. We compared HT patients with CR > 3A versus HT patients with CR < 3A, with a normal matched control group (13 patients). We measured TDI systolic (S), early diastolic (e'), late diastolic (a') velocities and e'/a' ratio in the left ventricular annulus, basal and medium (mid) segments of the septal (SEP), lateral (LAT), inferior (INF), anterior (ANT) walls; and in the right ventricular annulus. RESULTS HT patients showed CR > 3A in 39/129 (30.2%) EMB. The best isolated predictor for CR diagnosis was a'LAT, with a sensitivity of 76.3%, specificity of 73.8% (p = 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, a'LAT (p = 0.001), a'SEP (p = 0.002), e'/a' LAT ratio (p = 0.006), e'Mitral/ e'LAT ratio (p = 0.014), SINF (p = 0.009) predicted CR > 3A. We obtained a score with a sensitivity of 88.2%, accuracy of 79.6% and negative predictive value of 92.9% to diagnose CR > 3A. Conventional Doppler (mitral and pulmonary venous flow) was not relevant to predict CR > 3A. CONCLUSION TDI added diagnostic information to predict CR > 3A compared to conventional Doppler. A TDI-based model could become a potential method to detect CR > 3A after heart transplantation.
Low profile frequency agile MIMO slot antenna with TCM characterization

In this paper, a frequency reconfigurable multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) slot antenna is presented. The proposed design is low profile and compact with wide tunability range, covering several well-known frequency bands from 1800 MHz to 2450 MHz. The frequency reconfigurability is achieved by loading the annular slot with varactor diodes. The antenna system is also analyzed for MIMO performance metrics. Moreover, the effect of circular slot antenna on the chassis modes is also investigated using the theory of characteristic modes (TCM). The physical principle behind frequency reconfigurability is also investigated using TCM analysis. An interesting finding is observed using varactor diodes for frequency reconfigurability, that is the reactive impedance loading does not alter the modal significance (MS) plots but only aid in the input impedance matching at different frequency bands.
Benchmarking for strategic maintenance quality improvement

Points out that the concepts of total productive maintenance (TPM) were formulated by combining the principles of total quality control (TQC) and maintenance engineering. Claims that the theory of TPM is not yet exhaustive. Proposes a model called “strategic maintenance quality engineering” (SMQE) to make the theory of TPM exhaustive. Deals with the last phase of SMQE which envisages the evaluation of each cycle of SMQE performance. Applies benchmarking with suitable modifications to carry out the last phase of SMQE. Presents the salient features of pilot implementation study conducted in two companies. Suggests that the use of information technology (IT) for benchmarking SMQE would aid in improving strategic maintenance quality more effectively.
Mutational Analysis of the Ligand Binding Site of the Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor*

To define the structural determinants for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) binding of the type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R1), we developed a means of expressing the N-terminal 734 amino acids of IP3R1 (T734), which contain the IP3 binding region, in Escherichia coli. The T734 protein expressed in E. coli exhibited a similar binding specificity and affinity for IP3 as the native IP3R from mouse cerebellum. Deletion mutagenesis, in which T734 was serially deleted from the N terminus up to residue 215, markedly reduced IP3 binding activity. However, when deleted a little more toward the C terminus (to residues 220, 223, and 225), the binding activity was retrieved. Further N-terminal deletions over the first 228 amino acids completely abolished it again. C-terminal deletions up to residue 579 did not affect the binding activity, whereas those up to residue 568 completely abolished it. In addition, the expressed 356-amino acid polypeptide (residues 224-579) exhibited specific binding activity. Taken together, residues 226-578 were sufficient and close enough to the minimum region for the specific IP3 binding, and thus formed an IP3 binding “core. ” Site-directed mutagenesis was performed on 41 basic Arg and Lys residues within the N-terminal 650 amino acids of T734. We showed that single amino acid substitutions for 10 residues, which were widely distributed within the binding core and conserved among all members of the IP3R family, significantly reduced the binding activity. Among them, three (Arg-265, Lys-508, and Arg-511) were critical for the specific binding, and Arg-568 was implicated in the binding specificity for various inositol phosphates. We suggest that some of these 10 residues form a basic pocket that interacts with the negatively charged phosphate groups of IP3.
Consumer Willingness to Pay for Local Designations: Brand Effects and Heterogeneity at the Retail Level

This study examines consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for packaged ice cream with local, private label, and national brands at the retail level. Data were collected through in-person surveys conducted at retail grocery outlets in Utah in 2012. Study results suggest that shoppers are willing to pay significantly more for the national and local brands over the retailer’s private label brand. In fact, the local brand with the state-sponsored designation (Utah’s Own) had a WTP equal to that of the national brand. The use of local designations or labels is important as shoppers were not willing to pay a premium for the local brands in absence of the locally produced or state-sponsored designation label. Additionally, consumer WTP for different brands and the degree of response to local designations varies substantially by consumer attributes. These differences suggest that locally designated products do not compete directly with private label products in the market. This study provides clear evidence of the value of state-sponsored designations, as well as locally produced labeling for food products marketed in a traditional retail setting.
Developing near-bottom magnetic measurements using a 3D forward modeling technique: Application to hydrothermal vent fields

We developed a method for mapping the magnetic structure of absolute magnetization on the seafloor using a three-dimensional forward modeling technique and near-bottom vector magnetic data. We constrained the spatial scale of hydrothermal alteration zones in a back-arc spreading axis of the Southern Mariana Trough. The magnetic signatures of hydrothermal alteration zones are characterized by low magnetization similar to that in mid-ocean ridge vent sites.
Convex Grid Drawings of Four-connected Plane Graphs

A convex grid drawing of a plane graph G is a drawing of G on the plane such that all vertices of G are put on grid points, all edges are drawn as straight-line segments without any edge-intersection, and every face boundary is a convex polygon. In this paper we give a linear-time algorithm for finding a convex grid drawing of every 4-connected plane graph G with four or more vertices on the outer face. The size of the drawing satisfies W + H ≤ n - 1, where n is the number of vertices of G, W is the width and H is the height of the grid drawing. Thus the area W · H is at most ⌈(n - 1)/2⌉ · ⌊(n - 1)/2⌋. Our bounds on the sizes are optimal in a sense that there exist an infinite number of 4-connected plane graphs whose convex drawings need grids such that W + H = n - 1 and W · H = ⌈(n - 1)/2⌉ · ⌊(n - 1)/2⌋.
Towards agile manufacturing: models of competition and performance outcomes

This paper reports a study which identified significant relationship between models of competitive manufacturing and business performance outcomes. The paper discusses the nature and importance of competitive objectives and their impacts on business performance. The results presented are based on the findings of a survey by questionnaire administered to 600 companies. Statistical tests identified the models of competition and revealed significant differences in performance outcomes. The study showed that flexibility is superior to leanness but that it may add more to costs than to revenue. Suggestions for surviving flexibility trap enroute agile manufacturing were offered. The paper is significant as such studies have not been well documented.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) gained prominence in Nigeria in the 1990s with the internationalization of the conflict between oil and gas companies and their host communities. Its contributions to development in the country cuts across agriculture, capacity building, economic empowerment and provision of rural infrastructure in health, education and potable water; which make agriculture and rural development sector a major recipient of CSR interventions. Corporate entities (CEs) in Nigeria employ internal and external delivery modes for their CSR contributions. They are however gradually moving away from the internal delivery mode. It is recommended that communities and their local institutions should collaborate and provide institutional support to CEs to facilitate CSR interventions and reduce costs as practiced in the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU) model. The areas of need to which CEs should focus their CSR activities include improving access to secondary school, health, potable water and agricultural extension support.
Mechanistic Study of Photoinitiated Free Radical Polymerization Using Thioxanthone Thioacetic Acid as One-Component Type II Photoinitiator

A mechanistic study concerning photoinitiated free radical polymerization using thioxanthone thio-acetic acid (TX−S−CH2−COOH) as one-component Type II photoinitiator was performed. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence and phosphorescence spectroscopy, as well as laser flash photolysis was employed to study the photophysics and photochemistry of TX−S−CH2−COOH. The initiator undergoes efficient intersystem crossing into the triplet state and the lowest triplet state posseses π−π* configuration. In contrast to the unsubstituted thioxanthone, TX−S−CH2−COOH shows an unusually short triplet lifetime (65 ns) indicating an intramolecular reaction. From fluoroscence, phosphorescence, and laser flash photolysis studies, in conjunction with photopolymerization experiments, we propose that TX−S−CH2−COOH triplets undergo intramolecular electron transfer followed by hydrogen abstraction and decarboxylation producing alkyl radicals, which are the active initiator radicals in photoinduced polymerization. At low in.
Gastrointestinal differentiation marker Cytokeratin 20 is regulated by homeobox gene CDX1

CDX1 is a transcription factor that plays a key role in intestinal development and differentiation. However, the downstream targets of CDX1 are less well defined than those of its close homologue, CDX2. We report here the identification of downstream targets of CDX1 using microarray gene-expression analysis and other approaches. Keratin 20 (KRT20), a member of the intermediate filament and a well-known marker of intestinal differentiation, was initially identified as one of the genes likely to be directly regulated by CDX1. CDX1 and KRT20 mRNA expression were significantly correlated in a panel of 38 colorectal cancer cell lines. Deletion and mutation analysis of the KRT20 promoter showed that the minimum regulatory region for the control of KRT20 expression by CDX1 is within 246 bp upstream of the KRT20 transcription start site. ChIP analysis confirmed that CDX1 binds to the predicted CDX elements in this region of the KRT20 promoter in vivo. In addition, immunohistochemistry showed expression of CDX1 parallels that of KRT20 in the normal crypt, which further supports their close relationship. In summary, our observations strongly imply that KRT20 is directly regulated by CDX1, and therefore suggest a role for CDX1 in maintaining differentiation in intestinal epithelial cells. Because a key feature of the development of a cancer is an unbalanced program of proliferation and differentiation, dysregulation of CDX1 may be an advantage for the development of a colorectal carcinoma. This could, therefore, explain the relatively frequent down regulation of CDX1 in colorectal carcinomas by hypermethylation.