Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between B2B e-commerce benefits, e-marketplace usage and supply chain management

The Internet technology has enabled companies to create a new market space that facilitates electronic interactions among multiple buyers and sellers. It is believed that the perceived benefits of e-commerce have a great impact on e-marketplaces usage. However, research shows that supply chain management (SCM) influenced by ecommerce. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between B2B e-commerce benefits, supply chain management and e-marketplace usage. The proposed model was tested on managers of companies in different Industries in Amman – Jordan. Structural equation modeling technique was employed using AMOS 7.0 to verify the reliability and validity of the multi-item scales and to test the hypothesized relationships. Finding indicates that the perceived benefits of e-commerce are significant in explaining the variation in emarketplace usage. Results also revealed that B2B ecommerce has a strong and positive direct and indirect effect on supply chain management. It has also been found that there is a significant positive impact of E-marketplace usage on supply chain management. The findings contribute to understanding the relationships between B2B e-commerce benefits, supply chain management and e-marketplace usage, provide critical implications for managers; and highlight directions for future research.
A Study on Impact of Celebrity Endorsements and overall Brand which Influence Consumers' Purchase Intention - with a Special Reference to Chennai City.

This Article focuses on evaluating the impact of celebrity endorsements on the purchase intention of these viewers and how this directly or indirectly has an overall impact on the brand/product. A research methodology has been structured so as to carry out the research in an effective manner. This is achieved by adopting the qualitative research method of in-depth interviews and through questionnaires with the Chennai consumers who have explained the way celebrity endorsements have been interpreted by them in their daily lives. This paper is trying to throw the light of the various factors focus on Impact of Celebrity Endorsements on Consumers‟ Purchase Intentions and Overall Brand and the present study collected through a sample of 100 respondents selected randomly, this study has disclosed impressive insights into the topic which examines differences between endorsements with celebrities. The extent to which the media recognizes the risks encountered by celebrity advertising has been discussed. It is quite fascinating to see how viewers relate themselves to these popular celebrities and how this new technique creates desire for the product in the minds of the consumers.
The UID Project: Lessons Learned from the West and Challenges Identified for India

The Unique Identification (UID) initiative is a forthcoming and highly ambitious project in India where each resident of India will be issued a unique number that can be used lifelong and anywhere (Rai, 2009). The central government under the leadership of Mr. Nandan Nilekani, Minister of State, created the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), an agency responsible for implementing the envisioned Multipurpose National Identity or Unique Identification (UID Card) project in India. UIDAI will be responsible for issuing the numbers; but individual government ministries and agencies will be responsible for integrating the numbers with their respective databases (e.g. The Union Labor Ministry will ABSTRACT
The Value of Relationships in a Chinese-Western Business-to-Business Context: An Investigation on Relationship Bonds, Adaptation, Trust and Commitment

The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of the dynamics behind Chinese-Western buyer-supplier relationships. The study takes on a partially inductive approach by commencing with exploratory in-depth interviews. The main body of the study consists of a cross-sectional survey. Data has been collected through an on-line questionnaire. The theoretical review consists of industrial relationships with specific accounts on the role of adaptation, trust and commitment; a stream of literature in cross-cultural relationships deriving from Hofstede’s culturalist legacy with specific reference to Chinese-Western relationships, including studies on relationship bonding, and the role of guanxi. Three in-depth interviews have been conducted with two international consultants and a senior purchasing executive. 37 on-line questionnaires from Chinese supplier firms based in China have been collected. The findings conclude that a Chinese firm’s exposure to Western customers leads the former to partially adapt to a Western approach to inter-firm relationships. The strength of inter-firm bonds is found to link to trust. The level of adaptation undertaken by the exchange parties appears to directly affect the intensity of social bonds, to be the most appropriate predictor of commitment and to explain the association observed between trust and commitment.
An empirical study on employer branding in the context of internal marketing

In this study, first we explain concepts of internal marketing, employer branding and employer attractiveness. The purpose of the study is to explain variables effective for identifying employer attractiveness which is important for employer branding included in internal marketing. In this study, we chose survey method and we applied our survey to university students who are considered as potantial employees. In conclusion, we found that there are seven factors in employer attractiveness. These factors are development, socialization, interest, economic value and image, application, organizational dinamism and working environment. ICSEL PAZARLAMA BAĞLAMINDA IŞVEREN MARKALAMASI UZERINE AMPIRIK BIR CALIŞMA
Investigating the limit of detectability of a positron emission mammography device: a phantom study.

PURPOSE A new positron emission mammography (PEM) device (PEM Flex Solo II, Naviscan Inc., San Diego, CA) has recently been introduced and its performance characteristics have been documented. However, no systematic assessment of its limit of detectability has been evaluated. The aim of this work is to investigate the limit of detectability of this new PEM system using a novel, customized breast phantom. METHODS Two sets of F-18 infused gelatin breast phantoms of varying thicknesses (2, 4, 6, and 8 cm) were constructed with and without (blank) small, shell-less contrast objects (2 mm thick disks) of varying diameters (3-14.5 mm) [volumes: 0.15-3.3 cc] and activity concentration to background ratio (ACR) (2.7-58). For the phantom set with contrast objects, the disks were placed centrally inside the phantoms and both phantom sets were imaged for a period of 10 min on the PEM device. In addition, scans for the 2 and 6 cm phantoms were repeated at different times (0, 90, and 150 min) post phantom construction to evaluate the impact of total activity concentration (count density) on lesion detectability. Each object from each phantom scan was then segmented and placed randomly in a corresponding blank phantom image. The resulting individual images were presented blindly to seven physician observers (two nuclear medicine and five breast imaging radiologists) and scored in a binary fashion (1-correctly identified object, 0-incorrect). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of lesion detectability were calculated and plots of sensitivity versus ACR and lesion diameters for different phantom thicknesses and count density were generated. RESULTS The overall (mean) detection sensitivity across all variables was 0.68 (95% CI: [0.64, 0.72]) with a corresponding specificity of 0.93 [0.87, 0.98], and diagnostic accuracy of 0.72 [0.70, 0.75]. The smallest detectable object varied strongly as a function of ACR, as sensitivity ranged from 0.36 [0.29, 0.44] for the smallest lesion size (3 mm) to 0.80 [0.75, 0.84] for the largest (14.5 mm). CONCLUSIONS The detectability performance of this PEM system demonstrated its ability to resolve small objects with low activity concentration ratios which may assist in the identification of early stage breast cancer. The results of this investigation can be used to correlate lesion detectability with tumor size, ACR, count rate, and breast thickness.
Processing of meteoritic organic materials as a possible analog of early molecular evolution in planetary environments

Significance The data reported here suggest a far larger availability of meteoritic organic materials for planetary environments than previously assumed and that molecular evolution on the early Earth could have benefited from accretion of carbonaceous meteorites both directly with soluble compounds and, for a more protracted time, through alteration, processing, and release from their insoluble organic materials. The composition of the Sutter’s Mill meteorite insoluble organic material was studied both in toto by solid-state NMR spectroscopy of the powders and by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses of compounds released upon their hydrothermal treatment. Results were compared with those obtained for other meteorites of diverse classifications (Murray, GRA 95229, Murchison, Orgueil, and Tagish Lake) and found to be so far unique in regard to the molecular species released. These include, in addition to O-containing aromatic compounds, complex polyether- and ester-containing alkyl molecules of prebiotic appeal and never detected in meteorites before. The Sutter’s Mill fragments we analyzed had likely been altered by heat, and the hydrothermal conditions of the experiments realistically mimic early Earth settings, such as near volcanic activity or impact craters. On this basis, the data suggest a far larger availability of meteoritic organic materials for planetary environments than previously assumed and that molecular evolution on the early Earth could have benefited from accretion of carbonaceous meteorites both directly with soluble compounds and, for a more protracted time, through alteration, processing, and release from their insoluble organic materials.
Reciprocity between the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex: Nonlinear dynamics in microscopic modules for generating voluntary motor commands

The cerebellum and basal ganglia are reciprocally connected with the cerebral cortex, forming many loops that function as distributed processing modules. Here we present a detailed model of one microscopic loop between the motor cortex and the cerebellum, and we show how small arrays of these CB modules can be used to generate biologically plausible motor commands for controlling movement. A fundamental feature of CB modules is the presence of positive feedback loops between the cerebellar nucleus and the motor cortex. We use nonlinear dynamics to model one microscopic loop and to investigate its bistable properties. Simulations demonstrate an ability to program a motor command well in advance of command generation and an ability to vary command duration. However, control of command intensity is minimal, which could interfere with the control of movement velocity. To assess these hypotheses, we use a minimal nonlinear model of the neuromuscular (NM) system that translates motor commands into actual movements. Simulations of the combined CB-NM modular model indicate that movement duration is readily controlled, whereas velocity is poorly controlled. We then explore how an array of eight CB-NM modules can be used to control the direction and endpoint of a planar movement. In actuality, thousands of such microscopic loops function together as an array of adjustable pattern generators for programming and regulating the composite motor commands that control limb movements. We discuss the biological plausibility and limitations of the model. We also discuss ways in which an agent-based representation can take advantage of the modularity in order to model this complex system.
Utilisation of Intranets for Knowledge Sharing: a Socio-Technical Study

Although intranets appear to be ideal environments for employees to share knowledge quickly and efficiently, usage in practice appears limited. We report findings from two case studies that highlight three key issues limiting intranet utilisation for knowledge sharing: organisational structures and strategies, the impact of the receiver on sharer choices, and the availability of alternative channels for knowledge sharing. This study suggests that for companies to obtain more effective intranets, they need to better align organisational structures and strategies with intranet objectives, develop a comprehensive corporate communication plan, and find new ways to better link sharers with receivers’ knowledge needs.
Systemic Risk Within and Across the Banking and Insurance Sectors in Times of Stress:A study of Scandinavia

My master’s thesis aims to replicate the study by Schoenmaker, Slijkerman and de Vries (2005) but using different country data and observation period. The aim is to see how the systemic risk measure developed by Schoenmaker et al. fares when we include a geographically smaller region which experienced a financial crisis in the early years of the 1990s and which has felt the effects of the current financial crisis. Also, dead stocks are included in the study not only to avoid selection bias but also to observe whether the systemic risk measure captures dependencies when we are no longer only observing extreme returns as proxies for default events, but when such an event actually takes place. To capture changes in systemic risk, the sample period 1987-2010 is divided into two periods: 1987-1996 and 1997-2010. In addition estimates of systemic risks are also reported for the years 1992-2003 in order to compare with the results of Schoenmaker et al. (2005)
CBF and CBV measurements by USPIO bolus tracking: Reproducibility and comparison with Gd‐based values

The authors measured cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) by bolus tracking of a novel ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) contrast agent (NC100150) and compared absolute and relative perfusion measurements with those obtained by a standard gadolinium‐based contrast agent. They found a linear correlation between the two methods. A dose of 0.4 mg Fe/kg body weight was found to produce a signal drop similar to that of a standard 0.2 mmol/kg gadodiamide injection using spin‐echo echoplanar imaging (SE‐EPI) at 1.0 T. The measurements showed a high degree of reproducibility of repeated absolute as well as relative CBF and CBV values, lending further hope to the possibility of using magnetic resonance bolus tracking for routine CBF and CBV measurements. Finally, the authors present their initial experience with high‐resolution, non‐EPI CBV maps obtained from steady‐state levels of an intravascular superparamagnetic contrast agent.J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;9:342–347. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Random matrix model for chiral symmetry breaking and color superconductivity in QCD at finite density

We consider a random matrix model which describes the competition between chiral symmetry breaking and the formation of quark Cooper pairs in QCD at finite density. We study the evolution of the phase structure in temperature and chemical potential with variations of the strength of the interaction in the quark-quark channel and demonstrate that the phase diagram can realize a total of six different topologies. A vector interaction representing single-gluon exchange reproduces a topology commonly encountered in previous QCD models, in which a low-density chiral broken phase is separated from a high-density diquark phase by a first-order line. The other five topologies either do not possess a diquark phase or display a new phase and new critical points. Since these five cases require large variations of the coupling constants away from the values expected for a vector interaction, we conclude that the phase diagram of finite density QCD has the topology suggested by single-gluon exchange and that this topology is robust.
Fractal geometric analysis of colorectal polyps

Colorectal polyps have a subjectively self‐similar structure which suggests that these structures may have fractal elements and that the fractal dimension may be a useful morphometric discriminant. The fractal dimensions of images from haematoxylin and eosin‐stained sections of 359 colorectal polyps (214 tubulovillous adenomas, 41 ‘pure’ tubular adenomas, 29 ‘pure’ villous adenomas, 68 metaplastic polyps, and 7 inflammatory polyps) were measured using a box‐counting method implemented on a microcomputer‐based image analysis system. Results were assessed using polychotomous logistic regression, confusion matrices, and kappa statistics. All examined polyps were shown to have a fractal structure in the range of scales examined. The fractal dimension was significantly different between different diagnostic categories (P<0·0001) and was a useful discriminant between these categories (kappa statistic 0·60 for the confusion matrix with size as the other variable). The fractal dimension did not shown any significant correlation with the grade of epithelial dysplasia (P>0·05). This study shows that colorectal polyps have a fractal structure over a defined range of magnification and Euclidean morphometric measurements will be invalid outside precisely defined conditions of resolution and magnification. The fractal dimension is a better way of quantitating the polyp shape and is a useful morphometric discriminant between diagnostic categories.
Physiological Disturbances and Overwinter Mortality of Largemouth Bass from Different Latitudes

Thermal conditions associated with winter can influence the distribution of a species. Because winter severity varies along latitudes, populations of temperate fish located along a latitudinal gradient may display variation in both sublethal and lethal responses to cold stressors. Sublethal physiological disturbances were quantified in age 1 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) from populations originating from Alabama and Illinois but raised in a common environment. Fish were exposed to 6 h of rapid cold shock from 20° to 8°C (controls were held at 20°C) and then sampled for white muscle, whole blood, and plasma. After cold shock, glucose concentrations were elevated in Alabama but not Illinois fish. Sodium was lower and chloride was higher in Alabama largemouth bass, but fish from Illinois had a greater propensity for potassium loss during cold shock. In Illinois ponds, Alabama largemouth bass exhibited lower overwinter survival (adult: 10%; age 0: 22%) than did those from Illinois (adult: 80%; age 0: 82%). Latitudinal variation in physiological responses to cold stressors may therefore influence overwinter survival of largemouth bass and the ability of a fish species to exist over large geographic areas.
The star chart to Ta bladder cancer: An unsophisticated analysis of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis proteome maps

Abstract Objective. To explore the use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) for analysing the proteome of clinically relevant tissue samples such as biopsies from transurethral resections of the bladder (TURB), by generating a Ta proteome map, possibly identifying technical or biological artefacts, and searching for biological subgroups associated with clinical data. Material and methods. Biopsies from 23 patients were homogenized and the protein content was separated by 2DE. The gels were silver stained and scanned, and the resulting pictures were analysed for similarities in the spot pattern. Results. A majority of 18 patients displayed a consistent protein expression profile and a Ta proteome map was constructed by averaging the grey value of each pixel in all 18 pictures. Spot detection was performed on a project proteome map (based on all 23 samples) and resulted in 1583 detected spots. 416 of these which were positively detected in all 18 “Ta-map” samples. Three patients displayed a pattern with some marked alterations to the majority profile, possibly artefacts of yet unknown heredity. One patient revealed a protein pattern deemed to constitute a separate group, later revealed as a blinded control from a T4 tumour. Only one sample was sparse in protein spots, probably containing mostly blood owing to inadequate sampling. No biological subgroups associated with clinical data were identified. Conclusions. A Ta proteome map was successfully created from TURB samples. Deviating protein expression profiles were identified, indicating a future potential to reveal biologically relevant subgroups in this or other stages of urothelial cell carcinomas.
Development of library management robotic system

Robotic process mechanization is the utilization of programming with manmade brainpower and machine learning abilities to deal with high-volume, repeatable assignments that beforehand required a human to perform. Robot is an automated machine. In library administration, we need librarian for management of books. To lessen curator inconvenience we have created robotization in library to speedy transport of books utilizing robotic arm. Library management robotic system is combination of software used to manage the library database and hardware used to manage the book handling. This system helps to keep the records of whole transactions of books available in a library. A robot is modular design of sensor operated motors to manage the library. Robot acquires the book information from stored database. The robot gathers the barcode data from the books and relates the decoded barcode data with the search input. The robot conveys a standardized identification scanner which gathers the scanner tag information from the books orchestrated in a vertical way and contrasts the decoded scanner tag information. Global positioning system is used for book location finding. This aides and streamlines the occupation of custodian and lessens the manual routine work done by the library staff.
From challenge to opportunity: transforming Kenya's fresh vegetable trade in the context of emerging food safety and other standards in Europe

Over the past two decades, developing countries have experienced comparatively very rapid growth in their exports of fresh fruit and vegetables. This trade has spread from an initial base of traditional tropical fruits-for example, bananas, and pineapples-to include a broader array of fruits and vegetables. While there are a number of success stories from developing countries in this field, the market and regulatory context for this trade is changing in ways that appear to be raising the bar for new entrants while throwing new challenges in the path of existing developing country suppliers. Consumers in industrialized countries are becoming increasingly concerned about food safety and about the environmental and/or social dimensions of their food supply chain. In several regions, especially within the European Union, the response to these consumer concerns-and to certain prevailing weaknesses in systems to manage food safety-has been a wave of legislative and regulatory activity, and the emergence of numerous private sector 'codes of practice' or other technical protocols. The changing regulatory environment within Europe has raised concerns that developing countries-such as Kenya-will be unable to maintain let alone continue to expand their trade in high-value, horticultural products. The fear is that increasingly stringent food safety, phytosanitary, and other regulations within Europe will overwhelm the capacities of developing country suppliers and official agencies to comply or will result in such high compliance costs as to restrict continued participation in this trade to relatively few growers and exporters. The growing concentration of fresh produce distribution channels-under the coordination of major supermarket companies-is seen as exacerbating this challenge and further increasing the barriers to market participation.