Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of customer gratitude in relationship marketing: moderation and model validation

Relationship marketing (RM) theories often emphasize on the role of trust and commitment in affecting seller performance outcomes. We test a recently developed model in a field experiment that demonstrates that RM investments (RMI) generate feelings of gratitude depending on the different types of gratitude leveraging acts and affects purchase intentions. The results confirm the presence of previously untested relationship between trust and purchase intention. The existing model is extended by including the moderating effects of the nature of the medium of communication for the seller–customer interaction (i.e. face-to-face vs. telephonic communication), and the varying intangibility of the purchase context (i.e. product vs. service) on the above relationship. Third, evidence of the moderating influence of certain individual-level cultural value orientations (i.e. good vs. evil, changeable vs. unchangeable and doing vs. being) is found. It is also endeavoured to extend and validate the model to a new culture.
A suitable method to select gerbils with incomplete circle of Willis.

In attempting to account for the discrepant findings between our respective studies, Robinson et al point to methodologic differences, specifically, time since stroke and diagnosis of depression. I believe that while these factors may contribute to the discrepancy, their contribution is unlikely to be all that powerful. Regarding time since stroke, Robinson et al state that our patients were assessed between 2 and 3 months after stroke. In fact, the majority (74%) of our patients were assessed within 2 months of stroke. As far as our depression measures and the absence of clinical diagnosis, our primary depression measure (Zung Depression Scale) has been found to correlate acceptably with the clinical diagnosis of depression, and Robinson et al themselves consider it to be a reliable and valid index of depression in stroke patients.1 would add, however, that there may be important differences between our populations (e.g., race, sociodemographics) that may have contributed to the observed discrepancy. As far as the failure to observe hemispheric differences in depression, this may have been the result of the unavoidable exclusion of patients with posterior left hemisphere lesions, and, as we mentioned in our paper,' this may have led us to underestimate the overall severity of depression in patients with left hemisphere lesions. However, our reading of the scientific literature, including the work of Robinson et al, does not strongly indicate hemispheric differences, contrary to traditional clinical impression. Nevertheless, it is possible that the exclusion bias mentioned above is operating across this literature. The work of Robinson et al has unquestionably had a profound impact on clinicians working with stroke patients, heightening their appreciation of the importance of brain pathology to mood disorders However, there is a clear need for other researchers to examine this question. In the meantime, I caution against an overemphasis on the lesion at the expense of other factors (i.e., personality, coping style, social support) that undoubtedly contribute to depressive symptoms following stroke. David Sinyor, PhD Department of Psychology Concordia University Montreal, Canada
SFLA based PI parameter optimization for optimal controlling of a Buck converter's voltage

In this work, it is aimed to control the output of Buck Converter which steps down a DC voltage level. Discrete Time PI Algorithm is chosen as control algorithm. The controller parameters of Kp and Ki is calculated by means of the optimization process to increase the efficiency of power transmission of Buck Converter instead of classical methods like Pole Placement Method. It is chosen Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm (SFLA) which is an iterative algorithm as optimization algorithm. The results obtained from simultaneous executions of control process is discussed by simulating in Matlab-Simulink.
Exploitation des contributions des usagers liées au social bookmarking pour améliorer la Recherche d'Information

RÉSUMÉ. Les moteurs de recherche communs exploitent le contenu des documents qu’ils indexent. Or, les internautes créent également des données explicites (tags, annotations, commentaires, notes, données de géoréférencement, etc.) et implicites (clics, logs, etc.) qu’il semble utile de prendre en compte pour améliorer l’indexation. Nos travaux concernent actuellement deux problématiques. Premièrement, comment analyser les bookmarks sociaux pour en extraire les centres d’intérêts des individus et leurs tendances tout en prenant en compte la dimension temporelle? Cette analyse permettrait de mieux les modéliser pour personnaliser leur recherche d’information ou leur recommander de l’information, par exemple. Deuxièmement, comment indexer des photos géoréférencées présentes sur des plateformes de partage afin de mieux les valoriser?
Invariant Approximations of the Maximal Invariant Set or "Encircling the Square"

Abstract This paper offers a method for the computation of invariant approximations of the maximal invariant set for constrained linear discrete time systems subject to bounded, additive, disturbances. The main advantage of the method is that it generates invariant sets at any step of the underlying set iteration. Conditions under which the sequence of generated invariant sets is monotonically non–decreasing and converges to the maximal invariant set are provided. Explicit formulae for the estimates of the Hausdorff distance between the underlying iterates and the maximal invariant set are derived.
HIV-1 subtype C syncytium- and non-syncytium-inducing phenotypes and coreceptor usage among Ethiopian patients with AIDS.

OBJECTIVE To assess syncytium-inducing (SI) and non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) frequencies, coreceptor usage and gp120 V3 sequences of HIV-1 isolates from Ethiopian AIDS patients. PATIENTS Cross-sectional study on 48 hospitalized AIDS patients (CD4 T cells < 200 x 10(6) cell/l) with stage III or IV of the WHO staging system for HIV-1 infection and disease. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from all 48 patients were tested by MT-2 assay to determine SI/NSI phenotypes. Lymphocyte subsets were enumerated using Coulter counting and FACScan analysis. Viral load determination used a nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay (NASBA). Coreceptor usage of HIV-1 biological clones was measured using U87 CD4/chemokine receptor transfectants and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated PBMC of healthy donors with wild-type CCR5 and homozygous mutation CCR5delta32 (a 32 base-pair deletion in CCR5). Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction sequencing was performed on the third variable region (V3) of the HIV-1 gene gp120. Sequence alignments were done manually; phylogenetic analyses used PHYLIP software packages. RESULTS SI viruses were detected for 3/48 (6%) AIDS patients only. Lower mean absolute CD4 counts were determined in patients with SI virus compared with NSI (P = 0.04), but no differences in viral load were observed. All patients were found to be infected with HIV-1 subtype C, based on V3 sequencing. NSI biological clones used CCR5 as coreceptor; SI biological clones used CXCR4 and/or CCR5 and/or CCR3. CONCLUSIONS Ethiopian patients with HIV-1 C-subtype AIDS harbour a remarkably low frequency of SI phenotype viruses. Coreceptor usage of these viruses correlates with their biological phenotypes.
Service worker behaviours and service setting facets – consumers' perspective

Purpose – This paper aims to uncover service worker behaviours and service setting facets contributing to satisfaction/dissatisfaction during critical service encounters in the context of interpersonal services in elaborate servicescape from consumers' perspectives.Design/methodology/approach – The study used the method of critical incident technique (CIT). In total, 371 critical service encounters were investigated. Actual service experience, with any one of the eight prominent interpersonal services, was collected from adult service consumers living in the national capital region of India.Findings – Dominant worker behaviours and setting facets contributing to satisfaction/dissatisfaction in critical service encounters are identified. Analysis of behaviours confirms behavioural categories suggested by previous research, i.e. recovery, adaptability, spontaneity, courteous, information sharing, connecting and identified one additional category, namely professional behaviour. Service setting facets are amb.
Hyperthermia in cancer therapy: current status

Hyperthermia in cancer therapy: current status* (for editorial comment, see page 283) Apapyrus dating from 3000 BC hangs on the wall of the Papyrus Research Institute in Cairo. The document describes the use of high temperature (cautery) for the treatment of breast cancer: One having tumours with prominent head in his breast, [and) they produce "cists" of pus. Thou shouldst burn for him over his breast [and) over those tumours which are on his breast (case 39, Edwin Smith surgical papyrus). Clinical hyperthermia for cancer treatment has been known for thousands of years but received renewed interest in 1866 when a German physician, Busch, noted spontaneous remission of sarcomas in patients after febrile illnesses due to infections. I This natural experiment in hyperthermia was reproduced in the clinic in the late 19th century by William Coley, who induced fevers in cancer patients using toxins of erysipelas and from Bacillus prodigiosus. Coley reported disease-free survival of one to seven years in 10 of 34 patients! It is still unclear whether the responses observed by Coley and Busch were due to elevated temperatures or to the induction of lymphokines such as tumour necrosis factor. Modern hyperthermia, however, is based on more recent biological data that demonstrate a temperature-time relationship, with temperatures in the range 41-46°C, for cell killing in tumours both in vitro and in vivo. Clinical progress in local-regional hyperthermia has paralleled the development of improved heating techniques and our increasing understanding of the biological basis of both heat cytotoxicity and heat-induced radiation sensitization.
The effects of the top management team on organizational performance

Abstract This article reports the results of a study of the effects of actions of the top management team of Taiwanese owned businesses located in China. Over 1000 questionnaires were distributed, with 774 valid responses included in the analyses discussed in this study. In particular, four relationships were examined in the study as follow: the relationships between: a. the actions of the top management team and organizational performance, b. the actions of the top management team and corporate culture, the actions of the top management team and organizational performance, and d. the relationship between the corporate culture and organizational performance. Findings and conclusions are discussed.
Empowering Mobile Assisted Social E-Learning: Students’ Expectations and Perceptions

The aim of the present study was to empower mobile assisted social e-learning (eMASE) module that was designedbased on social constructivism theory in higher education settings. This study reports findings from a group ofundergraduates’ expectations and perceptions of e-cooperative learning using mobile social networking apps. TheeMASE module of the course was carefully designed by organizing various group activities which were emphasizedto encourage social interaction and promote collaborative learning among students. The data come from two sets ofquestionnaires administered at the start and end of the course. The results indicated that using Web 3.0 technologiesin a learning environment was effective in enhancing collaboration and promote students’ learning motivation andconfidence.
Light affects the accessibility of the thylakoid light harvesting complex II (LHCII) phosphorylation site to the membrane protein kinase(s).

Redox-controlled, reversible phosphorylation of the thylakoid light harvesting complex II (LHCII) regulates its association with photosystems (PS) I or II and thus, energy distribution between the two photosystems (state transition). Illumination of solubilized LHCII enhances exposure of the phosphorylation site at its N-terminal domain to protein kinase(s) and tryptic cleavage in vitro [Zer et al. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 96, 8277-8282]. Here we report that short illumination (5-10 min, 15-30 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) enhances the accessibility of LHCII phosphorylation site to kinase(s) activity also in isolated thylakoids. However, prolonged illumination or higher light intensities (30 min, 80-800 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) prevent phosphorylation of LHCII in the isolated membranes as well as in vivo, although redox-dependent protein kinase activity persists in the illuminated thylakoids toward exogenous solubilized LHCII. This phenomenon, ascribed to light-induced inaccessibility of the phosphorylation site to the protein kinase(s), affects in a similar way the accessibility of thylakoid LHCII N-terminal domain to tryptic cleavage. The illumination effect is not redox related, decreases linearly with temperature from 25 to 5 degrees C and may be ascribed to light-induced conformational changes in the complex causing lateral aggregation of dephosphorylated LHCII bound to and/or dissociated from PSII. The later state occurs under conditions allowing turnover of the phospho-LHCII phosphate. The light-induced inaccessibility of LHCII to the membrane-bound protein kinase reverses readily in darkness only if induced under LHCII-phosphate turnover conditions. Thus, phosphorylation prevents irreversible light-induced conformational changes in LHCII allowing lateral migration of the complex and the related state transition process.
What drives perishable inventory management performance? Lessons learnt from the UK blood supply chain

Purpose – Managing perishable inventories is a trade‐off of shortages and lost sales against wastage. This paper aims to identify what drives good management of perishables within the supply chain using the example of blood inventory management in hospitals.Design/methodology/approach – Seven case studies with hospital transfusion laboratories in the UK blood supply chain were carried out in order to explore how perishable inventories are managed. The case studies identify drivers for good performance in perishable inventories.Findings – Six recommendations are developed for how managers can improve perishable inventory performance. These are based around simple management procedures implemented by experienced staff. The case studies develop three propositions that recommend how inventory theory should be embedded in practice.Research limitations/implications – This research demonstrates that managerial changes and training issues have a significant impact on waste reduction and inventory management perfo.
Some Viewpoints on Mine Survey under Knowledge Economy Times

Human will get into knowledge economy times. The diffusion and application of knowledge will become power of economy growth. Blazing new trails are knowledge economy's soul in the times. The opportunity and challenge develop simultaneously for mine survey. We should regard sustainable development as target, use fully modern times' technique, form new science system, foster high level personnel, quicken subject development, and accelerate the application of advanced technology of mine survey.
The Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Customer Donations to Corporate-Supported Nonprofits

Both theory and recent research evidence suggest that a corporation's socially responsible behavior can positively affect consumers’ attitudes toward the corporation. The effect occurs both directly and indirectly through the behavior's effect on customer–corporation identification. The authors report the results of four studies designed to replicate and extend these findings. Using a field survey design, Study 1 provides evidence that perceived corporate social responsibility affects not only customer purchase behavior through customer–corporate identification but also customer donations to corporate-supported nonprofit organizations. Using experimental designs, Studies 2 and 3 replicate and extend the Study 1 findings by providing additional evidence for the mediating role of customer–corporate identification on the relationship between corporate social responsibility and customer donations. However, the combined results of Studies 2 and 3 also show that because of a “perceived opportunity to do good” by supporting a company that is changing its ways, consumers are more likely to donate to a corporate-supported nonprofit when the corporation has a weaker historical record of socially responsible behavior. Finally, Study 4 tests the relationship between the nonprofit domain and the domain of the corporation's socially responsible behavior as a boundary condition for this effect.
Comparative study of two flat-panel X-ray detectors applied to small-animal imaging cone-beam micro-CT

This work compares two different X-ray flat-panel detectors for its use in high-speed, cone-beam CT applied to small-animal imaging. The main differences between these two devices are the scintillators and the achievable frame rate. Both devices have been tested in terms of system linearity, sensitivity, resolution, stability and noise properties, taking into account the different timing schemes for each one of them and the mandatory corrections on the raw data. Tomographic scans have been carried out using both detectors to evaluate its final performance as well as the delivered dose needed to achieve similar quality scans. An experimental cone-beam CT test-bench has been designed and implemented to perform the different measurements. It uses a micro-focus X-ray source and a rotating stage where the samples are placed. A modified FDK algorithm has been used to reconstruct the acquired data. Both detectors show similar results for pixel linearity and stability measurements, and their noise levels are comparable. The resolution and sensitivity features are better for the direct grown scintillator detector (9 lpmm vs. 6 lpmm, and ∼4 times more sensitive for similar delivered dose). Since tomographic reconstructed images for the higher frame-rate detector show acceptable quality, it can be used to implement a faster system for high-speed acquisition techniques like, for example, dynamic imaging or gated protocols.
Sensitivity Analysis and Modeling of Symmetric Minor Hysteresis Loops Using the GRUCAD Description

This paper presents a predictive and easily implementable hysteresis model for ferromagnetic laminations subjected to various quasi-static magnetic loads. In this model, the description of magnetic hysteresis is based on the decoupling of the magnetic field strength in a reversible and irreversible part, unlike in the Jiles-Atherton model. Thereby, the source of problems originating in the assumption that total magnetization could be split into the reversible and the irreversible component is bypassed. It should be stressed that models based on field separation principles are consistent with the laws of thermodynamics. The presented model allows for a systematic parameter identification based on standard magnetic measurements. In this paper, the variation of model parameters on the shape of the modeled hysteresis loop is presented. Furthermore, parameter identified from the major loop are applied to model symmetric minor loops that are evaluated by comparison with measurements. The structure of the model enables an inclusion of eddy-current effects, and is ready for a further exploitation in the FE modeling of macroscopic devices.
Numerical taxonomy of the genus Nocardia.

SUMMARY: By a numerical classification, strains received as Nocardia asteroides were divided into two clusters; these two groups were named as N. asteroides (Eppinger) Blanchard and N. farcinica Trevisan, respectively, recognizing the name of N. farcinica for the group which included strain atcc 3318, received as N. asteroides. The genus Nocardia was divided into 7 groups; (I) N. asteroides (in a new sense); (2) N. brasiliensis; (3) N. caviae; (4) N. farcinica; (5) a group provisionally named N. rubra; (6) N. pelletieri; (7) N. madurae. The species provisionally named N. rubra was made up of strains which, when received from other workers, bore 8 species names: N. rubra, N. erythropolis, N. globerula, N. convoluta, N. minima, N. lutea, N. rubroper-tincta and N. polychromogenes. Relationships between seven species of Nocardia are shown as a dendrogram, and descriptions of characteristics (here called Hypothetical Mean Organism) of the species are presented. A method called numerical identification is presented by which identification can be made, without subjective judgement, by comparison of the characters of a test strain with the Hypothetical Mean Organism after permissible limits of S-values for the Hypothetical Mean Organism have been established.
Understanding Metal Vaporization from Laser Welding

The production of metal vapor as a consequence of high intensity laser irradiation is a serious concern in laser welding. Despite the widespread use of lasers in manufacturing, little fundamental understanding of laser/material interaction in the weld pool exists. Laser welding experiments on 304 stainless steel have been completed which have advanced our fundamental understanding of the magnitude and the parameter dependence of metal vaporization in laser spot welding. Calculations using a three-dimensional, transient, numerical model were used to compare with the experimental results. Convection played a very important role in the heat transfer especially towards the end of the laser pulse. The peak temperatures and velocities increased significantly with the laser power density. The liquid flow is mainly driven by the surface tension and to a much less extent, by the buoyancy force. Heat transfer by conduction is important when the liquid velocity is small at the beginning of the pulse and during weld pool solidification. The effective temperature determined from the vapor composition was found to be close to the numerically computed peak temperature at the weld pool surface. At very high power densities, the computed temperatures at the weld pool surface were found to be higher than the boiling point of 304 stainless steel. As a result, vaporization of alloying elements resulted from both total pressure and concentration gradients. The calculations showed that the vaporization was concentrated in a small region under the laser beam where the temperature was very high.