Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Homeostatic maintenance in excitability of tree shrew hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons after chronic stress

The experience of chronic stress induces a reversible regression of hippocampal CA3 apical neuron dendrites. Although such postsynaptic membrane reduction will obviously diminish the possibility of synaptic input, the consequences for the functional membrane properties of these cells are not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that chronic stress affects the input‐output characteristics and excitability of CA3 pyramidal cells. Somatic whole‐cell current‐clamp recording with parallel intracellular biocytin labeling was performed on CA3 neurons from in vitro hippocampal slices from male tree shrews, which were collected after 28 days of psychosocial stress exposure and compared to recordings obtained from control animals. Post hoc morphometric analysis of biocytin‐labeled CA3 cells revealed branch regression, by fewer dendritic crossings and length, limited to a distance of ∼280–340 μm from the soma only. The results from whole‐cell recording indicate that chronic stress surprisingly reduced the apparent membrane time constant and input resistance 20–25%, accompanied by increased amplitude of the hyperpolarization‐induced voltage “sag. ” All active membrane properties, including depolarization‐induced action potential kinetics, complex spiking patterns, and afterhyperpolarization voltages, were indistinguishable from control recordings. Although linear association analysis confirmed that differences in geometry, such as apical length or branch number, were correlated to functional variability in properties of the AP current and voltage threshold, these changes were too marginal to be reflected in the group differences. However, the individual adrenal hormone status was associated significantly with the selective changes in subthreshold excitability. Taken together, the data provide evidence that despite long‐term stress induces morphological changes, upregulates cortisol release and shifts the intrinsic membrane properties, the efficacy of somatic excitability of CA3 pyramidal neurons is largely preserved. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Customer preferred channel attributes in multi‐channel electronic banking

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to increase the understanding of the diverse retail channel preferences of online bank customers by examining their channel attribute preferences in electronic bill paying. Two different groups of online customers were examined: those who pay their bills over the internet and those who, in addition, have experience of using a mobile phone for this service.Design/methodology/approach – A large internet survey was implemented and conjoint analysis was used in order to identify the utilities of the attribute levels and relative importance of the different attributes. Moreover, cluster analysis was used to group the individuals into homogenous attribute preference segments.Findings – The empirical findings indicate that internet users and mobile users differ in their channel attribute preferences. The results suggest coherent customer preference segments in both groups. In addition, the study identifies a group of potential mobile banking users among those who have never .
Reverse Knowledge Transfer: A Comparison between Subsidiaries of Emerging Markets and Subsidiaries of Developed Markets

This paper aims at contrasting the impact of the internal and external network on the reverse knowledge transfer process in foreign subsidiaries in Brazil and Brazilian subsidiaries abroad. With regard to foreign subsidiaries, one hundred seventy-two companies were obtained, and as to the database pertinent to subsidiaries of Brazilian firms, the sample acquired consisted of seventy-eight Brazilian subsidiaries abroad. The results show the impact of the network for both types of multinationals, however, the same does not occur with integration.
CEO Statements in Corporate Sustainability Reports - Substantive Information or Background Noise?

The aim of this paper is to shed light on the question whether or to what extent corporate sustainability reports can actually serve as accurate and fair representations of corporate sustainability-related performance. It presents the results of a sentiment analysis of corporate sustainability reports and corporate financial reports. The analysis builds on previous research in the context of corporate financial reporting which has identified a robust relationship between corporate financial performance and the rhetoric that is used in corresponding corporate financial reports. If corporate sustainability reports are in fact accurate reflections of corporate sustainability performance, then this should also be reflected in the rhetoric used in these reports.
Cross-National Comparison of Attributes and Qualities of Effective Customer Contact Employees during Face-to-Face Complaint Handling Encounters

: Recent research in customer satisfaction suggests that attributes of products and services can be classified into three categories, must-be factors, one-dimensional factors and excitement factors, which all affect customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. These originate from Kano‟s model (1984) that allows researchers to gain a deeper understanding of customer preferences by analysing how they evaluate and perceive product or service attributes. This paper uses the Kano model to gain a deeper understanding of attributes of effective frontline employees dealing with customer complainants in personal interactions. For products such as the TV remote control, Kano (2001; 2006) showed that excitement factors deteriorate to must-be factors over time. This research investigates whether the same phenomenon holds true for attributes of service employees. Data were collected from 197 respondents with complaining experience in the UK and Saudi Arabia, these being two countries at different stages of service sector development and the analysis of the Kano maps reveal significant differences between the two countries.
Empirical study of the strategic impact of major marketing factors on firms accounting performance in the pharmaceutical industry

The purpose of this study is an attempt to explore the impact of various market structure elements (Research and Development/ RD those who�s major manufacturing operations is pharmaceuticals and those whose manufacturing operations may include pharmaceuticals, but they represent only a section of the firms manufacturing operations. This includes approximately 332 publicly traded United States firms. The study findings indicate that firm size and R & D intensity are associated significantly and positively with ROA and ROE, whereas advertising intensity and capital intensity are significantly and positively associated with ROE only in the pharmaceutical industry. However, Inventory Turnover is not statistically significant for both ROA and ROE and cannot be used to determine the financial performance of US pharmaceutical firms.
Lean competence: integration of theories in operations management practice

Purpose – This paper aims to develop a methodology for lean implementation that reduces the risk of damaging a company's key resources and abilities through the application of core competence theory.Design/methodology/approach – Academic literature provided background conceptual understanding of lean and core competence theory for an industrial working party of domain experts from 15 major aerospace companies in the UK to develop a methodology for lean implementation that would not damage firm's competences. The methodology was trailed through cooperative inquiry in a business unit of a leading global aerospace company using a case study approach.Findings – An accessible definition of core competence that captures academic theory was proposed through an industrial working group. Further a methodology for lean implementation, drawing upon core competence theories was developed. The method comprised four tools: market analysis, the visible value stream, customer value analysis, and financial modelling. Tool.
Role of root hydrophobic barriers in salt exclusion of a mangrove plant Avicennia officinalis.

Salt exclusion at the roots and salt secretion in the leaves were examined in a mangrove, Avicennia officinalis. The non-secretor mangrove Bruguiera cylindrica was used for comparative study of hydrophobic barrier formation in the roots. Bypass flow was reduced when seedlings were previously treated with high salt concentration. A biseriate exodermis was detected in the salt-treated roots, along with an enhanced deposition of hydrophobic barriers in the endodermis. These barriers reduced Na(+) loading into the xylem, accounting for a 90-95% salt exclusion in A. officinalis. Prominent barriers were found in the roots of B. cylindrica even in the absence of salt treatment. A cytochrome P450 gene that may regulate suberin biosynthesis was up-regulated within hours of salt treatment in A. officinalis roots and leaves, corresponding with increased suberin deposition. X-ray microanalysis showed preferential deposition of Na(+) and Cl(-) in the root cortex compared with the stele, suggesting that the endodermis is the primary site of salt exclusion. Enhanced salt secretion and increased suberin deposition surrounding the salt glands were seen in the leaves with salt treatment. Overall, these data show that the deposition of apoplastic barriers increases resistance to bypass flow leading to efficient salt exclusion at the roots in mangroves.
What Is a Professional Service Firm? Toward a Theory and Taxonomy of Knowledge-Intensive Firms

A growing literature on professional service firms is hindered by the ambiguity of its central concept, which leads to an overly-narrow empirical focus and to over-generalizations that may tout inefficiencies as best practice. To address this ambiguity, I develop a theory of the distinctive characteristics of professional service firms and their organizational implications. I identify three distinctive characteristics--knowledge intensity, low capital intensity, and professionalized workforce - with which I propose a taxonomy of four types of knowledge intensive firms - Classic PSFs, Professional Campuses, Neo-PSFs, and Technology Developers - whose varying degrees of professional service intensity predict different organizational features. The analysis highlights the danger of conflating the implications of professionalization with those of knowledge intensity and calls for comparative research across a wider range of professional services.
Awake versus Asleep Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery: Technical Considerations and Critical Review of the Literature

Advancements in neuroimaging have led to a trend toward direct, image-based targeting under general anesthesia without the use of microelectrode recording (MER) or intraoperative test stimulation, also referred to as “asleep” deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. Asleep DBS, utilizing imaging in the form of intraoperative computed tomography (iCT) or magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI), has demonstrated reliable targeting accuracy of DBS leads implanted within the globus pallidus and subthalamic nucleus while also improving clinical outcomes in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In lieu, of randomized control trials, retrospective comparisons between asleep and awake DBS with MER have shown similar short-term efficacy with the potential for decreased complications in asleep cohorts. In lieu of long-term outcome data, awake DBS using MER must demonstrate more durable outcomes with fewer stimulation-induced side effects and lead revisions in order for its use to remain justifiable; although patient-specific factors may also be used to guide the decision regarding which technique may be most appropriate and tolerable to the patient.
The Impact of The Board of Directors' Structure on Tax Avoidance In The Companies Listed in Tehran Stock Exchange

The aim of the present study is to examine the impact of board of directors' structure on firm tax avoidance. For tax avoidance, the existence of an audit provision regarding tax status in an independent audit report was investigated which is called aggressive tax policies. For Board of Directors structure, the ratio of executive members of the Board of Directors (BD) and the ratio of their change and their independence were studied. The population of the survey was all the firms listed on the Stock Market of Tehran during the period of 2010 to 2012 (three years). Testing of principal hypotheses was performed by logistic regression method in order to evaluate the effect of a number of factors on the possibility of applying aggressive tax policies by companies. This model included 3 principal independent variables and 3 control variables. First, the research variables were examined one by one and from among the three principal independent variables, the independence of the BD had a significant relation with the aggressive tax policies. However, the ratio of non-executive members of the BD did not show a positive and significant relation with tax avoidance policies. Moreover, BD change cannot formulate the tax avoidance policies. Next, all three principal independent variables were incorporated in the model. The complete model included all principal predictors which were statistically significant, showing that this model has almost been able to identify the firms applying the aggressive policies. The model formulated the status of these policies before entering control variables of R 2 =. 391. In general, 80.6% of cases were correctly classified. After entering the control variables of R 2 =. 391, the variance of aggressive tax policies were explained. Next, based on forward method, and after entering the control variables, 82.1% of cases were correctly predictable. According to coefficient tables, before entering the control variables, two independent variables had a significant statistical relation with the model. In total, the principal independent variable explained the dual role of the Board of Directors - Chairman with a significant relation. The ratio of non-executive members and their changes showed a control variable of the financial lever and the aggressive tax policies with no significant relation. (Mahboobeh Jalali, Fatemeh jalali. The Impact of The Board of Directors' Structure on Tax Avoidance In The Companies Listed in Tehran Stock Exchange. Researcher 2013;5(7):65-71). (ISSN: 1553-9865). http://www.sciencepub. net/researcher . 10
Transportation’s role in the sole‐ versus dual‐sourcing decision

Current studies indicate that buyers can improve lead‐time performance and reduce total inventory‐system costs by splitting orders between two suppliers. These studies, however, treat transportation only implicitly as an element of the cost of placing an order. This is an important limitation, because shipping costs increase disproportionately as the size of shipment decreases and typically comprise a sizeable portion of total logistics cost. Investigates the role of transportation in the decision to procure from either one or two suppliers. A state‐of‐the art model was first modified to treat transportation costs explicitly and then used to conduct 54 experiments to measure the gains or losses in total logistics costs under a variety of representative conditions.
The boundary behavior of a composite material

In this paper, we study how solutions to elliptic problems with periodically oscillating coefficients behave in the neighborhood of the boundary of a domain. We extend the results known for flat boundaries to domains with curved boundaries in the case of a layered medium. This is done by generalizing the notion of boundary layer and by defining boundary correctors which lead to an approximation of order e in the energy norm.
THE NEXT GENERATION OF LIPOSOME DELIVERY SYSTEMS: RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH TUMOR-TARGETED, STERICALLY-STABILIZED IMMUNOLIPOSOMES AND ACTIVE-LOADING GRADIENTS

ABSTRACT Three topics are discussed. Enhanced anti-tumor efficacy of targeted doxorubicin-containing sterically-stabilized liposomes using an anti-β1 integrin Fab’ ligand. Use of tumor targeting with an internalizing ligand to improve the efficacy of a non-leaky cisplatin-containing sterically-stabilized liposome formulation. Formulation variables (remote-loading with dextran ammonium sulfate, rigid lipid bilayer) used to optimize in vivo performance of a liposomal camptothecin analog.
Corporate Social Responsibility Across Industries: When Can Who Do Well by Doing Good?

While much of the previous literature considers whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) pays, we take a more nuanced perspective, theoretically and empirically, by investigating when CSR pays and for whom‘ Theoretically, we develop two contingency perspectives. First, we extend previous work to argue that CSR’s impacts on corporate financial performance (CFP) are moderated by five factors: CSR form, firm characteristics, time, national framework and industrial characteristics. Focusing on industrial characteristics, we theorise that differences in industries’ dependency on certain stakeholder groups, their proximity to the end consumer, their potential for social and environmental damages and their level of product/service differentiation moderate CSR’s value relevance. Our second contingency perspective considers for whom CSR might pay. While previous research has almost exclusively viewed CSR’s value from a corporate perspective, we argue that stakeholders, government, and investor perspective are also relevant. Empirically, we analyse CSR’s value across ten industry sectors from a corporate and investor aspect, respectively. We find that CSR has substantial value for corporations in the health care, industrials, and consumer discretionary sectors but not elsewhere. Publicly informed investors can exploit this positive CSR effect in the former two industries, which yields significantly abnormal excess returns of more than 6% and 8.5% per annum, respectively. Hence, we consider our results strong evidence to reject the implicit hypothesis which underpins much of the previous work that explores the homogeneous CSR-CFP relationship across industries. Our results suggest to academics that many previous studies on CSR value, which controlled for the industrial drivers of CFP but not for the industrial drivers of the CSR-CFP link, might need to be reestimated. Furthermore, for practitioners, our study implies that CSR value should be assessed in the context of the industrial business processes.
Usage and Adoption of Online Tax Filing and Payment System in Tax Management: An Empirical Assessment With Technology Acceptance (TAM) Model in Turkey

This paper is aimed to investigate the development and usage of modern information technologies in tax management, and modernization of tax administrations. Specifically, the paper tries to investigate e-declaration and e-tax payment systems in Turkey. E-declaration (or online tax filing, e-tax return filing, e-filing) can be defined as the tax-return filing system by aid of computer and internet. E-tax payment system (or online tax payment system, e-tax lodgement system) is an information system by which tax-payers would pay electronically the tax-due. There are three tax payment methods used in Turkey. One of them is named traditional tax collection method, in which the tax-payers pay tax-due at the tax administration. The other two tax payment methods are to use interactive bank accounts in internet or to use bank ATM in front of the bank building. These two last methods differ from the traditional method and form online tax payment system in Turkey. Government has authorized banks or special financial institutions to collect electronic taxes in Turkey. Two methods of data collection were employed in this study. Initially, textual analysis was applied in order to examine reports, government policy documents, media releases, journal articles, and other written material. Then, in-depth interviews with the directors of tax administrations and surveys with Certified Public Accountants (CPA) in Turkey were carried out. The paper is one of the first papers conducted in online tax filing and payment system's academic research in Turkey. The paper first demonstrates the projects that the government has carried out to use the ICT technologies in tax management and to modernize the tax management in Turkey. Then, the paper explains the government's plans and goals relating to e-taxation, and the operation of e-declaration system. Finally, the paper makes an empirical assessment of adoption of e-tax filing system in Turkey with Technology Acceptance (TAM) Model.
Signalling of a step‐like intensity change of noxious mechanical stimuli by dorsal horn neurones in the rat spinal cord.

1. Single‐unit extracellular recordings were made from thirty‐one dorsal horn neurones in the sacral spinal cord of barbiturate‐anaesthetized rats. Each neurone was tested with four noxious mechanical pinches applied to its receptive field on the tail. Each pinch lasted 120 s, with a step‐like change in intensity after 60 s. In two pinches the step increased the intensity, from 4 to 6 N or from 6 to 8 N, and in two the step decreased the intensity, from 8 to 6 N or from 6 to 4 N. 2. The ability of the neurones to signal these step changes in intensity was examined. Five neurones with an exclusively low‐threshold afferent input (class 1) were tested, and found to fire only briefly at the start of the 120 s stimulus. Neurones with a high‐threshold input (nociceptive neurones), either exclusively (class 3; n = 10) or in addition to a low‐threshold input (class 2: n = 16), responded throughout the 120 s stimuli. 3. Nociceptive dorsal horn neurones have been divided into two groups of ‘good’ and ‘poor’ encoders on the basis of their response to the step changes in intensity. 4. ‘Good’ encoders (n = 13) were neurones signalling both a step increase and a step decrease in intensity, of which seven were class 2 and six class 3, five recorded in the superficial dorsal horn and eight in the deep dorsal horn. 5. ‘Poor’ encoders (n = 13) were neurones which failed to signal one or both of the step changes in intensity, of which nine were class 2 and four class 3, three recorded in the superficial dorsal horn and ten in the deep dorsal horn. 6. These results demonstrate that neurones with similar input properties and location are not necessarily a homogeneous group in terms of their processing of nociceptive stimuli. Moreover, they suggest that subgroups of both class 2 and class 3 and of superficial and deep dorsal horn neurones contribute to the different components of a nociceptive response. 7. We propose that the output and projection target of a particular dorsal horn neurone are more important than its afferent input in determining its role in nociceptive processing.
Web Logs Analysis for Finding Brand Status

Due to rapid development of the web there has been vast increase in the user generated contents available in the form of blogs ,product reviews sites, web- forums and online social networks etc. Such reviews are very useful to the companies, as they contain valuable information about what aspects of the product, are driving the sales up or down.But most of the available content is in the form of unstructured data from where extraction of information is a challenging task. In order to find potential risk, it is essential for companies to gather and analyze information about competitor products and strategies. Companies use opinion mining techniques to track customer's response, in order to efficiently market their products, identify new opportunities, weaknesses and manage their reputations. In this paper, brand status model is proposed based on the various parameters which affect brands reputation. Also, the products belonging to different brands will be compared on the basis of predefined aspects. This model uses aspect based sentiment analysis technique to find sentiments about product's features and brand.