Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human Resource Management and SMEs Business Growth in Pakistan

This research investigates. Data were collected from 100 respondents from 30 organizations by using simple random technique. A structural questionnaire was developed to get reliability of the Data. Data were analyzed by using SPSS-18 version. It was revealed that SMEs are the major source of foreign exchange earnings, SMEs have a major contribution in Pakistan’s GDP, A known feature of SME sector is its ability to create jobs, SMEs maintain the poverty alleviation activities through creating employment, SMEs assist in fostering a self-help and entrepreneurial culture, SMEs boost up an entrepreneurial strength which puts forward flexibility in the economy, SMEs are more capable in resource allocation as compared to large scale industries, SMEs in general consider employees as their most important resources, SMEs are pioneer in developing new products and services and finally SMEs are in general very quality minded in the products and services they provide.
Managerial Remuneration in India: Of Changing Guidelines, Fatter Pay Packets, and Incentives to Performance

In this study, we look into the changes made in Indian corporate laws regarding managerial remuneration. We also evaluate the effect of these changes on corporate performance. Based on the comparison of corporate performance data of 16 large Indian manufacturing firms vis-a-vis their managerial remuneration data, it is concluded that managerial remuneration has significantly increased over the last two decades in sharp contrast to corporate financial performance (both from efficiency and growth point of view). Questions have been raised whether such increase in managerial remuneration was at all justified.
Interactions between nuclear factors and the hepatitis B virus enhancer

We have previously established that the tissue-specific activity of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) enhancer is mediated by trans-acting cellular factors. Here we have studied in vitro the interactions between the HBV enhancer DNA and cellular factors present in nuclear extracts from both liver and nonliver cell types. The results presented in this study imply the involvement of several distinct, ubiquitous, and liver-specific cellular factors with the HBV enhancer. Sequence analysis of the binding sites for these proteins on HBV DNA showed homologies to sequence motifs known to bind other previously characterized and purified transcription factors including CAAT/enhancer-binding protein. Thus, all of these binding sites may function in concert to activate liver-specific transcription of HBV genes from their respective promoters.
Unraveling the Causes of Diabetes

The development of type II diabetes (formerly known as maturity-onset or non-insulin-dependent diabetes) is influenced both by environment--particularly by such lifestyle factors as smoking, diet, and exercise level--and by genetics--specifically the combined effects of what may be subtle alterations in several genes. Diabetes researchers have turned up several candidate susceptibility genes, most of which are involved in either the production of insulin or the body9s responses to it. The challenge now facing researchers is to sort out the contribution of each factor and then use that knowledge to design badly needed therapeutics.
Invasive Assessment of the Coronary Microvasculature: The Index of Microcirculatory Resistance

Traditionally, invasive coronary physiological assessment has focused on the epicardial coronary artery. More recently, appreciation of the importance of the coronary microvasculature in determining patient outcomes has grown. Several invasive modalities for interrogating microvascular function have been proposed. Angiographic techniques have been limited by their qualitative and subjective nature. Doppler wire-derived coronary flow reserve has been applied in research studies, but its clinical role has been limited by its lack of reproducibility, its lack of a clear normal value, and the fact that it is not specific for the microvasculature but interrogates the entire coronary circulation. The index of microcirculatory resistance—a thermodilution-derived measure of the minimum achievable microvascular resistance—is relatively easy to measure, more reproducible, has a clearer normal value, and is independent of epicardial coronary artery stenosis. The index of microcirculatory resistance has been shown to have prognostic value in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction and cardiac allograft vasculopathy after heart transplantation. Emerging data demonstrate its role in evaluating patients with chest pain and nonobstructive coronary artery disease. Increasingly, the index of microcirculatory resistance is used as a reference standard for invasively assessing the microvasculature in clinical trials.
Effectiveness of advertising on brand preferences: case of Coca cola brands

Kotler, (2000) has identified advertising as a key strategy in the acquisition and retention of customers. He further states that customer retention is cheaper than customer acquisition. J efkins (1992) argues that advertising is very important in the marketing of a product. Advertising i a controversial subject about which people tend to form strong and often contradicting opinions (Batra et al, 1995). This study was conducted with an objective of finding out the effectiveness of advertising on brand preference, the case of Coca-Cola brands among the Coca-Cola drinkers in Nairobi. To achieve the above objective, primary data was collected from a sample of 50 respondents, out of whom 44 responded successfully leading to a response rate of 88% which was considered sufficient enough to achieve the intended objective. The sampling frame comprised of any person taking a Coca-Cola brand in the retail outlets. 8 respondents were selected from the major streets with high volume tum over and 5 from the smaller streets with I volum tum over. The collected data was analysed by use of descriptive stati ·tic . Th • · inc lud tahl s. ·h·u·ts ;lnd percentages. Frequency charts were USL>d t ·ummariz • Uu: · v •rti ·in, attril ut ·: n ri.Uld preference. The study found out that adverti ing affec · brand p fl: ~. th" w c id •nt :cau · being the most ad ertised brand came uut to be th ~ m st ta ourcd br.111d. lh ~ stud. al ·o found out that several f: to f d ~. :rtisin Y n b and pr 1e th ml . t imr )rt1mt . lr : i) 'lh ben (ii 'J ir 1 iu iii As recommendation, firms need to consider the above factors and test them against their soft drink brands if they hope to win the attention of their consumers and persuade them to buy. Only by doing so, will they remain relevant to their consumers and beat competition.
The internal service encounter

An internal customer′s (i.e. employee′s) satisfaction with a service firm can be significantly influenced by service encounters experienced with internal service providers. For example, a loan officer′s satisfaction with the bank he/she works for may well be influenced by internal services provided by the data‐processing group. Introduces the concept of the “internal service encounter” and presents the results of an initial study of internal service encounter satisfaction. The empirical study builds on previous research in using the critical incident methodology to examine internal services in a large US bank. Indicates that internal customers are similar to external customers in that, with a few interesting differences, the same types of events and behaviours distinguish satisfactory and dissatisfactory incidents in both internal and external encounters. Also presents implications for managers and suggestions for future research.
Reseeding-Oriented Test Power Reduction for Linear-Decompression-Based Test Compression Architectures

SUMMARY Linear feedback shift register (LFSR) reseeding is an effective method for test data reduction. However, the test patterns generated by LFSR reseeding generally have high toggle rate and thus cause high test power. Therefore, it is feasible to ﬁll X bits in deterministic test cubes with 0 or 1 properly before encoding the seed to reduce toggle rate. However, X-ﬁlling will increase the number of speciﬁed bits, thus increase the di ﬃ culty of seed encoding, what’s more, the size of LFSR will increase as well. This paper presents a test frame which takes into consideration both compression ratio and power consumption simultaneously. In the ﬁrst stage, the proposed reseeding-oriented X-ﬁlling proceeds for shift power (shift ﬁll-ing) and capture power (capture ﬁlling) reduction. Then, encode the ﬁlled test cubes using the proposed Compatible Block Code (CBC). The CBC can X-ize speciﬁed bits, namely turning speciﬁed bits into X bits, and can resolve the conﬂict between low-power ﬁlling and seed encoding. Experiments performed on ISCAS’89 benchmark circuits show that our scheme attains a compression ratio of 94.1% and reduces capture power by at least 15% and scan-in power by more than 79.5%.
Assessing Lean Construction Maturity

Embedding Lean Construction (LC) in an organisation typically requires many changes and is a challenging endeavour. In particular when transformations take place it becomes crucial to measure the current state of the maturation process. Hence there is a requirement for organisations to be able to demonstrate where they are in their LC journey. It has been widely acknowledged that maturity models (MM) provide organisations with such an assessment of the current state. Further benefits of MMs are the guidance and support when implementing a change or improvement strategy. The research presented aims to integrate both LC and MM to enable organisations to measure their current maturity in LC. A qualitative mixed method design was used including focus groups and interviews to explore the phenomenon of LC maturity from key informants. The major findings of the research are: MM can be integrated with LC, and a proposed validated framework can assess the current state of LC maturity within an organisation. The proposed LC maturity assessment framework labelled (LCMM) comprises five maturity levels, 11 Key Attributes, and 60 defined Behaviours, Goals & Practices with 75 Ideal Statements to measure the maturity within organisations embedding LC. This framework provides important support and guidance in the organisational LC maturation process.
Stated Willingness-to-Pay for Organic Fruit and Pesticide Ban

Abstract Income growth in highly industrialised countries has resulted in consumer choice of foodstuffs no longer being primarily influenced by basic factors such as price and organoleptic features. From this perspective, the present study sets out to evaluate how and to what extent consumer choice is influenced by the possible negative effects on health and environment caused by the consumption of fruit containing deposits of pesticides and chemical products. The study describes the results of a survey which explores and estimates consumer willingness to pay in two forms: a yearly contribution for the abolition of the use of pesticides on fruit, and a premium price for organically grown apples guaranteed by a certified label. The same questionnaire was administered to two samples. The first was a conventional face-to-face survey of customers of large retail outlets located around Bologna (Italy); the second was an Internet sample. The discrete choice data were analysed by means of probit and tobit models to estimate the utility consumers attribute to organically grown fruit and to a pesticide ban. The research also addresses questions of validity and representativeness as a fundamental problem in web-based surveys.
Small GTPase Rah/Rab34 Is Associated with Membrane Ruffles and Macropinosomes and Promotes Macropinosome Formation*

Macropinocytosis is an efficient process for the uptake of nutrients and solute macromolecules into cells from the external environment. Macropinosomes, which are surrounded by actin, are formed from the cell surface membrane ruffles and migrate toward the cell center. We have cloned the entire coding sequence of a member of the Rab family small GTPases, Rah/Rab34. It lacked a consensus sequence for GTP-binding/GTPase domain. Although wild-type Rah exhibited extremely low GTPase activity in vitro, it exerted appreciable GTPase activity in vivo. In fibroblasts, Rah was colocalized with actin to the membrane ruffles and membranes of relatively large vesicles adjacent to the ruffles. These vesicles were identified as macropinosomes on the basis of several criteria. Rah and Rab5 coexisted in some, but not all, macropinosomes. Rah was predominantly associated with nascent macropinosomes, whereas Rab5 was present in endosomes at later stages. The number of macropinosomes in the cells overexpressing Rah increased about 2-fold. The formation of macropinosomes by the treatment of platelet-derived growth factor or phorbol ester was also facilitated by Rah but suppressed by a dominant-negative Rah. Rah-promoted macropinosome formation was retarded by dominant-negative mutants of Rac1 and WAVE2, which are essential for membrane ruffling. These results imply that Rah is required for efficient macropinosome formation from the membrane ruffles.
Better regulation for growth : governance frameworks and tools for effective regulatory reform - regulatory capacity review of Rwanda

Regulatory reform has emerged as an important policy area in developing countries. For reforms to be beneficial, regulatory regimes need to be transparent, coherent, and comprehensive. They must establish appropriate institutional frameworks and liberalized business regulations; enforce competition policy and law; and open external and internal markets to trade and investment. This report analyses the institutional set-up and use of regulatory policy instruments in Rwanda. It is one of five reports prepared on countries in East and Southern Africa (the others are on Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia), and represents an attempt to apply assessment tools and the framework developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its work on regulatory capacity and performance to developing countries.
Distorted competition: Below-cost legislation, ‘marges arrière’ and prices in French retailing

Abstract The aim of this article is to demonstrate that the French Galland Act, outlawing below-cost resale via new and more severe invoicing regulation, has reduced the intensity of price competition among retailers in relation to branded goods. Moreover, the reduced intensity of price competition in the retail industry has encouraged a lessening of competition among the manufacturers of major industrial brands. Together, these two effects have sown the seeds of a sustained increase in the price of major brands, accentuating retail competition based more on differentiation than on price. These sustained policies have favoured the development of retailer brands and of hard discount stores and finally encouraged new types of reactions from major retailers and leading manufacturers, such as new types of promotions circumventing the Galland Act and a more intense lobbying activity in order to reform it.
When is it optimal to eradicate a weed invasion

When a weed invasion is discovered a decision has to be made as to whether to attempt to eradicate it, contain it or do nothing. Ideally, these decisions should be based on a complete benefi t-cost analysis, but this is often not possible. Partial analysis, combining knowledge of the demographics of the weed and economic techniques, can assist in making the best decision. This paper presents a general conceptual model to decide when eradication of a weed should be attempted. Decision rules are derived based on a few parameters that represent the rate of spread, the cost of controlling the invasion, and the cost of damage caused by the invasion. These decision rules are then used to identify the ‘switching point’ – the invasion size at which it is no longer optimal to attempt eradication. The decision rules are used to estimate the optimal duration of the eradication effort depending on the current size of the invasion. Sensitivity analysis is undertaken and the possibility of characterising an invasion based on fi ve parameters is discussed.
The role of women in household food security in Osun State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author Email:busolaadepoju@gmail.com Tel. :+2348066370737 The relative importance of women’s empowerment for household food security has generated a lot of interest so much that governments, multilateral and nongovernmental organisations have all shown concern. This research therefore identified the various roles of women as the major pillars of achieving household food security. The study population includes all economically active women aged between 20-70years presently residing in Ifedayo, Ife-Central and Ejigbo Local Government Area of Osun-state. Primary data was collected with the use of a well-structured questionnaire from 240 households in the study area. Both descriptive statistics and Logit regression model were used in the data analysis. The average age and household size of the respondents are 42 years and 6 members respectively. The mean years of education was 8 years. Women contribute to food security at the household level in descending order of ranking by participating in food processing, buying of varieties of food items for consumption, engaging in food purchasing and distribution process, buying food for storage keeping among others.The result further reveals that education, household size and household expenditure have significant effect on household food security in the study area. It was recommended that the women should be enlightened on birth control measures to enhance household food security.
La mode sans frontières? The internationalisation of fashion retailing

This paper examines the internationalisation activities of eight French fashion retailers, with particular reference to their motivations and methods of entry into the UK retail fashion sector. The research results suggest that the ‘new wave’ of French fashion retailers (ie those established within the past 20 years), take a more proactive approach to cross‐border expansion than their more established counterparts. Expanding further the traditional motivations for internationalisation, as well as emphasising the importance of wholesaling and master‐franchising to fashion retailer market entry, the research provides a valuable insight into the pan‐national activities of fashion retailers. The paper concludes by making a case for further research into this much neglected, but very important area.
Analysis of autopilot disengagements occurring during autonomous vehicle testing

In present-day highly-automated vehicles, there are occasions when the driving system disengages and the human driver is required to take-over. This is of great importance to a vehicle U+02BC s safety and ride comfort. In the U.S state of California, the Autonomous Vehicle Testing Regulations require every manufacturer testing autonomous vehicles on public roads to submit an annual report summarizing the disengagements of the technology experienced during testing. On 1 January 2016, seven manufacturers submitted their first disengagement reports: Bosch, Delphi, Google, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Tesla Motors. This work analyses the data from these disengagement reports with the aim of gaining abetter understanding of the situations in which a driver is required to takeover, as this is potentially useful in improving the Society of Automotive Engineers U+0028 SAE U+0029 Level 2 and Level 3 automation technologies. Disengagement events from testing are classified into different groups based on attributes and the causes of disengagement are investigated and compared in detail. The mechanisms and time taken for take-over transition occurred in disengagements are studied. Finally, recommendations for OEMs, manufacturers, and government organizations are also discussed.
New techniques in objective arterial evaluation.

A study of 363 patients with arterial occlusion and 50 normal adults tested the value of the ultrasound technique and xenon 133 ( 133 Xe) clearance in providing objective assessments of clinical ischemia. By comparing ankle systolic and brachial systolic pressures detected by ultrasound, an ischemic index was calculated. This correlated directly with the degree of ischemia present on clinical evaluation. Intermittent claudication was quantitated in a special study group and serial systolic ankle pressures and 133 Xe muscle clearance recorded. A strong inverse relationship was noted between postexercise ankle pressure and isotope muscle clearance. Muscle hyperemia with attendant 133 Xe clearance preceded ankle pressure rise but both pressure and clearance reached a simultaneous plateau. The pressure-flow patterns were directly related to number and location of anatomic arterial occlusions.
THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC UPON ELECTROCARDIOGRAMS AND BLOOD PRESSURE

The object of the experiment of which only the beginning is here briefly summarized, is to ascertain the effect of different kinds of music upon the heart and blood pressure in individuals who are known to have musical talent and are fond of music; also in persons who are indifferent and have no fondness for music, in neurasthenics and in some animals. The cardiograms were recorded with the Einthoven string galvanometer, its sensitivity was I cm. deflection per one millivolt; the film speed was 2.5 cm. per second. The time marker recorded 6 second, and lead 2 was adopted for comparison, for all of the records. The pulse and pressure were obtained with a Tycos and a modified form of Erlanger’s sphygmomanometer, and the music from Victrola records. The pieces of music selected were first, Tschaikowsky’s death symphony, characterized by its tragic slow minor movements; and second, the Toreador’s brilliant description of the bull fight from Carmen; and third, the National Emblem, a stirring rhythmical march by Sousa. The effects of other pieces of music had been tested but the results seemed to indicate that the effects of those pieces that were familiar to the subjects, were influenced also by associated memory. The data from subject “A” who is fond of music and whose voice has been cultivated, were checked up with those of two other subjects, but his being most complete were chosen for presentation. The experiments were conducted under fairly constant subjective and weather conditions, and about the same hours of the day. The cardiograms, pulse and pressure curves were secured before and immediately after, and also from five to ten minutes after the music had ceased. But while listening to the music, only the cardiograms were taken because it seemed that the latter were affected by the manipula-