Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring Perceptions of New IS/IT

To manage the process of introducing change into an organization, it is essential to be able to measure what determines workers’ attitudes to new information systems and information technology. Previous research has identified perceived characteristics of IS/IT as paramount in this attitude formation. This paper applies a set of questions that explore perceptions of characteristics of new IS/IT on eight dimensions. The conclusion is that relative advantage, compatibility and result demonstrability are significant and ease of use could be useful with more careful measurement. The research covers four different IS/IT and confirms that the questions are generalizable to a range of technologies.
An analytical review of the factors stimulating smaller firms to export: Implications for policy‐makers

Purpose – Although exporting can offer many benefits to smaller manufacturers, a large number of these firms refrain from export operations as a result of insufficient stimulation. This paper seeks to critically analyse and creatively synthesise the reasons that may stimulate a smaller firm to export, based on a review of 32 empirical studies conducted in various parts of the world during the period 1974‐2005.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 40 export stimuli were systematically identified from the extant empirical literature, which, for analytical purposes, were divided into internal and external, as well as proactive and reactive. Within each study, stimuli were ranked in terms of their importance, frequency, or intensity, and the aggregate impact of each stimulus in all studies under review was evaluated.Findings – The review revealed that export stimulation stems from a variety of factors, and may vary according to time, spatial, and industry contexts. Irrespective of contextual factors, there.
Techniques for Content Subscription Anonymity with Distributed Brokers

When issuing a one-shot or continuous content-based subscription, there is an inherent tradeoff between the privacy of the subscriber and the accuracy of the matching notifications. The former can be described in terms of how well the exposed information uniquely characterized the subscriber, and the latter how well the returned data items match the subscriber’s real interests. In this paper, we define the partial order based k-filter anonymity, which generalizes k-location anonymity by allowing the generalization of filters using the subsumption or covering relation. We then develop techniques for assessing and maintaining content anonymity in distributed broker-based content routing and publish/subscribe networks, namely filter generalization based on partial orders, a logically centralized broker for determining pairwise k-anonymous subscription paths, and optimizations for pairwise anonymity level detection.
Financial integration and risk-adjusted growth opportunities: a global perspective

This paper documents the dynamics of financial integration for major advanced and emerging markets economies during the 1994-2009 period, assesses whether advances in integration have had a significant direct positive impact on countries' growth opportunities, and identifies some of the channels through which financial integration may indirectly foster growth. Three main results are obtained. First, financial integration has progressed significantly worldwide and has been fastest in emerging markets. Second, a country's speed of integration predicts its future risk-adjusted growth opportunities, while improved riskadjusted growth opportunities may predict future advances in integration, but not in all cases, suggesting a causal relationship from financial integration to improved real prospects. Third, advances in financial integration foster increased financial openness, financial development, and the liquidity of equity markets, but the reverse does not necessarily hold. Policies aimed at fostering financial integration may be necessary, albeit not sufficient, to allow countries to reap its benefits.
On Types of Trade, Adjustment of Labor and Welfare Gains During Asymmetric Liberalizations

This paper modifies the two-industry, two-country Heckscher-Ohlin model with intermediate goods to decompose trade into its horizontal and vertical intra-industry, as well as inter-industry parts. Acknowledging that liberalization affects each type of trade differently, and that changes in each imply labor adjustment of different magnitudes, the paper analyzes the effects of widely observed asymmetries in liberalization policies. The paper concludes with the implications of the model for the liberalization between the East and the West through the Europe Agreements.
The secretion of alcohol in the tear fluid.

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FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMERS' LIKELIHOOD OF PURCHASING SPECIALTY FOOD AND DRINK PRODUCTS ON-LINE: RESULTS OF CONSUMER REVIEWS OF 12 SELECTED SITES

A total of twelve companies marketing specialty food and drink products on the World Wide Web were identified for this study. Four each marketed coffee, salsa, and seafood. Over a three week period, 163 respondents completed a total of 973 site evaluations. While respondents preferred to purchase products from a retail store, the majority identified at least one product from the sites which they would likely purchase on-line in the next six months. Respondents who regularly purchase one of the products monthly or more often were significantly more likely to make an on-line purchase in the future than those who purchase the product less frequently. Respondents who rated the overall appeal of a company's WWW site as good or excellent were nearly six times as likely to say that they would be likely to purchase the product on-line than those who rated the site as fair or poor. While no single site characteristic stood out relative to the others as having a major influence on increasing the likelihood of making an on-line purchase, insufficient company and/or product information reduced consumers' willingness to purchase on-line and by mail order.
Assessing the utility of coevolution-based residue–residue contact predictions in a sequence- and structure-rich era

Significance We develop an improved method for predicting residue–residue contacts in protein structures that achieves higher accuracy than previous methods by integrating structural context and sequence coevolution information. We then determine the conditions under which these predicted contacts are likely to be useful for structure modeling and identify more than 400 protein families where these conditions are currently met. Recently developed methods have shown considerable promise in predicting residue–residue contacts in protein 3D structures using evolutionary covariance information. However, these methods require large numbers of evolutionarily related sequences to robustly assess the extent of residue covariation, and the larger the protein family, the more likely that contact information is unnecessary because a reasonable model can be built based on the structure of a homolog. Here we describe a method that integrates sequence coevolution and structural context information using a pseudolikelihood approach, allowing more accurate contact predictions from fewer homologous sequences. We rigorously assess the utility of predicted contacts for protein structure prediction using large and representative sequence and structure databases from recent structure prediction experiments. We find that contact predictions are likely to be accurate when the number of aligned sequences (with sequence redundancy reduced to 90%) is greater than five times the length of the protein, and that accurate predictions are likely to be useful for structure modeling if the aligned sequences are more similar to the protein of interest than to the closest homolog of known structure. These conditions are currently met by 422 of the protein families collected in the Pfam database.
Hierarchical test generation under architectural level functional constraints

In hierarchical test generation, the test vectors for the low level structure of the module under test are computed and then justified at a high level. In the module test computation procedure, a low level ATPG tool is conventionally applied to the complete structure of that particular module without adding extra information. Due to the architectural level functional constraints applied to the inputs of that module, many of the test vectors being computed are not justifiable at the high level. Therefore, high efficiency cannot be achieved without managing the functional constraint problem in the hierarchical ATPG process. In this paper, both top-down and bottom-up approaches are addressed. It is shown that the valid control code abstraction and test cube justification techniques are very effective to overcome the architectural level functional constraint problem and to achieve high efficiency in test computation. The proposed algorithms have been implemented in our hierarchical ATPG package and promising experimental results have been derived. We conclude that architectural level functional constraints can be efficiently avoided through these techniques.
A central role for the notochord in vertebral patterning

The vertebrates are defined by their segmented vertebral column, and vertebral periodicity is thought to originate from embryonic segments, the somites. According to the widely accepted `resegmentation' model, a single vertebra forms from the recombination of the anterior and posterior halves of two adjacent sclerotomes on both sides of the embryo. Although there is supporting evidence for this model in amniotes, it remains uncertain whether it applies to all vertebrates. To explore this, we have investigated vertebral patterning in the zebrafish. Surprisingly, we find that vertebral bodies (centra) arise by secretion of bone matrix from the notochord rather than somites; centra do not form via a cartilage intermediate stage, nor do they contain osteoblasts. Moreover, isolated, cultured notochords secrete bone matrix in vitro, and ablation of notochord cells at segmentally reiterated positions in vivo prevents the formation of centra. Analysis of fss mutant embryos, in which sclerotome segmentation is disrupted, shows that whereas neural arch segmentation is also disrupted, centrum development proceeds normally. These findings suggest that the notochord plays a key, perhaps ancient, role in the segmental patterning of vertebrae.
Absence of mutations in the key megakaryocyte transcriptional regulator FOG‐1 in patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis

Idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder of unknown aetiology, characterized by progressive bone marrow fibrosis and extramedullary haematopoiesis. A cardinal feature of IM is the excessive proliferation and abnormal maturation of megakaryocytes. Recently, abnormalities in two critical transcription factors that regulate megakaryocyte differentiation and proliferation, GATA1 and its key co-factor FOG-1, have been implicated in human megakaryocyte disorders, including IM. In humans, germline structural mutations in the GATA1 gene that weaken GATA1:Fog-1 interaction (Nichols et al, 2000; Freson et al, 2002) or alter DNA binding (Yu et al, 2002) lead to excessive accumulation of abnormally differentiating megakaryocytes. Moreover, acquired GATA1 mutations in Down syndrome (DS) neonates and children have been reported in the linked disorders of Transient Myeloproliferative Disorder and DS-associated Acute Megakaryocytic Leukaemia (reviewed in Gurbuxani et al, 2003). Similarly, mice that lack megakaryocyte GATA1 expression (GATA1 mice) develop similar phenotypic abnormalities in megakaryocytopoeisis (Shivdasani et al, 1997; Vyas et al, 1999). More specifically with reference to IM, over time, GATA-1 mice develop a condition that closely resembles IM (Vannucchi et al, 2002). Lastly, a recent report (Martyre et al, 2003) showed that expression levels of the megakaryocyte transcription regulator FOG-1 were increased in peripheral blood CD34 cells from 20 IM patients when compared with normal controls. The combination of these findings suggested that abnormal megakaryocyte differentiation may, in part, be a primary abnormality in IM and that searching for mutations in a pathway regulated by GATA1/ FOG-1 is warranted in patients with IM. Given the above, particularly the finding of Martyre et al (2003), we studied genomic DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 18 adult patients (age 49–80 years) with IM (after obtaining informed consent and ethical approval from our institutions), looking for mutations in the FOG-1 gene. Details of the mutation analysis are in Table I. Two sequence abnormalities were detected that would be
Development of a Multidimensional Additive Points System for Determining Access to Rheumatology Services

ObjectiveIn many countries, including New Zealand, the demand for rheumatology services exceeds their supply, resulting in some patients experiencing long delays or being denied access. The principal aim of this work was to create a validated, transparent, and fair system for determining access to rheumatology services. MethodsA panel of 5 rheumatologists, 6 primary care physicians, and 4 nurse specialists ranked a series of 25 clinical scenarios in order of priority to see a rheumatologist. Important determining factors were weighted in an iterative process to generate a multidimensional additive point score to determine access to rheumatology service. ResultsThe score comprises 6 domains of 2 to 4 items weighted to give a total score out of 100. The effect of the problem on the patient’s life and role, the presence of an inflammatory rheumatic disease, appropriateness of current treatment, and the ability of the rheumatologist to influence the current symptoms and future prognosis were felt to be critical factors in determining access to the service. The score showed a strong correlation with the rankings agreed by the clinical panel, and the overall intraclass correlation coefficient for the rheumatologists was 0.698. ConclusionsOur score has face validity, is easy to perform, and has been assessed by an independent panel of rheumatologists as providing a fair system for determining access to rheumatology services. The system is acceptable to primary care physicians and has been adopted by our local primary care organizations.
Polycystic kidneys and chronic inflammatory lesions are the delayed consequences of loss of the suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1)

Mice with inactivation of the gene encoding the suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) die in neonatal life with an IFN-γ-dependent inflammatory disease dominated by fatty degeneration and necrosis of the liver. To establish the long-term pathological consequences of loss of SOCS-1 in mice, where initial survival was made possible by also deleting the IFN-γ gene, a comparison was made of the lifespan of groups of SOCS-1−/− IFN-γ−/−, SOCS-1+/+ IFN-γ−/− and SOCS-1+/+ IFN-γ+/+ mice. Mice lacking the genes for both SOCS-1 and IFN-γ exhibited an accelerated death rate compared with control groups. Disease states developing selectively in SOCS-1−/− IFN-γ−/− mice were polycystic kidneys, pneumonia, chronic skin ulcers, and chronic granulomas in the gut and various other organs. Mice of all three groups developed cataracts, but disease development was accelerated in the groups lacking IFN-γ. SOCS-1−/− IFN-γ−/− mice exhibited a slightly increased predisposition to the development of T lymphoid leukemia, either spontaneous or radiation-induced. The development of polycystic kidneys may be caused by a developmental defect in renal-tubule organization noted in neonatal SOCS-1−/− mice. The chronic infections and granulomas of SOCS-1−/− IFN-γ−/− mice may be based on autoaggression of SOCS-1−/− T lymphoid and related cells or a functional deficiency of these cells when lacking SOCS-1.
Surface Wave Transformation Lens Antennas

A new class of dielectric sheet antennas is presented based on transformation optics. Specifically, we successfully implement the transformation with a consideration of surface wave eigenmode properties, and carry out a practical perforated design by drilling holes to synthesize the required dielectric constants for their potential realization. The full wave simulation shows that our surface wave transformation lens antenna is capable of obtaining a greatly improved directivity, while maintaining the original low profile.
Quality of life in chronic daily headache: A study in a general population

ObjectiveTo analyze the quality of life (QoL) of subjects with chronic daily headache (CDH) in the general population. MethodsQoL was studied, using the generic instrument Short Form-36 (SF-36), in 89 unselected subjects from an epidemiologic study in the general population who fulfilled CDH criteria. SF-36 scores were adjusted for comorbid conditions. A total of 89 healthy matched subjects were recruited as a control group. An additional matched group of 89 otherwise healthy subjects with episodic migraine was recruited as controls only to those with transformed migraine (TM). ResultsCDH subjects showed a significant decrease in each health-related concept of the SF-36 as compared with healthy subjects. The highest decreases were seen for role physical, bodily pain, vitality, and social functioning. There was no significant difference in SF-36 scores in subjects with chronic tension-type headache as compared with TM subjects. TM individuals showed lower values in each health-related concept when compared with patients with episodic migraine, these decreases being significant for general health, vitality, and mental health. Finally, CDH subjects without analgesic overuse showed higher values in each concept of the SF-36 than those with analgesic overuse. Despite the low proportion of abusers in this study, differences were significant for physical functioning and bodily pain. ConclusionsIn the general population, CDH reduced all QoL aspects studied with the SF-36. This reduction in QoL was most marked in subjects with analgesic overuse. QoL was affected more by the chronicity than by the intensity of pain.
Magnetic Hamiltonian Monte Carlo

Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) exploits Hamiltonian dynamics to construct efficient proposals for Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). In this paper, we present a generalization of HMC which exploits \textit{non-canonical} Hamiltonian dynamics. We refer to this algorithm as magnetic HMC, since in 3 dimensions a subset of the dynamics map onto the mechanics of a charged particle coupled to a magnetic field. We establish a theoretical basis for the use of non-canonical Hamiltonian dynamics in MCMC, and construct a symplectic, leapfrog-like integrator allowing for the implementation of magnetic HMC. Finally, we exhibit several examples where these non-canonical dynamics can lead to improved mixing of magnetic HMC relative to ordinary HMC.
Interactive assembly simulation with haptic feedback

Purpose – The paper aims to present interactive simulation with haptic feedback as a valid method for solving complex assembly problems in the context of industrial product development. Its purpose is to clarify the position of interactive simulation with respect to other methods, and to emphasize its specific value for design engineers.Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the challenges faced by design engineers in the context of design for assembly and assembly process planning. It introduces and compares automatic path planning and interactive simulation as two different approaches for checking the feasibility of assembly tasks. It provides a review of the scientific challenges and technical issues faced when implementing interactive simulation with haptic feedback in this context. It presents recent research results in the domains of final insertion and human model simulation.Findings – The paper provides an overview of the scientific, technological and practical aspects of interactive si.
Review of Survey and Experimental Research That Examines the Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Men’s Sexual Aggression Perpetration

This article systematically reviews empirical studies that examine associations between alcohol consumption and men’s sexual aggression with the goal of identifying major findings; gaps in current knowledge; and directions for future research, practice, and policy. We identified 25 cross-sectional surveys, 6 prospective studies, and 12 alcohol administration experiments published between 1993 and August 2013 with male college students and young adult (nonincarcerated) samples. Many cross-sectional surveys have demonstrated that distal and proximal measures of men’s alcohol consumption are positively associated with sexual assault perpetration, although very few of these studies evaluated how alcohol interacts with other risk and protective factors to exacerbate or inhibit sexual aggression. There are surprisingly few surveys that examine alcohol’s effects at the event level and over short-time intervals to identify how changes in alcohol consumption are associated with changes in perpetration status. Alcohol administration studies suggest some important mechanisms that warrant additional investigation.
The effect of employee retention strategies on employee performance: The case of Eagle Africa Insurance Brokers Limited

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . vi TABLE OF CONTENTS . vii LIST OF TABLES . ix LIST OF FIGURES . x LIST OF ACRONYMS . xi CHAPTER ONE. 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background of the Problem . 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem . 4 1.3 General Objective . 5 1.4 Specific Objectives . 5 1.5 Importance of the Study. 6 1.6 Scope of the Study . 6 1.7 Definition of Terms . 6 1.8 Chapter Summary . 7 CHAPTER TWO . 8 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW . 8 2.
Approach and Avoidance Motives and Close Relationships

Despite the fact that humans have a deep motivation to pursue and maintain close relationships, little research has examined social relationships from a motivational perspective. In the current paper, we argue that any model of close relationships must simultaneously account for people’s tendencies to both approach incentives and avoid threats in close relationships. To that end, we review research stemming from Gable’s (2006) social and relationship model of motivation on both the antecedents and the consequences of approach and avoidance goal pursuit in the context of close relationships. We conclude with recommendations for future research in this area.
Sovereign Debt and the Triple R Problem: Repudiation, Retaliation and Reputation

The interaction between a creditor and a sovereign debtor is described as a ‘one-shot’ game with discrete actions—total or no debt-repudiation and seizure of asset holding abroad. Possible Nash equilibria where each player chooses an action as to maximise his expected payoff given his beliefs about the other player’s action and the implications of those actions on the players’ trustworthy reputation are identified. However, if reputation losses vary convexly with the players’ relative hostility, partial repudiation and seizure might be the preferred strategies. The preferred repudiation and seizure rates are analysed under asymmetric and symmetric information about the state of the world.