Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Marketing Strategies of British and German Companies

Compares empirically the marketing strategies and organizational characteristics of 40 British and German companies operating in the machine tool industry. Shows that German manufacturers have a clear objective to develop a long‐term business focusing on quality and reliability as a means of satisfying customer needs. Meanwhile, finds the British companies adopt a more defensive approach to their marketing strategies with their main focus on short‐term profit maximization. While the German companies have developed marketing mixes broadly consistent with their strategy, the British manufacturers have a poor understanding of customer needs leading to a mismatch between strategy and marketing‐mix decisions. The German subsidiaries, although they share their parent′s focus on quality, are seen to be less clear about their long‐term future so that they show a closer resemblance to their British competitors in adopting more defensive strategies.
Testing market positioning themes: a perceptual mapping approach

The purpose of this article was to examine a research method designed for testing marketing communication themes. The theme testing approach, which was based on perceptual mapping procedures, focused on communication potency issues such as the degree to which the communication achieves marketing communication objectives, is compatible with the image of the source, is compatible with the target consumers' preferences and is differentiated from competitors' market positions. The results of convergent and discriminant validity tests suggested strong support for the theme testing method.
Effect of Relationship Quality and Cost to Serve on Customer Value in Business Market

In presenting this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the Library of the University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type. I agree that permission to quote from, to copy from, or publish this dissertation may be granted by the author or, in his/her absence, the professor under whose direction it was written or, in his absence, by the Dean of the Robinson College of Business. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for the scholarly purposes and does not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying from or publication of this dissertation which involves potential gain will not be allowed without written permission of the author. v NOTICE TO BORROWERS All dissertations deposited in the Georgia State University Library must be used only in accordance with the stipulations prescribed by the author in the preceding statement. viii ACCEPTANCE This dissertation was prepared under the direction of the Maria Gabriela Piscopo Dissertation Committee. It has been approved and accepted by all members of that committee, and it has been accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctoral of Philosophy in Business Administration in the J. Traditionally, marketers have assumed that investing in the quality of relationships with customers would generate superior profitability to the selling firm. The assumption is that coordination and collaboration between buyer and seller create value for both firms by reducing costs and expanding revenue opportunities. However, such value creation mechanism does not work every time. Closer relationships require customer specific investments and a higher level of service that may create more cost to the seller than the potential gain in revenue, negatively impacting profitability of the selling firm. This research explores the effect of buyer-seller relationship quality on value creation for the selling firm, emphasizing the understanding of costs associated with serving the relationship. Two studies were conducted: Study 1 qualitatively examines the cost associated with serving customers and estimates actual cost-to-serve for individual customers. Study 2 measures the quality of customer relationships, past customer profitability and customer lifetime value for each x customer relationship in the proposed sample. Finally, the effect of RQ on customer lifetime value is evaluated. Results suggest that investing in customer relationships have an effect on the drivers of …
Comparison of Value Retention of Plug-in Vehicles and Conventional Vehicles and Potential Contributing Factors

Plug-in Electric vehicle (PEVs) value retention rate (the ratio of resale value to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, MSRP) has been reported to be lower than that of their conventional and hybrid electric (HEV) counterparts by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and Kelley Blue Book (KBB). Based on a series of reports published by NADA, this study analyzes the retention rates of selected PEV models and compares them with conventional and HEV models by vehicle size class taking into account federal and state incentives. A new metric for value retention, adjusted retention rate, is calculated as the ratio of resale value to the purchase price minus incentives. Comparing the adjusted retention rates of PHEVs and BEVs with those of ICEVs indicates that PHEVs have a higher retention rate at one year than ICEVs, a similar rate at two years, and a slightly lower rate at three years, and BEVs have a higher retention rate at one to two years, and a slightly lower rate at three years. Factors that influence value retention are discussed. Higher fuel efficiency of PHEVs in hybrid mode and better acceleration performance might improve resale values. HEVs do not lose value as fast as PHEVs or short-range BEVs (electric range < 100 miles). Sustained, low gasoline prices may hurt the three-year retention rate for the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan LEAF.
The use of performance information in the management of service delivery

Reports on a programme of research undertaken to understand the manner in which leading service organisations develop, use and integrate measures of their outlets’ activities and performance. In particular, looks at the extent to which academic guidelines for adding value to performance measurement systems are applied. Four service sectors where service delivery is seen as being critical were selected for the research. In each of these sectors, one of the top four organisations (in terms of turnover) agreed to collaborate in the development of a series of case studies. The research found linkages between objectives, drivers and key performance measures. However, the organisations still have some way to go in moving performance measures from being something that keeps score to something that helps people and teams improve their performance. Clarity of the communication of results and their relationship to corporate priorities is also an area where major development is still required. Finally, there is a tendency for performance measurement systems to be technology driven rather than needs driven. As a result, the complexity and breadth of measures now available may actually make it more rather than less difficult for service outlet managers to manage.
Marketing Initiatives, Expected Cash Flows, and Shareholders'Wealth

Abstract It is widely accepted that marketing initiatives help firms acquire and retain customers. However, the link between the cash flows generated by customers' purchases and shareholders' wealth is not fully understood, and the literature is increasingly advocating the need for greater “marketing accountability. ” In this interdisciplinary research, the authors adapt the theory of firm valuation from finance and show that a marketing action can affect the shareholders' wealth by (1) determining the firm's net present value (the “stock price effect”) and (2) potentially reducing the firm's cash needs (the “released working capital effect”). In demonstrating these results, the authors advance marketing theory by answering calls made in the literature to link marketing actions to the investors' cash flows, the firm's working capital needs, and the owners' wealth.The approach also shows that by reducing the firm's cash needs, marketing can increase the firm's productivity (operating efficiency). This imput.
A STUDY OF BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS ELECTRONIC MARKETPLACE USAGE FROM THE BUYER PERSPECTIVE

iv DEDICATION. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . vii TABLE OF CONTENTS. ix LIST OF TABLES . xiii LIST OF FIGURES . xvi LIST OF APPENDICES.xvii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.
An “Across-the-Board” Modality Effect in Immediate Serial Recall

A serial recall experiment comparing visual and auditory presentation is reported which demonstrates that, under certain conditions, there is an auditory advantage in the pre-recency (1–6) as well as the recency (7–8) serial positions. Presentation modality was combined factorially with five levels of a concurrent writing task, which had to be completed for each to-be-remembered digit during presentation: NC, no concurrent task; XX, writing two crosses; DX, writing each digit followed by a cross; XD, the converse of DX; and DD, writing each digit twice. When presentation was visual, there was a monotonic (non-decreasing) trend in the recall errors going from NC to DD (in above order) for both the pre-recency and recency positions on average. With an auditory presentation, however, the trend was more gradual, though still monotonic. For the pre-recency items, an auditory advantage was obtained with conditions XX, XD and DD, but not for NC and DX. Additionally, with an auditory presentation, there was no evidence of a difference between NC and XX, nor between DX and XD. It is argued that both pre-categorical acoustic storage and residual activation effects, engendered in a logogen system (Morton, 1970) by the repetition “structure” of the concurrent tasks, helped to determine the attentional capacity available for secondary (elaborative) rehearsal and, in turn, set the levels of recall.
Antiinflammatory, Antioxidant, and Immunological Effects of Carum copticum L. and Some of Its Constituents

Carum copticum L. has been used traditionally for its various therapeutic effects. The plant contains various components such as thymol and carvacrol. Different therapeutic effects such as antifungal, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiparasitic, and antilipidemic were described for the plant and its constituents. Therefore, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and immunological effects of C. copticum and its constituents, thymol and carvacrol, were discussed in the present review. Previous studies have shown potent antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and immunological effects for C. copticum and its constituents, thymol and carvacrol. Therefore, the plant and its constituents have therapeutic values in several inflammatory and immunological disorders as well as in the oxidative stress conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE NEWS MEDIA ON THE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES OF ANGLO-AMERICAN LISTED PLCS

Corporate governance literature has largely converged upon internal monitoring and shareholder activist strategies as methods of shareholder protection following the decline of the market for corporate control. Commentators and activists alike have generally neglected the opportunity for an independent party, which watches over the management of companies, to guard shareholders’ interests. Ireland and the UK are two countries where the value of media coverage of corporate governance violations to a number of key company stakeholders has not been assessed. This paper considers the various reactions to media coverage of corporate governance violations and proposes that the news media influences the corporate governance practices of public limited companies (plcs) listed on Stock Exchanges in Ireland and the UK. Using a range of sources, media coverage of corporate governance violations may be analysed and measured and the relationships between this activity and the actions of (i) company directors and management, (ii) policymakers and (iii) investors examined through interviews and analysis of company documents, government reports and stock market data. Emerging evidence suggests that the Irish media influences (i) the boards of directors of Irish listed plcs, in that reformatory measures are taken by the boards in the vast majority of violating companies studied; (ii) the government authorities who are responsible for the 1 Dublin City University Learning Innovation and Knowledge Research Centre, 2 Dublin City University Learning Innovation and Knowledge Research Centre. 3 Dublin City University Business School. legislative and regulatory infrastructure in which they operate, with statistical evidence of increases in government attention to corporate governance issues following increased newspaper coverage of theses issues and (iii) the investing decisions of investors in Irish listed plcs, with statistical verification of a relationship between movements in share price and volumes of newspaper articles relating to violations by listed companies providing avenues for more exploratory research into how news from print, broadcast and online media influences corporate governance in Anglo-American jurisdictions, particularly Ireland and the UK.
Shortened hospital stay for childhood bone and joint infections: Analysis of 265 prospectively collected culture-positive cases in 1983–2005

Abstract Background: In recent decades the treatment of childhood acute bone and joint infections has shifted towards shorter antibiotic courses and rapid transition to oral therapy. Methods: We prospectively collected 265 culture-positive cases of non-neonatal bone and joint infections in Finnish children during 1983–2005. The duration of antimicrobial treatment and the extent of surgery were defined in the study protocol, but for ethical reasons, the liaison clinician determined the time of discharge using normalization of the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level as a yardstick. We examined changes during the study in the distribution of causative organisms, severity of disease, and length of hospital stay. Results: Staphylococcus aureus was overwhelmingly the most common causative agent throughout the study, whereas Haemophilus influenzae type b was eliminated soon after the introduction of vaccination. The mean time from initial symptoms to presentation remained the same at 4 days, and no significant change was observed in the severity of disease, CRP, or the rate of sequelae. The mean duration of intravenous antibiotic administration was only 4 days. The average hospital stay shortened significantly from 13 days to 9 days (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: The shortened hospital stay was not due to a change in the anatomical site of these infections, but to simplified treatment. Considerable savings in hospital stay, and thus costs, are feasible in osteoarticular infections of childhood by using CRP in monitoring the disease and shortening intravenous treatment by a swift move to per oral administration.
Risk Assessment with Asymmetric Information

The risk analysis of small business propositions is characterized by uncertainty and asymmetric information, producing problems of moral hazard and adverse selection for the banks and liquidity constraints for entrepreneurs. Decision making is based on information supplied and the application of different criteria. Concerns the relative importance of different criteria and whether the right criteria are being used to assess small firm ventures by banking institutions, and reports the results of research carried out into the importance of different criteria used in risk assessment by bank officers. Finds a high degree of variability in the approach by different bank officers and a bias towards financial information. The findings have marketing implications. Risk assessment cannot be divorced from the nature of the relationship with the small business customer. Investment in improving techniques of risk assessment increases profitability for the bank and improves marketing opportunities through the developm.
Examining cognitive emotion regulation in frontal lobe patients: The mediating role of response inhibition.

BACKGROUND Previous investigations have demonstrated the relationship between inhibitory deficits and maladaptive emotion regulation. Although several neuropsychological studies show that frontal lobe damage can lead to extreme inhibition impairments, there have been no investigations regarding the influence of frontal lobe damage and related inhibition impairments on the use of maladaptive strategies. OBJECTIVE The goal of the current study was to examine the impact of executive functions impairments due to frontal lobe damage on cognitive emotion regulation. METHODS Fifteen patients with frontal lobe damage were compared to twenty-two healthy controls on their reported use of maladaptive strategies. The effect of behavioral inhibition deficits among the frontal lobe damage group was examined. RESULTS Patients reflected a heightened use of maladaptive strategies compared to healthy controls, significantly mediated by Go/NoGo task errors, which are an indicator for response inhibition deficits. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that a heightened use of maladaptive strategies by patients relies to a strong extent on their impaired impulse control, highlighting the complex interplay between executive functions and emotional regulation.
Application of the extremum stack to neurological MRI

The extremum stack, as proposed by Koenderink (1984), is a multiresolution image description and segmentation scheme which examines intensity extrema (minima and maxima) as they move and merge through a series of progressively isotropically diffused images known as scale space. Such a data-driven approach is attractive because it is claimed to he a generally applicable and natural method of image segmentation. The performance of the extremum stack is evaluated here using the case of neurological magnetic resonance imaging data as a specific example, and means of improving its performance proposed. It is confirmed experimentally that the extremum stack has the desirable property of being shift-, scale-, and rotation-invariant, and produces natural results for many compact regions of anatomy. It handles elongated objects poorly, however, and subsections of regions may merge prematurely before each region is represented as a single node. It is shown that this premature merging can often be avoided by the application of either a variable conductance-diffusing preprocessing step, or more effectively, the use of an adaptive variable conductance diffusion method within the extremum stack itself in place of the isotropic Gaussian diffusion proposed by Koenderink.
Phase I trial of systemic intravenous infusion of interleukin-13-Pseudomonas exotoxin in patients with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but lethal malignancy without effective current therapy for metastatic disease. IL‐13‐PE is a recombinant cytotoxin consisting of human interleukin‐13 (IL‐13) and a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE). The main objectives of this Phase I dose‐escalation trial were to assess the maximum‐tolerated dose (MTD), safety, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of IL‐13‐PE in patients with metastatic ACC. Eligible patients had confirmed IL‐13 receptor alpha 2 (IL‐13Rα2) expressions in their tumors. IL‐13‐PE at dose of 1–2 μg/kg was administered intravenously (IV) on day 1, 3, and 5 in a 4‐week cycle. Six patients received 1 μg/kg and two patients received 2 μg/kg of IL‐13‐PE. Dose‐limiting toxicity was observed at 2 μg/kg, at which patients exhibited thrombocytopenia and renal insufficiency without requiring dialysis. PK analysis demonstrated that at MTD, the mean maximum serum concentration (Cmax) of IL‐13‐PE was 21.0 ng/mL, and the terminal half‐life of IL‐13‐PE was 30–39 min. Two (25%) of the eight patients had baseline neutralizing antibodies against PE. Three (75%) of the remaining four tested patients developed neutralizing antibodies against IL‐13‐PE within 14–28 days of initial treatment. Of the five patients treated at MTD and assessed for response, one patient had stable disease for 5.5 months before disease progression; the others progressed within 1–2 months. In conclusion, systemic IV administration of IL‐13‐PE is safe at 1 μg/kg. All tested patients developed high levels of neutralizing antibodies during IL‐13‐PE treatment. Use of strategies for immunodepletion before IL‐13‐PE treatment should be considered in future trials.
Timing of Prenatal Maternal Exposure to Severe Life Events and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Population Study of 2.6 Million Pregnancies

Objective: To identify the impact of timing of prenatal stress exposure on offspring risk for shortened gestational age, preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and small for gestational age (SGA), using a population-based sample. Methods: Swedish longitudinal population registries were linked to study all individuals born in Sweden from 1973 to 2004. Prenatal maternal stress exposure was defined as death of the father of the child or first-degree relative of the mother. Using linear and logistic regression, timing of stress exposure was examined across pregnancy, by month, and by novel periods created based on month of stress exposure findings. Results: A total of 2,618,777 live-born, singleton infants without congenital anomalies were included; 32,286 were exposed to prenatal maternal stress. Examining associations between stress exposure and outcome by the month revealed that risk increases midgestation, particularly after months 5 and 6. Combining months 1 to 4, 5 and 6, and 7 to 9 as potential periods of differing vulnerability, it was found that stress during period 2 (months 5 and 6) was associated with the greatest risk for shortened gestational age (−0.52 days, standard error = 0.15, p = .0006), PTB (odds ratio [OR], 1.24; 99% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.42), LBW (OR, 1.38; 99% CI, 1.19–1.61), and SGA (OR, 1.25; 99% CI, 1.05–1.49). Conclusions: Risk for shortened GA, PTB, LBW, and SGA are greater post stress exposure during the 5th and/or 6th month of pregnancy. It may be beneficial to refine future analyses to these months. Possible mechanisms include alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and associated stress-responsive molecular regulators. CRH = corticotropin-releasing hormone; GA = gestational age; HPA = hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal; LBW = low birth weight; PAPP-A = pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A; PTB = preterm birth; SGA = small for gestational age.
Entorhinal but Not Hippocampal or Subicular Lesions Disrupt Latent Inhibition in Rats

Latent inhibition (LI) is the deficit of conditioning resulting from repeated nonreinforced preexposure to a conditioned stimulus before its pairing with an unconditioned stimulus. There are cumulative data showing that large lesions of the hippocampal formation disrupt LI. However, the effects of selective lesions of the different components of the hippocampal formation have never been directly addressed in the same study and conditioning paradigm. The first experiment of the present study aimed at investigating the effects of excitotoxic lesions of the hippocampus, subiculum, or entorhinal cortex on LI in an "off-baseline"-conditioned emotional response procedure. Hippocampus or subiculum lesions had no effect on either LI or conditioning. In contrast, entorhinal cortex lesions disrupted LI without modifying conditioning. In Experiment 2, locomotor activity in a novel environment was assessed in the same rats. Whereas lesions of hippocampus increased locomotor activity, lesions of the subiculum or the entorhinal cortex were devoid of effect. Although both LI and habituation to novel environmental cues are thought to involve interactions between the hippocampal formation and the mesolimbic pathway, these results indicate a functional dissociation between the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex.