Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship Between Leadership Styles and Emotional Intelligence of Head Nurses at Mansoura University Hospitals

Background: Leaders who are able to use emotions to guide decision making are able to motivate subordinates by engaging in activities facilitated by emotions and are able to encourage open minded idea generation, decision making and planning because they can consider multiple points of views. Objectives: This study was conducted to explore the relationship between leadership styles and emotional intelligence of head nurses at Mansoura University Hospitals. Methods: A descriptive exploratory design was used for head nurses working in Oncology Hospital, Gastroenterology Hospital and Emergency Hospital (54 head nurses on the job). Three tools were used for data collection: characteristics data sheet of the head nurses, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LESS). Results: It revealed that emotional intelligence differed among the studied nurses in the three hospitals. A statistically significant relation was found between the studied head nurses’ age and “sometimes” and “almost” use of transformational leadership style. There were no statistically significant relations between leadership styles and emotional intelligence of head nurses and their years of experience, and the emotional intelligence was not significantly correlated with leadership styles among the studied head nurses. Conclusion and Recommendations: It is recommended to provide the head nurses with needed support programs for adding emotional intelligence training to be happier, more committed to their organization, achieve greater success and perform better in the workplace in order to enhance their leadership style.
Effect of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist treatment on growth hormone secretion in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

The suppression of the pituitary-gonadal axis by the administration of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH-a) is used occasionally as an adjunct therapy with gonadotrophins for ovulation induction in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). A number of recent clinical studies have suggested that women with polycystic ovaries (PCO) may have disturbances of normal growth hormone (GH) kinetics and alterations in the GH/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I system. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of GnRH-a administration on GH-releasing hormone (GHRH)-stimulated GH release in women with PCOS. Eight women with PCO and six control women were studied before and after 2 months of treatment with the long acting GnRH-a triptoreline (3.75 mg monthly injections). GHRH was given as a single i.v. injection and blood samples for GH measurements were obtained at -15, 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. The GH responses were expressed as the area under the curve (AUC) or the differences from the basal value (delta(max)). The GH response to GHRH (mean +/- SEM) was lower in women with PCO (AUC 114.9 +/- 43.1 versus 206.2 +/- 28.7 ng/ml/120 min, P < 0.05 and delta(max) 31.6 +/- 8.2 versus 49.4 +/- 5.8 ng/ml, P < 0.05). After treatment with the GnRH-a, the GH response to GHRH was significantly smaller than before treatment in both groups (PCO AUC 34.6 +/- 9.0 ng/ml/120 min and delta(max) 12.4 +/- 3.1 ng/ml; controls AUC 148.8 +/- 28.4 ng/ml/120 min and delta(max) 31.2 +/- 6.1 ng/ml), but the PCO group had a significantly smaller response. These data demonstrate that women with PCO have a reduced GH response to GHRH compared with normal controls and that GnRH-a administration causes a further GH reduction in both groups. Women with PCO have a greater suppression of GH response to GHRH during treatment with GnRH-a. This suggests that a different level of sensitivity in the somatotrophic axis exists in PCOS.
Influence of Demographic Factors on the Psychometric Properties of School Administrators Leadership Scale

Although the issue of leadership has been widely emphasized in school administration, the aspect that pertains to its measurement has not gained prominence in current research discourse. It must also be appreciated that the validity of most research findings in school administrative leadership have been inherently questionable owing to the paucity of a standard measuring instrument in the leadership skill domain. Considering also the current inclusion of leadership skill as basis for appointment of school administrators, one may wonder how this objective could be realized without a valid and reliable measuring instrument. Also, because these principals are of varying characteristics in terms of gender and job experience, it may be argued that the responses of school administrators on leadership skill assessment scales may be influenced or even dependent on these variables. While school administrative leadership scales are used holistically irrespective of demographic issues, researchers in the field of instrumentation have lost focus of the implication(s) of demographic factors on psychometric attributes of such scales. Incidentally the psychometric properties of such administrative leadership scales are to a large extent influenced by demographic variables such as gender, location and job experience. In a nutshell, this study, using an instrumentation design, revealed the differential factor matrix, internal consistency indices and stability of a school administrative leadership scale across demographic variables. In view of the current emphasis on effective leadership and the acquisition of good leadership skill, it has become obviously necessary that demographic factors be considered and built into the leadership skills assessment templates of prospective school administrators.
Growth patterns in a population of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy

This study examined growth of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) who received services from the California Department of Developmental Services from 1987 to 2002. In all, 141 961 measurements of height and weight were taken from 24920 patients with CP (14103 males, 10817 females). Centiles of weight and height were determined by age, sex, and five levels of functional ability ranging from fully ambulatory to unable to walk, crawl, or feed self, and fed via gastrostomy tube. Resulting charts of height and weight centiles were compared with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weight and height charts for the general population of the US. Centiles of height and weight of patients with CP were close to those of the general population for the highest functioning groups with CP, but lagged substantially for other groups. Presence of a feeding tube was associated with greater height and weight in the lowest functioning groups, with centiles for weight being 2 to 5kg higher for those with gastrostomy tubes. The charts may assist in early identification of nutritional or metabolic difficulties beyond what might be expected for patients with similar functional disabilities.
Orexin/Hypocretin Modulates Response of Ventral Tegmental Dopamine Neurons to Prefrontal Activation: Diurnal Influences

Recent studies show that glutamate and orexin (ORX, also known as hypocretin) inputs to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) cell region are essential for conditioned behavioral responses to reward-associated stimuli. In vitro experiments showed that ORX inputs to VTA potentiate responses of DA neurons to glutamate inputs, but it has remained unclear which glutamate inputs are modulated by ORX. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a good candidate, given its role in processing complex stimulus–response information and its reciprocal connections with VTA DA neurons. Here we used in vivo recordings in anesthetized rats to investigate the responses of VTA DA neurons to mPFC stimulation, and how these responses are modulated by ORX. We demonstrate that mPFC stimulation evokes short- and long-latency excitation and inhibition in DA neurons. Maximal short-latency excitatory responses originated from stimulation sites in ventral prelimbic/infralimbic cortex, and were significantly more frequent during the active than during the rest period of the diurnal cycle. Application of ORX onto VTA DA neurons increased baseline activity and augmented or revealed excitatory responses to mPFC stimulation independent of changes in baseline activity, and without consistently affecting inhibitory responses. Moreover, orexin-1 receptor antagonism decreased tonic DA cell activity in active- but not rest-period animals, confirming a diurnal influence of ORX. These results indicate that ORX potently influences DA neuron activity, in part by modulating responses to mPFC inputs. By regulating prefrontal control of DA release, ORX projections to VTA may shape motivated behaviors in response to conditioned stimuli.
Structure and Function: Impact on Employment of Women in Law Enforcement

Although women experienced a marked increase in representation as full-time sworn law enforcement officers during the 1980s and 1990s, growth has slowed in recent years and women continue to be underrepresented in the profession. Employing multiple waves of Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics data, this study describes trends in representation of women in policing and explores their continued lack of representation to determine whether organizational variables (structure and function) work to support a hegemonic masculinity and whether those structures are malleable over time. Results from a series of ordinary least squares regression models indicate several structural impediments to women in policing, but these are not consistent barriers.
Model and control of a flap system mitigating wind impact on structures

In this work, we investigate a model-based control for a flap system aiming at mitigating wind-induced vibrations of long-span bridges. Our contribution is threefold: first, we developed an integrated flap system able to control a bridge section model; second, we proposed a model able to properly capture the nonlinear interaction between wind and the structure; third, we optimized a linear control law for the flap position able to robustly cope with the nonlinear forces exerted on the flap. The model accuracy and the system performance were systematically validated by wind tunnel experiments.
Duale Berufsausbildung: Ungelöste Probleme trotz Entspannung

Die Lage auf dem Ausbildungsstellenmarkt hat sich 2008 deutlich entspannt. Dennoch steht die duale Berufsausbildung weiterhin vor Problemen, deren Lösung durch die aktuelle Wirtschaftskrise noch erschwert werden dürfte. Vor allem gering qualifizierte Jugendliche meistern den Übergang in die Berufsausbildung häufig nur auf Umwegen. Nach erfolgreicher Ausbildung bestehen zunehmend Passungsprobleme am Arbeitsmarkt. Ein Fünftel der Absolventen wird im Anschluss an die Ausbildung arbeitslos. Sie müssen oft das erlernte Berufsfeld wechseln und Ein kom menseinbußen hinnehmen.
Transfer of contrast sensitivity in linear visual networks

Abstract Contrast sensitivity is a useful measure of the ability of an observer to distinguish contrast signals from noise. Although usually applied to human observers, contrast sensitivity can also be defined operationally for individual visual neurons. In a model linear neuron consisting of a filter and noise source, this operational measure is a function of filter gain, noise power spectrum, signal duration, and a performance criterion. This definition allows one to relate the sensitivities of linear neurons at different levels in the visual pathway. Mathematical formulae describing these relationships are derived, and the general model is applied to the specific problem of relating the sensitivities of parvocellular LGN neurons and cortical simple cells in the primate.
The Status of Women Faculty inFour-Year Aviation HigherEducation Programs

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the status of women's participation in full-time, non-engineering aviation baccalaureate programs in the United States. In addition, the involvement of women in academic aviation leadership positions (such as chair, dean, or director) was evaluated. Of 353 full-time aviation faculty members employed at 60 different aviation programs meeting the study'S criteria, 36 (10.1 %) were female. Eighty faculty were identified in academic leadership positions, and of these faculty leaders , 8 (10%) were women. These participation rates were found to be slightly higher than those found among the pilot population and in the aviation industry in general. The level of women's involvement in aviation higher education has increased in comparison to the findings of four out of five previous studies on this subject and has remained stable. The aviation industry has also shared in the increase in women participation , albeit on a much smaller scale. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (2006a) reported that although the number of total pilots has decreased during the past ten years, the number of women pilots has increased during the same period. Concurrently, the quantity of professional level (airline transport pilot or ATP) certificated female pilots has also been on the rise (FAA, 2006a). Further, more women enroll in collegiate aviation programs now than ever before (U.S. Department of Education , 1995; U.S. Department of Education, 2005b). Bowen (1990) suggested that the percentage of women pilot certificate holders closely matched the percentage of aviation faculty (p. 16). Therefore , the question remains, have these gains in aviation participation by women translated to similar gains in their membership among aviation higher education faculty? Have women successfully gained access to advanced positions in aviation departments, such as chair or dean? These factors are of particular concern, as the leadership and mentoring provided by women aviation faculty benefit the recruitment and retention of female students and fellow female aviation faculty (Luedtke, 1993, p. 78). This support structure is overtly an essential component of sustaining and increasing the number of women in the aviation industry.
A Tight Version of the Gaussian min-max theorem in the Presence of Convexity

Gaussian comparison theorems are useful tools in probability theory; they are essential ingredients in the classical proofs of many results in empirical processes and extreme value theory. More recently, they have been used extensively in the analysis of underdetermined linear inverse problems. A prominent role in the study of those problems is played by Gordon's Gaussian min-max theorem. It has been observed that the use of the Gaussian min-max theorem produces results that are often tight. Motivated by recent work due to M. Stojnic, we argue explicitly that the theorem is tight under additional convexity assumptions. To illustrate the usefulness of the result we provide an application example from the field of noisy linear inverse problems.
A randomized prospective study comparing the efficacy of on-demand therapy versus continuous therapy for 6 months for long-term maintenance with omeprazole 20 mg in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease in Japan

Abstract Aim. To assess the efficacy of continuous therapy (cont) and on-demand therapy (on-demand) as maintenance therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Methods. Patients with upper GI endoscopy (EGD)-proven GERD who completed 8 weeks of initial therapy were randomized to cont (omeprazole 20 mg od) or on-demand (omeprazole 20 mg on-demand) group. Assessments by the Global Overall Symptom (GOS) scale at baseline (at the start of maintenance therapy) and at 8-week, 16–week, and 24-week visits were made and EGD was performed at 24 weeks. Symptom relief was defined as percentages of patients whose GOS score of 1 or 2. Results. Of the 117 enrolled patients, cont/on-demand was 59/58 and nonerosive reflux disease (NERD)/reflux esophagitis (RE) before the initial therapy was 35/82. Symptom relief in cont/on-demand were 57.6%/48.3% at baseline (n.s.), 66.7%/54.7% at 8 week (n.s.), 64.6%/54.7% at 16 weeks (n.s.), and 66.7%/74.0% at 24 weeks (n.s.). When subjects were divided into NERD and RE, symptom relief in cont/on-demand were 33.3%/41.2% at baseline (n.s.), 43.8%/64.3% at 8 weeks (n.s.), 50.0%/42.9% at 16 weeks (n.s.), and 50.0%/69.2% at 24 weeks (n.s.) in NERD, while those were 68.3%/51.2% at baseline (n.s.), 76.3%/51.3% at 8 weeks (p < 0.05), 70.6%/59.0% at 16 weeks (n.s.), and 72.7%/75.7% at 24 weeks (n.s.) in RE, respectively. At 24-week EGD, all patients in NERD remained as NERD but number of healed patients was significantly higher in cont (85.3%) than in on-demand (44.4%) (p < 0.01) in RE. Conclusions. Since NERD is defined by symptoms, as a result of the limited efficacy of continuous therapy, on-demand therapy would be sufficient as maintenance therapy in NERD patients. Regarding RE, continuous therapy would be recommended in terms of reduced symptoms and maintaining mucosal healing.
Development and evaluation of carvedilol transdermal patches

Development and evaluation of carvedilol transdermal patches Transdermal patches of carvedilol with a HPMC-drug reservoir were prepared by the solvent evaporation technique. In this investigation, the membranes of Eudragit RL100 and Eudragit RS100 were cast to achieve controlled release of the drug. The prepared patches possessed satisfactory physicochemical characteristics. Thickness, mass and drug content were uniform in prepared batches. Moisture vapour transmission through the patches followed zero-order kinetics. In vitro permeation studies were performed using a K-C diffusion cell across hairless guinea pig skin and followed the super case II transport mechanism. The effects of non-ionic surfactants Tween 80 and Span 80 on drug permeation were studied. The nonionic surfactants in the patches increased the permeation rate, Span 80 exhibiting better enhancement relative to Tween 80. The patches were seemingly free of potentially hazardous skin irritation. Development and evaluation of carvedilol transdermal patches Metodom evaporacije otapala pripravljeni su transdermalni flasteri karvedilola s HPMC-lijek rezervoarom, s membranama od Eudragita RL100 i Eudragita RS100 koje kontroliraju oslobađanje. Flasteri su bili zadovoljavajućih fizičko-kemijskih svojstava, ujednačene debljine, mase i sadržaja ljekovite tvari. Prijelaz vlage i pare kroz flastere slijedio je kinetiku nultog reda. In vitro permeacija praćena je na koži zamorca pomoću K-C difuzijske Ćelije, a slijedila je super II transportni mehanizam. Također je ispitivan učinak neionizacijskih površinski aktivnih tvari Tween 80 i Span 80 na permeaciju karvedilola. Rezultati su pokazali da su obje površinski aktivne tvari povećale permeaciju, ali Span 80 više. Flasteri nisu nimalo uzrokovali iritaciju koše.
Synapse-Specific Regulation of AMPA Receptor Subunit Composition by Activity

We examined the changes that arise when neurotransmitter release is inhibited in a subpopulation of hippocampal neurons in coculture with normally active neighbors. Subsets of neurons were presynaptically silenced by chronic expression of tetanus toxin light chain tagged with cyan fluorescent protein (TNTCFP). Surprisingly, silenced neurons formed as many presynaptic terminals as their active neighbors when grown together on glial microislands. However, silenced neurons could not recruit the AMPA-type glutamate receptor subunit GluR1 as efficiently when competing with active neighbors. The immunofluorescence intensity ratio of GluR1 at synaptic puncta versus shaft was reduced by 22% opposite TNTCFP-expressing terminals compared with active neighbors. In contrast, this effect is abolished when vesicular release is blocked in all neurons. Local presynaptic inhibition by TNTCFP did not change the synaptic level of the AMPA receptor subunits GluR2 or GluR2/3 or of the PSD95 (postsynaptic density 95) family scaffolding proteins. Thus, neurotransmitter release selectively regulates the AMPA receptor population on a synapse-by-synapse basis but is not essential for an axon to efficiently compete for synaptic territory in a simple model system. These results demonstrate precise input specificity of postsynaptic receptor composition via differential activity among neighbor synapses.
Biochemical and Structural Evidence for Pig Myocardium Adherens Junction Disruption by Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Background—Given that cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with edema and heart dysfunction and that adherens junctions may regulate vascular permeability barrier integrity and cardiomyocyte function, we investigated adherens junction protein steady-state levels in a pig model of CPB. Methods and Results—Pigs were subjected to normothermic CPB for 90 minutes, followed by post-CPB perfusion for 90 minutes. Atrial and ventricular myocardium tissue samples were harvested before institution of bypass (basal levels) and at the end of post-CPB perfusion. Adherens junctions were analyzed by either total lysate or cadherin immunoprecipitates that were immunoblotted for pan-cadherin, VE-cadherin, &bgr;-catenin, and &ggr;-catenin. Adherens junction solubility was addressed with Triton X-100 extraction. Frozen tissue sections were labeled with the same antibodies, and adherens junctions were visualized by confocal microscopy. Immunoblotting of total lysates revealed an increase in smaller-molecular-weight fragments of VE-cadherin, &bgr;-catenin, and &ggr; -catenin after post-CPB perfusion, indicating partial protein degradation. Smaller-molecular-weight fragments recognized by VE-cadherin and &bgr;-catenin antibodies were also obtained from VE-cadherin immunoprecipitation, indicating degradation of endothelial cell adherens junctions. A prominent increase in adherens junction complex solubility was observed in post-CPB perfusion samples. Confocal microscopy of hearts obtained before CPB showed a continuous, homogeneous pattern of cell-cell labeling that contrasted with an irregular, discontinuous, punctuate, or zigzag pattern observed in post-CPB perfusion samples, corroborating biochemical data. Conclusions—These results indicate that CPB is associated with signs of degradation of endothelial and cardiomyocytes adherens junctions, pointing to a molecular mechanism leading to increased vascular permeability and cardiomyocyte dysfunction.
Measuring Work–Life Conflict Among Low-Wage Workers

Objective: Most measurement research that addresses work–life conflict (WLC) has been conducted with higher wage professional workers or mixed samples of workers; little research has focused specifically on low-wage workers. The aims of this study were to (a) evaluate a bidirectional WLC scale that uses established measurement items to determine its applicability among low-wage workers using a national data set, and to (b) test the consistency and validity of this scale using a second nationally representative sample of low-wage workers. Method: We conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using 2 samples of low-wage workers from the National Study of the Changing Workforce, a nationally representative sample of the U.S. workforce. Analyses were limited to hourly, nonexempt workers who were employed in low-wage jobs that paid less than $31,800 per year or $15.29 per hour (N = 672). Results: Using a bidirectional WLC scale, the 2-factor model showed excellent fit to the data. However, areas of misfit were still present and establish the need for further research to fully understand the meaning of WLC for low-wage workers. Conclusions: Model results, implications for practice, and areas for future research are discussed.