Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Work environment and employee motivation to lead: moderating effects of personal characteristics

– A key challenge for organizations is identification of candidates for development as organizational leaders. While selection criteria may vary, one important consideration is the extent to which an employee is motivated to lead. Previous studies have restricted investigation of the antecedents of these motivations to individual differences such as personality, self-efficacy, and previous leadership experiences, suggesting that leadership capacity may depend largely on employee selection. However, employee assessments of numerous aspects of the work environment may also have a substantial role in determining an employee’s motivation to lead (MTL), suggesting that an organization’s leadership capacity may depend on many other human resource practices. The paper aims to discuss these issues. , – In this study, the authors explored the role of employee assessments of work experiences as determinants of three types of MTL. This paper investigates the impact of a value-oriented organizational culture and the employee’s assessment of the work environment (pay satisfaction, promotion possibilities, recognition, job design, internal communication, and employee’s relationship with his/her current leader). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. , – Based upon the results of 210 respondents the strength of relationship varies among the three alternative types of leadership motivation. The results suggest that besides individual differences, the perceived work environment may be a significant determinant of motivation to become an organizational leader. Employee assessments of pay, promotion opportunities, recognition, job design, quality of organizational communications, and workplace spirituality all play a role in determining employee MTL. , – This paper offers a number of implications for human resource management practices, hiring, and leadership development.
Nonverbal behavioral similarity between patients with depression in remission and interviewers in relation to satisfaction and recurrence of depression

Unsatisfying interpersonal relationships are involved in the onset and course of depression. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. In this study we investigated the nonverbal communication between 101 patients with remitted depression and interviewers. We related the interaction between the patients' and interviewers' behavior to patients' satisfaction with the interview and to the risk of recurrence of depression. We registered the patients' and interviewers' nonverbal displays of involvement during a clinical interview and assessed the patients' satisfaction with the interview. Possible recurrence of depression was assessed within a 2‐year follow‐up. Based on findings in healthy people, we hypothesized that the more similar the levels of the patients' and interviewers' behavior became during the interview, the more satisfied the patients would turn out to be. Furthermore, we hypothesized that lack of similarity in the levels of the patients' and interviewers' involvement behavior would predict recurrence of depression. Our hypotheses were confirmed: The more the patients' and interviewers' behavior converged, the more satisfied the patients were with the interview and the lower the risk of recurrence of depression. Satisfaction did not mediate the association between convergence and risk of recurrence. Also, no gender effects were found. We conclude that nonverbal communication processes are involved in the risk of recurrence of depression. Remitted people's difficulties in reaching nonverbal convergence with others may hamper them in their interpersonal functioning and, as a consequence, may put them at risk for new episodes of depression. Depression and Anxiety 23:200–209, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Wolbachia-based strategies to control insect pests and disease vectors

Wolbachia are a group of obligate intracellular maternally inherited bacteria that have been found in several arthropod groups including spiders, terrestrial crustaceans, and insects, in addition to filarial nematodes. It has been estimated that >65% of insect species harbor Wolbachia, making it one of the most ubiquitous intracellular bacteria discovered to date. In arthropods, Wolbachia behave as a reproductive parasite by manipulating host reproduction to enhance their vertical transmission. One reproductive modification, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), has received attention for use in applied strategies targeting economically important insect pests and disease vectors. The two proposed CI-based strategies are: (1) population suppression, analogous to the sterile insect technique (SIT) and (2) population replacement, using Wolbachia as a vehicle to drive desirable phenotypes into natural populations. Strategies are based upon the use of both naturally occurring infections and genetically modified Wolbachia strains. In this review, we summarize recent developments in Wolbachia research, specifically within the context of applied Wolbachia-based strategies used to suppress or modify natural insect populations.
High Stroke Volume Variation Is an Independent Predictor for Decreased Blood Pressure During Hemodialysis

It currently remains unclear whether stroke volume variation (SVV) before hemodialysis (HD) is an independent predictor of decreased blood pressure (BP) during HD. Fifty‐two patients were divided into two groups (Decreased BP during HD group: N = 10, Non‐decreased BP group: N = 42). Fractional shortening was lower, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) and SVV were higher in the Decreased BP during HD group. A multiple logistic regression analysis identified low fractional shortening, high MAP, and high SVV as independent predictors of decreased BP during HD. The areas under the ROC curves were as follows: 0.849 for MAP, 0.712 for SVV, and 0.893 for MAP and SVV. Optimal threshold values were 93.0 mm Hg for MAP and 17.3 % for SVV. A multivariate regression analysis identified anemia and a longer dialysis vintage as independently related factors for higher SVV. Our results suggest that high SVV is an independent predictor for decreased BP during HD.
SLEEP ABNORMALITIES IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE CEREBRAL PALSY

The all‐night polysomnographic findings of nine patients with spastic quadriparesis (mean age 36‐7 months) were analysed retrospectively and compared with those of nine age‐matched controls (rnean age 37‐4 months). The cerebral palsy group had significantly more respiratory disturbances per hour of sleep, with five of nine being diagnosed as having obstructive sleep apnea. They also had fewer changes in body position during the night. Interictal epileptiform discharges averaged 23‐3 per cent of the total arousals in the cerebral palsy group. Obstructive apnea, decreased ability to change body position, and interictal epileptiform discharges are prevalent in the sleep of patients with severe cerebral palsy, and contribute towards its disruption.
Release of endogenous dopamine from rat isolated striatum: effect of clorgyline and (−)−deprenyl

1 High performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection was used to measure the release and content of dopamine and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) from rat isolated striatum. The effects of the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors clorgyline and (−)−deprenyl on dopamine and DOPAC release and contents, and the IC50 values of these compounds for inhibition of dopamine deamination in rat striatum were determined. 2 Dopamine release was significantly increased by elevated KCl (22 mm) in a Ca2+‐dependent manner, and by ouabain (20 μm), whereas the release of DOPAC remained constant. The loss in striatal dopamine content during the incubation period (67% of initial content) was far greater than the amount of dopamine recovered in the incubation fluid (16% of initial content), suggesting that much of the DOPAC, released during incubation originated from the conversion of dopamine to DOPAC within the striatum. 3 A concentration‐dependent decrease in DOPAC efflux, both during rest and stimulation periods, was observed in the presence of clorgyline (10−8m‐10−7m) and (−)−deprenyl (10−5m‐10−4m). 4 Higher concentrations of clorgyline (10−7m) and (−)−deprenyl (10−4m), which inhibited dopamine deamination by 85–90%, enhanced both the resting and KCl‐induced release of dopamine. 5 The total amount of dopamine plus DOPAC that was released in the presence of clorgyline or (−)−deprenyl did not differ from control values, suggesting that the increase in dopamine release elicited by MAO inhibitors might result from reduced degradation of dopamine to DOPAC. 6 The IC50 values of clorgyline (5 × 10−9m) and (−)−deprenyl (5 × 10−6m) for inhibition of dopamine deamination indicate that dopamine is a substrate for type A MAO in rat striatum.
Alteration in salivary properties and taste perception in OSMF

Objective: To assess and compare the salivary flow rate (SFR), pH and taste perception among oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) and apparently healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: Ninety subjects (45 OSMF + 45 controls) were enrolled in the study for estimating and analogizing the SFR, pH, and taste perception executing modified Schirmer, pH, and taste strips. The SFR, pH, and taste perception were evaluated and compared between 14 Stage I and 31 Stage II OSMF subjects. The entered data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 software. Results: A statistically significant decrease in SFR among OSMF group (23.4 mm at 3rd min) and hypogeusia to salty (62.2%), and dysgeusia to sour taste (40%) when compared to apparently healthy subjects (30.7 mm at 3rd min) was noted. Statistical significance (P < 0.05%) inferring hyposalivation in Stage II OSMF (24.1 mm at 3rd min) juxtaposing with Stage I OSMF (31.4 mm at 3rd min). Statistically significant hypogeusia to salty (n = 23) and sweet (n = 16) and dysgeusia (n = 14) to sour among Stage II OSMF when differentiated with Stage I OSMF. The mean pH among the OSMF and control groups demonstrated no statistical significance. Conclusion: The findings from the study demonstrated marked decrease of SFR and taste perception to salty and sour among Stage II OSMF when compared to Stage I OSMF subjects.
Mechanisms regulating the expression, self‐maintenance, and signaling‐function of the bradykinin B2 and B1 receptors

Bradykinin (BK) is a potent short‐lived effector belonging to a class of peptides known as kinins. It participates in inflammatory and vascular regulation and processes including angioedema, tissue permeability, vascular dilation, and smooth muscle contraction. BK exerts its biological effects through the activation of the bradykinin B2 receptor (BKB2R) which is G‐protein‐coupled and is generally constitutively expressed. Upon binding, the receptor is activated and transduces signal cascades which have become paradigms for the actions of the Gαi and Gαq G‐protein subunits. Following activation the receptor is then desensitized, endocytosed, and resensitized. The bradykinin B1 (BKB1R) is a closely related receptor. It is activated by desArg10‐kallidin or desArg9‐BK, metabolites of kallidin and BK, respectively. This receptor is induced following tissue injury or after treatment with bacterial endotoxins such as lipopolysacharide or cytokines such as interleukin‐1 or tumor necrosis factor‐α. In this review we will summarize the BKB2R and BKB1R mediated signal transduction pathways. We will then emphasize the relevance of key residues and domains of the intracellular regions of the BKB2R as they relate to modulating its function (signal transduction) and self‐maintenance (desensitization, endocytosis, and resensitization). We will examine the features of the BKB1R gene promoter and its mRNA as these operate in the expression and self‐maintenance of this inducible receptor. This communication will not cover areas discussed in earlier reviews pertaining to the actions of peptide analogs. For these we refer you to earlier reviews (Regoli and Barabé, 1980 , Pharmacol Rev 32:1–46; Regoli et al., 1990 , J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 15(Suppl 6):S30–S38; Regoli et al., 1993 , Can J Physiol Pharmacol 71:556–557; Marceau, 1995 , Immunopharmacology 30:1–26; Regoli et al., 1998 , Eur J Pharmacol 348:1–10). J. Cell. Physiol. 193: 275–286, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Extreme Uncertainty and Forward‐Looking Disclosure Properties

This study investigates the effect of extreme uncertainty on disclosure behaviour by analyzing the quality and quantity of forward-looking disclosures during the global financial crisis and pre-crisis periods, controlling for other determinants of disclosure behaviour. Prior research has struggled to distinguish between the quality and quantity dimensions of forward-looking disclosures. Also, the impact of the recent financial crisis on these forward-looking disclosure attributes has not yet been examined systematically. We address this gap by exploiting the unique setting of German publicly traded firms. These firms must provide forward-looking information within their audited financial statements, although relevant regulation is sufficiently vague to allow great variation in the quality, scope and quantity of forward-looking disclosures actually observed. Using hand-collected data from 2005 to 2009, we provide evidence of a significantly negative association between crisis and disclosure quality. This finding is robust to several different disclosure quality proxies and regression specifications. In contrast, we find no negative significant relation between crisis and disclosure quantity; rather, there is evidence that reported volume increases during the crisis. Our results are consistent with extreme uncertainty, as occurring during times of crisis, negatively affecting the quality of voluntary disclosures, while firms maintain or increase disclosure quantity, ultimately diluting the information density of forward-looking disclosures.
Neonatal progeroid syndrome (Wiedemann–Rautenstrauch syndrome): Report of three affected sibs

The Wiedemann–Rautenstrauch syndrome (WRS) (OMIM 264090) is a rare progeroid entity. WRS patients are characterized by premature aging present at birth including pseudohydrocephalus, cranio‐facial disproportion, reduced subcutaneous fat, thin skin, rigid and thick joints, and neonatal teeth in some cases. Here we describe three sibs with WRS from unaffected parents and without consanguinity. Our findings support autosomal recessive inheritance in WRS and support the possibility of homozygocity mapping as a good approach to find the causative gene. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Factors associated with body image dissatisfaction among adolescents in public schools students in Salvador, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE To identify the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and associated factors among students in Salvador, Brazil. METHODS A cross-sectional study involving a random sample of 1,494 (852 girls and 642 boys) adolescents between 11 and 17 years of age who were students in the public schools in Salvador, Brazil. Participants completed the Body Shape Questionnaire and the Eating Attitudes Test-26. Body image was characterized as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. We obtained demographic, anthropometric and economic information and information regarding the stage of maturation, self-perception of body weight, and consumption of sweetened beverages and diet soft drinks. To identify associated factors we used Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS Body image dissatisfaction was present in 19.5% of the adolescents, with a prevalence of 26.6% among the girls and 10% among the boys. Independent of sex, the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction was higher among adolescents who were overweight or obese (girls, PR: 1.38, CI: 1.09-1.73 and boys, PR: 2.26, CI: 1.08-4.75), higher among those who perceived themselves as fat (girls, PR: 2.85, CI: 2.07-3.93 and boys, PR: 3.17, CI: 1.39-7.23), and higher among those who had negative attitudes toward eating (girls, PR: 2.42, CI: 1.91-3.08 and boys, PR: 4.67, CI: 2.85-7.63). A reduction in body image dissatisfaction was only identified among underweight girls (PR: 0.12, CI: 0.03-0.49). CONCLUSIONS A high occurrence of body image dissatisfaction was observed among the adolescents, and biological and behavioral factors were associated with this dissatisfaction.
The Loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus Reduces Amino Acid Catabolism and Accumulates Alanine and Glutamine during Aerial Exposure

The loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus inhabits rice fields in Southern China. It encounters drought during summer and ammonia loading during agricultural fertilization. In the laboratory, aerial exposure led to decreases in its ammonia and urea excretion. Ammonia accumulated to very high levels in the muscle and liver. Urea synthesis through the ornithine‐urea cycle was not involved in ammonia detoxification in M. anguillicaudatus. However, M. anguillicaudatus was capable of partial amino acid catabolism leading to the accumulation of alanine in the first 24 h of aerial exposure. This was apparently coupled to a possible decrease in protein/amino acid catabolism. These are not detoxification mechanisms but mechanisms that avoid internal fouling by ammonia. Misgurnus anguillicaudatus was also capable of detoxifying internally produced ammonia in part to glutamine, which appears to be an important adaptation after 24 h of aerial exposure. However, unlike the case of the marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmoratus), there was no alteration to the kinetic properties of the hepatic glutamine synthetase. During dry seasons, M. anguillicaudatus moves actively on land until it encounters soft mud in which it can bury itself through several strong wriggling actions of the body. Hence, it is possible that M. anguillicaudatus uses partial amino acid catabolism to fuel its short period of activities on land and switches to the formation of glutamine to detoxify internally produced ammonia when it remains relatively inactive in the mud.
About the Economic Transformation in the Post-Communist Countries of Central Europe

The article describes the initial stage of economic transformation, with the analysis of conditions in which the post-communist countries of Central Europe were in 1989. The basic source factors affecting the dynamics of socio-economic development in these countries are shown too. The method of comparative analysis of the countries of the former socialist bloc considered various factors that may affect the pace of economic transformation. It was found out that there was the faster process of recovery of the market economy in the countries with the objective historical background of the economic decentralization. It has been observed that the rate of nationalization of the economy during the Soviet occupation in different countries was different, and in the countries where nationalization of the economy took the longest time, the standard of living, in particular, GDP per capita was the highest. The influence of the countryâ€™s population on the pace of economic transformation confirmed.
A common role of CRP in transcription activation: CRP acts transiently to stimulate events leading to open complex formation at a diverse set of promoters

We have shown previously that the cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) is not required after the formation of the open complex at the lac promoter ( Tagami and Aiba, 1995 , Nucleic Acids Res., 19, 6705–6712). In this paper, we investigate the role of CRP in transcription activation at the malT and gal promoters. At the malT promoter, RNA polymerase (RNAP) forms a nonproductive RNAP–promoter binary complex in the absence of CRP and a productive CRP–RNAP–promoter ternary complex in the presence of CRP. CRP can be removed from the malT ternary complex by a moderate concentration of heparin. The resulting binary complex is functionally identical to the ternary complex. At the gal promoter, RNAP predominantly forms a binary complex at the P2 promoter in the absence of CRP and a ternary complex at the P1 promoter in the presence of CRP. A very high concentration of heparin is able to dissociate CRP from the galP1ternary complex without changing the properties of the complex. These data indicate that CRP is not required for the maintenance of the ternary complex and plays no role in the subsequent steps, irrespective of the promoter. We conclude that the common role of CRP in the activation of transcription is to stimulate events leading to the formation of a productive open complex at a diverse set of CRP‐dependent promoters. We suggest that the interaction between CRP and RNAP is needed only transiently for the activation of transcription.
Jumping behaviour in a Gondwanan relict insect (Hemiptera: Coleorrhyncha: Peloridiidae)

SUMMARY Jumping by a relict insect, Hackeriella veitchi (Hacker 1932), belonging to the ancient Coleorrhynchan line that diverged from other Hemiptera in the late Permian, was analysed from high-speed images captured at rates of 2000 s–1 and from its anatomy. This 3 mm long, flightless insect weighs up to 1.4 mg and can jump by rapid movements of the hind legs that accelerate the body in 1.5 ms to a take-off velocity of 1.5 m s–1. This performance requires an energy expenditure of 1. 1μ J and a power output 0.74 mW, and exerts a force of 1.24 mN. It achieves this with a body design that shows few specialisations for jumping compared with those of other groups of Hemipterans such as the froghoppers or leafhoppers. The hind legs are only 10% longer than the front and middle legs by virtue of longer tibiae and tarsi, and are only 65% the length of the body. The main thrust for a jump is provided by the rapid rotation of the fused trochanter and femur about the coxa of a hind leg, in a movement that forces the hind tarsus against the ground and raises the body to take off. In some jumps the two hind legs move together, but in others the movements may not be closely synchronised, thereby imparting a rotation on the body that is maintained once airborne. When the time difference is larger, the rapid movement of just one hind leg results in the insect falling from its perch in an adaptive escape response.
Evaluation of peripheral muscle oxygenation during exercise by spatially resolved spectroscopy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND Spatially resolved (SR) spectroscopy has enabled non-invasive and continuous measurement of muscle oxygen saturation during exercise. In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), skeletal muscle dysfunction has been widely studied histochemically and biochemically. However, impairment of muscle oxygenation during exercise has not been elucidated yet. METHODS We measured oxygen saturation in the vastus lateralis muscle (SmO2) using SR spectrometry during incremental cycle exercise in 16 COPD patients and 10 age-matched healthy subjects. RESULTS Significant decrease in SmO2 was found at peak exercise compared with warm-up in both groups (56.9 +/- 6.0% to 47.3 +/- 6.8% in patients with COPD, p<0.001; 60.7 +/- 5.8% to 49.9 +/- 7.7% in healthy subjects, p<0.01). The decrease in SmO2 was linear with respect to increase in work rate, and the slope of SmO2 was significantly steeper in COPD patients than in healthy subjects (-0.282 +/- 0.159 vs -0.107 +/- 0.057 %/Watt, p<0.001). The slope of SmO2 in COPD patients significantly correlated with body mass index (BMI) (p<0.01), peak percutaneous oxygen saturation (p<0.05), and peak pulmonary oxygen consumption (p<0.05). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that BMI was a significant determinant of the SmO2 slope (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that oxygenation of peripheral muscle is impaired during exercise in COPD patients and that BMI contributes independently to the change of muscle oxygen saturation with exercise in COPD patients. SR spectroscopy will provide useful information for the study of the dynamics of muscle oxygenation in COPD patients.