Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Principal's Leadership Style on School Environment and Outcome.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of principal’s leadership style on school outcome. This study focused on the indirect relationship between the leadership style and the school environment. An additional objective was to investigate the impact of culture on leadership style as related to school environment and outcome. Data from the TIMSS 1995 on Kuwait and the USA were used in this empirical investigation. Descriptive statistics and an ANOVA were used in the statistical analysis. Several conclusions were found in this study. The data analysis supported the hypothesis that the principal’s leadership style was related to school outcomes. This relationship is found to be direct and indirect through the school environment. In the USA schools, the integrative principal leadership style is found to encourage and create a cooperative school environment for better school outcome than schools with authoritative principals. The principal’s leadership style was found to be very different between Kuwait and USA school. Kuwait schools’ principals are authoritative in their leadership style, while their USA counterparts tend to be integrative. Interestingly, although Kuwait school principals are authoritative in nature, data indicated that a cooperative school environment showed higher school outcomes. This suggests that the USA model is inapplicable in a culture similar to Kuwait. This study also concludes that there are no universal or appropriate leadership styles for all cultures.
Primary pulmonary malignant lymphoma, clinical and pathological findings, immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies in 15 cases

Fifteen cases of primary pulmonary malignant lymphoma (M.L.) were studied using strict criteria to distinguish them from secondary pulmonary manifestations. All were M.L. 's of the lymphoid B type. Diagnosis on the basis of non specific clinical, X‐ray and endoscopic findings is often difficult but can be facilitated by the systematic use of immunocytochemical and ultrastructural techniques. Their evolution is in good agreement with the prognostic data given by the Kiel‐Lennert histopathological classification. 14 of the patients had M.L. of low grade malignancy; the one case of high grade malignancy was quickly fatal. A few cases appeared as a complication of a preexisting dysimmune disease (Pigeon breeder's disease, Gougerot‐Sjogren disease, Liebow's lymphomatoid granulomatosis).
Can Rank-Order Tournaments Improve Efficiency of Quality Differentiated Crop Markets Under Marketing Loan Program Operation? The Case of U.S. Peanuts.

In the paper, alternative contractual arrangements between crop producers and processors are evaluated with a view of addressing the major issues present in peanut markets in the U.S., the major EU supplier of high quality peanuts. The issues are the thinness of the spot markets and the absence of quality premiums, both of which impair market efficiency. Results indicate that introducing contracts with a system of quality differentials creates incentives for producer self-selection to participate in the post harvest cash market. Moreover, in the presence of sufficiently high common production risk, tournament contracts are more efficient and preferred by the producers than the standard fixed premium schedules.
Credit card consumers: college students’ knowledge and attitude

Given the proliferation of the credit card industry in today’s US households, and the aggressive promotional tactics employed to get college students to sign on as customers, this exploratory study takes a look at the credit card activity of college students at one Midwestern campus. The majority of students surveyed did not report knowledge of their credit card interest rate, although approximately half did report knowing their credit balance and credit limit. Students appear to have a realistic attitude toward the use of credit cards.
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2001-2004: Enterprise Restructuring, Labor Market Transitions and Poverty

This paper takes stock of labor market developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the period 2001-2004, using the panel Living Standards Measurement Study/Living in Bosnia and Herzegovina survey. The analysis estimates a multinomial logit model of labor market transitions by state of origin (employment, unemployment, and inactivity) following the specification of widely used models of transition probabilities, and analyzes the impact of standard covariates. The results provide strong evidence that there are indeed significant differences in labor market transitions by gender, age, education, and geographic location. Using the panel structure of the multi-topic survey data, the authors find that these transitions are related to welfare dynamics, with welfare levels evolving differently for various groups depending on their labor market trajectories. The findings show that current labor market trends reflecting women's movement out of labor markets and laid-off male workers accepting informal sector jobs characterized by low productivity will lead to adverse social outcomes. These outcomes could be averted if the planned enterprise reform program creates a more favorable business environment and leads to faster restructuring and growth of firms.
Corporate brand image of financial institutions: a consumer approach

Purpose – In the banking sector, the importance of consumer's perceptions for business success has been underestimated. For this reason, the present work aims to focus on the corporate brand image construct, analysing how the associations of financial brands are generated and the way such associations influence consumer behaviour.Design/methodology/approach – A model is proposed that shows which are the main antecedents and consequences of corporate image of financial institutions. This model was validated through structural equation modelling. Data were collected by means of personal questionnaires addressed to 450 respondents.Findings – Results indicate that consumer perceptions depend on brand familiarity, non‐firm communications and, to a lesser extent, on advertising. The resulting image will be an antecedent of the global attitude to the firm and, directly and indirectly, of the intention to use the branded service.Research limitations/implications – This study has been aimed at consumers in a speci.
Effect of Handle Design and Target Location on Wrist Posture during Aiming with a Laparoscopic Tool

Laparoscopic surgery is a rapidly increasing field in healthcare today. However, current laparoscopic tools have inadequate handle designs and have been directly linked to post-surgery pain among surgeons. This study recruited forty subjects (20 male, 20 female) to evaluate the effect of handle design as well as target location on accuracy, precision, and wrist posture during an aiming task. Two laparoscopic tools were used for this study: a commercially available scissor-grip tool and a custom-designed ergo-grip tool. Each subject was asked to aim through a trocar at the center of one of five targets using one of the tools. The target was viewed by a laparoscopic camera and presented on a television. The results of this study showed that accuracy and precision were affected by both target position and tool; however, the differences were small (< 2 mm). Wrist flexion and ulnar deviation angles were affected by both target position and tool. Differences due to target position were expected given different hand locations are required to hit each target. Flexion angle was significantly smaller for the ergo-grip tool as opposed to the scissor-grip tool. Ulnar deviation angle was significantly smaller for the scissor-grip tool than for the ergo-grip tool. All but one subject preferred the ergo-grip tool when performing the task, suggesting that wrist flexion is a stronger predictor of comfort than ulnar deviation though both should be considered when designing ergonomic hand tools.
Subjective Visual Vertical Perception in Peripheral Vestibular Diseases

Objective: to examine the utility of subjective visual vertical (SVV) measurement in peripheral vestibular diseases. Materials and Methods: 91 patients were evaluated. Among them, 40 subjects were diagnosed with an acute unilateral vestibular loss (AUVL), 30 patients with a benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and 21 with Ménière’s disease (MD). In AUVL, we carried out a baseline (BT) and a provocative test (PT) with the interposition of a soft support between patients’ feet and the ground. In BPPV, the SVV was determined at the time of diagnosis, after the first therapeutic maneuver and 7 days later. In MD, SVV assessment was carried out during the attack and 7 days later with comparative assessment of concurrent spontaneous nystagmus (SN). Results: AUVL patients showing a better use of proprioception on SVV (4.83 ± 0.94° BT, 6.41 ± 0.98° PT; p< 0.001) were able to correct SVV deviation more quickly than others (62% vs 7%; p< 0.001 at 30 days). A significant change in SVV was recorded in BPPV after repositioning maneuvers (0.75 ± 0.49 vs 0.054 ± 0.79; p< 0.001). During an acute attack of initial MD, SVV can show an opposite functional status with respect to the SN significantly more frequently than in non initial MD (57% vs. 0%; p< 0.05). Conclusion: In AUVL, SVV can be useful to follow-up the long-term recovery. In BPPV, SVV determination can predict the effectiveness of repositioning maneuvers. Finally, SVV assessment can help differentiate MD initial attacks from non-initial MD attacks and AVUL.
The Strategic Levers of Yield Management

Yield management, controlling customer demand through the use of variable pricing and capacity management to enhance profitability, has been examined extensively in the services literature. Most of this work has been tactical and mathematical rather than managerial. In this article, the authors suggest that a broader view of yield management is valuable to both traditional and nontraditional users of the approach. Central to this broader view is the recognition of how different combinations ofpricing and duration can be used as strategic levers to position service firms in their markets and the identification of tactics by which management can deploy these strategic levers. The authors also propose that further development of yield management requires that when the service is delivered be treated as a design variable that should be as carefully managed as the service process itself.
Multidrug resistance protein 3 R652G may reduce susceptibility to idiopathic infant cholestasis.

AIM To evaluate the role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of idiopathic infant cholestasis. METHODS We performed a case-control study, including 78 infants with idiopathic infant cholestasis and 113 healthy infants as controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral venous blood leukocytes using phenol chloroform methodology. Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the multidrug resistance protein 3 (MDR3) R652G fragment, and products were sequenced using the ABI 3100 Sequencer. RESULTS The R652G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was significantly more frequent in healthy infants (allele frequency 8.0%) than in patients (allele frequency 2.60%) (P < 0.05), odds ratio, 0.29; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.84. The conjugated bilirubin in patients with the AG genotype was significantly lower than in those with the AA genotype (44.70 +/- 6.15 micromol/L vs 95.52 +/- 5.93 micromol/L, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION MDR3 R652G is negatively correlated with idiopathic infant cholestasis. Children with the R652G SNP in Guangxi of China may have reduced susceptibility to infant intrahepatic cholestasis.
Triterpenoids from Hippophae rhamnoides L. and their nitric oxide production-inhibitory and DPPH radical-scavenging activities.

In our investigation on the chemical constituents of Hippophae rhamnoides L. , the chloroform-soluble fraction of the 80% acetone extract of branch bark was observed to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production in a lipopolysaccharide and recombinant mouse interferon-gamma-activated murine macrophage-like cell line, RAW 264.7 cells. Two new triterpenoids, 2-O-trans-p-coumaroyl maslinic acid (1) and 2-O-caffeoyl maslinic acid (2), and three known triterpenoids, oleanolic acid (3), 3-O-trans-p-coumaroyl oleanolic acid (4), and 3-O-caffeoyl oleanolic acid (5), and 6-methoxy-2H-1-benzopyran (6) and beta-sitosterol (7) were isolated from the branch bark extract. Their inhibitory activities on the production of NO in RAW 264.7 cells and radical-scavenging activities were examined.
Differences in Selected Predictors of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears Between Male and Female NCAA Division I Collegiate Basketball Players.

OBJECTIVE To examine sex differences in strength, Q-angle, and pronation as predictors of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. DESIGN AND SETTING Height, weight, sum-of-seven skin-folds, quadriceps and hamstrings strength, Q-angle, and pronation were measured in each subject. SUBJECTS Male (n = 23) and female (n = 25) NCAA Division in identical conditioning programs. MEASUREMENTS Strength was measured at 180 degrees . s(-1) using an isokinetic dynamometer. Q-angle was assessed with the leg fully extended and flexed to 30 degrees . Pronation was determined with the navicular drop test. RESULTS A 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance indicated significant differences in the eccentric hamstrings-to-eccentric quadriceps strength ratio (female right = 46.11% +/- 2.83%, left = 52.73% +/- 3.74%; male right = 89.08% +/- 6.34%, left = 93.16% +/- 9.14% (P < .001)) and Q-angle measured in 30 degrees of flexion (female right = 13.37 degrees +/- 0.99 degrees , left 15.56 degrees +/- 1.34 degrees ; male right = 5.62 degrees +/- 0.75 degrees , left = 6.00 degrees +/- 0.86 degrees (P = .05)). CONCLUSIONS The results of this investigation indicate that, of the variables thought to contribute to ACL injuries, eccentric hamstrings strength relative to concentric quadriceps strength and Q-angle measured in 30 degrees of flexion appear to be significantly different in males and females.
Urinary Tract Infection in Children: A Review

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common paediatric infections. By the time children are 5 years old, about 8% of girls and about 1-2% of boys have had at least one episode of UTI. UTIs are caused mainly by colonic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, followed by Klebsiella and Proteus. However, any organism that gains access to the urinary tract system may cause infection, including fungi (Candida species) and viruses. In some instances, UTI results in recognition of an important underlying structural abnormality of the urinary tract. The febrile infant or child with clinically significant bacteriuria and no other site of infection to explain the fever, even in the absence of systemic symptoms has UTI. Signs and symptoms of UTIs vary depending on the child's age and on which part of the urinary tract is infected. The diagnosis of UTI is based on routine microscopic examination and culture of a properly collected urine specimen. Imaging studies are done in selected patients to identify anatomic abnormalities. Most cases of uncomplicated UTI respond readily to outpatient antibiotic treatment without further sequelae. All patients should have close follow-up to evaluate response to antibiotics and to prevent the development of long term complication. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/dmcj.v1i2. 15919 Delta Med Col J. Jul 2013;1(2):51-57
Assessing the Relationship between Caregivers Burden and Availability of Support for Family Caregivers’ of HIV/AIDS Patients in Calabar, South East Nigeria

Purpose: This study examined the level of burden and the extent of support on family caregivers of people living with AIDS (PLWHA) in Calabar, South East Nigeria. Methods: A mixed method with cross sectional approach was used. Purposive sampling technique guided the recruitment process and data collection methods included, semi-structured questionnaires and focusing group discussion. 260 respondents participated in the study. The quantitative data were mined with the aid of SPSS and the qualitative data were analysed with the aid of NVivo8 using thematic analysis. Results: Results indicated high level of burden with limited support to caregivers. A Chi-square value of 25.1 was obtained at P and financial burden for the caregivers. Similarly, information on coping skills, emotional support, financial assistance and help with caregiving themes emerged for social support. Conclusion: In Nigeria, the burden of caring for HIV/AIDS patients has a remarkable impact on family caregivers. This calls for the development of policies that can systematically address the needs of family caregivers in order to ameliorate the negative consequences of caregiving for PLWHA.
Long-Term Visuo-Gustatory Appetitive and Aversive Conditioning Potentiate Human Visual Evoked Potentials

Human recognition of foods and beverages are often based on visual cues associated with flavors. The dynamics of neurophysiological plasticity related to acquisition of such long-term associations has only recently become the target of investigation. In the present work, the effects of appetitive and aversive visuo-gustatory conditioning were studied with high density EEG-recordings focusing on late components in the visual evoked potentials (VEPs), specifically the N2-P3 waves. Unfamiliar images were paired with either a pleasant or an unpleasant juice and VEPs evoked by the images were compared before and 1 day after the pairings. In electrodes located over posterior visual cortex areas, the following changes were observed after conditioning: the amplitude from the N2-peak to the P3-peak increased and the N2 peak delay was reduced. The percentage increase of N2-to-P3 amplitudes was asymmetrically distributed over the posterior hemispheres despite the fact that the images were bilaterally symmetrical across the two visual hemifields. The percentage increases of N2-to-P3 amplitudes in each experimental subject correlated with the subject’s evaluation of positive or negative hedonic valences of the two juices. The results from 118 scalp electrodes gave surface maps of theta power distributions showing increased power over posterior visual areas after the pairings. Source current distributions calculated from swLORETA revealed that visual evoked currents rose as a result of conditioning in five cortical regions—from primary visual areas and into the inferior temporal gyrus (ITG). These learning-induced changes were seen after both appetitive and aversive training while a sham trained control group showed no changes. It is concluded that long-term visuo-gustatory conditioning potentiated the N2-P3 complex, and it is suggested that the changes are regulated by the perceived hedonic valence of the US.
Fair Optimal Stopping Policy for Matching with Mediator

In this paper we study an optimal stopping policy for a multi-agent delegated sequential matching system with fairness constraints . We consider a setting where a mediator/decision maker matches a sequence of arriving assignments to multiple groups of agents, with agents being grouped according to certain sensitive attributes that needs to be protected. The decision maker aims to maximize total rewards that can be collected from above matching process (from all groups), while making the matching fair among groups. We discuss two types of fairness constraints: (i) each group has a certain expected deadline before which the match needs to happen; (ii) each group would like to have a guaranteed share of average reward from the matching. We present the exact characterization of fair optimal strategies. Example is provided to demonstrate the computation ef-ﬁciency of our solution.
Metabolite of SIR2 Reaction Modulates TRPM2 Ion Channel*

The transient receptor potential melastatin-related channel 2 (TRPM2) is a nonselective cation channel, whose prolonged activation by oxidative and nitrative agents leads to cell death. Here, we show that the drug puromycin selectively targets TRPM2-expressing cells, leading to cell death. Our data suggest that the silent information regulator 2 (Sir2 or sirtuin) family of enzymes mediates this susceptibility to cell death. Sirtuins are protein deacetylases that regulate gene expression, apoptosis, metabolism, and aging. These NAD+-dependent enzymes catalyze a reaction in which the acetyl group from substrate is transferred to the ADP-ribose portion of NAD+ to form deacetylated product, nicotinamide, and the metabolite OAADPr, whose functions remain elusive. Using cell-based assays and RNA interference, we show that puromycin-induced cell death is greatly diminished by nicotinamide (a potent sirtuin inhibitor), and by decreased expression of sirtuins SIRT2 and SIRT3. Furthermore, we demonstrate using channel current recordings and binding assays that OAADPr directly binds to the cytoplasmic domain of TRPM2 and activates the TRPM2 channel. ADP-ribose binds TRPM2 with similarly affinity, whereas NAD+ displays almost negligible binding. These studies provide the first evidence for the potential role of sirtuin-generated OAADPr in TRPM2 channel gating.
Ownership structure and economic performance in the largest european companies

The paper examines the impact of ownership structure on company economic performance in 435 of the largest European companies. Controlling for industry, capital structure and nation effects we find a positive effect of ownership concentration on shareholder value (market‐to‐book value of equity) and profitability (asset returns), but the effect levels off for high ownership shares. Furthermore we propose and support the hypothesis that the identity of large owners—family, bank, institutional investor, government, and other companies—has important implications for corporate strategy and performance. For example, compared to other owner identities, financial investor ownership is found to be associated with higher shareholder value and profitability, but lower sales growth. The effect of ownership concentration is also found to depend on owner identity. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Crash of an Airline - the Role of Accounting Choices

Accounting choices have usually been analysed by large-scale empirical research. However, the generality gained from such an approach is at the cost of understanding the rich and complex nature of such choice decisions in real organizations. This article presents the results of an in-depth analysis of the use of accounting choices by a single group of companies over a ten year time span. It is observed that a variety of accounting choices were made in a way that managed the presentation of financial performance so that it was perceived to be better than it actually was. In addition, a number of real decisions were also taken that allowed a more favourable impression to be created, at least for a period of years. The nature of less choices and their consequences only became fully visible following the bankruptcy of the group concerned. From a theoretical stance, the study indicates that accounting choices may be managed as a total package, rather than individually, and that the same choice may move from having an exogenous to an endogenous role. Such an observation has implications for the design and interpretation of large-scale empirical studies. In addition, it is noted that the impact of accounting choices is not confined to audited financial statements, but that they also affect voluntary disclosures, management control systems, and incentive and reward mechanisms. Finally, the change to more transparent accounting standards, such as IAS, is shown to be open to impression management by both its timing and by alterations in voluntary disclosure. The case study indicates the range and complexity of the variables that need to be considered in assessing the impact of accounting standards.