Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects Of Transformational Leadership On Organizational Performance - A Theoretical Approach

Nowadays, managers have to face the complexity of the technological and informational environment, social change, increasing entrepreneurial activity, accelerating technological developments and a more educated and skilled workforce. Leadership has become a critical element in the success of an organization. Transformational leaders generate a greater involvement in the work of subordinates. This involvement results in higher efficiency and satisfaction leading to managerial and organizational performance. In theory, transformational leadership is positively correlated with a variety of organizational outcomes. From a theoretical point of view, the literature offers empirical evidence and reinforces the assumption that transformational leadership generates positive results within organizations. This paper aims to treat the concept of transformational leadership and to analyze existing approaches and studies in the literature. The main objective of this study is to present the evolution of transformational leadership by examining additional factors that have an impact on this leadership style. The research methodology of the paper is based on literature review and on the analysis of various studies and relevant findings in the field.
Characterization of European cities’ climate shift – an exploratory study based on climate analogues

Purpose Climate analogues have been extensively used in ecological studies to assess the shift of ecoregions due to climate change and the associated impacts on species survival and displacement, but they have hardly been applied to urban areas and their climate shift. This paper aims to use climate analogues to characterize the climate shift of cities and to explore its implications as well as potential applications of this approach. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose a methodology to match the current climate of cities with the future climate of other locations and to characterize cities’ climate shift velocity. Employing a sample of 90 European cities, the authors demonstrate the applicability of this method and characterize their climate shift from 1951 to 2100. Findings Results show that cities’ climate shift follows rather strictly north-to-south transects over the European continent and that the average southward velocity is expected to double throughout the twenty-first century. These rapid shifts will have direct implications for urban infrastructure, risk management and public health services. Originality/value These findings appear to be potentially useful for raising awareness of stakeholders and urban dwellers about the pace, magnitude and dynamics of climate change, supporting identification of the future climate impacts and vulnerabilities and implementation of readily available adaptation options, and strengthening cities’ cooperation within climate-related networks.
ReviewIsoprostanes: Novel Bioactive Products of Lipid Peroxidation

Isoprostanes, are a novel group of prostaglandin-like compounds that are biosynthesised from esterified polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) through a non-enzymatic free radical-catalysed reaction. Several of these compounds possess potent biological activity, as evidenced mainly through their pulmonary and renal vasoconstrictive effects, and have short half-lives. It has been shown that isoprostanes act as full or partial agonists through thromboxane receptors. Both human and experimental studies have indicated associations of isoprostanes and severe inflammatory conditions, ischemia-reperfusion, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Reports have shown that F2-isoprostanes are authentic biomarkers of lipid peroxidation and can be used as potential in vivo indicators of oxidant stress in various clinical conditions, as well as in evaluations of antioxidants or drugs for their free radical-scavenging properties. Higher levels of F2-isoprostanes have been found in the normal human pregnancy compared to non-pregnancy, but their physiological role has not been well studied so far. Since bioactive F2-isoprostanes are continuously formed in various tissues and large amounts of these potent compounds are found unmetabolised in their free acid form in the urine in normal basal conditions with a wide inter-individual variation, their role in the regulation of normal physiological functions could be of further biological interest, but has yet to be disclosed. Their potent biological activity has attracted great attention among scientists, since these compounds are found in humans and animals in both physiological and pathological conditions and can be used as reliable biomarkers of lipid peroxidation.
Relationship between Corporate Governance Index and Firm Performance: Indian Evidence

The Indian corporate governance norms have been evolving over a period of time but limited number of studies have been undertaken with reference to corporate governance index (CGI) in the Indian context. The study aims to examine the relationship between CGI and firm performance. We construct CGI using important parameters of governance such as board structure, ownership structure, market for corporate control and market competition. Our panel data set comprises of listed firms and the estimation analysis has been carried out using random effects method. The study reveals significant positive relationship between CGI and firm performance metrics. CGI is an important and causal factor in explaining firm performance. The investors would also have positive perception about business firms maintaining high governance standards, thus reducing possible funding costs.
The Decline of Intergenerational Income Mobility in Denmark: Returns to Education, Demographic Change, and Labor Market Experience

Abstract:Although there is some evidence of declining intergenerational mobility in wealthy countries, the sources of these changes are not well understood. This paper examines the changes in intergenerational mobility in Denmark, which has one of the highest levels of intergenerational mobility in the world. We show that mobility has been declining for both men and women since the late 1950s across the most recent cohorts who are now old enough to measure permanent adult income, and that these changes were concentrated among children born into the middle three-fifths of the income distribution. We examine the sources of this decline by testing hypotheses related to demographic processes, returns to education, and work experience. Our results highlight the importance of both parent and child work experience and family structure in the family of origin among both men and women as well as, to a lesser degree, marital status, assortative mating, and childbearing among women. Although education was an important driver of parent-child income rank associations (IRA) in each cohort, it played little role in accounting for increases in those associations across cohorts.
The hero’s story and autism

Thirty-three websites self-published on the Internet by parents of children with autism were examined using grounded theory. The process that the parents underwent closely follows an outline drawn by Catford and Ray to describe the hero’s development. Following diagnosis, parents of children with autism underwent a period of readjustment after which each of the parents described in the study prepared himself or herself for action. In the aftermath, the parents viewed themselves and their offspring in a positive light. At the close of the life narrative, all said they had come to terms with their child’s present circumstances and were prepared to help other parents in coping with their children. Our study suggests that the Internet allows stressed parents of children with autism to forge ties among themselves and extricate themselves from their isolation.
Quantification of MAP and molecular motor activities on geometrically controlled microtubule networks

The spatial organization of the microtubule (MT) network directs cell polarity and mitosis. It is finely regulated by hundreds of different types of microtubule‐associated proteins and molecular motors whose specific functions are difficult to investigate directly in cells. Here, we have investigated their functions using geometrically controlled MT networks in vitro in cell‐free assay. This was achieved by developing a new method to spatially define MT nucleation using MT microseeds adsorbed on a micropatterned glass substrate. This method could be used to control MT growth and the induction of complex MT networks. We selected the interaction of two radial arrays of dynamic and polarized MTs to analyze the formation of the central antiparallel MT bundle. We investigated the effects of the MT cross‐linker anaphase spindle elongation 1 (Ase1) and the kinesin motor Klp2, which are known to regulate MT organization in the spindle midzone. We thus identified the respective roles of each protein and revealed their synergy on the establishment of stable antiparallel MT bundles by quantifying MT interactions over hundreds of comparable MT networks. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Social Networks, Social Capital and Performance: a study with brazilian Dairy cooperatives

This study aimed to evaluate if social network and social capital theories are enough do encompass the complexity of management of cooperatives works in order to get superior performance. The subject of this study arises on the relationship of inter-organizational social networks in managerial capabilities of Brazilian cooperatives operating in the dairy segment. We utilized a structured questionnaire to collect quantitative data. The questionnaire was sent by email and by mail to the leaders of 414 cooperatives. We obtained 348 responses and, after treatment of missing data, 331 of them were analyzed. A theoretical model based on the theoretical framework was proposed and then validated by analysis of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Thus, it was established that inter-organizational social networks generate capital and that the cooperatives make use of networks, albeit incipiently. It was noted, too, that inter-organizational social networks can benefit cooperatives’ performance.
Electron knock-on damage in hexagonal boron nitride monolayers

We combine first-principles molecular-dynamics simulations with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy experiments to draw a detailed microscopic picture of irradiation effects in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) monolayers. We determine the displacement threshold energies for boron and nitrogen atoms in h-BN, which differ significantly from the tight-binding estimates found in the literature and remove ambiguity from the interpretation of the experimental results. We further develop a kinetic Monte Carlo model which allows to extend the simulations to macroscopic time scales and make a direct comparison between theory and experiments. Our results provide a comprehensive picture of the response of h-BN nanostructures to electron irradiation.
Sequencing of peach latent mosaic viroid variants from nine North American peach cultivars shows that this RNA folds into a complex secondary structure.

We sequenced 34 new peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) variants isolated from nine different peach cultivars. This study provides the widest view of PLMVd diversity reported to date and includes the original characterization of North American variants, which cannot be differentiated from European sequences. PLMVd appears as a species in which each isolate is a complex mixture of RNAs. Analysis of base-pair covariations supports the hypothesis that PLMVd folds into a complex branched structure with the potential of including three new pseudoknots. The resulting "globular-like" structure is in contrast to the rod-like one adopted by most other viroids.
Ready-to-eat cereals and the burden of obesity in the context of their nutritional contribution: are all ready-to-eat cereals equally healthy? A systematic review

A significant increase in the prevalence of obesity has occurred worldwide and the importance of considering the role of diet in the prevention and treatment of obesity is widely acknowledged. A growing body of evidence encourages the consumption of ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) as part of a healthful diet. Research has shown an inverse association between the consumption of RTEC and the rate of obesity. However, other findings claim that this association was only attributed to the consumption of whole-grain cereals and not the refined-grain ones. Although meta-analyses of clinical trials support the use of a low-glycaemic index diet on weight loss, findings from other studies on the effect of the dietary glycaemic index on body weight have not been consistent. Thus, further research into the role of glycaemic index in the prevention and management of obesity and chronic disease is needed. Moreover, significant differences have been observed in composition among the marketed RTEC. In light of the revealing protective role of whole-grain, fibre-rich, low-energy-dense and low-glycaemic index/glycaemic load foods against obesity, public health professionals could drive their efforts towards the promotion of even more healthier RTEC when issuing advice on weight management. It seems, however, that despite any differences in their composition, the frequent consumption of RTEC due to their nutritional contribution is recommended in moderation and under the current recommendations in the context of a healthy balanced diet.
Assessment of Folic Acid Supplementation in Pregnant Women by Estimation of Serum Levels of Tetrahydrofolic Acid, Dihydrofolate Reductase, and Homocysteine

Background. Status of folic acid use in pregnant women of the hilly regions in North India was little known. This study was carried out to assess the folic acid use and estimate folate metabolites in pregnant women of this region. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study is comprised of 76 pregnant women, whose folic acid supplementation was assessed by a questionnaire and serum levels of homocysteine, tetrahydrofolic acid (THFA), and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) were estimated using Enzyme Linked Immunoassays. Results. The study data revealed awareness of folic acid use during pregnancy was present in 46.1% and 23.7% were taking folic acid supplements. The study depicted that there was no statistically significant difference between serum levels of THFA and DHFR in pregnant women with and without folic acid supplements (p = 0.790). Hyperhomocysteinemia was present in 15.78% of the participants. Conclusion. Less awareness about folic acid supplementation and low use of folic acid by pregnant women were observed in this region. Sufficient dietary ingestion may suffice for the escalated requirements in pregnancy, but since this cannot be ensured, hence folic acid supplementation should be made as an integral part of education and reproductive health programs for its better metabolic use, growth, and development of fetus.
A recessive form of central core disease, transiently presenting as multi‐minicore disease, is associated with a homozygous mutation in the ryanodine receptor type 1 gene

Multi‐minicore disease is an autosomal recessive congenital myopathy characterized by the presence of multiple, short‐length core lesions (minicores) in both muscle fiber types. These lesions being nonspecific and the clinical phenotype being heterogeneous, multi‐minicore disease boundaries remain unclear. To identify its genetic basis, we performed a genome‐wide screening in a consanguineous Algerian family in which three children presented in infancy with moderate weakness predominant in axial muscles, pelvic girdle and hands, joint hyperlaxity (hand involvement phenotype), and multiple minicores. We mapped the disease to chromosome 19q13 in this family and, subsequently, in three additional families showing a similar phenotype, with a maximum LOD score of 5.19 for D19S570. This locus was excluded in 16 other multi‐minicore disease families with predominantly axial weakness, scoliosis, and respiratory insufficiency (“classical” phenotype). In the Algerian family, we identified a novel homozygous missense mutation (P3527S) in the ryanodine receptor type 1 gene, a positional candidate gene responsible for the autosomal dominant congenital myopathy central core disease. New muscle biopsies from the three patients at adulthood demonstrated typical central core disease with rods; no cores were found in the healthy parents. This subgroup of families linked to 19q13 represents the first variant of central core disease with genetically proven recessive inheritance and transient presentation as multi‐minicore disease.
Recovery From Mild Head Injury in Sports: Evidence From Serial Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies in Male Athletes

Objective:To examine functional brain activation patterns before and after postconcussive symptoms (PCS) resolution. Design:Prospective serial study with male athletes using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Setting:Hospital laboratory and imaging facility. Participants:9 symptomatic concussed athletes who experienced persisting PCS at least 1 month postinjury and 6 healthy athletes. Interventions:All athletes filled out a PCS checklist and underwent an fMRI session during which they performed a working-memory task. Main outcome measurements:Behavioral outcomes were response speed and accuracy on the working memory tasks performed during the fMRI session. Functional imaging outcomes were blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI activation patterns associated with a working memory task. Results:There was no difference in behavioral performance between the groups. Despite normal structural MRI findings, all symptomatic concussed athletes initially showed atypical brain activation patterns in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPC). Compared to the initial postinjury evaluation, those athletes at follow-up with PCS resolved showed significant increases in activation in the left DLPC. Concussed athletes whose PCS status remained unchanged at follow-up continued to show atypical activation in DLPC. Healthy athletes showed remarkably clear and consistent brain activations in DLPC initially as well as in follow-up, highlighting the test-retest reliability of fMRI. Conclusions:The results demonstrate the feasibility of using fMRI to detect an underlying pathology in symptomatic concussed athletes with normal structural imaging results and its potential to document recovery. Such information may be of considerable value for clinical judgment and patient management.
Body Mass Index and Lung Cancer Risk in Women

Background: Studies have suggested that leanness in adulthood may be a risk factor for lung cancer; however, there is justifiable concern that the observed association may be due to residual confounding by smoking, preclinical weight loss, competing causes of death, or some combination of these. Methods: To examine this association we used data from the Canadian National Breast Screening Study, which included 89,835 women ages 40–59 years at recruitment between 1980 and 1985. During a mean of 16 years of follow-up, we observed 750 incident lung cancer cases. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between body mass index (BMI) and lung cancer. Results: After adjustment for pack-years of smoking and other covariates, there was some evidence for inverse associations in current smokers (hazard ratio for highest BMI quintile relative to the lowest = 0.63; 95% confidence interval = 0.48−0.83) and in former smokers (0.69; 0.39−1.23), whereas in never-smokers, BMI was positively associated with lung cancer (2.19; 1.00−4.80). The results for current and former smokers were not altered by exclusion of cases diagnosed within the first 5 years of follow-up; however, in never-smokers the strength of the association was reduced. Conclusions: The present study contributes to the aggregate evidence suggesting that there may be an inverse association between BMI and lung cancer among smokers. However, the contrasting pattern of associations between BMI and lung cancer seen in ever-smokers and never-smokers in this study requires explanation.
Public Health Risk-Benefit Assessment in Foods : methodological development with application to infant milk-based diet

L’objectif de cette these etait de developper un cadre conceptuel et methodologique permettant d’evaluer l’impact global de l’alimentation sur la sante des consommateurs, en prenant en compte les dimensions microbiologiques, chimiques et nutritionnelles. Cette methodologie a ete developpee a l’aide d’un cas d’etude portant sur l’alimentation des nourrissons (lait maternel et formules infantiles), incluant les facteurs suivants : C. sakazakii, Cryptosporidium, arsenic, polychlorobiphenyles de type dioxine et acide docosahexaenoique. Cinq modeles mathematiques probabilistes ont ete developpes pour quantifier les risques / benefices associes a chaque facteur. Ils ont ete ensuite harmonises, quand cela a ete possible, a l’aide d’un indicateur commun de sante publique, le DALY. Les resultats ont ete obtenus par simulation de Monte Carlo de second ordre afin de quantifier separement l’incertitude et la variabilite. Les techniques probabilistes ont permis de prendre en compte d’une part la variabilite inherente a la biologie (heterogeneite entre individus d’une meme population) et d’autre part l’incertitude liee au manque de connaissances et de donnees. De plus, la separation de la variabilite et de l’incertitude a consolide l’evaluation, permettant une interpretation plus coherente des resultats et donc fournissant des informations plus completes aux decisionnaires. La methode mise en oeuvre dans ce travail de these pourra servir de base pour d’autres cas d’etudes et pourra aussi etre utilisee pour continuer le developpement methodologique de l’evaluation risque-benefice. Cette demarche s’inscrit dans une approche plus generale d’analyse multi-criteres des systemes agronomiques et alimentaires
On Bounding Credit Event Risk Premia

Reduced-form models of default that attribute a large fraction of credit spreads to compensation for credit-event risk typically preclude the most plausible economic justification for such risk to be priced, namely, a contemporaneous drop in the market portfolio. When this "contagion" channel is introduced within a general equilibrium framework for an economy comprising a large number of firms, credit-event risk premia have an upper bound of a few basis points, and are dwarfed by the contagion premium. We provide empirical evidence that indicates credit-event risk premia are less than 1 bp, but contagion risk premia are significant.
The making of sexual violence. How does a boy grow up to commit rape? Evidence from five IMAGES countries.

Women and girls around the world experience staggering levels of rape and other forms of sexual violence.This violence devastates lives unhinges communities and hampers greater social and economic development. While the severity frequency and purpose of this violence can broaden during times of conflict or emergency its foundations are laid during “peacetime” as is underscored by the extreme levels of violence observed consistently across the globe. Yet it is only in recent decades that policymakers researchers and programmers have begun to pay closer attention to this urgent violation of human rights and barrier to sustainable development. This report presents an overview of five study sites of the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) presents findings related to men’s self-reported perpetration of sexual violence investigates seven domains of possible influences on men’s sexual violence perpetration and provides actionable lessons and recommendations.