Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of teaching patients neck stretching exercises on neck pain and disability following thyroidectomy

Objective: The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of teaching patients stretching neck exercises on pain and disability of the neck following thyroidectomy. Methods: Research design: a randomized controlled trial was utilized. Setting: the study was conducted at the general surgery ward and outpatient surgery clinic-Assiut university hospital. Sample: 60 adult male and female patients scheduled to undergo thyroidectomy and are willing to take part in this study. Tools of data collection: Tool (I): Patient assessment sheet, Tool II: Neck pain and disability index questionnaire. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between both groups regarding their socio-demographic variables and medical data while there was a highly statistical significant difference between both groups regarding pain in the neck and disability 7 days post thyroidectomy. Conclusions: Teaching and applying neck stretching exercises significantly improved the neck condition of patients in the study group regarding pain and disability of the neck. Nurses working in the general surgery department must include the stretching neck exercises in care and follow-up protocols of patients undergoing total thyroidectomy and to use the validated neck pain and disability questionnaire in monitoring patient’s condition.
Effects of autotomy and regeneration on detection and capture of prey in a generalist predator

Many vertebrate and invertebrate taxa have the ability to autotomize and later regenerate appendages and with this process come both costs and benefits. For example, an animal might lose a leg to avoid a predator but as a result become a less effective predator itself. These impacts of autotomy and regeneration on foraging might differ based on habitat complexity as well. We used spiders as a model system to address this. We tested the effects of autotomy and regeneration on prey capture in juvenile Schizocosa ocreata wolf spiders in both artificial and seminatural settings. We tested spiders for prey capture efficiency in a laboratory arena with cricket prey. We also investigated sensory detection of prey through vibration by placing spiders in the same type of arena but visually isolating them from their prey. Subsequent analyses showed no effects of autotomy or regeneration on any measures of prey capture efficiency. Similarly, spiders' vibratory sensory abilities were not significantly affected by autotomy or regeneration. However, we found that when spiders were tested in a seminatural habitat (a leaf litter--filled mesocosm), individuals with a missing or regenerating leg had reduced prey capture rates. This suggests that the negative effects of autotomy and regeneration on foraging might be higher for predators in more complex environments. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.
Control Variability and Internal Bore Evolution in the Strait of Gibraltar: A 2-D Two-Layer Model Study

A two-dimensional, high-resolution, non-linear, two-layer, free-surface, boundary-fitted co-ordinate, hydrostatic model was applied to study the time–space variability of hydraulic controls and the development of internal bores in the Strait of Gibraltar. The model predicts the occurrence of four averaged (over a tropical month) controls located to the west of the Spartel Sill, at the Spartel and Camarinal Sills and in the Tarifa Narrows. The last of these controls is apparent in the sense that it consists of discrete fragments alternating with subcritical flow regions. The only control which extends over the whole width of the strait is the control at the Camarinal Sill, but it breaks down during neap tide, too. This control exists concurrently with the control in the Tarifa Narrows for short periods, while for much of the tropical month there is either just one or neither of the controls. The model predicts the development of a hydraulic jump and a jump-drop pair near the Camarinal Sill; the appearance of bulges of Mediterranean water to the east and west of the sill; the large-amplitude and small-amplitude internal bores released from the Camarinal Sill, which travel, respectively, eastward and westward, and their transformation due to radial spreading and dissipative effects. Also presented here are the results illustrating the effects of earth's rotation on the internal bores in the Strait of Gibraltar.
TRAUMA, PSYCHOTHERAPY, AND MEDITATION

An extensiveliteraturehasevolved over thepast thirty yearswhich has supported the use of a range of meditative techniques for the treatment of various medical and psychological conditions (Benson & Wallace, 1972; Benson, Frankel, ApfeLet al., 1978; DelMonte, 1985; Fulton, 1990; Goldberg, 1982; Kabat-Zinn, Lipworth & Burney, 1985; Kabat-Zinn, Lipworth, Burney & Sellers, 1986; Kabat-Zinn et al., 1992; Miller, Fletcher & Kabat-Zinn, 1995; Moyers, 1993; Murphy & Donovan, 1988;Noetic ScienceInstitute Staff, 1993). During the past decade there has been a growing literature on the adjunctive use of various Eastern meditative techniques with traditional psychotherapeutic models to enrich and enhance the therapeutic process and promote psychological healing and states of well being (Atwood & Mahin, 1991;Bogart, 1991;Craven,l989; DelMonte; 1989,1990;Gear, 1991;Kutz, Borysenko& Benson, 1985;Kutzet al., 1985). It is alsobecomingmoreapparent that some of the non-ordinarystates that can be achieved throughmeditation parallel the non-ordinary states of hypnosis and self-hypnosis, and all these techniques can be used to work with trauma survivors (Benningfield, 1992; Briere & Runtz, 1987; Coulson, 1993;Spiegel& Cardena, 1990). A recent article described the phenomena of the unveiling of previously repressed memories or emotions through meditation practice in clinical and non-clinical settings (Miller, 1993). This same phenomena frequently occurs during the process of psychotherapy with individuals who have significantpast histories of trauma. Adverse effects of meditation have been previously described(Castillo, 1990;Epstein & Lieff, 1986;Miller, 1993;Shapiro,1992).
The Changing Role of the Principal in Schools of Choice: A Longitudinal Case Study.

Findings of a study that explored the implications of school restructuring on the changing role of the principal are presented in this paper. Methodology involved a 4-year case study of an elementary school's restructuring effort in a moderately sized suburban school distlict. The school, located in a district that possessed adequate resources, was involved in a reform program that included parental choice and implementation of a theme of school-community partnerships. Data were derived from document analysis and interviews with the principal, superintendent, four central office administrators, the school's theme facilitator, and the school's leadership council chair. Findings support the assertion that district-led restructuring reshapes the context for school leadership with an observable impact on the role expectations for principals. School-based leaders must develop their public relations and collaborative skills to carry out their new environmental and instructional leadership roles. (13 references) (LMI) **t******************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ********************************************************:************** Not for reproduction or citation without written permission of the authors. The Changing Role of the Principal in Schools of Choice: A Longitudinal Case Study
Large-scale patterns in diversity and community structure of surface water copepods from the Atlantic Ocean

Diversity and structure of copepod assemblages were investigated using 259 WP2 zoo- plankton samples collected from the top 200 m of the Atlantic Ocean between 60°N and 63°S. Whilst richness at a number of taxonomic levels (genera-superfamily) demonstrated a smooth latitudinal cline from the tropics towards the poles, other diversity indices such as evenness and taxonomic dis- tinctness showed abrupt changes around 40°N and 40°S, coincident with sea surface temperatures of 17 to 20°C. In the tropics and subtropics, copepod communities were characterised by high stable taxonomic diversity and a relatively even distribution of genera within samples. In contrast, at high latitudes and low temperatures communities showed large variation in overall diversity, evenness and distinctness. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis of transformed generic abundances, pooled into 5° latitudinal means, produced ordinations consistent with the recent subdivision of the oceans into 4 primary biomes based on temporal and spatial patterns of primary production. The copepod community corresponding to the Trades biome, where primary production is broadly con- tinuous, exhibited high generic richness and evenness. In contrast, community structure in the Polar biome, where primary production is highly seasonal, was highly variable and dominated by a few genera. These genera tended to be herbivorous or omnivorous and stored lipid. The Westerlies biome and the Benguela province had intermediate copepod community characteristics. We therefore sug- gest that copepod diversity and community structure are closely tied not to temperature or energy input, but to the temporal patterns of primary and secondary production.
Seismotectonics of the southern Apennines and Adriatic foreland: Insights on active regional E‐W shear zones from analogue modeling

The active tectonics at the front of the southern Apennines and in the Adriatic foreland is characterized by E‐W striking, right‐lateral seismogenic faults, interpreted as reactivated inherited discontinuities. The best studied among these is the Molise‐Gondola shear zone. The interaction of these shear zones with the Apennines chain is not yet clear. To address this open question, we developed a set of scaled analogue experiments, aimed at analyzing (1) how dextral strike‐slip motion along a preexisting zone of weakness within the foreland propagates toward the surface and affects the orogenic wedge; (2) the propagation of deformation as a function of displacement; and (3) any insights on the active tectonics of southern Italy. Our results stress the primary role played by these inherited structures when reactivated and confirm that regional E‐W dextral shear zones are a plausible way of explaining the seismotectonic setting of the external areas of the southern Apennines.
International cooperation in pollution control

In this paper the profitability and stability of an International Environmental Agreement among N identical countries that emit a pollutant are studied using a standard quadratic net benefit function. The static analysis shows that only a bilateral agreement could be self-enforcing independently of the number of countries affected by the externality and the gains coming from cooperation. It is also shown that this result occurs both when the coalition takes as given the emissions of nonsignatories and when it acts as the leader of the game. In the second part of the paper a differential game is proposed in order to analyze the stock externality due to accumulated emissions. Similar results to the ones obtained for the static model are derived both for an open-loop Nash equilibrium and for a feedback Nash equilibrium in linear strategies.
Factors Influencing Consumers Intention to Buy Counterfeit Products

There are several factors which influence consumers to buy counterfeit products. Today, any product in any nation is vulnerable to this malady. Counterfeits are packaged and labeled to resemble the original brand-name and generic products. Therefore, fake products often illusion the consumers to thinking that they are buying authentic goods. Counterfeits are a real and looming threat to all manufacturers. Counterfeit policing measures are yet to mature and become omnipresent. With this background information, it is noteworthy to observe how the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) could help identify the factors responsible for influencing behavioral intentions of a consumer towards purchasing counterfeit products. The present study reviews existing literature on counterfeit products, identifies potential improvements, and provides further insight into consumer motives behind the purchase of counterfeits. Six primary factors that influence counterfeit purchase have been identified and the TRA has been applied to investigate the impact of these factors on consumer behavioral patterns. The factors are (1) social motivation, (2) personal gratification, (3) perception, (4) value, (5) brand loyalty, and (6) ethics. The ‘influence of society’ and ‘value for money’ have been identified as the top two reasons that motivate consumers to buy fake products based on a survey conducted. A mathematical ‘covariate interactions’ analysis as well as a Chi-square regression analysis corroborated the same finding- identifying the top two factors that most strongly influence a customer’s ‘Intent to purchase’. A logistic regression analysis was run on the survey results that yielded a mathematical expression which can predict how likely a customer is to buy a counterfeit [p(Y)]. The proposed correlation matches the obtained survey data very well.
Network Effects and Social Inequality

Students of social inequality have noted the presence of mechanisms militating toward cumulative advantage and increasing inequality. Social scientists have established that individuals' choices are influenced by those of their network peers in many social domains. We suggest that the ubiquity of network effects and tendencies toward cumulative advantage are related. Inequality is exacerbated when effects of individual differences are multiplied by social networks: when persons must decide whether to adopt beneficial practices; when network externalities, social learning, or normative pressures influence adoption decisions; and when networks are homophilous with respect to individual characteristics that predict such decisions. We review evidence from literatures on network effects on technology, labor markets, education, demography, and health; identify several mechanisms through which networks may generate higher levels of inequality than one would expect based on differences in initial endowments alone.
Seasonality indices for regionalizing low flows

In this study we examine three seasonality indices for their potential in regionalizing low flows. The indices are seasonality histograms (SHs) that represent the monthly distribution of low flows, a cyclic seasonality index (SI) that represents the average timing of low flows within a year, and the seasonality ratio (SR), which is the ratio of summer and winter low flows. The rationale of examining these indices is the recognition that summer and winter low flows are subject to important differences in the underlying hydrological processes. We analyse specific low flow discharges q95, i.e. the specific discharge that is exceeded on 95% of all days at a particular site. Data from 325 subcatchments in Austria, ranging in catchment area from 7 to 963 km2, are used in the analysis. In a first step, three seasonality indices are compared. Their spatial patterns can be interpreted well on hydrological grounds. In a second step, the indices are used to classify the catchments into two, three, and eight regions based on different combinations of the indices. In a third step, the value of the seasonality indices for low flow regionalization is examined by comparing the cross‐validation performance of multiple regressions between low flows and catchment characteristics. The regressions make use of the three seasonality‐based classifications. The results indicate that grouping the study area into two regions and three regions and separate regressions in each region gives the best performance. A global regression model yields the lowest performance and a global regression model that uses different calibration coefficients in each of the eight regions only performs slightly better. This suggests that separate regression models in each of the regions are to be preferred over a global model in order to represent differences in the way catchment characteristics are related to low flows. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISLAMIC SCIENCES INTEGRATION

This article tries to show that there is “a sciences dichotomy” interpreted by Muslim today. Many Muslims consider that sciences (secular knowledge) and Islamic studies are different not only in formal object-material and research method but also the role. They stand on their own area. This study focuses on how and what to integrate those two knowledges. The method of this research is library research by analyzing some literatures such as books and journal articles. The results of this study shows that first, the dichotomy between Islamic knowledge and secular sciences causes Muslim scholar try to islamize or integrate the two both since it affects positively to life. The second is the unity of between those two kinds of sciences tends to integrated interconnection and refers to ontologies perspectives, epistemology, and axiology. Third, Integrated-interconnection between those two has three domains: Integrative-Interdependence, Integrative- Complement, and Integrative-Qualificative.
Anxiety Level Among Patients Undergoing Ultrasound Examination in Ghana

Background: Anxiety is a feeling of tension associated with a sense of threat of danger when the source is unknown. Anxiety disorders are often associated with common age related medical and chronic conditions such asthma, thyroid disease, coronary artery disease, dementia and sensory loss. Most diagnostic medical imaging has been seen to be associated with some level of anxiety. Aim: The aim was to investigate and compare the anxiety levels of women undergoing ultrasound examination. Methods: A quantitative method with descriptive design was used for the study using closed-ended and few open-ended questionnaires with 100 participants. Data collected were analyzed using the Statistical and Packages for Social Sciences Version 20.0 and Microsoft excel. Result: The result showed that there was no difference between the pre and post procedural anxiety in the patient and one of the major causes of anxiety was lack pre-procedural information and fear of the outcomes of the examination being done. Conclusion: It was concluded that the patients feel anxious before and after an ultrasound examination.
A series solution for the in-plane vibration of sector plates with arbitrary inclusion angles and boundary conditions

In this investigation, a Spectro-Geometric Method (SGM) is presented for the in-plane vibration analysis of sector plates with an arbitrary inclusion angle, and general boundary conditions along each of its edges. Unlike in most existing studies where solutions are often developed for a particular type of boundary conditions, the current method can be generally applied to a wide range of boundary conditions with no need of modifying solution algorithms and procedures; that is, the in-plane displacement functions are invariably expressed as an accelerated trigonometric series expansion and different boundary conditions can be easily dealt with through modifying the stiffness values for restraining springs in the same way as varying other model parameters such as Young’s modulus and mass density. The expansion coefficients are considered as the generalized coordinates, and determined using the Rayleigh-Ritz technique. The effectiveness and reliability of the current method are demonstrated by the calculated modal properties for sector plates with a range of different combinations of boundary conditions and inclusion angles up to 2π.
National Styles of NGO Regulation

Why do Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries vary in their regulatory approach toward nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)? This article introduces an index to assess NGO regulation regarding barriers to entry, NGOs’ political capacity, and economic activity. Our cross-section analysis of 28 OECD countries offers preliminary evidence of systematic differences in NGO regulation between corporatist and pluralist systems. We suggest corporatist systems have more restrictive regulations because NGOs risk upsetting the political order and managed social consensus. In pluralist countries, NGOs face fewer restrictions because governments view them as substitutes for formal communication channels. We present two cases, Japan (corporatist) and the United States (pluralist), to illustrate this argument. In sum, macroinstitutional arrangements of political representation have a crucial bearing on national styles of NGO regulation. Future uses of this index include examining the effects of national context on international NGOs (INGOs), explaining variations in organizational structures and strategies among NGOs, and tracking variations in NGO–state relations over time.
Exchange Rate Regimes and Trade

A â€˜new versionâ€™ gravity model, is used to estimate the effect of a full range of de facto exchange rate regimes, as classified by Reinhart and Rogoff (2004), on bilateral trade. The results indicate that, while participation in a common currency union is typically strongly â€˜pro-tradeâ€™â€“ as first suggested by Rose (2000) â€“ other exchange rate regimes which lower the exchange rate uncertainty and transactions costs associated with international trade between countries are significantly more pro-trade than the default regime of a â€˜double floatâ€™. They suggest that the direct and indirect effects of exchange rate regimes on uncertainty and transactions costs tend to outweigh the trade-diverting substitution effects. In addition, there is evidence that membership of different currency unions by two countries has pro-trade effects, which can be understood in terms of a large indirect effect on transactions costs. Tariff-equivalent monetary barriers associated with each of the exchange rate regimes are also calculated
Changing business perceptions regarding biodiversity: from impact mitigation towards new strategies and practices

Business activities play a major role in biodiversity loss and, as a result, firms are under increasing pressures from stakeholders to reduce their negative impacts on living systems. In response, business attitudes, behaviors and strategies regarding biodiversity are progressively changing, suggesting that interactions between business and biodiversity could go beyond the search of a compromise between development and conservation. This paper proposes an analysis of business perceptions regarding biodiversity. In its first part, we discuss how biodiversity is usually perceived as an external environmental constraint on business activities, and how economic tools may be used for arbitrages in that context. Building upon our work on the Business and Biodiversity Interdependence Indicator (BBII), we then discuss how assessing a firm's interdependences with biodiversity may bring about new business strategies and practices. We propose a typology of firm behavior regarding biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES), discuss business opportunities and property rights issues pertaining to markets for ecosystem services and propose preliminary conceptual foundations of new business standards needed to reverse current biodiversity trends.