Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP, EMPLOYEE OUTCOMES, AND PERFORMANCE OF UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

ABSTRACT University education in Kenya has undergone major reforms in the last ten years thatpose challenges to both employees and universities. To address these challenges, universities needproactive leadership and a motivated workforce which transformational leadership can provide asit has the ability to motivate and empower employees to better organizational performance. Thisstudy sought to determine the factors that influence the relationship between transformationalleadership and performance and if this relationship is direct or it is mediated by other factors. Thestudy employed a positivist approach to research and used a descriptive survey research design.Data was collected from the top leadership of the 52 fully-fledged universities in Kenya using aquestionnaire. A response rate of 73% was realized. Descriptive statistics were used to obtain ageneral understanding of the universities while different statistical techniques such as regressionanalysis and correlation analysis were used to analyse data and test the hypotheses. The resultssupported all the hypotheses and showed positive and statistically significant relationships betweentransformational leadership and performance and between transformational leadership andemployee outcomes. Employee outcomes fully mediate the relationship between transformationalleadership and performance. It emerged that transformational leadership behaviour of the topleadership of universities in Kenya led to high employee performance and organizationaleffectiveness. Specifically the findings suggest that in terms of policy, universities need visionaryleadership and sound policies that will strengthen their position as a fundamental sector ingenerating human capital for the county’s developmental and economic needs. In terms of practice,the findings of this study are useful to the leadership of Kenyan universities in the formulation ofstrategies for improving performance and in developing leadership training policies for universitiesin Kenya. The results of this study have significant implications for theory in that they add to thebody of knowledge on the mediating effect of employee outcomes on the relationship betweentransformational leadership and performance as well as the universality of the transformationaltransactionaltheory across nations and societies
An analysis of Puerto Rican interest to migrate to the United States using Google trends

This study analyses the interest of Puerto Ricans in migrating to the United States as measured by Google search terms. It is publicly acknowledged that the majority of migrants from the Island in the last decade are highly skilled individuals, which means that the Island stands to lose human capital if the current migration trend continues. Therefore, it is important to investigate factors that may influence the interest of Puerto Ricans in moving before actual migration occurs. The statistical analysis was realized using an autoregressive integrated moving average model and data from Google trends. This study investigates factors influencing the interest to move (migrate) of Puerto Ricans to the five states with the highest population of Puerto Ricans (Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) and to the United States (U.S.) as a destination itself. The study will also make a comparison between the interest to move to the rest of the U.S. versus the interest to move to one of the specific five mentioned states. The explanatory variables affecting Puerto Ricans’ interest to move were classified using a cross-disciplinary approach. The results tend to divide the five states into two broad, yet related, interest groups. First, the states of interest for job related reasons (macro level factors) are Florida and New York. Second, the states of interests for family (meso level factors) and political party (micro level factors) related reasons are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Puerto Ricans moving to Florida and New York showed similar interests compared with New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and the United States as a whole. It is found that micro-level factors positively affect Puerto Ricans’ interest to move, while macro-level factors negatively affect Puerto Ricans’ interest to move. The results provide policy makers with a direction through which they can identify areas where policies are needed depending on their desired goals, whether it is increasing political participation or the retention of youth through redesigning the education system or the attraction of skilled workers through the creation of jobs and increased return to human capital investment, or budgeting, social benefits and social programs. The novelty of the analysis lies in its attempt to identify factors that influence the intention to migrate before actual migration occurs.
Validation of different techniques for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Comparison with immediate postmortem pulmonary biopsy.

To assess the accuracy of clinical parameters for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated (VA) pneumonia, as well as the diagnostic value of several invasive techniques, such as protected specimen brush (PSB), bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), fiberoptic bronchial aspirates (FBAS), and percutaneous lung needle aspiration (PLNA), we compared the results of these techniques with the histopathology of immediate postmortem pulmonary biopsies, considered the "gold standard" reference test. We studied 30 mechanically ventilated patients (age 52 +/- 21 yr; mechanical ventilation period 9 +/- 7 days) who died in an intensive care unit. All patients received prior antibiotic treatment. The following procedures were performed immediately after death: bilateral PSB, BAL, FBAS, and PLNA, as well as bilateral minithoracotomies to obtain pulmonary biopsies as close as possible to the area sampled with the other techniques. According to the histopathology 18 patients had pneumonia and 12 did not. The presence of fever (sensitivity 55%, specificity 58%), purulent secretions (sensitivity 83%, specificity 33%), and chest radiograph infiltrates (sensitivity 78%, specificity 42%) could not differentiate in all instances presence from absence of pneumonia. Quantitative bacterial cultures of lung biopsies using 10(3) cfu/g as a cutoff point had low sensitivity (40%) and low specificity (45%) and could not differentiate the histologic absence or presence of pneumonia. Considering the histopathology of pulmonary biopsies as a gold standard, we found the following sensitivities for PSB, BAL, FBAS, and PLNA: 36, 50, 44, and 25%. The specificities were 50, 45, 48, and 79%, respectively. The sensitivities and specificities of different invasive techniques are much lower than those reported in clinical studies. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An impact evaluation of project SNAPP: an AIDS and pregnancy prevention middle school program.

OBJECTIVES A theory-based curriculum designed to delay the onset of intercourse and increase use of condoms was implemented in the classrooms of six Los Angeles middle schools. METHODS The curriculum activities were very interactive, emphasized skill building, and were implemented by well trained peer educators, including young HIV-positive males and teen mothers. To evaluate the impact of the curriculum, 102 classrooms of students were randomly assigned to receive either the existing curriculum or the existing curriculum plus the intervention curriculum. Students completed confidential questionnaires before program implementation, five months later, and 17 months later. A total of 1,657 students completed both the baseline and 17-month follow-up questionnaires. RESULTS Analyses of these data revealed that the curriculum significantly increased knowledge, significantly improved only two out of 21 attitudes or beliefs, and did not significantly change sexual or contraceptive behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Well implemented programs that are based on upon theory, use interactive activities, and utilize well-trained peer educators do not always change important sexual attitudes and behaviors among middle school youth.
Inhaled corticosteroid reduction and elimination in patients with persistent asthma receiving salmeterol: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Inhaled long-acting beta(2)-agonists improve asthma control when added to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy. OBJECTIVE To determine whether ICS therapy can be reduced or eliminated in patients with persistent asthma after adding a long-acting beta(2)-agonist to their treatment regimen. DESIGN AND SETTING A 24-week randomized, controlled, blinded, double-dummy, parallel-group trial conducted at 6 National Institutes of Health-sponsored, university-based ambulatory care centers from February 1997 through January 1999. PARTICIPANTS One hundred seventy-five patients aged 12 through 65 years with persistent asthma that was suboptimally controlled during a 6-week run-in period of treatment with inhaled triamcinolone acetonide (400 microg twice per day). INTERVENTION Patients continued triamcinolone therapy and were randomly assigned to receive add-on therapy with either placebo (placebo-minus group, n = 21) or salmeterol xinafoate, 42 microg twice per day (n = 154) for 2 weeks. The entire placebo-minus group was assigned and half of the salmeterol group (salmeterol-minus group) was randomly assigned to reduce by 50% (for 8 weeks) then eliminate (for 8 weeks) triamcinolone treatment. The other half of the salmeterol group (salmeterol-plus group) was randomly assigned to continue both salmeterol and triamcinolone for the remaining 16 weeks (active control group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Time to asthma treatment failure in patients receiving salmeterol. RESULTS Treatment failure occurred in 8.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2%-15%) of the salmeterol-minus group 8 weeks after triamcinolone treatment was reduced compared with 2.8% (95% CI, 0%-7%) of the salmeterol-plus group during the same period. Treatment failure occurred in 46.3% (95% CI, 34%-59%) of the salmeterol-minus group 8 weeks after triamcinolone therapy was eliminated compared with 13.7% (95% CI, 5%-22%) of the salmeterol-plus group. The relative risk (95% CI) of treatment failure at the end of the triamcinolone elimination phase in the salmeterol-minus group was 4.3 (2.0-9.2) compared with the salmeterol-plus group (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that in patients with persistent asthma suboptimally controlled by triamcinolone therapy alone but whose asthma symptoms improve after addition of salmeterol, a substantial reduction (50%) in triamcinolone dose can occur without a significant loss of asthma control. However, total elimination of triamcinolone therapy results in a significant deterioration in asthma control and, therefore, cannot be recommended.
Comparative effects of dydrogesterone and medroxyprogesterone acetate in critical areas: The brain and the vessels

Several epidemiological and observational studies have investigated the role of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women. Within a few years, clinicians shifted from considering HRT as the panacea for everything to considering it a venomous poison with which women, in search of the fountain of eternal youth, could instead harm themselves. This debate is not yet settled and the unexplained discrepancy between basic science and some of the clinical trials has fueled the discussion. One of the hottest areas of discussion remains the role of progestins. For many years, progestins were considered only as necessary additions to estrogen to protect the endometrium. However, we now know that every progestin has its own specific activities on different tissues, which can vary significantly between progestins of different classes and even within the same class. Indeed, different progestins may support or oppose the effects of estrogen depending on the tissue, thereby supporting the concept that the clinical selection of progestins for HRT is critical in determining potential positive or detrimental effects. Newer progestins, such as dydrogesterone, show effects that are remarkably different from those of other agents; these actions might be particularly relevant in the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system. The aim of the present paper is to review the comparative effects of dydrogesterone and other progestins at these sites, supporting the idea that the progestin has to be clinically selected.
Synergistic effect of alcohol consumption and body mass on serum concentrations of cytokeratin-18.

BACKGROUND Cytokeratin-18 is an essential component of the cytoskeleton of epithelial cells (including hepatocytes). Serum concentrations of cytokeratin-18 (tissue polypeptide-specific antigen [TPS]) are used as a marker of epithelial neoplasms. Here, we investigated the potential interaction between alcohol and obesity in relation to serum TPS concentrations. METHODS Alcohol consumption, body mass index, and components of metabolic syndrome were measured in a random sample (n = 420) of the adult population (aged 18 to 92 years, 45% men) from a single municipality. Regular alcohol intake of >20 g/d (women) or >30 g/d (men) was considered risky drinking. Serum TPS was measured with a commercial immunoassay. RESULTS Risky drinking was associated with increased serum concentrations of TPS, which was particularly evident among obese individuals. Among individuals without risky drinking, TPS concentrations were similar for all levels of body mass. Conversely, among risky drinkers, serum TPS concentrations increased in parallel with body mass (p = 0.002). The odds ratio of a high (>100 U/l) TPS concentration for the combination of risky drinking and obesity was greater than the additive effect of the 2 separate factors, after adjusting for age and sex. A similar interaction was observed between risky drinking and abdominal adiposity, a major component of the metabolic syndrome. Serum TPS concentrations were correlated with markers of liver damage. Serum TPS was not superior to standard markers (gamma-glutamyl transferase and red blood cell mean volume) for the detection of risky drinking. CONCLUSIONS There is a synergism between risky alcohol consumption and common metabolic disorders (particularly obesity) in relation to serum concentrations of cytokeratin-18 (TPS), which probably reflect liver disease.
Uniform risk of clinical progression despite differences in utilization of highly active antiretroviral therapy: Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE To compare the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV-infected patients according to sex, route of HIV acquisition and education, and to assess the impact of differences in utilization on the probability of progression to AIDS. DESIGN AND SETTING Swiss HIV Cohort Study, a national prospective multi-centre study. PARTICIPANTS A total of 3342 patients, including 1007 (30%) women. HIV was acquired through injection drug use in 1155 (35%) cases and through sex between men in 1172 (35%). Twenty-eight per cent (957) of participants had attained only the minimum level of schooling. At baseline, the median CD4 cell count was 269x10(6)/l cells, median HIV-1 RNA was 4.3 log10 copies/ml and 2917 (87%) were free of AIDS. METHODS Kaplan-Meier life tables and Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS During 7007 person-years of follow-up 2285 (69%) patients started HAART and 318 (10%) developed a new AIDS event. In multivariable analysis controlling for CD4 cell count, viral load and disease stage at baseline, the probability of starting HAART was lower in injection drug users compared with men who have sex with men, hazard ratio 0.63 (95% confidence intervals 0.56-0.70) and in patients with minimum schooling compared with those with vocational training, hazard ratio 0.82 (0.75-0.91). The risk of progression to AIDS was similar among men and women, patients with a history of injecting drug use, and patients with lower educational attainment in both univariable and multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION HIV-infected injecting drug users and those with lower levels of educational attainment start HAART later than other patient groups. The deferred initiation of therapy in these patients does not, however, appear to translate into an increased risk of clinical disease progression. This observation has important implications for treatment policy and the design of future clinical trials.
Adaptive Bone Modeling and Remodeling in Acute Otitis Media Caused by Non-typeable or Type B Haemophilus influenzae or Moraxella catarrhalis

Experimental studies have shown that acute otitis media caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae alters modeling dynamics in bone tissue structures surrounding the middle ear cavity. Initial resorption of bone is followed by formative activity, seen as massive osteoneogenesis. However, neither resorptive nor formative activity occurs in the otic capsule, supporting the existence of a perilymphatic zone of specialized bone. This study investigates adaptive bone modeling in acute otitis media caused by other bacteria frequently encountered in this disease. Seventy-five rats were inoculated with either non-typeable or type b Haemophilus influenzae, or Moraxella catarrhalis (25 rats in each group). Five rats from each group were sacrificed on days 4, 8, 16, 60 and 180 post-inoculation. Qualitative as well as quantitative histopathology revealed increasing apposition of new bone on both sides of the original bony wall of the middle ear bulla, i.e. at the inner and outer periosteum. Remodeling activity was seen on later days of sacrifice, as typical osteone (Haversian system) formation. Measured bone thickness in four anatomically well-defined localities progressed to a peak 2 months post-inoculation, followed by some degree of normalization. However, bone thickness was still massively increased 6 months after the acute incident. Except in the otic capsule, resorptive and formative activity was found in all bone tissue structures surrounding the middle ear cavity. These findings were irrespective of the type of inoculated bacteria. However, non-typeable or type b Haemophilus influenzae induces significantly more new bone formation than Moraxella catarrhalis. We conclude that acute otitis media caused by either of the bacteria is accompanied by massive and progressive net osteoneogenesis, already evident on day 4 and peaking 2 months post-inoculation, followed by some degree of normalization. Non-typeable and type b Haemophilus influenzae induce more new bone formation than Moraxella catarrhalis, whereas other features of bone histomorphology were equivalent. The present findings further support the existence of a perilymphatic zone of specialized bone.
Predictive value for treatment outcome in acute myeloid leukemia of cellular daunorubicin accumulation and P-glycoprotein expression simultaneously determined by flow cytometry.

To evaluate the clinical relevance of multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype, the intracellular daunorubicin accumulation (IDA) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression were investigated in 87 adult patients with acute leukemia: 69 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 10 with AML at relapse, and eight with secondary leukemia to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS-AML). IDA and P-gp expression were determined by double-labeling flow cytometry analysis. Of 87 patients, 36 expressed P-gp (41%). P-gp expression was more frequently observed in AML at relapse and MDS-AML as compared with de novo AML (P = .0001). P-gp expression was significantly associated with CD34 expression (P = .0003) and chromosome 7 abnormalities (P = .027). A significantly reduced IDA was observed in P-gp+ as compared with P-gp- patients (P = .0007). Of the 87 patients, 51 achieved complete remission (CR). A reduced IDA was observed in patients in failure as compared with patients in CR (22% +/- 17% v 42% +/- 21%; P = 10(-4). Twelve of 36 P-gp+ patients as compared with 40 of 51 P-gp- patients achieved CR (33% v 78%; P = 10(-4). The prognostic value of IDA and P-gp expression was confirmed in multivariate analysis. These data suggest that the determination of IDA and P-gp expression may be useful in designing therapy for patients with AML.
CONTAGIOUS CAPRINE PLEUROPNEUMONIA OUTBREAK IN CAPTIVE WILD UNGULATES AT AL WABRA WILDLIFE PRESERVATION, STATE OF QATAR

Abstract Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subsp.capripneumoniae is a highly contagious and serious respiratory disease of domestic goats, characterized by coughing, severe respiratory distress, and high mortality rates. The lesions at necropsy are mainly a fibrinous pleuropneumonia with increased straw-colored pleural fluid. An outbreak of CCPP in wild goat (Capra aegagrus), Nubian ibex (Capra ibex nubiana), Laristan mouflon (Ovis orientalis laristanica), and gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) occurred at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in the State of Qatar. The disease was suspected because of the clinical symptoms and the necropsy findings and was confirmed by the isolation and identification of the causative organism. This new finding indicates that CCPP should be considered a potential threat to wildlife and the conservation of endangered ruminant species, especially in the Middle East, where it is enzootic because of its presence in chronic carriers. Susceptible imported animals should be quarantined and vaccinated. The preferred samples for diagnosis are the pleural fluid, which contains high numbers of Mycoplasma, and sections of hepatized lung, preferably at the interface of normal and diseased tissues. Samples must be shipped to diagnostic laboratories rapidly, and appropriate cool conditions must be maintained during shipping.
Genetic differentiation across North America in the generalist moth Heliothis virescens and the specialist H. subflexa

The two moth species Heliothis virescens (Hv) and H. subflexa (Hs) are closely related, but have vastly different feeding habits. Hv is a generalist and an important pest in many crops in the USA, while Hs is a specialist feeding only on plants in the genus Physalis. In this study, we conducted a comparative population genetic analysis to assess whether and how generalist and specialist life styles are reflected in differences in population structures. In Hv 98% of the total variation occurred within populations. The overall differentiation (FST) between regions was 0.006 and even lower between years (0.0039) and hosts (0.0028). Analyses of population structure suggest that all individuals form one genetically homogeneous population, except for at most 12 individuals (6%) that diverged from this cluster. Population homogeneity likely results from the high mobility of Hv and its generalist feeding behaviour. Hs exhibited substantially more population structure. Even though 96% of the total variation was attributable to within‐population variability, FST‐values between Hs populations were 10 times higher than between Hv populations. Hs populations showed significant isolation by distance. Analyses of Hs population structure suggest at least two subpopulations and thus some degree of metapopulation structure. We speculate that the patchy distribution of Physalis– the exclusive food source of Hs – contributes to differences in population structure between these closely related species. The finding that the specialist shows more population differentiation than the generalist corroborates the notion that host specialization is not an evolutionary dead end but a dynamic trait.