bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Practical Ovsynch Programs
Authors: Pursley J. Richard
Published: March 2023

Reproductive efficiency is a major factor contributing to efficiency, profitability and sustainability of dairy farms. Estimates of economic loss due to reproductive inefficiencies range from $1 to 5 billion per year. Given the decreasing trend of conception rates during the past 30 years, it can be anticipated that fertility of lactating dairy cows will continue to be a paramount challenge to profitable dairy herd management. The exact physiological reasons for poor fertility of lactating dairy cows are unknown. This presentation focuses on correcting limitations of Ovsynch in addition to understanding the fertility potential of an ovulatory follicle by controlling its age, size, and function. Ovsynch can improve pregnancy rates when estrus detection rates are poor and inaccurate, leading to improper timing of artificial insemination in relation to ovulation. However, inadequate synchronization rate of Ovsynch limits its effectiveness. The focus of our research program is to determine if fertility of lactating dairy cows can be increased by modifying Ovsynch to control emergence of the ovulatory follicular wave and initiate ovulation at the prime stage of development of the synchronized ovulatory follicle. Our ultimate goal is to devise an exogenous hormonal control strategy using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) that reduces age, yet optimizes size and function, of the ovulatory follicle of Ovsynch. Based upon strong published data, it is our contention that control of ovulation to the first GnRH of Ovsynch, appropriate timing of luteolysis and the final GnRH-induced luteinizing hormone (LH) surge are essential for the synchronous emergence, development, and synchronized ovulation of the ovulatory follicle.
Economics of Bovine Respiratory Disease Treatment Regimens
Authors: Larson Robert L. , Pierce V. L.
Published: March 2023

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of feedlot morbidity and mortality in North America, and decisions about BRD therapy are critically important to feedlot veterinarians and their clients. A spreadsheet tool was utilized to evaluate variables having the greatest economic impact on a decision to move from one BRD treatment regimen to another.

Differences in case fatality rate and re-treatment proportion between two potential BRD treatment regimes are important variables when selecting BRD treatment protocols based on return to ownership and management. Other variables unrelated to treatment efficacy that are important for selection of a BRD treatment regimen are sale price and cost of gain. Purchase price of the cattle, morbidity proportion, labor costs not associated with BRD treatment, trucking costs, processing costs, interest rate and yardage cost were not found important to selecting an appropriate BRD treatment regimen.
Milk Quality and Udder Health
Authors: Wagner Sarah
Published: March 2023

When natural defense mechanisms fail to prevent invasion of the mammary gland by microbial pathogens, intramammary infection and mastitis may occur, producing illness, decreased milk production, and decreased milk quality. The presence of mastitis in a dairy cow may be detected by clinical signs such as abnormal milk and mammary swelling, or in the absence of clinical signs by increases in the cell population or conductivity of the milk. Decisions about whether to treat a particular case of mastitis and how to control and prevent mastitis in the dairy herd are more easily made when the pathogen or pathogens responsible for the infection are identified. Definitive identification of mastitis pathogens is made using microbial milk culture. Depending on the objectives ofthe practice and the level of motivation and training of the staff, there are various levels of investigation that may be undertaken, from only identifying the presence or absence of pathogen growth and whether pathogens are gram negative, to culturing for mycoplasmas and running further tests to identify certain bacterial genera or species. Whatever protocol is established, it is important to also establish practices for quality control to ensure accurate results. A milk microbiology laboratory in the veterinary clinic provides an excellent opportunity for expanded client services and professional development of the veterinary technician.
Determination of blood cardiac troponin I and L-lactate cut-off values for predicting survival in dairy cows affected by downer cow syndrome
Authors: Labonté Josiane , Dubuc Jocelyn , Roy Jean-Philippe , Buczinski Sébastien
Published: March 2023

The downer cow syndrome (DCS) is a challenging health issue in the dairy industry because of the high incidence of negative outcome. For practitioners dealing with DCS cases, it implies dealing with the cause of the problem but also with animal welfare concerns. Unfortunately, no cow-side test is available to provide an accurate prognosis of DCS cases in farm settings.

The presence of local and/or systemic hypoperfusion and myocardial lesions can lead to an increase in blood concentrations of biomarkers such as cardiac troponin I (cTnl) and L-lactate.

Since their blood concentrations can be determined using a validated cow-side portative unit, the objective of this study was to determine the cut-off values of these biomarkers for predicting survival in dairy cows affected by DCS.
host gene expression response to specific BRD pathogens
Authors: Gershwin Laurel J. , Van Eenennaam Alison L. , Tisioto Polyana C. , Kim JaeWoo , Seabury Christopher M. , Taylor Jeremy F. , Neibergs Holly L. , Agricultural Project Research Team The Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex Coordinated
Published: March 2023

Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) is an important cause of economic loss to the cattle industry. Despite the development of numerous vaccines and much scientific investigation, the impact of BRDC on cattle producers remains high. Increased pressure to decrease the use of antibiotics in livestock medicine contributes to the urgency to find a better way to decrease the incidence of BRDC. A consortium of investigators funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture was assembled to address this issue using the most recent genetic technology. The work presented herein summarizes a series of experiments in which steers were infected with single pathogens of BRDC (bovine respiratory syncytial virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea virus, Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Mycoplasma bovis) and their bronchial lymph node RNA transcriptomes were then analyzed to determine gene usage in infected vs control animals. Results showed activation of multiple pathways related to innate and acquired immune responses.
Vaccinating high-risk calves against BRD
Authors: Richeson John T.
Published: March 2023

Prevention of infectious disease by vaccination is a cornerstone of animal health management. Almost all commercial feedlots in the US (>90%) vaccinate newly received beef calves against viral respiratory pathogens, whereas a fewer majority use bacterin and/or toxoid agents. Many of these calves arrive as high-risk for developing clinical signs of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) because predisposing factors can cause stress-induced immune dysfunction, and previous virus transmission is plausible during the marketing process. Published studies that utilize a non-vaccinated control treatment under commercial conditions are limited, thus it is difficult to elucidate the efficiency of respiratory vaccines used in high-risk calves. Health and performance outcomes of vaccinates in such studies range from beneficial to detrimental, yet the variable research results are confusing. Inconsistent research outcomes may be explained by: 1) different vaccine products or regimens used, 2) differences in stress, population dynamics, or natural virus challenge conditions between studies or treatment pens within a study, 3) poor sensitivity and specificity of current BRD diagnostic methods used to determine morbidity outcome, and 4) issues with sample size when comparing pen means of binary data (i.e., morbidity and mortality) and risk of type II statistical error. Similarly, controlled studies evaluating the efficacy of respiratory vaccines used in beef calves subjected to chronic physiological stress are rare. The humoral immune response to vaccine antigens administered in stressed cattle may depend on the duration and severity of stress imposed, and whether live-attenuated or non-replicating vaccine agents are administered. Current dogma indicates the immune response to a respiratory vaccine is diminished for stressed calves, but this philosophy will require refinement with further research and understanding.
DVM Dx
Authors: Agnew Dalen , Grooms Dan , Stretton Chris , Bolton Mike , Nordstrom Scott , Hartshorn Tyson , Gaudet Ashley
Published: March 2023

"True knowledge lies at the dead pile." First heard from Dr. Eugene Janzen, but likely quoted many times by cattle veterinarians! The digital revolution provides new tools with the potential to change how necropsies are conducted; however, these tools' validity must be tested. As a project of Merck Animal Health, a mobile and web-based application was designed to systematically collect digital necropsy images, making them available to diagnosticians. DVMDx is based on proprietary digital and web-based diagnostic systems used for 20 years by Feedlot Health Management Services Ltd. To validate this system, trained veterinary students followed a prescribed digital necropsy protocol on 192 cattle from feedlots and calf ranches with clinical respiratory disease. In parallel, tissues samples were submitted to a diagnostic laboratory for histopathological and microbiological evaluation. Veterinarians experienced in interpreting digital images provided a single "most likely” syndromic diagnosis which was compared to laboratory and microscopic findings. An antemortem diagnosis of respiratory disease was confirmed by gross image analysis in 90%, and by laboratory testing in 94%, of the cases. Digital and laboratory diagnoses agreed in 79% of the cases when the primary diagnoses were compared, and 88% when all diagnoses were compared. When the syndromic diagnosis predicted the etiology based on digital images, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis were confirmed in 25% and 100% of the cases, respectively. These data support the further refinement of this tool, which has the potential to significantly increase the number of animals receiving cost-effective and diagnostic postmortem inspections.
skinny on body condition scoring dairy cattle
Authors: Pitman Lauren B.
Published: March 2023

Routinely recording the body condition score (BCS) of dairy cattle is a valuable tool for managers and consultants on the dairy. Using solid guidelines based on reputable resources, a consistent analysis may be made for the whole herd and create a data set which will show trends over time. By managing the data using a computer spreadsheet program, BCS may be sorted and examined by a variety of criteria, including days in milk (DIM), parity, stage of lactation, pen number, or any other relevant parameters. Monitoring the BCSs on a regular basis will provide an invaluable set of data that can be used to observe not only the nutritional management of the herd, but the reproductive management, welfare, and environmental conditions of the dairy as well.
Behavior variables of feedlot cattle clinically diagnosed with bovine respiratory disease versus case control
Authors: Richeson J. T. , Pinedo P. J. , Pillen J. L. , Ives S. E. , Covey T. L. , Naikare H. K.
Published: March 2023

Current bovine respiratory disease (BRD) diagnostic methods in the commercial feedlot setting are limited to subjective visual assessment of clinical signs; sensitivity and specificity of this method is poor. Continuous monitoring of step count, lying bouts, and duration of standing time via accelerometer device will provide insight into the behavior of clinically ill cattle and characterize the pattern of behavior change before clinical BRD diagnosis. Our primary objective was to elucidate behavior variable responses in relation to the timing of clinical disease observations by animal health technicians in a commercial feedlot, and compare behavior of cattle clinically diagnosed with BRD to a healthy cohort. A secondary objective was to determine BRD morbidity rate for cattle according to arrival castration status and initial body weight quartile.
Weight gains in sucking beef calves treated with macrocylic lactone anthelmintics in either an extended-release injectable formulation or a pour-on formulation
Authors: Whittier W. D. , Currin J. F. , Holland S. , Zajac A. M. , Kasimanickam R.
Published: March 2023

The objective of this trial was to test the hypothesis that treating suckling beef calves grazing summer pastures with an extended-release injectable parasiticide containing eprinomectin (ERE) would result in additional weight gain when compared to ivermectin in a pour-on (POI) formulation. Extended-release eprinomectin contains the anthelmintic with a poly-lactide-co-glycolic-acid polymer allowing slow release of eprinomectin following injection with a label claim for protection against reinfection with Cooperia oncophora and Cooperia punctata for 100 d and Ostertagia ostertagi for 120 d. Pour-on ivermectin claims 21 d control for C. punctata with 14 for O. ostertagi and C. oncophora.
Perceptions of Gender Differences in the Real Estate Profession
Authors: Schmelzkopf Karen , Moliver Donald
Published: March 2023

Until the mid-1960"šs most real estate agents selling residential real estate weremale. Over the next decade, increasing numbers of women entered the profession,and by 1980, female real estate agents outnumbered male real estate agents. Inthis paper, I explore some reasons for this increase by comparing female and maleresidential real estate agents"š motivations for becoming real estate agents, theirsatisfaction with the profession, and differences in the amount of hours worked.The results show that the use of time and the amount of hours worked differssignificantly for female and male real estate agents, and that female real estateagents believe more strongly than male real estate agents that the sex of the agentmatters in residential real estate transactions.
Visionary Leaders by Design
Authors: Montgomery Paula S. , Growe Roslin
Published: March 2023

With the advent of educational accountability and the increase in job related stress,school districts are having a very difficult time getting and keeping quality publicschool administrators. Administrators across the country are finding themselvesbeing pulled into a million directions. In some cases, administrators are facing eachdilemma of the day alone — no assistant principal or key support to help with thestresses and strains they must face as leader of the phenomenon faced in schools.That same phenomenon has also had a great effect on university systems toproduce quality administrators who "want" to serve in the leadership capacity. Notonly are school districts scrambling to attract certified and qualified leaders,universities are redesigning their leadership programs to try to supply the demandsof the public school settings.
Hispanic Female Superintendents in America: A Profile
Authors: Manuel Margaret A. , Slate John R.
Published: March 2023

Many school districts across the country are searching forcompetent leaders to head their school systems (Henry, 2000;Johnson, 1996). Tingley (1996), Bowler (2000), and Czaja andHarman (1997) reported a growing concern over the shortage ofqualified applicants to lead the nation's school districts.Fenwick (2000) stated that higher turnover rates, lower jobappeal and a decreased number of candidates characterize themodern superintendency. As evidence, Fenwick (2000) quotedAASA Director Paul Houston as stating that, typically at anyone time, interim superintendents hold 15% of superintendentpositions. To compound the shortage problem, Krantz (2000)projected that 80% of superintendents are nearing retirementage. The lack of leaders to lead the nation's school districts maybe a crisis confronting the future of public education (Henry,2000). With concerns of where future leaders of the nation'sschool system will come from, the question arises: why aren'tmore women entering the ranks of the superintendency?
Review of Survival Kit for Leaders
Authors: Edmonson Stacey , Fisher Alice
Published: March 2023

In a world where scandals and corruption appear in the daily headlines, effectiveleadership is critical in just about any field. Kunick and Lester's Survival Kit forLeaders offers a refreshing look at how to develop and/or maintain qualityleadership skills. The book's eight chapters offer clear explanations on how to bemost effective for new or experienced leaders. Each chapter is concluded withthought-provoking questions suitable for discussion in a classroom or group setting.The book also offers easy to remember mnemonics to help aspiring leadersremember important concepts offered by the authors. Well-known examples ofoutstanding current or past leaders such as Jackie Robinson and Anne Sullivan areused to illustrate key concepts as well. This interactive and motivational book offersa powerful yet practical approach to developing leadership skills.
Graduate Students' Description Of The Ideal Science Advisor: Implications For Graduate Women's Success
Authors: AWLJ AWLJ
Published: March 2023

Research indicates that doctoral students' relationship with their advisor is the most important factor in thedegree progress, and often the main reason for student attrition. In this study interviews with graduatestudents in two science departments, biology and chemistry, at a large research university were used toexplore their concept of the "ideal" science research advisor and the extent to which their present advisorfits this ideal. Students' descriptions of the ideal research advisor included many of the traits thatcharacterize the advisor as a mentor. However, student responses also indicated that most of their advisorsdeviated considerably from students' descriptions of the "ideal." This perception was particularly commonamong the female students in chemistry.
Lock in on Coordinates: Mapping the Glass Ceiling with Career Women's Reflections on Power
Authors: Hornet Andrea , Finn Ro.
Published: March 2023

In an attempt to solicit career advice for young women by interviewing experienced career women, thisstudy discovered the location of the proverbial glass ceiling and revealed distinct types of power operatingin organizations. The careers of the women participating in this study were circumscribed by conflicts. Ifthey developed technical expertise as a mode of insulation, they escaped high conflict but remained on atechnical career path without access to higher executive opportunities. If they pursued executiveopportunities through general management positions, they were surrounded by high conflict and becamecareer casualties in powerful threat systems. A review of the literature revealed that each of these systems issimilar to a type in Boulding's (1989) theory of power.
Feminist Leadership: Building Nurturing Academic Communities
Authors: Barton Tracy R.
Published: March 2023

American higher education currently faces "harsh realities" (Altbach, 1999). "It has been argued," accordingto Altbach, "that higher education's golden age - the period of strong enrollment growth, increasing researchbudgets, and general public support - is over" (p. 272). There is a wave of change on the horizon. "Neverbefore have we experienced the kind of change currently rocking our society" (Zahorski & Cognard, 1999,p. 2). Preparing our academic institutions for this change "promises to be perhaps the greatest of the manychallenges in the decades ahead" (p. 2). Some of the changes that currently challenge higher educationinclude "fiscal austerity, downsizing, heavy faculty workloads, underprepared students, a growing cohort ofnomadic adjunct faculty, a tenure system under fire, [and] a demand for greater accountability andproductivity from a disenchanted public" (p. 2). Perhaps the greatest challenge at present is the changingface of American higher education due to the influx of new populations of students. In parts of the country,p eople of different nationalities, cultural identities, and races are sharing academic spaces creating hybrididentities, new languages, and new academic cultures (Association for the Study of Higher Education,2006). Policies, institutional practices, teaching methods, methods of assessment, and leadership will allneed to change to better serve constituents in these evolving academic communities.
Exploring Women's Career Development: Implications for Theory and Practice
Authors: Surjani I. , Mouly V. Suchitra
Published: March 2023

With a few notable exceptions, most research into the occupational experiences of women is typicallymacro-social and based on large-scale, impersonal, aggregated, and static data. Whilst such data reveal theposition of women in the workforce relative to men, they do not provide sufficient processual insight intothe career development of women. Through a case study approach, this study aims to discern patterns in thecareer development of women managers , and to examine if these patterns conform to career models such asthose proposed by White, Cox, and Cooper (1992) and White (1995, 2000). The case data comprise of thecareer journeys of 20 women managers from a broad cross-section of occupational sectors in New Zealand.The data reveal that although the majority of women managers display high career centrality, they do notwork continuously as they have several years of interruptions for bearing and rearing children, and workpart-time and retrain themselves through further education before returning to the workplace. Interestingly,they do not seem to plan their careers.
Gender Considerations in the Study of Science and Technology in Anglophone Cameroon
Authors: Tanga Pius T.
Published: March 2023

When the Germans, who colonised the erstwhile Kamerun after the partition of Africa in 1884, weredefeated during the First World War, the League of Nations placed Cameroon under the protectorate of theFrench and British rule. French- speaking Cameroon gained independence in 1960 and was later joined in1961 by the English- speaking Cameroon, hereafter known as Francophone and Anglophone Cameroon,respectively. As a consequence, Cameroon's educational system is fashioned along the lines of the Frenchand British systems, which many argue is a reflection of Cameroon's rich cultural diversity. From thenursery through primary to post-secondary school level, the English and French models have respectivelyexisted predominantly in Anglophone and Francophone Cameroon. In 1972, Anglophone Cameroon wascartographically configured into two provinces, the South West and North West, whose population stands atabout three million (National Institute of Statistics, 2001). The influence of French and the demographic andgeographic superiority of the Francophone Cameroon, with eight provinces and a population according tothe National Institute of Statistics (2001) of 12,294,768, have since served as a road map for the course oftertiary education in Cameroon. This has led to a binary system of universities and "grandes ecoles" orspecialised institutions, commonly called professional schools. It is at this level that Anglophone studentsare faced with a myriad of problems, especially in the study of science and technology subjects ininstitutions where French is the medium of instruction as most of them are based in Francophone Cameroon
Pedagogical Implications of "Becoming Wide-Awake": Commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of the Publication of Releasing the Imagination by Maxine Green
Authors: Davis Melinda Moore
Published: March 2023

In my own quest for knowledge and beyond knowledge, wisdom, I read Maxine Greene's book, Releasingthe Imagination . I sought guidance from Greene to re-form my own pedagogy related to teacher education.The tenth anniversary of its publication seemed an apropos time to consider its continuing value toeducators. After reading and studying this work, I agreed with Elizabeth Vallance (1996) who said,This book is a hymn to the liberating potential of art, music, dance, and literature as portraits of otherimagined worlds. And, it is a forceful argument that those portraits are essential to students' repertoires ofimages of what it means to be human in a community (p. 102)
Linking Literacy and Community Development: A Case Study of Women in New Orleans
Authors: Subban Jennifer E.
Published: March 2023

This paper examines the impact of a family literacy program in New Orleans , developed in response to lowliteracy levels, high drop-out rates, and a corresponding lack of resident participation in communitydevelopment efforts in the area. The program, Toyota Families for Learning (TFFL), worked to transcenddisciplinary barriers by linking adult literacy education and community development through a communitybasedapproach to adult literacy. TFFL continuously evolved to serve as a catalyst for transformation in thelives of the women it served, their families, and their communities. The experiences of the women in thisstudy were explored in relation to the following indicators of community building: (1) developing the abilityto express personal experiences and observed phenomena, (2) constructing one's own knowledge, (3) settingand following through on goals, (4) building a positive community environment, and (5) developing a visionof the community. Qualitative data in the form of literacy narratives informed this inquiry. The narrativeswere triangulated with field notes and focus group data collected over a six-year period commencing in1992. The findings of this research indicate that literacy programs can be structured to successfully build thecapacity of participants to engage in community development processes.
Factors Influencing Career Choice for Women in Science, Mathematics, and Technology: The Importance of a Transforming Experience
Authors: Besecke Leslie M. , Reilly Anne H.
Published: March 2023

Organizations in the business sector, as well as government and academia, continue to demand intelligentprofessionals trained in science, mathematics, and technology. This paper explores factors that may influence women'sinitial choices to pursue careers in these fields. In addition to the many well-established factors that guide anindividual's career choice, we propose that women who choose careers in science and technology have a subset ofcommon early experiences that encourage them to pursue a career path still regarded as contrary to traditional genderroles for women. For many women, this common background is a transforming experience that supports their careerchoice in science, mathematics, and technology. This transforming experience is composed of personal contact with arole model and often an intimate involvement with the process that serves as an invitation into the world of scientificinquiry. The researchers outline a model for women's career selection in these nontraditional fields, and our resultssuggest some recommendations for increasing the numbers of women in these careers.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Philosophy of Social Justice in Education
Authors: Beaubien Brigid , Tonso Karen L.
Published: March 2023

Historical discussions of social justice in education and its impact on society tend to focus on Brown v. TheBoard of Education (1954), as an antidote to Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which enshrined the infamous"separate but equal" dictum for racially segregated schools. One person rarely considered in the discussion,yet critical because of her enormous public influence in her day, is Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Most knowCady Stanton as a founder of the Women's Movement in America , and as an advocate for women.However, Cady Stanton also provided a well-documented, systematically developed theory on social justicein education. This surprised us, since her work received enormous scrutiny when feminists of the 1960s and1970s worked to unearth forgotten women. Believing that advancing women's place in educational thoughtrequires understanding the contributions of women to educational thought, we set out to understand CadyStanton's philosophy of social justice in education.
Teachers' Perceptions of Women In The Principalship A Current Perspective
Authors: Hudson Johnetta , Rea Dorothy
Published: March 2023

Teachers appear to not want extremes and prefer a balance in both male and female principals
School Leadership Of The 90's And Beyond: A Window Of Opportunity For Women Educators
Authors: Logan Joyce P.
Published: March 2023

In the midst of thes school evolution, vacancies for principal and superintendent positions are increasingat a time when more women than men are enrolled in preparation programs for educationaladministration.
Capacity Building: A Phenomenological Study of the African Women Perceptions and Experiences in the Leadership Training Program
Authors: Wakahiu Jane , Keller Diane
Published: March 2023

The promotion of leadership skills among women leaders in developing nations is essential in order for change and progress to occur in these countries. In this phenomenological study, we examined the perceptions and experiences of nine women religious of Africa who were engaged in a three-year leadership development initiative in three developing nations: Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana. We described how, by subsequently practicing acquired leadership skills, these women brought about change in their educational, health care, social and pastoral ministries. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, observation of the changes in the participants' ministries, and field notes. The findings indicated that leadership development training enhanced participants' capacity for effective service delivery and allowed for the expansion of their ministries, thus improving life for their people. Participants engaged their communities constructively and positively transformed their projects
The Movement from Secret Acts of Defiance to Manifestation of Women's Empowerment
Authors: Bissessar Charmaine
Published: March 2023

Before the advent of L'écriture féminine and the feminist revolution, Chinese women formed a kinship through the secret language of Nu Shu. Cixous, Kristeva, and Irigaray concentrated on redefining themselves as asexual-neither male nor female. Chinese women in the nineteenth century used Nu Shu as a form of affinity and passive aggressive defiance of the androcentric society in which they lived. They embraced their femininity in the curves and strokes of the Nu Shu language. Condé and Schwarz-Bart searched to explore the themes of alienation as Martinicans living in a European French society and the search for an identity that typifies the quintessential Caribbean patriarchal culture. The evolution in consciousness of the female and how she sees herself as part of the diasporic dilemma confronting Caribbean society is marked by the almost limited early works by women authors. As women found their voices and led the way for other women, a natural empowerment ensued with new loyalties as generations transcended the effects of colonialism, indentureship, and slavery. Afro-Caribbean women became vocal and paved the way for East Indian writers to emerge and find their voices. Contemporary literature exemplifies these women's struggles toward empowerment and identification with the land of their birth. From confusion spawns a new position for women as they move toward self-expression and self-actualization with the appointment of the first Indo-Trinidadian female Prime Minister.
Political Leaders and the Media: A Relationship that Impacts on the Nation's Consciousness
Authors: Rodgers-Healey Diann
Published: March 2023

This study aimed to further investigate the relationship between politicians and the media and its impact on the consciousness of Australians during a critical period of political events in late November 2009 and early December 2009 in Australia. The findings of this study reflect limitations in perceptions of political leaders as governed by gaps in how the media portrays leaders, leadership, and issues that are of significance to a nation, and gaps in how politicians convey information and analysis to the public through the media. The study highlights how influential the Australian media is in shaping perceptions of wide ranging issues beyond those directly covered. It points to recommendations to empower and enable effective decision-making at all levels of society.
Perceived Self-Efficacy, Domestic Violence and Women's Ability to Break Industrial Glass Ceiling
Authors: Ottu Iboro F.A , Inwang Winifred Chris
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine perceived influence of self-efficacy and domestic violence on women's ability to break industrial glass ceiling and become leaders in their chosen careers. A total of 150 women working in 3 government departments in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria comprised our study group. Participation was voluntary. Participants filled out questionnaires anonymously. Women's ability to break glass ceiling was measured using industrial glass ceiling questionnaire constructed by the researchers. The self-efficacy questionnaire and the domestic violence scales, also developed by the researchers, measured self-efficacy and practices of domestic violence by women. Results showed that self-efficacy [F(1,146) = 4.85, P < .05] and the interaction of domestic violence and self-efficacy [F(1,146) = 5.95 P < .05] significantly influenced women's ability to break industrial glass ceiling. We found that the nature of domestic violence — whether it was emotional or physical — differentially impacts women's career aspiration depending on their levels of self-efficacy. Women who reported high self-efficacy in the midst of exposure to emotional violence made the greatest effort to break industrial barriers towards career success. In the same way, women who reported low self-efficacy in an atmosphere of emotional violence were found to perform least in ability to achieve career goals. Physical violence however showed a near-inelastic effect irrespective of whether the women were high or low in self-efficacy. We therefore suggest that partners in dual career families should denounce violence and be supportive of each other in order to boost each other's (especially the wife's) self-efficacy, not only to achieve career success but also to meet the labyrinth of demands that marriage has placed on each partner.
Exploring the Mentoring Relationship among African American Women in Psychology
Authors: Kelch-Oliver Karia , Smith Chaundrissa Oyeshiku , Welkom Josie S. , Gardner Natasha D. , Collins Marietta H.
Published: March 2023

Historically, there has been a scarcity of available mentors for African American women in psychology. The diminished presence of African American female psychologists in higher education limits the availability of same-race mentors for African American students, which decreases opportunities for African American students to pursue and succeed in this field, which in turn reduces the number of African Americans pursuing teaching, research, and clinical careers within psychology. We assert that same-race/same-gender mentorship is imperative in increasing the recruitment, retention, and training of African American women in psychology. In this literature review, we seek to address the unique issues related to the mentoring experience among African American women in psychology across three different stages of professional development (i.e., undergraduate, graduate, and faculty). Finally, we provide recommendations for mentors, mentees, and academic organizations in order to foster the growth and presence of African American women psychologists.
Perceptions of School Leaders: Exploring School Climate Data Based on Principal Gender and Student Achievement
Authors: Nichols Joe
Published: March 2023

This project explored the climate data of 33 elementary schools in an urban school system to determine the relationship among perceptions of effective school leadership and student achievement. Data was compiled from teachers (n = 847) at each elementary school in regard to their perceptions of effective leadership of their school principal. Data was compared to student achievement and disaggregated based upon the gender of the principal. In summary, female principals were rated significantly lower on their leadership skills than male principals by their staff. In contrast, when student standardized test data were explored and cross-referenced with the gender of the principal, student achievement at schools with female leadership was comparable with that of elementary sites with male leadership.
An Examination of Indo-Trinidadian Females' Identity Beliefs: Implications for their Centered Leadership
Authors: Bissessar Charmaine
Published: March 2023

Discussions around the development of Caribbean women have, to a great extent, marginalized Indo-Trinidadian with scant anecdotal evidence of their leadership potential and identity beliefs. I sought to examine Indo-Trinidadian women's identity beliefs and how this is linked to the concept of leadership. The underlying theoretical framework of this qualitative methodology study was Centered Leadership (Brash & Cranston, 2011). The questions posed were, what are the beliefs as regards Indo-Trinidadian females' identity and how do such beliefs reflect the subscales of Centered Leadership? Most of the 50 participants belonged to the 18 to 36 age range with 20 of them possessing high school certificates, 19 Indo-Trinidadian females lived in North-East Trinidad, and 12 were salesclerks. All participants displayed high levels of self-efficacy, 80% indicated that they used positive methods of eliminating stress and they felt empowered emotionally, physically, and mentally. In responding to questions about their belief in freewill, 84% of respondents indicated that they favored free-will over destiny. Four participants who lived in other countries indicated that they did not have any major issues assimilating a new culture. Moreover, 10 of the participants verified the findings. Indo-Trinidadian women's identity and belief systems closely matched the five stages of Centered Leadership: (a) meaning; (b) framing; (c) connecting; (d) engaging; and (e) energizing.
Gender and the Workplace: The Impact of Stereotype Threat on Self- Assessment of Management Skills of Female Business Students
Authors: Flanagan Jennifer
Published: March 2023

Stereotype threat, the threat of being stereotyped against (Steele & Aronson, 1995), regardless of the legitimacy of the stereotype, can impact not only productivity, but goals, behavior, and ultimately attitudes. Stereotype threat impacts not only racial groups but men and women as well, each group impacted by the negative stereotypes about their intellectual and/or work performance. As the workplace becomes more and more diverse, managers must understand and brace for the impact stereotypes have on their workers. This study looks at the impact of stereotype threat on male and female business majors in the workplace and future entrepreneurs. The impact of stereotype was measured in their ranking of their own management skills, how they thought others would rank their management skills, and their goals in the workplace.
Women's Leadership: Young Men's Expectations of Female Leaders
Authors: Hickman Laura J
Published: March 2023

Interviews with twenty pre-professional millennial men revealed that while many young men have experienced a maledominated home life in their youth, their experiences in college and early work have led most to believe that in their professional careers female authority figures will be a normal and accepted part of work. Other themes include the desire for more personal and trusting relationships in the work place and a growing acceptance of all people without discrimination. Implications of this study are discussed.
The Gender Shift in Enrollment Patterns in Higher Education: A Case Study of a School Administration Program
Authors: Guramatunhu ""Mudiwa Precious
Published: March 2023

Recent trends in higher education suggest that there are more women than men enrolled and that more degrees are being conferred to women across all levels at the associate, bachelor's, master's, and the doctorate levels (Hussar &Bailey, 2011; Wang & Parker, 2011). I offer theoretical perspectives about the rapid growing female enrollment in higher education, arguing that it is a major force in shifting college student demographics. The conclusions are based on an investigation of student enrollment patterns in a school administration program at a large comprehensive university in southeastern United States from 2000 through 2011. The results revealed that in this program, females outnumbered males by 2:1. Chi-square tests revealed statistically significant gender differences in enrollment patterns across age, semester, academic year, type of program, and type of campus. A further test using logistic regression analysis confirmed these findings. These results mirrored national trends where females now outnumbered males in higher education.
Polybacterial shift in benthic river biofilms attributed to organic pollution – a prospect of a new biosentinel?
Authors: Exton Benjamin , Hassard Francis , Medina Vaya Angel , Grabowski Robert C.
Published: March 2023

Organic pollution continues to contaminate river water and degrade aquatic ecosystems worldwide. In heavily modified river systems with high organic loading, sewage fungus, a heterotrophic biofilm, can form on the riverbed. The aim of this study was to determine how the polybacterial community of riverbed biofilms changes prior to and during a sewage fungus outbreak to inform the development of novel biomonitoring approaches. Riverbed biofilm samples were collected from a site that experienced sewage fungus outbreaks previously and an upstream control, following a BACI design. The polybacterial community was characterized using targeted amplicon sequencing (16s rRNA). The results indicate that the community became dominated by two genera prior to and during the sewage fungus outbreak, Rhodoferax and Sphaerotilus, which accounted for 32.8 and 14.2% of the relative abundance. When aggregated at a higher taxonomic level, the genetic data show that the community was comprised largely of bacteria from a single family, Comamonadaceae, totalling 64.1% of the relative abundance. Statistically significant differences in the polybacterial community over time and between impact and control sites provide initial evidence that genetic-based fingerprinting could be a promising biosentinel approach to identify organic pollution inputs and monitor their ecological impact.
Development of drought severity–duration–frequency curves for identifying drought proneness in semi-arid regions
Authors: Pandya Parthsarthi , Gontia Narendra Kumar
Published: March 2023

The effectual estimation of meteorological drought parameters such as severity, duration and frequency to plan suitable drought mitigation measures is challenging owing to the complex relationship among these parameters. The present study endeavored to assess the drought proneness of various districts of chronic drought prone Saurashtra region of Gujarat state (India). The district wise Drought Severity Duration Frequency (DSDF) curves were developed using Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) based on 40 years (1980 to 2019) data. The monthly drought severities of SPEI for various return periods ranging from 2 to 100 years were estimated by testing 10 probability distributions. The DSDF curves revealed that severe droughts were more prominent for shorter durations and identical severities were observed for 1 to 4 month drought duration for smaller rerun periods. As drought mitigation measures vary according to drought severity and duration, the study employed a novel approach of ranking the districts based on three criteria as proneness to higher severities for longer drought durations, high severities with short drought duration, and low severities with long drought duration. Rather than relying on rainfall or drought index-based judgement, the present study demonstrated the better alternative for drought risk assessment, resilience planning, and mitigation.
Optimum location for energy recovery and leakage reduction in water distribution networks
Authors: Jain Priyanshu , Khare Ruchi
Published: March 2023

The excess pressure in water distribution networks (WDNs) can be utilized to reduce leakage and produce energy by installing energy recovery devices (ERDs) like microturbines or pumps-as-turbines. The major challenge in adopting ERDs in pipe networks is to locate the optimum location for their placement. An optimization procedure is proposed in this work to find the optimum locations of energy recovery (ER) and leakage reduction (LR). The optimization method is based on the Rao algorithm, written in Python, coupled to an EPANET-implemented hydraulic model. With optimal ER of 543.46, 648.24 and 154.58 kWh/day and LR of 61.1, 13.6 and 6.8%, three benchmark networks – the 5-node, the 25-node and the 46-node network – serve as the basis for validating the proposed approach which converges to the best solution in only 2,000, 4,000 and 10,000 function evaluations. For large networks, solutions with two ideally located devices gave higher ER than three imperfectly located devices. This methodology is verified to give optimal ER locations and can be applied to any pipe network regardless of size and location. This work made it easier to analyse the potential for ER in WDNs and promotes the use of sustainable leakage management methods.
Sleep Medicine in Hong Kong – Development, Knowledge Gaps and Future Challenges
Authors: Choo K.L. , Li A.M. , Chan J.W. , Lam V.K.H. , Wing Y.K.
Published: March 2023

The development of sleep medicine in Hong Kong has often been driven by clinical needs. The 1980s saw a surge of interest in sleep apnoea and brought multiple specialties together to study the diagnosis and management of sleep-related breathing disorders. Sleep and mood disorders often go hand in hand. With circadian disruption and sleep deprivation impacting the general population, including our paediatric age groups, the lack of quality sleep is a public health concern. Unfortunately, training in sleep medicine has been fragmented from undergraduate curricula to specialty training requirements. Sleep service standardisation is just beginning, although progress has been slow. Due to the lack of a specialty board, the Hong Kong Society of Sleep Medicine is providing a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration especially in training and education for both healthcare professionals and the general public, while the university-affiliated departments will provide the lead for multi-disciplinary research.
Sleep Medicine in Armenia
Authors: Hovakimyan Haykuhi , G. Khachatryan Samson
Published: March 2023

Sleep medicine is a young branch of Armenian medicine. In this chapter, we presented the history of sleep medicine development in Armenia. After brief initial information about Armenia as a country, references to sleep and sleep disorders in medieval Armenian folklore and medicine are given. An overview of the current situation with sleep medicine in Armenia is presented. A special attention is given to the spectrum of sleep-related specialists who work(ed) in Armenia, and to the domains of sleep medicine available. Acknowledgement of world sleep experts who helped and contributed to the development of sleep medicine and sleep research in Armenia follows. Also, we discuss different organizations operating in the field of sleep in Armenia, their activities and pursued goals. Importantly, the main results of a sleep disorders prevalence study in Armenia are presented. At the end, we summarize the problems and issues accumulated in the field of sleep medicine in Armenia.