Examining Perceptions Of Servant Leadership In Administration Of Selected Public Schools

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Servant Leadership in an organization using the following variables: valuing people, developing people, building community, displaying authenticity, providing leadership and sharing leadership. The study also examined whether or not a correlation existed between years of faculty service, education level, and faculty gender. The researcher administered the Organizational Leadership Assessment (OLA) designed by Dr. James Laub to three public schools; interviews were also conducted with three school leaders. This study suggests that a Servant Leader positively impacts an organization\u27s overall success

Reframing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence at the Intersections of Law & Society

This introductory article proceeds in three parts. First, it discusses the origins of this special issue as part of a multi-event, SSHRC-funded conference that focused on pushing beyond a narrow conception of TFGBV; rather than approaching TFGBV as solely an issue of interpersonal behaviours, the animating objective of the conference was to examine the structural, systemic, and design factors that contribute to TFGBV. Second, it explores the importance and promise of reframing TFGBV in this way through intersectional and structural lenses. Third, it briefly highlights some of the key insights from each of the contributions in this special issue. It begins with the theoretically grounded social science insights of Rajani and Gosse focused, respectively, on racialized women’s experiences with TFGBV and on the culture of responsibilization of TFGBV targets. It then shifts to Turnbull’s analysis of corporate responsibility and potential legal liability for ecosystemic factors that contribute to TFGBV. Next, it looks at the legal analyses offered by Stevens and Sali, first on non- consensual disclosure of intimate images (NDII) through the lens of Quebec personality rights, and then on the challenges of addressing NDII through copyright law. Finally, it turns to the contribution of Dunn and Aikenhead, which considers the contested authorship of digital evidence in common law TFGBV cases

A Method to Identify and Analyze Biological Programs through Automated Reasoning.

Predictive biology is elusive because rigorous, data-constrained, mechanistic models of complex biological systems are difficult to derive and validate. Current approaches tend to construct and examine static interaction network models, which are descriptively rich but often lack explanatory and predictive power, or dynamic models that can be simulated to reproduce known behavior. However, in such approaches implicit assumptions are introduced as typically only one mechanism is considered, and exhaustively investigating all scenarios is impractical using simulation. To address these limitations, we present a methodology based on automated formal reasoning, which permits the synthesis and analysis of the complete set of logical models consistent with experimental observations. We test hypotheses against all candidate models, and remove the need for simulation by characterizing and simultaneously analyzing all mechanistic explanations of observed behavior. Our methodology transforms knowledge of complex biological processes from sets of possible interactions and experimental observations to precise, predictive biological programs governing cell function

The incidence and pathogenesis of 'recurrent' Barrett's metaplasia following oesophagectomy (neo-Barrett's)

MD ThesisAims Columnar metaplasia in the oesophageal remnant occurring after subtotal oesophagectomy (neo-Barrett’s) has been proposed as a human model for the development of Barrett’s oesophagus. This study aimed to assess the incidence of this phenomenon and it’s accuracy as a model as well as looking for evidence of field cancerisation in the oesophagus. Methods Patients underwent prospective endoscopic evaluation having previously undergone oesophagectomy. The presence or absence of columnar epithelium above the surgical anastomosis was noted and biopsies taken. Specimens were stained using H&E and, where consent was granted, with immunohistochemical stains for proteins which have a well described expression pattern in Barrett’s oesophagus. Tumours and adjacent Barrett’s oesophagus from patients who subsequently developed neo-Barrett’s were screened for genetic mutations. Where these were present, subsequent neo- Barrett’s samples were evaluated for the presence of these mutatations Results Of 126 eligible patients, 45 (36%) had confirmed neo-Barrett’s. Median time from surgery was greater for patients with neo-Barrett’s (5.7 vs 2.2yrs, p<0.001). There were no cases of dysplasia. Non-intestinalised columnar epithelium occurred earlier than neo-Barrett’s with specialised intestinal metaplasia. Surgery for dysplastic Barrett’s or adenocarcinoma was associated with a similar prevalence of neo-Barrett’s to other indications (41% vs 27%, p=0.157). 37 samples underwent molecular analysis. Typical, Barrett’s like CK7/20 staining pattern was present in 23 cases (62%). Chromogranin A and trefoil factors 1 and 2 were were present in all cases. TFF3 expression was significantly associated with increasing time from surgery (median 8.1yrs vs 3.4yrs, p=0.004). Genetic mutations identified in the resection specimen were not present in the neo-Barrett’s tissue. Conclusions Columnar metaplasia is common following oesophagectomy. Cellular protein expression is similar to that of sporadic Barrett’s suggesting this is an accurate model. Presence of intestinal metaplasia and TFF3 expression appear to represent later stages in the development of Barrett’s. No evidence of field cancerisation was found

Monotony: the effect of task demand on subjective experience and performance

Although monotony is widely recognised as being detrimental to performance, its occurrence and effects are not yet well understood. This is despite the fact that task-related characteristics, such as monotony and low task demand, have been shown to contribute to performance decrements over time. Three empirical studies were conducted in this research to further our understanding of the factors that contribute to the experience of monotony and the role task demand may play in mitigating monotony-related effects on performance. The first study was lab-based to determine the effect of task demand on the subjective experience and performance of a computer-based monotonous task. Forty participants performed a monotonous task characterised by either low cognitive demand or high cognitive demand, as well as a number of self-report scales. Results clearly demonstrated that despite a similar subjective experience across both tasks, there were clear benefits for performance of the high demand monotonous task. Study two was designed to determine if monotony and fatigue are indeed issues for the potentially ‘at risk’ population of train drivers and if so, are there defining factors that contribute to these experiences. Survey results indicate that train drivers, particularly passenger drivers, experience monotony and fatigue on a regular basis while driving trains for work and the majority believe that these experiences adversely impact on their train management skills. Results also showed that train drivers are able to distinguish between the experiences of monotony and of fatigue and many utilise a somewhat limited range of strategies to cope with these experiences. Study three combined what was learned from the first two studies to determine if increasing the cognitive demand of a monotonous train driving task could mitigate the monotony-related effects on performance. The results clearly show that even a relatively minor increase in cognitive demand can mitigate adverse monotony-related effects on performance for extended periods of time, in this case over two hours of driving in a highly monotonous simulated scenario. Monotony is an inherent characteristic of transport industries, including rail, aviation and road transport, which can have adverse impact on safety, reliability and efficiency. These studies highlight possible strategies for mitigating these adverse effects

Reframing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence at the Intersections of Law & Society

This special issue of the Canadian Journal of Law and Technology focuses on the growing problem of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV): an expansive, dynamic, and rapidly evolving phenomenon that Jane Bailey and Carissima Mathen have defined as “a spectrum of behaviours carried out at least in some part through digital communications technologies, including actions that cause physical or psychological harm.” The collection of articles in this issue offers multi-disciplinary insights on TFGBV by bringing together the work of emerging scholars in information and media studies, communications, and law. This approach reflects our firm belief that in order to be meaningful and effective, legal and policy decisions must be grounded in knowledge that centres the lived experiences of members of marginalized communities, including those documented in social science evidence

Intermittent Pneumatic Compression for the Treatment of Lower Limb Lymphedema: A Pilot Trial of Sequencing to Mimic Manual Lymphatic Drainage Versus Traditional Graduated Sequential Compression

BACKGROUND: Recent advances in technology have allowed intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices to develop so that their function mimics the process and principles of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD); however, research into the effectiveness of such devices is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a patented IPC technique designed to mimic MLD (the LymphAssist), compared with a typical sequential IPC regimen. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty patients with a confirmed diagnosis of lower limb ISL (International Society of Lymphology) stage II or III lymphedema were recruited into this three-phased study. A bilateral leg volume assessment and quality-of-life assessment were completed at four clinic visits across the course of the study. The LymphAssist IPC regimen was significantly more effective in reducing distal leg volume than the sequential mode (mean volume reduction: 230 ± 135 mL vs. 140 ± 84 mL, respectively, p = 0.01). Improvements in leg volume were transient as both groups demonstrated a rebound or increase in volume during the washout period (LymphAssist: 238 ± 168 mL, sequential: 276 ± 158 mL, p = 0.3). Overall, IPC was effective in improving quality-of-life scores (mean reduction: 10 ± 11, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: IPC is effective in reducing limb volume and improving quality of life for patients with lower limb lymphedema. IPC that mimics the MLD process has been shown to be more effective in reducing leg volume compared with traditional sequential IPC in the distal aspect of the leg. The increase in leg volume observed after discontinuation of IPC suggests that regular treatment is required to maintain its associated effects. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NTC 03856281

Is Recess an Achievement Context? An Application of Expectancy-Value Theory to Playground Choices

This study investigated the application of an expectancy-value model to children’s activity choices on the playground at recess. The purpose was to test the prediction that expectancies for success and subjective task values are related to decisions to engage in specific recess activities such as climbing, playing soccer, or skipping rope. Participants included 242 children in grades 1-4 from five schools. Participation in playground activities was assessed using the Activities for Daily Living in Physical Play (ADL-PP) (Watkinson et al., 2001). Task-specific expectancies and values were measured on the playground activities contained in the ADL-PP. The results indicated that children’s perceptions of competence were significantly higher on playground skills that they had identified as most important compared with least important (pCe projet de recherche porte sur l’application d’un modèle de la perception de la valeur sur le choix d’activités que font les enfants dans le parc de jeux à la récréation. L’objectif de la recherche était de tester la prédiction selon laquelle les perceptions relativement à la réussite et les valeurs subjectives sont liées aux décisions de participer à des activités spécifiques pendant la récréation telles que grimper, jouer au soccer, ou sauter à la corde. À l’étude ont participé 242 élèves de la 1re à la 4e année provenant de cinq écoles. La participation aux activités du terrain de jeux a été évaluée selon le Activities for Daily Living in Physical Play (ADLPP) de Watkinson et al., 2001 (Activités pour le quotidien dans les jeux actifs). On a mesuré les perceptions de la valeur qu’attribuaient les enfants aux activités nommées dans la liste de Watkinson et al. Les résultats indiquent que les enfants percevaient que leur compétence quant aux habiletés sur le terrain de jeux étaient bien plus élevée pour celles qu’ils avaient identifiées comme étant plus importantes par rapport à celles auxquelles ils attribuaient moins d’importance (

Home management of lower limb lymphoedema with an intermittent pneumatic compression device: a feasibility study

Background Lymphoedema is a chronic condition that causes swelling in the body tissues. Presently, there is no cure for lymphoedema; instead, current treatment is aimed at lifelong management to help control symptoms. Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) therapy can be considered as an adjunct to standard lymphoedema care; however, research regarding the efficacy of this treatment modality is limited. Methods Twenty participants were recruited from an outpatient lymphoedema clinic (South Wales, UK) to a feasibility randomised control trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of an IPC device (LymphAssist, Huntleigh Healthcare) in reducing lower limb volume. The primary objective was to assess feasibility in terms of (1) study feasibility, including recruitment, retention and assessment of outcome measures, and (2) intervention feasibility, including intervention fidelity and acceptability to participants. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 10) or intervention group (n = 10). The control group received their standard lymphoedema care only for a 6-month period, whereas the intervention group received their standard lymphoedema care plus an IPC device to use for 6 months. A bilateral lower limb assessment and quality of life survey were undertaken at baseline and 3- and 6-month time points. Results The study recruited to target within the planned time frame with a retention rate of 80%. Issues relating to potential recruitment bias and study attrition were identified and possible solutions explored. In addition, supplementary primary outcome measures that are important to the study population were identified and will be incorporated into the design of future studies. Conclusion This feasibility study identified that a larger randomised controlled trial investigating the efficacy of home use IPC devices is feasible with modifications to the study protocol. Trial registration This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03825263)