A COMPARISON OF CORE COMPETENCIES OF WOMEN AND MEN LEADERS IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

This study compared the rankings of fourteen leadership core competencies for women and men managers in middle management and women and men in first-line supervisory positions in five manufacturing companies in the Midwest. Surveys were completed by the respondents and follow-up interviews were conducted. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in the rankings of core competencies between women and men supervisors or women and men managers. However, all supervisors (women and men combined) ranked mentoring and coaching employees higher than all managers (p\u3c.05), and all managers ranked managing finances and employing strategic leadership higher than the supervisors (p\u3c.05). It appears that the role of the leader position may be a more determinant factor in selecting core competencies than the gender of the leader. Including these core competencies in leadership professional development is recommended

Application of a CdTe Detector for Measurements of Mammographic X-ray Spectra

This work aims to characterize mammographic x-ray beams incident and transmitted by breast phantoms (from 0 to 45 mm) composed from known proportion of glandular and adipose tissue-equivalent materials. This study was performed for mammographic x-ray beams generated by a mammography equipment using different target/filter combinations (Mo/Mo, Mo/Rh and W/Rh). It was studied the modification of spectra shape of the beams transmitted through different thicknesses of these materials. It was also evaluated the penetrability of these transmitted beams by its correlations to the HVL, which were experimentally estimated and derived from the x-ray spectra measured using a spectrometry system with a CdTe detector. The x-ray spectra transmitted by the phantom with higher density presented lower intensity than those transmitted by those with lower density, as expected. The differences between the HVL values derived from the spectra and those estimated using air kerma measurements are lesser than 6% for about 88% of the spectra measured in this work. The expected spectra variations with phantom thickness, revealed by the measured transmitted x-ray spectra, were also confirmed by HVL measurements and agree with the estimated attenuation curves.The motivation of the study was related to the robustness of the spectra as a descriptor of radiation beams and the possibility of using these transmitted spectra for dose assessment related to mammographic procedures. We can conclude that developed method is able to characterize mammographic x-ray beams making it possible the use of this kind of data for dose assessment in mammography

Religiosity and teen birth rate in the United States

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The children of teen mothers have been reported to have higher rates of several unfavorable mental health outcomes. Past research suggests several possible mechanisms for an association between religiosity and teen birth rate in communities.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The present study compiled publicly accessible data on birth rates, conservative religious beliefs, income, and abortion rates in the U.S., aggregated at the state level. Data on teen birth rates and abortion originated from the Center for Disease Control; on income, from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, and on religious beliefs, from the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey carried out by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. We computed correlations and partial correlations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Increased religiosity in residents of states in the U.S. strongly predicted a higher teen birth rate, with r = 0.73 (p < 0.0005). Religiosity correlated negatively with median household income, with r = -0.66, and income correlated negatively with teen birth rate, with r = -0.63. But the correlation between religiosity and teen birth rate remained highly significant when income was controlled for via partial correlation: the partial correlation between religiosity and teen birth rate, controlling for income, was 0.53 (p < 0.0005). Abortion rate correlated negatively with religiosity, with r = -0.45, p = 0.002. However, the partial correlation between teen birth rate and religiosity remained high and significant when controlling for abortion rate (partial correlation = 0.68, p < 0.0005) and when controlling for both abortion rate and income (partial correlation = 0.54, p = 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>With data aggregated at the state level, conservative religious beliefs strongly predict U.S. teen birth rates, in a relationship that does not appear to be the result of confounding by income or abortion rates. One possible explanation for this relationship is that teens in more religious communities may be less likely to use contraception.</p

AIDing Contraception: HIV and Recent Trends in Abortion Rates

Since the onset of HIV/AIDS awareness in the early 1980s, much attention has centered around the substantial negative effects of the disease throughout the world. This paper provides evidence of a secondary effect the disease has had on sexual behavior in the United States. Using a difference-in-differences estimation framework and state level data, we show that the perceived threat of HIV resulted in a drop in unwanted pregnancies, as demonstrated by a lower incidence of abortions. Our results suggest that each additional reported case of HIV per 1,000 individuals resulted in 85.5 fewer abortions per 1,000 live births

Determination of the energy potential of biogas in selected farm household

Produkcja biogazu w Polsce corocznie zwiększa swój udział w wytwarzaniu energii odnawialnej kraju, a także stanowi doskonałą metodę zagospodarowania odpadów organicznych z rolnictwa oraz przemysłu rolno-spożywczego. Powstały w wyniku fermentacji metanowej biogaz jest wykorzystywany do produkcji energii elektrycznej jak i cieplnej. Celem pracy było wyznaczenie ilości wydzielanego biogazu, z dostępnej biomasy, uzyskanej w wyniku działalności rolniczej gospodarstwa, zlokalizowanego w miejscowości Kazimierza Wielka. Na podstawie otrzymanych wyników obliczono ilość energii możliwą do uzyskania z dostępnej biomasy w gospodarstwie rolnym. Wszystkie badania nad jakością i ilością wydzielonego biogazu zostały przeprowadzone w laboratorium biogazowni znajdującym się na Wydziale Inżynierii Produkcji i Energetyki Uniwersytetu Rolniczego w Krakowie. Badaniu zostały poddane następujące frakcje pochodzenia rolniczego: liście buraka cukrowego, korzeń buraka cukrowego, słoma z kukurydzy oraz kiszonka z kukurydzy. Na podstawie dostępnych materiałów oraz przeprowadzonych badań, dobrano generator tłokowy o mocy 350 kW a całkowita energia możliwa do wytworzenia wynosi ok. 2806 MWh. Ma podstawie przeprowadzonej analizy wynika, że badane gospodarstwo rolne może prowadzić działalność związaną z produkcją biogazu, która będzie stanowić dywersyfikacje jego dochodów.The production of biogas in Poland each year is increasing its share in renewable energy in the country, it is n excellent method of waste disposal as well. Biogas produced in the process of methane fermentation is used to produce electricity and heat. Determining the amount of biogas produced as a result of methane fermentation of available biomas generated from a selected farm household. This research disseratation was written on the basis of the available literature concerning the production of biogas and renewable energy sources the research methodology was based on the German standard DIN 38414. Using the available materials and research studies, a 350 kW piston generator was chosen; the total energy possible to be generated is approx 2806 MWh. As is clear from the foregoing, farm household under study can engage in the production of biogas,, which will provide additional income for farmers

Factors associated with pregnancy complications during antenatal period: an extended GEE approach

The purpose of the paper is to examine the factors affecting pregnancy complications during antenatal period of mothers. The study uses data which have been repeated over time i.e., the nature of the data is longitudinal in type. Thus the generalized estimating equation (GEE) method has been employed to identify the factors associated with the pregnancy complications which constitute binary response. The study reveals important findings. Among others, education of mothers, taking special food during pregnancy and desired index pregnancy are found to be negatively associated with pregnancy related complications i.e., lower risk of complication. Patients visit to health workers during antenatal period is positively associated with identifying the causes of pregnancy related complications. Female literacy and maternal morbidity are intertwined in an inverse relationship i.e., improving the former will reduce the latter. Educated women take better care of themselves. It improves their economic power and ensures a better social and legal status. Pregnant women should take special food in order to get rid of pregnancy related complications

Radiation damage impact on hybrid-pixel detectors data

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOMCTIC - MINISTÉRIO DA CIÊNCIA, TECNOLOGIA, INOVAÇÕES E COMUNICAÇÕESThis work aimed to quantify the influence of the deposited dose at the hybrid detector ASIC on the resulting image quality. Low (932 +/- 4 Gy) and high (6310 +/- 24 Gy) dose experiments were performed by irradiating a Medipix3RX single chip detector with the polychromatic beam from the Brazilian Synchrotron X-ray Imaging beamline. It was possible to evaluate subtle effects by using a noise component model based on estimating the quantum, electronic and structural noise contributions. Visible effects were quantified by analyzing the evolution of the histogram of the pixel counts at the irradiated area. The dose threshold for subtle damages was 388 +/- 3 Gy deposited in the gate oxide and shallow trench isolation oxide layers, while visible damages were observed for doses higher than 2635 +/- 15 Gy. A recovery of the damaged pixels with time was noticed and quantified, reaching the half-life time at 1.84 +/- 0.02 h after irradiation. These results encourage periodical maintenance procedures, for example through a new equalization matrix generation, which proved to be a possible tool for recovering the detector performance.1606367FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOMCTIC - MINISTÉRIO DA CIÊNCIA, TECNOLOGIA, INOVAÇÕES E COMUNICAÇÕESFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOMCTIC - MINISTÉRIO DA CIÊNCIA, TECNOLOGIA, INOVAÇÕES E COMUNICAÇÕES2011/51594-22015/21873-8Sem informaçã