A New Leadership Development Model for Nursing Education

Background Leadership competency is required throughout nursing. Students have difficulty understanding leadership as integral to education and practice. A consistent framework for nursing leadership education, strong scholarship and an evidence base are limited. Purpose To establish an integrated leadership development model for prelicensure nursing students that recognizes leadership as a fundamental skill for nursing practice and promotes development of nursing leadership education scholarship. Method Summarizing definitions of nursing leadership, conceptualizing leadership development capacity through reviewing trends, and synthesizing existing leadership theories through directed content analysis. Discussion Nine leadership skills form the organizing structure for the Nursing Leadership Development Model. Leadership identity development is supported via dimensions of knowing, doing, being and context. Conclusion The Nursing Leadership Development Model is a conceptual map offering a structure to facilitate leadership development within prelicensure nursing students, promoting student ability to internalize leadership capacity and apply leadership skills upon entry to practic

Studies on the hormonal events of pregnancy, particularly in relation to the spontaneous onset of labour

An increase in the plasma oestrogen:progesterone ratio precedes labour in sheep, and an increase in the saliva oestriol:progesterone ratio has recently been demonstrated in women prior to spontaneous term and preterm labour. Studies were undertaken to further investigate the hormonal changes of pregnancy, particularly in relation to the onset of labour, and ultrasound examinations were performed to determine whether fetal adrenal size correlates with maternal steroid hormone levels. Absorption of progesterone was also studied in pregnancy, with a view to the possible prevention of preterm labour in some women at a later date. A rise in the saliva oestriol:progesterone ratio, prior to labour, was found in 68% of 28 normal women, and a ratio above the 90th centile for the gestation was found in 47% of the 17 women who went into idiopathic preterm labour. On serial monthly ultrasound examinations fetal adrenal size increased linearly; there was no correlation between adrenal and hormonal measurements at a given gestation. Adrenal size decreased rapidly during the first six weeks of neonatal life. Maternal plasma oestrone, oestradiol, oestriol, progesterone, dehydroepiand-rosterone sulphate, sex hormone binding globulin, human chorionic gonadotrophin, human placental lactogen and prolactin, and saliva oestrogen and progesterone levels were measured fortnightly from 20 weeks gestation in 20 normal women. Levels were comparable with previous studies; no interrelationships of significant importance were detected. Hourly saliva cortisol levels were significantly increased in late pregnancy, but the diurnal variation was maintained. The increase in plasma and saliva cortisol levels was not caused by the increased corticosteroid binding globulin levels. Thus an increased oestriol:progesterone ratio in the majority of women prior to term and idiopathic preterm labour was demonstrated, but it was concluded that neither saliva oestriol and progesterone, nor fetal adrenal ultrasound measurements, would be helpful in the prediction of preterm labour, in practice

The clustering of radio galaxies at z~0.55 from the 2SLAQ LRG survey

We examine the clustering properties of low-power radio galaxies at redshift 0.4<z<0.8, using data from the 2SLAQ Luminous Red Galaxy (LRG) survey. We find that radio-detected LRGs (with optical luminosities of 3-5L* and 1.4GHz radio powers between 1e24 and 1e26 W/Hz) are significantly more clustered than a matched sample of radio-quiet LRGs with the same distribution in optical luminosity and colour. The measured scale length of the 2pt auto-correlation function, r0, is 12.3+/-1.2 1/h Mpc and 9.02+/-0.52 1/h Mpc for the radio-detected and radio-quiet samples respectively. Using the halo model framework we demonstrate that the radio-loud LRGs have typical halo masses of 10.1+/-1.4 x10^13 1/h M_sun compared to 6.44+/-0.32 x10^13 1/h M_sun for the radio-quiet sample. A model in which the radio-detected LRGs are almost all central galaxies within haloes provides the best fit, and we estimate that at least 30% of LRGs with the same clustering amplitude as the radio-detected LRGs are currently radio-loud. Our results imply that radio-loud LRGs typically occupy more massive haloes than other LRGs of the same optical luminosity, so the probability of finding a radio-loud AGN in a massive galaxy at z~0.55 is influenced by the halo mass in addition to the dependence on optical luminosity. If we model the radio-loud fraction of LRGs, F_rad, as a function of halo mass M, then the data are well-fitted by a power law of the form F_rad \propto M^(0.65+/-0.23). The relationship between radio emission and clustering strength could arise either through a higher fuelling rate of gas onto the central black holes of galaxies in the most massive haloes (producing more powerful radio jets) or through the presence of a denser IGM (providing a more efficient working surface for the jets, thus boosting their radio luminosity).Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA

Experimental design for the evaluation of high-T(sub c) superconductive thermal bridges in a sensor satellite

Infrared sensor satellites, which consist of cryogenic infrared sensor detectors, electrical instrumentation, and data acquisition systems, are used to monitor the conditions of the earth's upper atmosphere in order to evaluate its present and future changes. Currently, the electrical connections (instrumentation), which act as thermal bridges between the cryogenic infrared sensor and the significantly warmer data acquisition unit of the sensor satellite system, constitute a significant portion of the heat load on the cryogen. As a part of extending the mission life of the sensor satellite system, the researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Langley Research Center (NASA-LaRC) are evaluating the effectiveness of replacing the currently used manganin wires with high-temperature superconductive (HTS) materials as the electrical connections (thermal bridges). In conjunction with the study being conducted at NASA-LaRC, the proposed research is to design a space experiment to determine the thermal savings on a cryogenic subsystem when manganin leads are replaced by HTS leads printed onto a substrate with a low thermal conductivity, and to determine the thermal conductivities of HTS materials. The experiment is designed to compare manganin wires with two different types of superconductors on substrates by determining the heat loss by the thermal bridges and providing temperature measurements for the estimation of thermal conductivity. A conductive mathematical model has been developed and used as a key tool in the design process and subsequent analysis

Retained Ownership of Beef Cattle When Considering Production and Price Risk

Livestock Production/Industries,

On the effect of functional electrical stimulation upon spasticity and gait in the individual with incomplete spinal cord injury.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been used for many years as a method of improving walking ability in individuals with neurological damage. In spite of this, its use in mainstream physiotherapy practice continues to be limited. One of the possible reasons for this may be the persistent belief that FES somehow increases spasticity in this subject group. This study had two main aims: to investigate the effects of FES upon spasticity, and upon the walking abilities in the individual with incomplete spinal cord injury (ISCI).Review of the literature relating to FES, spasticity and gait resulted in the following conclusions. FES has not been shown to increase spasticity; in fact it is far more likely to decrease it via the activation of spinal inhibitory neuronal mechanisms. FES has been found to have an overall beneficial affect on gait parameters. Although it is perceived as a substantially disabling impairment, spasticity is a hugely complex phenomenon that has proven difficult to measure. Conclusions as to the effects of spasticity upon gait need to be made with care. Due to this final point consideration was also given to the theoretical links between spasticity and gait. As the measurement of spasticity was shown to be substantially problematic, a review of the psychometric properties of the measures chosen to answer the research questions was undertaken.Given the stated aims of the project, two research questions were asked: 1. What changes in spasticity does an individual who receives FES as a treatment experience? 2. What changes in gait does an individual who receives FES as a treatment experience? The chosen methodology was that of a single subject experimental design. Ten subjects with incomplete spinal cord injury were recruited to the study; eight completed the programme. FES systems were applied cutaneously to improve the walking abilities of all subjects. The Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and isokinetic dynamometric analysis of lower limb resistance to movement were used as measures of spasticity. The Rancho Los Amigos Observational Gait Analysis System (OGA) was chosen to analyse walking ability. TELER Gait Indicators were developed, also to analyse gait, due to the perceived issues with the Rancho Los Amigos system. The results of this study show that spasticity, when measured by the MAS, did not increase in 7 out of 8 subjects. When considered as a group, the subjects demonstrated substantial improvement in their walking abilities. When considered individually the degree of improvement varied substantially. The overall conclusion is that FES can be a useful treatment option for the subject with ISCI. However, careful assessment and application is needed to optimise benefit for the individual. This study also adds to the literature regarding FES, spasticity and gait in its use of a methodology that allows the clinician to consider potential benefits to the individual subject

The Large Area Radio Galaxy Evolution Spectroscopic Survey (LARGESS): survey design, data catalogue and GAMA/WiggleZ spectroscopy

© 2016 The Authors. We present the Large Area Radio Galaxy Evolution Spectroscopic Survey (LARGESS), a spectroscopic catalogue of radio sources designed to include the full range of radio AGN populations out to redshift z ~ 0.8. The catalogue covers ~800 deg 2 of sky, and provides optical identifications for 19 179 radio sources from the 1.4 GHz Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-cm (FIRST) survey down to an optical magnitude limit of i mod < 20.5 in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) images. Both galaxies and point-like objects are included, and no colour cuts are applied. In collaboration with the WiggleZ and Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) spectroscopic survey teams, we have obtained new spectra for over 5000 objects in the LARGESS sample. Combining these new spectra with data from earlier surveys provides spectroscopic data for 12 329 radio sources in the survey area, of which 10 856 have reliable redshifts. 85 per cent of the LARGESS spectroscopic sample are radio AGN (median redshift z = 0.44), and 15 per cent are nearby star-forming galaxies (median z = 0.08). Low-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs) comprise the majority (83 per cent) of LARGESS radio AGN at z < 0.8, with 12 per cent being high-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs) and 5 per cent radioloud QSOs. Unlike the more homogeneous LERG and QSO sub-populations, HERGs are a heterogeneous class of objects with relatively blue optical colours and a wide dispersion in mid-infrared colours. This is consistent with a picture in which most HERGs are hosted by galaxies with recent or ongoing star formation as well as a classical accretion disc