Managerial Leadership Style in the Private Sector in Jordan

This thesis consists of a study of the leadership performance among 114 top managers in 44 companies in Jordan, measured by their views on how organisational decisions should be taken and their actual performance in decision taking. The companies concerned represent organisations operating in both the manufacturing and in the financial sector in the private sector in the Jordanian economy

The Impact of Investing in Research and Development on Performance: Evidence from Jordan

This research aimed to investigate the effect of investing in research and development on the performance of Jordanian companies. Investment in research and development was measured by the ratio of investment to sales and the number of researchers. Financial performance was measured by financial ratios. The population of the study consisted of 45 industrial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange. Data was obtained only from 21 companies for seven years. The results indicate that the level of investment in research and development is very low compared to international standards. The results also show no significant relationships between investment in research and development and the financial performance of the companies. The research provides some conclusions and recommendations in light of the results

Enhanced signal processing using modified cyclic shift tree denoising

The cortical pyramidal neurons in the cerebral cortex, which are positioned perpendicularly to the brain’s surface, are assumed to be the primary source of the electroencephalogram (EEG) reading. The EEG reading generated by the brainstem in response to auditory impulses is known as the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR). The identification of wave V in ABR is now regarded as the most efficient method for audiology testing. The ABR signal is modest in amplitude and is lost in the background noise. The traditional approach of retrieving the underlying wave V, which employs an averaging methodology, necessitates more attempts. This results in a protracted length of screening time, which causes the subject discomfort. For the detection of wave V, this paper uses Kalman filtering and Cyclic Shift Tree Denoising (CSTD). In state space form, we applied Markov process modeling of ABR dynamics. The Kalman filter, which is optimum in the mean-square sense, is used to estimate the clean ABRs. To save time and effort, discrete wavelet transform (DWT) coefficients are employed as features instead of filtering the raw ABR signal. The results show that even with a smaller number of epochs, the wave is still visible and the morphology of the ABR signal is preserved

Evaluation of prognostic risk models for postoperative pulmonary complications in adult patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: a systematic review and international external validation cohort study

Background Stratifying risk of postoperative pulmonary complications after major abdominal surgery allows clinicians to modify risk through targeted interventions and enhanced monitoring. In this study, we aimed to identify and validate prognostic models against a new consensus definition of postoperative pulmonary complications. Methods We did a systematic review and international external validation cohort study. The systematic review was done in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched MEDLINE and Embase on March 1, 2020, for articles published in English that reported on risk prediction models for postoperative pulmonary complications following abdominal surgery. External validation of existing models was done within a prospective international cohort study of adult patients (≥18 years) undergoing major abdominal surgery. Data were collected between Jan 1, 2019, and April 30, 2019, in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. Discriminative ability and prognostic accuracy summary statistics were compared between models for the 30-day postoperative pulmonary complication rate as defined by the Standardised Endpoints in Perioperative Medicine Core Outcome Measures in Perioperative and Anaesthetic Care (StEP-COMPAC). Model performance was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC). Findings In total, we identified 2903 records from our literature search; of which, 2514 (86·6%) unique records were screened, 121 (4·8%) of 2514 full texts were assessed for eligibility, and 29 unique prognostic models were identified. Nine (31·0%) of 29 models had score development reported only, 19 (65·5%) had undergone internal validation, and only four (13·8%) had been externally validated. Data to validate six eligible models were collected in the international external validation cohort study. Data from 11 591 patients were available, with an overall postoperative pulmonary complication rate of 7·8% (n=903). None of the six models showed good discrimination (defined as AUROCC ≥0·70) for identifying postoperative pulmonary complications, with the Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia score showing the best discrimination (AUROCC 0·700 [95% CI 0·683–0·717]). Interpretation In the pre-COVID-19 pandemic data, variability in the risk of pulmonary complications (StEP-COMPAC definition) following major abdominal surgery was poorly described by existing prognostication tools. To improve surgical safety during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery and beyond, novel risk stratification tools are required. Funding British Journal of Surgery Society