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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The current study investigates green transactional leadership for the first time in order to understand leader-follower relations in studying green behavior in higher education institutions. The aim of this study is to investigate the dynamic relationship between green transformational leadership, green transactional leadership and green creativity that are mediated by green intrinsic motivation. METHODS: This study used adapted constructs from previous environmental research as well as a newly-developed green transactional leadership construct. Responses were obtained from university students working on their final-year projects. In order to evaluate the model, partial least squares structural equation modeling using Measurement model assessment was used to validate the structural and measurement model. FINDINGS: Findings indicate that green intrinsic motivation significantly influences the relationship between green transformational leadership and green creativity (Beta=0.321; t=3.129), as well as green transactional leadership and green creativity (Beta=0.114; t=2.322). However, green transformational leadership is a stronger predictor in comparison to green transactional leadership in nurturing green creativity among students to provide viable solutions to existing products/processes. The R2 or contribution given by green transformational leadership and green transactional leadership on green creativity was 45.7 percent while the contribution of green transformational leadership, green transactional leadership and green creativity on green intrinsic motivation was 57.7 percent. CONCLUSION: Policy makers must focus their attention on promoting green transactional and transformational leadership that will directly enhance students' motivation to promote the green creativity through innovative product/service model innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The genitourinary symptom of menopause (GSM) affects up to 65% of women, resulting in symptoms such as vulvovaginal dryness, discomfort, and dysuria, which significantly impacts quality of life. The current assessment methods rely on subjective questionnaires that can be influenced by individual differences, as well as invasive measurements that are time-consuming and not easily accessible. In this study, we explore the potential of a non-invasive and objective assessment tool called diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and imaging (DRSI) to evaluate tissue chromophores, including water, lipid, oxyhemoglobin, and deoxyhemoglobin. These measurements provide information about moisture content, lipid levels, oxygen saturation, and blood fraction, which can serve as surrogate markers for genital estrogen levels. Our findings reveal distinct differences in these chromophores among pre, peri, and postmenopausal subjects. By using lipid and blood fraction tissue chromophores in a K-Nearest Neighbour classifier model, we achieved a prediction accuracy of 65% compared to vaginal maturation index (VMI) that is clinically used to assess estrogen-related hormonal changes. When age was included as the third feature, the accuracy increased to 78%. We believe that by refining the study protocol and configuring the fiber probe to examine tissue chromophores both in the superficial vulva skin for epidermal water content and the deeper layers, DRSI has the potential to provide objective diagnosis and aid in monitoring the treatment outcome of GSM.

This article provides a database of the mechanical properties of additively manufactured polymeric materials fabricated using material extrusion (e.g., fused filament fabrication (FFF)). Mechanical properties available in the literatures are consolidated in table form for different polymeric materials for FFF. Mechanical properties such as tensile, compressive, flexural, interlayer, fatigue, and creep properties are discussed in detail. The effects of printing parameters such as raster angle, infill, and specimen orientation on properties are also provided, together with a discussion of the possible causes (e.g., texture, microstructure changes, and defects) of anisotropy in properties. In addition to that, research gaps are identified which warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low muscularity and malnutrition at intensive care unit (ICU) admission have been associated with negative clinical outcomes. There are limited data available evaluating the validity of bedside techniques to measure muscle mass in critically ill adults. We aimed to compare bedside methods for muscle mass assessment [bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), arm anthropometry and subjective physical assessment] against reference technology [computed tomography (CT)] at ICU admission. Methods: Adults who had CT scanning at the third lumbar area <72 h after ICU admission were prospectively recruited. Bedside methods were performed within 48 h of the CT scan. Pearson's correlation compared CT muscle area with BIS‐derived fat‐free mass (FFM) (kg) and FFM‐Chamney (kg) (adjusted for overhydration), mid‐upper arm circumference (cm) and mid‐arm muscle circumference (cm). Depleted muscle stores were determined using published thresholds for each method. Cohen's kappa (κ) was used to evaluate the agreement between bedside and CT assessment of muscularity status (normal or low). Results: Fifty participants were enrolled. There were strong correlations between CT muscle area and FFM values and mid‐arm muscle circumference (P < 0.001). Using FFM‐Chamney, all six (100%) participants with low CT muscle area were detected (κ = 0.723). FFM‐BIS, arm anthropometry and subjective physical assessment methods detected 28%–38% of participants with low CT muscle area. Conclusions: BIS‐derived FFM using an adjustment algorithm for overhydration was correlated with CT muscle area and had good agreement with muscularity status assessed by CT image analysis. Arm anthropometry and subjective physical assessment techniques were not able to reliably detect participants with low CT muscle area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tibial fractures have an incidence of 15% of all adult fractures. They have been shown to have the highest incidence of non-union in long bone fractures and the highest incidence of vascular injury. Evidence from the literature suggests that a good vascular supply is important to ensure bone union. The aim of our study was to prospectively assess the incidence of vascular injuries in open tibial fractures and determine whether they were associated with an increased risk of non-union. Methods: We performed a prospective study to investigate the incidence of arterial injuries with computed tomography angiography (CTA) in patients with Gustilo–Anderson grade I–III open tibial fractures between 2013 and 2015. CTA was performed with the trauma series at acute admission and reported by two independent musculoskeletal radiologists. Patients were followed up with clinical and radiographic assessment for 1 year. Results: We recruited 77 patients into the study, and 56 patients (47 males, 9 females) were available for the final analysis, between 16 and 90 years of age. At the initial assessment, 29% had signs of arterial injury with active extravasation in 5%. The most common site of injury was in the diaphysis (87.5%), and the commonest mechanism was a road traffic accident. We found no significant relation between occult vascular injury and non-union (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The incidence of vascular injury in open tibial fractures is 29%, and CTA is therefore a useful test in identifying vascular injuries that may require vascular intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxial ZnO:Co films with room-temperature ferromagnetism have been hydrothermally grown in water at 90 °C using a ZnO seed layer on MgAl2O4 (111) substrates. The ZnO:Co films are single crystalline with out-of-plane orientations of ZnO:Co<001>∥MgAl2O4<111> and in-plane orientations of ZnO:Co[110]∥MgAl2O4[112] and ZnO:Co[110]∥MgAl2O4[110] in spite of numerous threading dislocations at the boundaries of crystal mosaic. Saturation magnetizations of 0.83, 0.77, and 0.08 emu/cm3 and coercivities of 40, 22, and 22 Oe were obtained for the epitaxial Zn1-xCoxO (x=0.02, 0.05, and 0.10) films, respectively, at room temperature. Hydrogen unintentionally incorporated in the hydrothermal synthesis may contribute to the ferromagnetic properties in ZnO:Co by enhancing carrier concentration as a shallow donor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different morphologies and sizes of VO2(D) particles were synthesised via hydrothermal synthesis using ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3) or vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) as a vanadium precursor. By adjusting the concentration of vanadium precursors and the pH of the starting solution, a variety of morphologies and sizes of VO2(D) particles from 20 nm to 3 μm could be produced. A flower-shape morphology was obtained under strongly acidic conditions, passing through star-shape particles of 1 μm at pH 2.5 and finally obtaining homogeneous round balls of around 3 μm at pH 6.9. Nanoparticles were produced hydrothermally using V2O5 as a precursor and hydrazine as a reducing agent. The transition from VO2(D) to thermochromic VO2(R) in micron scale particles occurred at 350 °C under vacuum. However, the nanoparticles of VO2(D) had a significantly lower VO2(D) to thermochromic VO2(R) transition temperature of 165 °C after annealing for only a few minutes. This is, to our knowledge, the lowest annealing temperature and time reported in the literature in order to obtain a thermochromic VO2 material via another VO2 phase. After the conversion of VO2(D) microparticles to thermochromic VO2(R), the metal to insulator transition temperature is 61 ± 1 °C for the heating cycle and 53 ± 1 °C for the cooling cycle. However, VO2(R) nanoparticles showed a significantly reduced metal insulator transition temperature of 59 ± 1 °C and 42 ± 1 °C for the cooling cycle lower than that reported in the literature for bulk VO2. This is important due to the need for having a compound with a switching temperature closer to room temperature to be used in smart window devices for energy consumption. W-VO2(D) star shape microparticle samples were prepared using 2–7 at% of the dopant (using ammonium metavanadate as a precursor), although unexpectedly this does not seem to be a viable route to a reduced metal to insulator transition in this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]