Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mentoring and School Leadership: Experiences from South Africa

Abstract Among the factors included in the Advanced Certificate in Education-School Management and Leadership (ACE-SML) qualification in South Africa, is the requirement for leaders to be mentored. Mentoring is perceived to be among the most necessary processes in ensuring that practising principals will in turn be able to become resourceful mentors to their teachers. This article explicates the results of a study that investigated the mentoring process in selected schools. It was a qualitative study conducted among Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces’ sample of principals. Mentoring is a relatively new concept in South African schools, and in this investigation the researcher found that the mentor-mentee relationships can be fraught with challenges. Among others, in line with existing research, the findings revealed that the personalities of the mentor a nd mentee are very crucial in ensuring the effectiveness of the mentoring experience. Moreover, the results bring to light that mentors who have received effective training will be more efficient than mentors who did not. Furthermore, future schools will require the services of effective mentors who will understand the agenda of change in schools.
Pain-Related Emotions in Early Stages of Recovery in Whiplash-Associated Disorders: Their Presence, Intensity, and Association With Pain Recovery

Objective: Psychological factors such as depression affect recovery after whiplash-associated disorders. This study examined the prevalence of pain-related emotions, such as frustration, anger, and anxiety, and their predictive value for postcrash pain recovery during a 1-year follow-up. Methods: A population-based prospective cohort study design was used. Self-reported pain-related depression, anxiety, fear, anger, and frustration were assessed using 100-mm visual analog scales (VASs) at 6 weeks after crash in 2986 persons with traffic-related whiplash-associated disorder. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between the intensity of these pain-related emotions and pain recovery at 4 and 12 months after crash. Pain was measured at all time points on a 100-mm VAS, and pain recovery was defined as a score of 10 or lower. Results: Pain-related frustration was the most intense, with a mean score of 52. Only 3% of the cohort reported having no pain-related frustration, and 4% reported no pain-related anxiety. Multivariable logistic regression models revealed that each pain-related emotion increased the risk of failing to recover (odds ratios for each point increase on the 100-mm VAS), ranging from 1.011 to 1.015. Specifically, with each 10-point increase in pain-related emotion, the odds of failing to achieve pain recovery at 4 months was increased by 14% (p < .001) for depression, 15% (p < .001) for anxiety, 11% (p < .001) for fear, 12% (p < .001) for anger, and 11% (p < .001) for frustration. Conclusions: These findings suggest that it may be beneficial for health care providers to address emotional status related to pain in the first few weeks after a whiplash injury.WAD = whiplash-associated disorder; VAS = visual analog scale
Antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar typhimurium from humans and production animals.

We have studied the frequency of antimicrobial resistance and epidemiological relatedness among 473 isolates of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar typhimurium (S. typhimurium) from human and veterinary sources. The human strains were clinical isolates from patients with diarrhoea sent to the State Serum Institute during August 1993 (228 isolates). The animal strains were isolated from clinical or subclinical infections in cattle (48 isolates), pigs (99 isolates) or poultry (98 isolates), all from 1993. All strains were tested against 22 different antimicrobial agents used in both human and veterinary medicine with the tablet diffusion method. Strains were also phage-typed and the plasmid content determined in all resistant strains. Ribotyping was performed on selected strains. Of 228 human isolates tested, 19.3% of the strains were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agent compared with 10.4% of strains from cattle, 11.1% of strains from pigs and 9.2% of strains from poultry. Multiple resistance, i.e. resistance against at least four antimicrobial agents, was found in 9.2% of the human strains, but in only two of the cattle isolates. The majority of the multi-resistant strains in humans were from infections contracted outside Denmark, most often in southern Europe or south-east Asia. Resistance in human strains was most common against tetracycline (13%), ampicillin (12%), sulphonamide (12%), streptomycin (10%) and chloramphenicol (8%). The resistance pattern differed somewhat in animal isolates: Poultry strains were usually resistant only to ampicillin, while pig and cattle isolates were most often resistant to sulphonamide, tetracycline and streptomycin. Typing of the strains showed that some animal strains and human strains were indistinguishable. In conclusion, while antimicrobial resistance was present in S. typhimurium isolated from humans and animals in Denmark, multiple resistance was most often acquired outside Denmark.
Speci fi cation Test for Panel Data Models with Interactive Fixed E ff ects ∗

In this paper, we propose a consistent nonparametric test for linearity in a large dimensional panel data model with interactive fixed effects. Both lagged dependent variables and conditional heteroskedasticity of unknown form are allowed in the model. We estimate the model under the null hypothesis of linearity to obtain the restricted residuals which are then used to construct the test statistic. We show that after being appropriately centered and standardized, the test statistic is asymptotically normally distributed under both the null hypothesis and a sequence of Pitman local alternatives by using the concept of conditional strong mixing that was recently introduced by Prakasa Rao (2009). To improve the finite sample performance, we propose a bootstrap procedure to obtain the bootstrap -value. A small set of Monte Carlo simulations illustrates that our test performs well in finite samples. An application to an economic growth panel dataset indicates significant nonlinear relationships between economic growth, initial income level and capital accumulation.
Intrathoracic Impedance Monitoring, Audible Patient Alerts, and Outcome in Patients With Heart Failure

Background— Heart failure is associated with frequent hospitalizations, often resulting from volume overload. Measurement of intrathoracic impedance with an implanted device with an audible patient alert may detect increases in pulmonary fluid retention early. We hypothesized that early intervention could prevent hospitalizations and affect outcome. Methods and Results— We studied 335 patients with chronic heart failure who had undergone implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator alone (18%) or with cardiac resynchronization therapy (82%). All devices featured a monitoring tool to track changes in intrathoracic impedance (OptiVol) and other diagnostic parameters. Patients were randomized to have information available to physicians and patients as an audible alert in case of preset threshold crossings (access arm) or not (control arm). The primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalizations. During 14.9±5.4 months, this occurred in 48 patients (29%) in the access arm and in 33 patients (20%) in the control arm (P=0.063; hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.97–2.37). This was due mainly to more heart failure hospitalizations (hazard ratio, 1.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–2.95; P=0.022), whereas the number of deaths was comparable (19 versus 15; P=0.54). The number of outpatient visits was higher in the access arm (250 versus 84; P<0.0001), with relatively more signs of heart failure among control patients during outpatient visits. Although the trial was terminated as a result of slow enrollment, a post hoc futility analysis indicated that a positive result would have been unlikely. Conclusion— Use of an implantable diagnostic tool to measure intrathoracic impedance with an audible patient alert did not improve outcome and increased heart failure hospitalizations and outpatient visits in heart failure patients. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT 00480077.
Cascading failures in scale-free coupled map lattices

We investigate cascading failures in a class of scale-free coupled map lattices with a heterogeneity parameter. We found that for a network with given high heterogeneity, degree-based deliberate attack is much easier to trigger cascading failure than random attack. Furthermore, as the network becomes more heterogeneous, the network becomes more vulnerable to both random and deliberate attacks. Therefore, to avoid cascading failures in this kind of complex networks, the structure of the network should be as homogeneous as possible.
Maternal obesity as a perinatal risk factor.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to estimate the effect of maternal obesity on pregnancy course, delivery and newborn well-being. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data about women who delivered in PMMH was analyzed and obese pregnant women (pre-pregnancy BMI > or =30) were included in the study group; the rest of the mothers constituted the control group. The pregnancy course, labor and delivery, and newborn well-being were taken into consideration. RESULTS 4648 women were found in our delivery database, among them 208 (4.48%) were classified as obese. In this group, pregnancy-associated hypertension was common, either non-proteinuric one (8.65% vs 2.39%, p=0.001) or preeclampsia (4.81% vs 1.58 %, p<0.05). There were also more cases of gestational diabetes mellitus requiring insulin therapy (9.62% vs 1.48%, p<0.001) and polyhydramniosis (4.81% vs 2.11%, p<0.05) than in case of controls. The mean gestational age at delivery and newborn general health (estimated by Apgar score, mean umbilical cord pH and the incidence of cases with pH < or =7.10) were similar in both groups. The mean birthweight (3266 g vs 3100 g, p<0.05) and the incidence of macrosomia (20.19% vs 5.69%, p<0.001) were significantly higher in the study group. The delivery mode was comparable in both groups, with the marked tendency towards higher incidence of elective cesarean sections in case of obese mothers (27.88% vs 19.90%, p=0.01). CONCLUSION Maternal obesity is a significant perinatal risk factor; with pregnancy-associated hypertension and gestational diabetes requiring insulin therapy in obese mothers and macrosomia in newborns as most common complications.
Preference for water‐related items in Angelman syndrome, Down syndrome and non‐specific intellectual disability

Abstract Background Few case controlled studies have been published on the behavioural phenotype of Angelman syndrome (AS). Little is yet known about preferences in individuals with AS. Method Preferences for water‐related items and non‐water‐related items were assessed in 27 individuals with AS and two matched groups of participants, one with Down syndrome (DS) and the other with non‐specific intellectual disabilities (NS), using an adapted Dutch version of the Choice Assessment Scale (Matson et al., 1999). Results Individuals with AS showed a higher preference for water‐related items compared to individuals in both comparison groups, substantiating previous reports which have suggested that individuals with AS are fascinated with water. Conclusions Knowledge about preferences in individuals with AS, especially with regard to water‐related objects and activities, is important in person‐centred planning of daytime activities and training programs for this group.
Narcissism and empathy in steroid users.

OBJECTIVE In an effort to begin to construct a psychological profile of anabolic steroid users, the authors compared weight lifters and bodybuilders who did or did not use anabolic steroids on an objective measure of narcissism and on clinical ratings of empathy. METHOD The subjects were 16 weight lifters and bodybuilders who reported that they had used anabolic steroids within the past year and a comparison group of 20 weight lifters who had not used steroids. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory and clinical ratings of empathy were used to assess narcissism. RESULTS Steroid users had significantly higher scores on dimensions of pathological narcissism and significantly lower scores on clinical ratings of empathy. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary results document a relationship between anabolic steroid use and narcissistic personality traits. They also indicate the need for further research to determine whether narcissistic personality traits contribute to the initiation of anabolic steroid use or result from their use.
Effects of l-Carnitine Supplementation on Serum Inflammatory Factors and Matrix Metalloproteinase Enzymes in Females with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study

Objective: Considering the importance of inflammation in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) and induction of pain, this study was aimed to investigate the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on serum inflammatory mediators and OA-associated pain in females with knee OA. Methods: In this clinical trial, 72 females with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis started the study, divided into 2 groups to receive 750 mg/day L-carnitine (n = 36) or placebo (n = 36) for 8 weeks. Serum levels of Interleukine-1β (IL-1β), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-1 and -13, and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain were assessed before and after supplementation. Data were analyzed by t test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Mann-Whitney U test, and analysis of covariance. Results: Only 69 patients (33 in the L-carnitine group and 36 in the placebo group) completed the study. L-Carnitine supplementation decreased serum IL-1β and MMP-1 levels significantly (p = 0.001 and p = 0.021, respectively); however, serum hs-CRP and MMP-13 levels did not change significantly (p > 0.05). In the placebo group, serum IL-1β levels increased significantly (p = 0.011), whereas other studied biomarkers did not change significantly. The mean VAS score decreased significantly in the L-carnitine and placebo groups by 52.67% and 21.82%, respectively (p < 0.001). Significant differences were only observed between the 2 groups in serum IL-1β (p < 0.001) and MMP-1 (p = 0.006) levels and mean VAS score (p = 0.002) after adjusting for baseline values and covariates. Conclusion: Despite observed beneficial effects of short-term supplementation of L-carnitine in decreasing serum inflammatory mediators and improving pain in knee OA patients, further studies are needed to achieve concise conclusions.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Copper Homeostasis in Populus trichocarpa Reveals an Integrated Molecular Remodeling for a Preferential Allocation of Copper to Plastocyanin in the Chloroplasts of Developing Leaves1[C][W][OA]

Plastocyanin, which requires copper (Cu) as a cofactor, is an electron carrier in the thylakoid lumen and essential for photoautotrophic growth of plants. The Cu microRNAs, which are expressed during Cu deprivation, down-regulate several transcripts that encode for Cu proteins. Since plastocyanin is not targeted by the Cu microRNAs, a cofactor economy model has been proposed in which plants prioritize Cu for use in photosynthetic electron transport. However, defects in photosynthesis are classic symptoms of Cu deprivation, and priorities in Cu cofactor delivery have not been determined experimentally. Using hydroponically grown Populus trichocarpa (clone Nisqually-1), we have established a physiological and molecular baseline for the response to Cu deficiency. An integrated analysis showed that Cu depletion strongly reduces the activity of several Cu proteins including plastocyanin, and consequently, photosynthesis and growth are decreased. Whereas plastocyanin mRNA levels were only mildly affected by Cu depletion, this treatment strongly affected the expression of other Cu proteins via Cu microRNA-mediated transcript down-regulation. Polyphenol oxidase was newly identified as Cu regulated and targeted by a novel Cu microRNA, miR1444. Importantly, a spatiotemporal analysis after Cu resupply to previously depleted plants revealed that this micronutrient is preferentially allocated to developing photosynthetic tissues. Plastocyanin and photosynthetic electron transport efficiency were the first to recover after Cu addition, whereas recovery of the other Cu-dependent activities was delayed. Our findings lend new support to the hypothesis that the Cu microRNAs serve to mediate a prioritization of Cu cofactor use. These studies also highlight poplar as an alternative sequenced model for spatiotemporal analyses of nutritional homeostasis.
Size Structures Sensory Hierarchy in Ocean Life

Survival in aquatic environments requires organisms to have effective means of collecting information from their surroundings through various sensing strategies. In this study, we explore how sensing mode and range depend on body size. We find a hierarchy of sensing modes determined by body size. With increasing body size, a larger battery of modes becomes available (chemosensing, mechanosensing, vision, hearing, and echolocation, in that order) while the sensing range also increases. This size-dependent hierarchy and the transitions between primary sensory modes are explained on the grounds of limiting factors set by physiology and the physical laws governing signal generation, transmission and reception. We theoretically predict the body size limits for various sensory modes, which align well with size ranges found in literature. The treatise of all ocean life, from unicellular organisms to whales, demonstrates how body size determines available sensing modes, and thereby acts as a major structuring factor of aquatic life.
Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into retinal progenitor cells

Human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from fetal umbilical cord. Cells were cultured in serum-free neural stem cell-conditioned medium or neural stem cell-conditioned medium supplemented with Dkk-1, a Wnt/β catenin pathway antagonist, and LeftyA, a Nodal signaling pathway antagonist to induce differentiation into retinal progenitor cells. Inverted microscopy showed that after induction, the spindle-shaped or fibroblast-like Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells changed into bulbous cells with numerous processes. Immunofluorescent cytochemical ing and reverse-transcription PCR showed positive expression of retinal progenitor cell markers, Pax6 and Rx, as well as weakly down-regulated nestin expression. These results demonstrate that Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells are capable of differentiating into retinal progenitor cells in vitro.
Modulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release by glycolysis in cat atrial myocytes

In cardiac myocytes, glycolysis and excitation–contraction (E–C) coupling are functionally coupled. We studied the effects of inhibitors (2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose (2‐DG), iodoacetate (IAA)), intermediates (glucose‐6‐phosphate (G6P), fructose‐6‐phosphate (F6P), fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphate (FBP), phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)) and products (pyruvate, l‐lactate) of glycolysis on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release and uptake in intact and permeabilized cat atrial myocytes. In field‐stimulated (0.5–0.7 Hz) intact myocytes, 2‐DG (10 mm) and IAA (1 mm) caused elevation of diastolic [Ca2+]i and [Ca2+]i transient alternans (Ca2+ alternans) followed by a decrease of the amplitude of the [Ca2+]i transient. Focal application of 2‐DG resulted in local Ca2+ alternans that was confined to the region of exposure. 2‐DG and IAA slowed the decay kinetics of the [Ca2+]i transient and delayed its recovery (positive staircase) after complete SR depletion, suggesting impaired activity of the SR Ca2+‐ATPase (SERCA). 2‐DG and IAA reduced the rate of reuptake of Ca2+ into the SR which was accompanied by a 15–20% decrease of SR Ca2+ load. Major changes of mitochondrial redox state (measured as FAD autofluorescence) were not observed after inhibition of glycolysis. Pyruvate (10 mm) and l‐lactate (10 mm) elicited similar changes of the [Ca2+]i transient. Pyruvate, l‐lactate and IAA – but not 2‐DG – induced intracellular acidosis. Recording of single channel activity of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) incorporated into lipid bilayers revealed complex modulation by glycolytic intermediates and products (1 mm each): some were without effect (G6P, PEP, l‐lactate) while others either increased (F6P, +40%; FBP, +265%) or decreased (pyruvate, −58%) the open probability of the RyR. Consistent with these findings, spontaneous SR Ca2+ release (Ca2+ sparks) in permeabilized myocytes was facilitated by FBP and inhibited by pyruvate. The results indicate that in atrial myocytes glycolysis regulates Ca2+ release from the SR by multiple mechanisms including direct modulation of RyR activity by intermediates and products of glycolysis and modulation of SERCA activity through local changes of glycolytically derived ATP.
Rapid primary microwave‐glutaraldehyde fixation preserves the plasma membrane and intracellular structures of the protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus

Tritrichomonas foetus, a pathogenic protozoan, was used as a model to analyse microwave‐stimulated fixation as a procedure of preparation of biological samples for electron microscopy of thin sections and freeze‐fracture replicas. Good preservation of the protozoan structure was achieved by microwave‐stimulated fixation and Epon polymerization. The membrane structure, as visualized in freeze‐fracture replicas, was well preserved. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Population Dynamics and Distribution Patterns of Longfin Smelt in the San Francisco Estuary

The San Francisco Estuary supports several endemic species of fish and the southernmost populations of other species. Many of these native species and populations are imperiled or have experienced recent population declines that indicate a general decline in the estuary's capacity to support pelagic fish species. We studied the distribution and abundance of one of the estuary's native species, longfin smelt Spirinchus thaleichthys, using data from three long-term aquatic sampling programs. Each of the sampling programs we studied revealed a substantial reduction in the abundance of longfin smelt. These trends support the idea that the estuary's capacity to support pelagic fish species has been significantly reduced over the past three decades. Longfin smelt in the estuary displayed consistent patterns in relative abundance and distribution during their life cycle. We also found significant, but weak, spatial autocorrelation among sampling stations. These patterns in distribution reveal differential habitat use and migratory behavior. Managers can use these insights into longfin smelt distribution patterns to improve interpretation of sampling program results.