Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Formal principal mentorship on high school assistant principals

The purpose of this study was to examine how formal assistant principal mentorship impacts school leadership. A qualitative case study was used to understand how formal assistant principal mentorship impacted each of the participants. The theoretical framework was gleaned from symbolic interactionism, as the data from each of the interviews was analyzed, coded, and categorized. The constant comparative method was used to analyze data, which was generated based on two semi-structured interviews. The trends that emerged from the cross case analysis were as follows: (1) Formal mentorship prepared assistant principals for school administration as they became more effective, having a greater sense of efficacy, for their jobs, (2) Formal mentorship provided assistant principals with a framework that they needed to become acclimated to their role as a school leader, (3) Formal mentorship gave assistant principals the knowledge and skills needed to make instinctual decisions by applying principles of job-embedded learning, or on-the-job training, and (4) Formal mentorship provided assistant principals with just-in-time training that enabled them to be successful in their first and second years as a school leader. Findings from this study indicate that formal assistant mentorship has the potential to provide assistant principals with the support and guidance that they need to be prepared for their first and second years on the job. One of the implications for further research indicates that studies should focus on taking the findings to scale by studying a larger population of assistant principals to validate the findings of this study. INDEX WORDS: Formal Assistant Principal Mentorship, Job-embedded Learning, Accountability Movement, Role Socialization, Principal Succession, High School Assistant Principals FORMAL PRINCIPAL MENTORSHIP ON HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS: A CASE STUDY
Comparison of the bacterial flora of the duodenum in healthy cats and cats with signs of gastrointestinal tract disease.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether a colony environment predisposes healthy cats to high bacterial counts, including counts of obligate anaerobes, in the duodenum and whether increased numbers of bacteria could be found in the duodenum of cats with signs of chronic gastrointestinal tract disease. DESIGN Prospective study. ANIMALS 20 healthy control cats (10 from a colony environment and 10 pet cats) and 19 cats with a history of chronic gastrointestinal tract disease. PROCEDURE Undiluted duodenal fluid was quantitatively and qualitatively assessed by bacteriologic culture under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Serum concentrations of cobalamin and folate were also measured. RESULTS Significant differences were not detected in the numbers of bacteria found in the duodenum of cats housed in a colony environment, compared with pet cats fed an identical diet prior to sampling. All healthy cats were, therefore, combined into 1 control group. Compared with healthy cats, cats with clinical signs of gastrointestinal tract disease had significantly lower counts of microaerophilic bacteria, whereas total, anaerobic, and aerobic bacterial counts were not significantly different. None of the cats with disease had total bacterial counts higher than expected from the range established in the control cats. Differences were not detected in regard to serum folate or cobalamin concentrations between diseased and healthy cats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE These findings indicated that healthy colony cats and pet cats have high numbers of bacteria in the duodenum, including high numbers of obligate anaerobes. Our findings also suggest that bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine is not a common clinical syndrome in cats with chronic nonobstructive gastrointestinal tract disease.
Prophylaxis against early adrenal insufficiency to prevent chronic lung disease in premature infants.

UNLABELLED BACKGROUND. Many extremely low birth weight infants (<1000 g) show biochemical evidence of adrenal insufficiency in the first week of life, correlating with subsequent development of chronic lung disease (CLD). METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled pilot study to test whether early treatment with low-dose hydrocortisone for 12 days (1 mg/kg/day for 9 days followed by.5 mg/kg/day for 3 days), begun before 48 hours of life, would increase the likelihood of survival without CLD. RESULTS Forty patients were enrolled at two centers. Birth weight and gestation were similar for treatment and placebo groups: 732 +/- 135 g versus 770 +/- 135 g and 25.2 +/- 1.3 weeks versus 25.4 +/- 1.5 weeks. More infants treated with hydrocortisone achieved study success, defined as survival without supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks' postconception (12/20 [60%] vs 7/20 [35%]). Lower birth weight, histologic chorioamnionitis, and preeclampsia were significant risk factors, whereas study center, prenatal steroids, sex, and ethnicity were not significant. Hydrocortisone treatment decreased days on >40% oxygen, days on >25% oxygen, days on ventilator, and oxygen at discharge. Among infants exposed to chorioamnionitis, hydrocortisone treatment also was associated with increased enteral intake during the first month of life and with increased weight at 36 weeks' postconception. Five treated infants and 6 placebo infants developed sepsis; 3 in each group died. CONCLUSIONS First, early treatment with low-dose hydrocortisone in this population of extremely low birth weight infants increased the likelihood of survival without CLD. Second, the benefit was particularly apparent in infants with chorioamnionitis. Third, a larger multicenter trial is needed to verify the primary outcome and to better evaluate risks and benefits.
Vitamin D Supplementation Modulates T Cell-Mediated Immunity in Humans: Results from a Randomized Control Trial.

CONTEXT Although studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with immune-mediated diseases, data demonstrating a direct effect on T-cell function are sparse. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine whether oral vitamin D3 influences T-cell activation in humans with vitamin D deficiency. DESIGN This was a single-center ancillary study within Vitamin D Therapy in Individuals at High Risk of Hypertension, a double-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial. SETTING This study was undertaken in a single academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS Adults with vitamin D deficiency and untreated pre- or early stage I hypertension were included. INTERVENTION In Vitamin D Therapy in Individuals at High Risk of Hypertension, participants were randomized to either low- (400 IU daily) or high- (4000 IU daily) dose oral vitamin D3 for 6 months. In this ancillary study of 38 patients, we measured CD4+ T-cell activation estimated by intracellular ATP release after stimulation of whole blood with plant lectin phytohemagglutinin collected at baseline (pretreatment) and 2-month follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Determining whether ATP level changes were significantly different between treatment groups was the main outcome measure. RESULTS Treatment with 4000 IU of vitamin D3 decreased intracellular CD4+ ATP release by 95.5 ng/ml (interquartile range, -219.5 to 105.8). In contrast, 400 IU of vitamin D3 decreased intracellular CD4+ ATP release by 0.5 ng/ml (interquartile range, -69.2 to 148.5). In a proportional odds model, high-dose vitamin D3 was more likely than low-dose vitamin D3 to decrease CD4+ ATP release (odds ratio, 3.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.11). CONCLUSIONS In this ancillary study of a randomized controlled trial, we found that high-dose vitamin D3 significantly reduced CD4+ T-cell activation compared to low-dose vitamin D3, providing human evidence that vitamin D can influence cell-mediated immunity.
Competition, Outside Directors and Executive Turnover: Implications for Corporate Governance in the EU

This study contributes to the ongoing debate on the relevance of non-executive outside directors for corporate governance building on a large panel of European listed firms in the period 2003 to 2011. Focusing on executive turnover as an indicator for effective monitoring, the findings reveal that outside directors and product market competition are substitutes. Outsiders increase the performance-turnover sensitivity of executives exclusively if competition in the industry is relatively weak. In an environment with effective competition, outsiders do not significantly influence the decision to replace underperforming managers. In fiercely competitive markets, the higher threat of bankruptcy or hostile takeover seems to effectively limit managerial discretion for opportunistic behavior.
Susceptibility of Candida spp. clinical isolates to antimycotics and disinfectants

The incidence of candidiasis among immunocompromised patients and emergence of antimycotics resistant strains has increased significantly. The aims of this study were: to examine the in vitro activity of antimycotics and biocides against Candida clinical isolates; to detect cross-resistance of fungi to these preparations and to estimate whether disinfectants applied in hospital areas are active against clinical Candida isolates. In vitro susceptibility of 102 Candida isolates to eight antimycotics was examined by Etest and ATB Fungus. Sensitivity of these strains to four disinfectants and an antiseptic agent was tested according to EN 1275:2005. Amphotericin B, caspofungin and 5-fluorocytosine were the most effective antimycotics against all Candida isolates. Resistance to itraconazole and fluconazole was observed among C. krusei and C. glabrata. The MICs (Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations) for ketoconazole, voriconazole and posaconazole against Candida albicans ranged: 0.003 - >32 μg/ml and one strain was resistant to three agents tested. All analysed Candida strains were sensitive to biocides containing either chlorine, aldehyde, alcohol mixtures, glucoprotamin or chlorhexidine gluconate with isopropanol. Sensitivity to these agents was observed at concentrations lower than those concentrations recommended by manufacturers to achieve proper biocidal activity to those preparations. Our data suggest that these disinfectants can be effectively applied in clinical wards to prevent nosocomial Candida infections.
The balance sheet channel of monetary policy: the panel evidence of Egypt

ABSTRACT This paper examines the effects of monetary policy on firms’ investments in Egypt using disaggregated data and generalized method of moments (GMM) technique. It develops the neoclassical investment model by adding the interaction between user cost of capital and cash flow (CF). Therefore, monetary policy affects investment through three effects: user cost of capital, CF and interaction between them. Using a sample of 124 firms, the empirical finding supports the relevance of balance sheet channel (BSC) and the heterogeneous effect of monetary policy on investment. This finding signals that monetary authority should take cognizance of the stability of interest rate to stabilize firm-level investment.
Effect of increased blood glucose availability on glucose kinetics during exercise.

This study examined the effect of increased blood glucose availability on glucose kinetics during exercise. Five trained men cycled for 40 min at 77 +/- 1% peak oxygen uptake on two occasions. During the second trial (Glu), glucose was infused at a rate equal to the average hepatic glucose production (HGP) measured during exercise in the control trial (Con). Glucose kinetics were measured by a primed continuous infusion of D-[3-3H]glucose. Plasma glucose increased during exercise in both trials and was significantly higher in Glu. HGP was similar at rest (Con, 11.4 +/- 1.2; Glu, 10.6 +/- 0.6 micromol . kg-1 . min-1). After 40 min of exercise, HGP reached a peak of 40.2 +/- 5.5 micromol . kg-1 . min-1 in Con; however, in Glu, there was complete inhibition of the increase in HGP during exercise that never rose above the preexercise level. The rate of glucose disappearance was greater (P < 0.05) during the last 15 min of exercise in Glu. These results indicate that an increase in glucose availability inhibits the rise in HGP during exercise, suggesting that metabolic feedback signals can override feed-forward activation of HGP during strenuous exercise.
N-Methyl-N-phenyl-2-(quinolin-8-yloxy)acetamide monohydrate

In the title compound, C18H16N2O2·H2O, the dihedral angle between the quinoline ring system and the benzene ring is 87.19 (8)°. In the crystal, water molecules are linked to acetamide molecules via intermolecular O—H⋯N and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: cause or consequence of type 2 diabetes?

Growing epidemiological evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an early predictor of and determinant for the development of type 2 diabetes and other features of the metabolic syndrome. This finding may have important clinical implications for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes and its chronic complications. However, given the complex and bi‐directional relationships between NAFLD, insulin resistance and chronic hyperglycaemia, it is extremely difficult to distinguish whether NAFLD is a cause or a consequence of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Indeed, at the molecular level, hepatic lipogenesis and hepatic glucose production depend on differentially regulated branches of the insulin signalling pathway. Furthermore, genetic studies suggest that excess hepatic fat is associated with progressive liver disease, but does not always increase the risk of incident type 2 diabetes. Here, we will briefly review the epidemiological, pathophysiological and molecular evidence linking NAFLD to the development of type 2 diabetes. We will also discuss some recent genetic and therapeutic advances that seem to challenge a causal role of NAFLD in the pathogenesis type 2 diabetes, and propose a working hypothesis to explain this apparent conundrum. In conclusion, progressive liver disease and type 2 diabetes are divergent though inter‐related consequences of insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome.
Acute Myocardial Infarct Size Is Related to Periodontitis Extent and Severity

Cardiovascular disease has been associated with 40% of deaths in high-income countries and 28% in lower-income countries. The relationship between periodontitis and acute myocardial infarction is well documented, but it has not been established whether the extent and severity of periodontitis influence the infarct size. This cross-sectional and analytic study was designed to investigate the association of chronic periodontitis extent and severity with acute myocardial infarct size as indicated by serum cardiac troponin I and myoglobin levels. Sociodemographic, periodontal, cardiologic, and hematologic variables were gathered in 112 consecutive patients with myocardial infarction. The extent (Arbes Index) and severity (Periodontal Inflammatory Severity Index) of the chronic periodontitis were significantly associated with troponin I levels after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical confounders (change in R2 = .041, p < .02, and R2 = .031, p = .04). However, only the extent index accounted for levels of myoglobin (change in R2 = .030, p < .05), total leukocytes (change in R2 = .041 p < .02), and neutrophils (change in R2 = .059, p < .01). Mediated regression analysis showed that leukocytes and neutrophils may underlie these observed relationships of chronic periodontitis with troponin I and myoglobin. To our knowledge, this study contributes the first research data demonstrating that the extent and severity of periodontitis is positively associated with acute myocardial infarct size as measured by serum troponin I and myoglobin levels.
A dynamic equilibrium model for U-shaped pricing kernels

This paper proposes a dynamic equilibrium model that can provide a unified explanation for the stylized facts observed in stock index markets such as the fat tails of the risk-neutral return distribution relative to the physical distribution, negative expected returns on deep OTM call options and negative realized variance risk premiums. In particular, we focus on the U-shaped pricing kernel against the stock index return, which is closely related to the negative call returns. We assume that the stock index return follows a time-changed Lévy process and that a representative investor has power utility over the aggregate consumption that forms a linear regression of the stock index return and its stochastic activity rate. This model offers a macroeconomic interpretation of the stylized facts from the perspective of the sensitivity of the activity rate and stock index return on aggregate consumption as well as the investor’s risk aversion.
Tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) in smokers in the united states: NHANES 2007–2008

The tobacco-specific carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), a metabolite of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine (TSNA) 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), has been measured in urine samples from all participants aged 6 years and older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2008. Participants with a serum cotinine concentration of ≥10 ng/mL were identified as tobacco users, primarily cigarette smokers. Regression models were developed to calculate geometric mean NNAL concentrations adjusted for serum cotinine, urinary creatinine, cigarettes per day, and Federal Trade Commission tar values of the cigarettes smoked. Significant differences were found by gender (p = 0.003) and race/ethnicity (p = 0.022 for non-Hispanic white versus non-Hispanic black smokers), but not by menthol type of the cigarettes. Females and non-Hispanic white smokers had the highest adjusted means for urinary NNAL (353 and 336 pg/mL, respectively). The results from this study demonstrated significant relationships between NNAL concentrations and serum cotinine (p < 0.001) and urine creatinine (p < 0.001). The joint effect of linear and quadratic terms for number of cigarettes smoked per day was also statistically significant (p = 0.001). In addition to addressing current NNK exposure levels, these results will form a baseline for future estimates of tobacco users’ exposure to this carcinogen.
Exploring Student Perceptions of Technology-Mediated Social Work Practice through Supportive Education Frameworks

Clinical social workers place a high value on personal relationships and therefore question the efficacy of technology-mediated therapy. A common concern with technologymediated practice is the lack of body language that could impede the formation of a therapeutic alliance. Educators share these concerns and have developed the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework. This banded dissertation uses the COI framework that conveys the ideal online educational experience through the concepts of a social, cognitive, and teaching presence. The first scholarly section of this banded dissertation is a conceptual article regarding the COI. This article is outlines how COI may be used as a conceptual framework for conducting online therapy. COI provides guidance for educators who strive to have a positive experience with online teaching. Likewise, this model can serve as guide for clinical social workers wishing to engage in online therapy. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how COI may be used as a conceptual framework for conducting online therapy. The second scholarly section is an article derived from the direct research completed for this banded dissertation. Technology-mediated services such as email, texting, phone calls, and video conferencing has the potential to increase participation in mental health services. However, many social work practitioners perceive online therapy as inferior to face-to-face therapy. This mixed methods study explored this perception during technology-mediated role-played sessions with Master of Social Work (MSW) students at a rural mid-western university. The third scholarly section is a poster presentation. A poster was created by this author to depict the findings from this research study and subsequently presented at a national conference for collegiate educators. The presentation was based from the second scholarly section of this EXPLORING STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF TECHNOLOGY iii banded dissertation. Findings suggested that participants perceived there was no significant difference in forming a therapeutic alliance during face-to-face role-plays and technologymediated role-plays. The focus groups’ findings provided six themes regarding student perceptions of technology-mediated social work practice. The findings and discussion are showcased within the poster. There is an array of implications to social work practice, education and research as a result of these findings from this banded dissertation. For the social work profession to evolve within the digital era, new curriculum must be created, or old curriculum must be updated to infuse technology-mediated practices. It is essential that educators challenge existing paradigms which incorrectly indicate that online therapy is less effective than face-to-face therapy. This paradigm shift is imperative to the continued growth and evolution of the social work profession.
Green software development model: An approach towards sustainable software development

The Software development lifecycle (SDLC) currently focuses on systematic execution and maintenance of software by dividing the software development process into various phases that include requirements-gathering, design, implementation, testing, deployment and maintenance. The problem here is that certain important decisions taken in these phases like use of paper, generation of e-Waste, power consumption and increased carbon foot print by means of travel, Air-conditioning etc may harm the environment directly or indirectly. There is a dearth of models that define how a software can be developed and maintained in an environment friendly way. This paper discusses the changes in the existing SDLC and suggests appropriate steps which can lead to lower carbon emissions, power and paper use, thus helping organizations to move towards greener and sustainable software development.
How to Increase Turnout in Low-Salience Elections: Quasi-Experimental Evidence on the Effect of Concurrent Second-Order Elections on Political Participation*

Voter turnout in second-order elections is on a dramatic decline in many modern democracies. This article investigates how electoral participation can be substantially increased by holding multiple of these less important elections simultaneously. Leading to a relative decrease in voting costs, concurrent elections theoretically have economies of scale to the individual voter and thus should see turnout levels larger than those obtained in any stand-alone election. Leveraging as-if-random variation of local election timing in Germany, we estimate the causal effect of concurrent mayoral elections on European election turnout at around 10 percentage points. Exploiting variation in treatment intensity, we show that the magnitude of the concurrency effect is contingent upon district size and the competitiveness of the local race.
Mycorrhizal morphology of Monotropastrum humile collected from six different forests in central Japan

A survey of the nonphotosynthetic plant Monotropastrum humile was conducted to determine its mycorrhizal status and characterize the fungal structures observed. Thirteen populations and 40 individuals were collected from six forest types, including coniferous and broadleaf trees, in central Japan. The nearly spherical root system of M. humile intertwines with the root systems of neighboring trees, and individual roots were branched up to third-order structure, forming monopodial-pinnate or monopodial-pyramidal morphologies. In addition to the formation of a fungal mantle and Hartig net in association with the epidermis, fungal penetration pegs consistently were observed around and within the epidermal cells. These structures indicate that the mycorrhizal status of M. humile is of the monotropoid type.