Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How do we take care of our own? principal support and development in Rocky Top Public Schools

Principals are isolated in their work and suffer from low morale. The role of the principal has become increasingly complex and demanding especially within the current accountability model with the public nature of school report cards. This is a problem in Rocky Top Public Schools and in school districts across the country. The purpose of this improvement effort is to provide support to decrease feelings of isolation and improve principal morale.Rocky Top Public Schools is an urban school system and one of three school systems in Carter County, North Carolina. Rocky Top Public Schools was designated as low performing under state legislation for the 2014-2015 school year. The pressures from this designation exacerbate the issues of low morale and isolation as principals seek additional ways to quickly improve student achievement.In the absence of resources and structures designed to support principals, principals collaborated to support one another as a community of learners. As an intervention, a structured professional learning community (PLC) with mentoring was implemented, so principals could engage in job-embedded inquiry and meaningful reflective dialogue. Improvement science was used as the framework to implement the change, an initiative to provide support to principals, and the impact of the change on the system will be measured to determine if the change is an improvement. Qualitative measures were used to collect data and study participant perceptions of the impact of the intervention. Reflection on the process applied revealed the PLC was functioning as a Community of Practice. The assessment of the effectiveness of the Community of Practice was analytic auto-ethnographic, relying on field notes, interviews, and journal reflections from a complete member researcher. Analysis of the findings suggest the intervention combats isolation and builds trust among participants.
Histomorphological study of myelinated nerve fibres in the periodontal ligament of human canine

Abstract Objective. This study aims to describe the human periodontal ligament (PDL) using serial sections, with a focus on mechanoreceptor distribution and morphology. Materials and methods. One permanent lower canine with surrounding PDL and alveolar bone tissues was retrieved from a human cadaver. After being embedded into paraffin block, the canine was horizontally cut in 6 μm thick serial sections. At root levels of 0.3, 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6 mm from the apex, five slices each level were evaluated. Immunocytochemisty was performed on the same serial sections, enabling a more reliable description of neural structures. Results. The distribution of myelinated fibres varied from apical to coronal level, with a total number of 38 at 0.3 mm from the apex, 25 at 1.5 mm, 25 at 3 mm, 31 at 4.5 mm and 32 at 6 mm. At all times, mesial and buccal regions were typically more densely innervated (p < 0.01) except at the 3 mm level. The average density of myelinated nerve fibres increased by arriving closer to the apex. However, the average diameter did not show any significant differences amongst quadrants or root levels (p > 0.05). The average diameter of myelinated fibres varied between 5.3–7.8 μm. Grouped myelinated axons were twice as common as isolated ones, with the innervation being rather close to the alveolar bone. Isolated myelinated axons showed a tendency to group around large blood vessels. Conclusion. The present results add to the understanding of human PDL innervation, indicating dense innervations by myelinated nerve fibres in close proximity to collagen fibres and alveolar bone. It also reveals that apical as well as mesial and buccal sites of the human canine are more densely innervated.
FoxA2, Nkx2.2, and PDX-1 Regulate Islet β-Cell-Specific mafA Expression through Conserved Sequences Located between Base Pairs −8118 and −7750 Upstream from the Transcription Start Site

ABSTRACT The MafA transcription factor is both critical to islet β-cell function and has a unique pancreatic cell-type-specific expression pattern. To localize the potential transcriptional regulatory region(s) involved in directing expression to the β cell, areas of identity within the 5′ flanking region of the mouse, human, and rat mafA genes were found between nucleotides −9389 and −9194, −8426 and −8293, −8118 and −7750, −6622 and −6441, −6217 and −6031, and −250 and +56 relative to the transcription start site. The identity between species was greater than 75%, with the highest found between bp −8118 and −7750 (∼94%, termed region 3). Region 3 was the only upstream mammalian conserved region found in chicken mafA (88% identity). In addition, region 3 uniquely displayed β-cell-specific activity in cell-line-based reporter assays. Important regulators of β-cell formation and function, PDX-1, FoxA2, and Nkx2.2, were shown to specifically bind to region 3 in vivo using the chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Mutational and functional analyses demonstrated that FoxA2 (bp −7943 to −7910), Nkx2.2 (bp −7771 to −7746), and PDX-1 (bp −8087 to −8063) mediated region 3 activation. Consistent with a role in transcription, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of PDX-1 led to decreased mafA mRNA production in INS-1-derived β-cell lines (832/13 and 832/3), while MafA expression was undetected in the pancreatic epithelium of Nkx2.2 null animals. These results suggest that β-cell-type-specific mafA transcription is principally controlled by region 3-acting transcription factors that are essential in the formation of functional β cells.
Revised evidence for facultative sex ratio adjustment in birds: a correction

We provide a revision to the calculation of effect sizes and heterogeneity statistics in our original article, ‘Facultative primary sex ratio variation: a lack of evidence in birds’ (Ewen et al. 2004). Our revision shows that significant heterogeneity in sex ratio study effect sizes does indeed exist and that for a series of key traits the average effect sizes (while still weak) are in fact significantly different from zero.
Indoor localization using Wi-Fi method based on Fingerprinting Technique

In recent years, the mobility market has experienced a phenomenal growth in the productivity of electronic equipment and development of new telecommunication services. This has given birth to the idea of providing services based on the user's position in several sectors. Although Global Positioning System (GPS) considered as the best solution for an open-air localization (Outdoor), it is inaccurate in urbanized and indoor environments and adaptation of such systems to those contexts are particularly challenging due to the disability of GPS signal to penetrate buildings because it needs to be in sight. Various indoor localization techniques were conducted to provide the best solution to deploy. This paper describes an implementation of Wi-Fi fingerprinting method using RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) from access points to determine the position of users in indoor areas.
Src Kinase Mediates Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt-dependent Rapid Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase Activation by Estrogen*

17β-Estradiol activates endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), enhancing nitric oxide (NO) release from endothelial cells via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)/Akt pathway. The upstream regulators of this pathway are unknown. We now demonstrate that 17β-estradiol rapidly activates eNOS through Src kinase in human endothelial cells. The Src family kinase specific-inhibitor 4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (PP2) abrogates 17β-estradiol- but not ionomycin-stimulated NO release. Consistent with these results, PP2 blocked 17β-estradiol-induced Akt phosphorylation but did not inhibit NO release from cells transduced with a constitutively active Akt. PP2 abrogated 17β-estradiol-induced activation of PI3-kinase, indicating that the PP2-inhibitable kinase is upstream of PI3-kinase and Akt. A 17β-estradiol-induced estrogen receptor/c-Src association correlated with rapid c-Src phosphorylation. Moreover, transfection of kinase-dead c-Src inhibited 17β-estradiol-induced Akt phosphorylation, whereas constitutively active c-Src increased basal Akt phosphorylation. Estrogen stimulation of murine embryonic fibroblasts with homozygous deletions of the c-src, fyn, and yes genes failed to induce Akt phosphorylation, whereas cells maintaining c-Src expression demonstrated estrogen-induced Akt activation. Estrogen rapidly activated c-Src inducing an estrogen receptor, c-Src, and P85 (regulatory subunit of PI3-kinase) complex formation. This complex formation results in the successive activation of PI3-kinase, Akt, and eNOS with consequent enhanced NO release, implicating c-Src as a critical upstream regulator of the estrogen-stimulated PI3-kinase/Akt/eNOS pathway.
Physical, Psychological, and Social Aspects of Quality of Life in Filarial Lymphedema Patients in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Quality of life (QOL) was assessed in 141 filarial lymphedema patients and 128 healthy people in the Colombo district, Sri Lanka, by administering modified, translated, and validated (in Sri Lanka) versions of the Short Form 36 health survey questionnaire (SF-36) and the 30-item General Health questionnaire (GHQ-30). The GHQ-30 assesses the current mental health status. The SF-36 measures health on 8 multi-item dimensions covering functional state, well-being, and overall evaluation of health (physical functioning, role limitations resulting from physical health problems, role limitations resulting from emotional problems, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, pain and general health). By SF-36, patients experienced poorer physical functioning, more role limitations resulting from physical health conditions, less emotional well-being, poorer social functioning, and more pain than healthy individuals. By GHQ-30, mental well-being of healthy controls was significantly better than that of patients. The significant difference in the QOL as perceived by filarial lymphedema patients and healthy individuals reiterates the importance of morbidity control in patients affected by this disease.
Anchoring a cytoactive factor in a wound bed promotes healing

Wound healing is a complex process that requires the intervention of cytoactive factors. The one‐time application of soluble factors to a wound bed does not maintain a steady, sufficient concentration. Here we investigated the benefits of anchoring a factor in a wound bed via a tether to endogenous collagen. We used a collagen‐mimetic peptide (CMP) as a pylon. The CMP binds to damaged but not intact collagen and thus localizes a pendant cytoactive factor in the regions of a wound bed that require intervention. As a model factor, we chose substance P, a peptide of the tachykinin family that promotes wound healing. Using splinted wounds in db/db mice, we found that the one‐time application of a CMP–substance P conjugate enhances wound healing compared to unconjugated substance P and other controls. Specifically, all 16 wounds treated with the conjugate closed more thoroughly and, did so with extensive re‐epithelialization and mitigated inflammatory activity. These data validate a simple and general strategy for re‐engineering wound beds by the integration of beneficial cytoactive factors. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of vertebroplasty on pain relief, quality of life, and the incidence of new vertebral fractures: A 12‐month randomized follow‐up, controlled trial

Uncertainty regarding the benefits of vertebroplasty (VP) for the treatment of acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures has recently arisen. A prospective, controlled, randomized single‐center trial (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT00994032) was designed to compare the effects of VP versus conservative treatment on the quality of life and pain in patients with painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures, new fractures and secondary adverse effects were also analyzed during a 12‐month follow‐up period. A total of 125 patients were randomly assigned to receive conservative treatment or VP. The primary end point was to compare the evolution of the quality of life (Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis [Qualeffo‐41] and pain (Visual Analogue Scale [VAS]) during a 12 month follow‐up. Secondary outcomes included comparison of analgesic consumption, clinical complications, and radiological vertebral fractures at the same time points. Both arms showed significant improvement in VAS scores at all time points, with greater improvement (p = 0.035) in the VP group at the 2‐month follow‐up. Significant improvement in Qualeffo total score was seen in the VP group throughout the study, whereas this was not seen in the conservative treatment arm until the 6‐month follow‐up. VP treatment was associated with a significantly increased incidence of vertebral fractures (odds ratio [OR], 2 · 78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–7.62, p = 0.0462). VP and conservative treatment are both associated with significant improvement in pain and quality of life in patients with painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures over a 1‐year follow‐up period. VP achieved faster pain relief with significant improvement in the pain score at the 2‐month follow‐up but was associated with a higher incidence in vertebral fractures. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Structure and dynamics of lipoplex formation examined using two-photon fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy.

The conditions required to form transfectable lipoplexes have been extensively studied [Zuhorn, I. S. , and Hoekstra, D. (2002) J. Membr. Biol. 189, 167-179]. However, to date, experiments have not addressed either the order of events of lipoplex formation in solution or the maximum number of DNA molecules per vesicle in stable single-vesicle lipoplexes. In this study, we have employed two-photon excitation fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (TPE-FCS) and two-photon fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (TPE-XCS) to examine both fluorescence-labeled DNA and cationic vesicle structure and dynamics simultaneously. The dependence of large aggregated lipoplex formation on DNA-to-cationic lipid charge ratio was determined, as was the maximum number of 40 bp double-stranded DNA oligonucleotides able to bind to a single vesicle.
Resilience Among Men Farmers: The Protective Roles of Social Support and Sense of Belonging in the Depression-Suicidal Ideation Relation

This study investigated the applicability of 3 models of resiliency for the prediction of suicidal ideation from depression (the risk factor) and social support and sense of belonging (the protective factors). A sample of 99 Australian men farmers completed measures of depression, suicidal ideas, social support, and sense of belonging. Sense of belonging compensated for high levels of depression, and social support, sense of belonging, and an increasing number of protective factors each weakened the depression–suicidal ideation relation. The findings are limited because of the small sample and reliance on self-report measures, but suggest that increasing social support and sense of belonging may benefit the mental health of men farmers.
Smart agro system using wireless sensor networks

Around the globe, agriculture plays a vital role in framing up the economy. Though, India one of the biggest producer of agricultural products, the growth in agricultural products has been stagnant for past several years. Thereby, requiring technologies to improve the efficiency of the agricultural productivity. Hence, the key objective of the proposed project is to making agriculture smart using IoT technologies. The important feature of this project includes the prevention of crops from spoilage during rain and efficiently recycling the rain water for irrigation. Secondly, it includes intruder alarm/buzzer which is used to detect any human/animal intruder into the farm. Finally, the operation will be performed by interfacing Wi-Fi module, GSM module and sensors with Arduino. With the proposed work, current problems related to farming are solved by reducing human efforts, wastage of water and updating the farmer about the live condition of the field on the mobile device.
Longitudinal Predictors of Child Sexual Abuse in a Large Community-Based Sample of South African Youth

Sexual abuse has severe negative impacts on children’s lives, but little is known about risk factors for sexual abuse victimization in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined prospective predictors of contact sexual abuse in a random community-based sample of children aged 10 to 17 years (N = 3,515, 56.6% female) in South Africa. Self-report questionnaires using validated scales were completed at baseline and at 1-year follow-up (96.8% retention rate). Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between hypothesized factors and sexual abuse were examined. For girls, previous sexual abuse (odds ratio [OR] = 3.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [2.03, 5.60]), baseline school dropout (OR = 2.76, 95% CI = [1.00, 6.19]), and physical assault in the community (OR = 2.17, 95% CI = [1.29, 3.48]) predicted sexual abuse at follow-up. Peer social support (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = [0.74, 0.98]) acted as a protective factor. Previous contact sexual abuse was the strongest predictor of subsequent sexual abuse victimization. In addition, peer support moderated the relationship between baseline assault and subsequent sexual abuse. For boys, no longitudinal predictors for sexual abuse victimization were identified. These results indicate that the most vulnerable girls—those not in school and with a history of victimization—are at higher risk for sexual abuse victimization. High levels of peer support reduced the risk of sexual abuse victimization and acted as a moderator for those who had experienced physical assault within the community. Interventions to reduce school drop-out rates and revictimization may help prevent contact sexual abuse of girls in South Africa.
Understanding the commercial sex market: evidence from Singapore

Drawing on qualitative and quantitative evidence from the commercial sex market in Singapore, this thesis examines how this important but poorly understand market functions and how the agents who participate in it behave. The first chapter analyzes this industry from an institutional perspective. I explore a set of endogenous and exogenous reasons for why both legal and illegal prostitution exists in the red light district and yet functions differently. In addition, I examine why street prostitution and prostitution in the bars are both illegal but very different in organization. These apparently distinct questions are answered by common factors. The distribution of power among pimps in these segments and the laws governing prostitution emerge as the key causes, capable of explaining the contractual differences, labor mobility, network structure, and profit allocation rules across the segments. The second chapter examines and contrasts competing theories developed by Becker (1957) and Diamond (1971). My empirical findings fail to support Becker’s prediction that discrimination can not survive in a competitive equilibrium. Instead, they favor Diamond’s model in which discrimination can persist in a competitive equilibrium when there is even a modest search cost. Moreover, sex workers engage in statistical discrimination based on their perception of clients’ willingness to pay and practice taste-based discrimination based on clients’ traits like skin tone.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of darbepoetin alfa and epoetin in patients undergoing dialysis *

The aim of this multicenter, randomized, open‐label study was to compare the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of darbepoetin alfa, a new erythropoiesis‐stimulating protein, and recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin) after repeated intravenous dosing in patients with chronic kidney disease receiving hemodialysis.
Gastrointestinal Absorption of a New Reversible Proton Pump Inhibitor, YJA‐20379‐8, and its Pharmacokinetics after Oral Administration in Acetic Acid‐induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats

The absorption of YJA‐20379‐8 (3‐butyryl‐4‐[5‐(R)‐(+)‐methylbenzylamino]‐8‐ethoxy‐1,7‐naphthyridine) from various rat gastrointestinal segments was evaluated using in‐situclosed‐loops. The pharmacokinetics of the drug were also evaluated after oral administration to rats with acetic acid‐induced gastric ulcer (AIURs). The concentrations of YJA‐20379‐8 in the biological samples were analyzed by HPLC.
The integration of multiple independent data reveals an unusual response to Pleistocene climatic changes in the hard tick Ixodes ricinus

In the last few years, improved analytical tools and the integration of genetic data with multiple sources of information have shown that temperate species exhibited more complex responses to ice ages than previously thought. In this study, we investigated how Pleistocene climatic changes affected the current distribution and genetic diversity of European populations of the tick Ixodes ricinus, an ectoparasite with high ecological plasticity. We first used mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers to investigate the phylogeographic structure of the species and its Pleistocene history using coalescent‐based methods; then we used species distribution modelling to infer the climatic niche of the species at last glacial maximum; finally, we reviewed the literature on the I. ricinus hosts to identify the locations of their glacial refugia. Our results support the scenario that during the last glacial phase, I. ricinus never experienced a prolonged allopatric divergence in separate glacial refugia, but persisted with interconnected populations across Southern and Central Europe. The generalist behaviour in host choice of I. ricinus would have played a major role in maintaining connections between its populations. Although most of the hosts persisted in separate refugia, from the point of view of I. ricinus, they represented a continuity of ‘bridges’ among populations. Our study highlights the importance of species‐specific ecology in affecting responses to Pleistocene glacial–interglacial cycles. Together with other cases in Europe and elsewhere, it contributes to setting new hypotheses on how species with wide ecological plasticity coped with Pleistocene climatic changes.
An improved Artificial Potential Field approach to real-time mobile robot path planning in an unknown environment

This paper deals with the navigation of a mobile robot in an unknown environment. The approach developed is based on the Artificial Potential Field (APF) method in which the target creates a virtual potential that attracts the robot while obstacles create a virtual potential that repels the robot. A new form of repelling potential is proposed in order to reduce oscillations and to avoid conflicts when the target is close to obstacles. A rotational force is integrated as well, allowing for a smoother trajectory around the obstacles. Experiment results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.