Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Practices middle school principals in large school divisions located within the Commonwealth of Virginia employ during the supervisory process

The purpose of this study was to examine the practices middle school principals employed during the supervisory process. The qualitative study focused on practices middle school principals followed during the pre-observation process, observation process, and post observation process. The study also detailed how the data collected from formal observations and classroom walk-through observations was utilized by middle school principals. Middle school principals who served in large school divisions located within the Commonwealth of Virginia were randomly selected to participate in the study in which the results were obtained by conducting standardized, open-ended interviews. Due to the increasing number of responsibilities and the mounting pressure to provide quality teacher supervision, the practices employed by middle school principals during the supervisory process was an important topic in need of additional research.
CD4+ T Helper 1 Cells Facilitate Regression of Murine Lyme Carditis

ABSTRACT Murine Lyme borreliosis, caused by infection with the spirocheteBorrelia burgdorferi, results in acute arthritis and carditis that regress as a result of B. burgdorferi-specific immune responses. B. burgdorferi-specific antibodies can attenuate arthritis in mice deficient in both B cells and T cells but have no effect on carditis. Because macrophages comprise the principal immune cell in carditis, T-cell responses that augment cell-mediated immunity may be important for carditis regression. To investigate this hypothesis, we examined the course of Lyme carditis in mice selectively deficient in B cells or αβ T cells. Our results show that carditis regresses in B-cell-deficient B10.Ak mice but not in αβ T-cell-deficient mice, independently of the mouse strain background. Despite prominent macrophage infiltrates, hearts from B. burgdorferi-infected αβ T-cell-deficient mice had less mRNA for tumor necrosis factor alpha as measured by reverse transcription-PCR compared to infected control mice. Anti-inflammatory cytokine mRNA levels were equivalent. Adoptive transfer of gamma interferon-secreting CD4+ T cells into infected αβ T-cell-deficient mice promoted carditis resolution. These results show that αβ T cells can promote resolution of murine Lyme carditis and are the first demonstration of a beneficial role for CD4+ T helper 1 cells in this disease.
A Quarter of a Century in Anticardiolipin Antibody Testing and Attempted Standardization Has Led Us to Here, which Is?

The anticardiolipin (aCL) test has been widely used by physicians since the mid-1980s for diagnosing patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Establishment of this diagnosis has enabled effective management of patients with recurrent thrombosis and recurrent pregnancy losses. The test was first established in 1983 as a radioimmunoassay and soon thereafter converted into an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The other test commonly used in the diagnosis of APS is the lupus anticoagulant (LA) test. The aCL ELISA is sensitive for the diagnosis of APS but lacks specificity. On the other hand, the LA assay, although more specific, is not as sensitive as the aCL ELISA. More specific tests are now available such as the anti-beta2 glycoprotein I (anti-beta2GPI) assay, the antiprothrombin assay, and other ELISAs that use negatively charged phospholipids instead of cardiolipin to coat the plates. In the past 25 years, there have been numerous efforts to standardize aCL, LA, and anti-beta2GPI tests but there are still reports of significant intra- and interlaboratory variation in results for all three assays. This article discusses in detail the clinical value of these tests, technical problems associated with their use, the current laboratory classification criteria for diagnosis of APS, and possible new and better assays that will be available in the near future for diagnosis of APS.
Glycolysis modulates trypanosome glycoprotein expression as revealed by an RNAi library

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful tool for identifying gene function in Trypanosoma brucei. We generated an RNAi library, the first of its kind in any organism, by ligation of genomic fragments into the vector pZJMβ. After transfection at ∼5‐fold genome coverage, trypanosomes were induced to express double‐stranded RNA and screened for reduced con canavalin A (conA) binding. Since this lectin binds the surface glycoprotein EP‐procyclin, we predicted that cells would lose affinity to conA if RNAi silenced genes affecting EP‐procyclin expression or modification. We found a cell line in which RNAi switches expression from glycosylated EP‐procyclins to the unglycosylated GPEET‐procyclin. This switch results from silencing a hexokinase gene. The relationship between procyclin expression and glycolysis was supported by silencing other genes in the glycolytic pathway, and confirmed by observation of a similar upregulation of GPEET‐ procyclin when parental cells were grown in medium depleted of glucose. These data suggest that T.brucei ‘senses’ changes in glucose level and modulates procyclin expression accordingly.
Distinct Modes of Signal Recognition Particle Interaction with the Ribosome

Signal recognition particle (SRP), together with its receptor (SR), mediates the targeting of ribosome-nascent chain complexes to the endoplasmic reticulum. Using protein cross-linking, we detected distinct modes in the binding of SRP to the ribosome. During signal peptide recognition, SRP54 is positioned at the exit site close to ribosomal proteins L23a and L35. When SRP54 contacts SR, SRP54 is rearranged such that it is no longer close to L23a. This repositioning may allow the translocon to dock with the ribosome, leading to insertion of the signal peptide into the translocation channel.
Another Look at the Electricity Consumption-Growth Nexus in South America

This study estimates a panel error correction model to determine the Granger-causal relationship between renewable and non-renewable electricity consumption and economic growth for South America. The results show a long-run equilibrium relationship between real gross domestic product, renewable electricity consumption, non-renewable electricity consumption, real gross fixed capital formation, and the labor force with the respective long-run coefficient estimates positive and statistically significant. The Granger-causality results indicate bidirectional causality between renewable and non-renewable electricity consumption, respectively and economic growth in both the short-run and long-run.
The Application of Gillespie Algorithm in Spreading

The contagion models of disease-spread which predict the epidemics grow with time goes by have been widely researched in social networks. The discrete-time simulation method, Monte Carlo Simulation where time is discretized into uniform steps and transition rates between states are replaced by transition probabilities, are mostly applied when simulating the models. In this paper, we propose a continuous-time approach, the Gillespie algorithm, which can be used for fast simulation of stochastic processes, is event-driven rather than using equally-spaced time steps. We show how the method can be adapted to the epidemic models, mainly in the susceptible-infected model and susceptible-infected-susceptible model, and confirm the accuracy of the method with numerical simulations. Based on the accuracy of the method, we make some changes in epidemic models to make the models more applicable.
Identification of symbiotic bacteria (Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus) from the entomopathogenic nematodes Heterorhabditis marelatus and Steinernema oregonense based on 16S rDNA sequence.

Two species of entomopathogenic nematodes, Heterorhabditis marelatus and Steinernema oregonense, were described recently from the west coast of North America. It is not known whether the bacterial symbionts of these nematodes are also unique. Here we compared partial 16S rRNA sequences from the symbiotic bacteria of these two nematodes with sequence from previously described Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus species. The 16S sequence from the new Xenorhabdus isolate appears very similar to, although not identical to, that of X. bovienii, the common symbiont of S. feltiae. The new Photorhabdus isolate appears to be very distinct from other known Photorhabdus species, although its closest affinities are with the P. temperata group. We also verified a monoxenic association between each isolate and its nematode by amplifying and sequencing bacterial 16S sequence from crushed adult and juvenile nematodes and from bacterial cultures isolated from infected hosts.
Models of Neurotoxicity: Extrapolation of Benchmark Doses in Vitro

In risk assessment, no observed exposure level (NOAEL) and benchmark dose (BMD) are usually derived either from epidemiological studies in humans or from animal experiments. In many in vitro studies, concentration‐effect/response curves have been analyzed using different mathematical models finalized to the identification of EC50. In the present article, we propose a model to fit dose‐response curves in vitro. The BMD approach has been used to compare the cell viability (MTT assay) of different rat (C6 and PC12, glial and neuronal, respectively) and human cell lines (D384 and SK‐N‐MC, glial and neuronal, respectively) after 24‐hour exposure to the following neurotoxic substances: manganese chloride (MnCl2), methyl‐mercury (Me‐Hg), and the enantiomers of styrene oxide (SO). For all rat and human cell lines, the potency of the examined compounds was: MnCl2 < S‐SO < R‐SO < Me‐Hg. A preliminary comparison with in vivo toxicity data for these substances gave rise to consistent results. Whereas a reasonable agreement between in vitro and in vivo data has been found for Mn and styrene oxide, a wide scatter of LOAEL has been reported for Me‐Hg and these appear to be either much higher or lower than the BMD for the MTT assay we observed invitro.
Human enterovirus 71 and hand, foot and mouth disease

SUMMARY Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is generally a benign febrile exanthematous childhood disease caused by human enteroviruses. The route of transmission is postulated to be faeco-oral in developing areas but attributed more to respiratory droplet in developed areas. Transmission is facilitated by the prolonged environmental survival of these viruses and their greater resistance to biocides. Serious outbreaks with neurological and cardiopulmonary complications caused by human enterovirus 71 (HEV-71) seem to be commoner in the Asian Pacific region than elsewhere in the world. This geographical predilection is unexplained but could be related to the frequency of intra- and inter-typic genetic recombinations of the virus, the host populations' genetic predisposition, environmental hygiene, and standard of healthcare. Vaccine development could be hampered by the general mildness of the illness and rapid genetic evolution of the virus. Antivirals are not readily available; the role of intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of serious complications should be investigated. Monitoring of this disease and its epidemiology in the densely populated Asia Pacific epicentre is important for the detection of emerging epidemics due to enteroviruses.
Genetics of generalized anxiety disorder and related traits

This review serves as a systematic guide to the genetics of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and further focuses on anxiety-relevant endophenotypes, such as pathological worry fear of uncertainty, and neuroticism. We inspect clinical genetic evidence for the familialityl heritability of GAD and cross-disorder phenotypes based on family and twin studies. Recent advances of linkage studies, genome-wide association studies, and candidate gene studies (eg, 5-HTT, 5-HT1A, MAOA, BDNF) are outlined. Functional and structural neuroimaging and neurophysiological readouts relating to peripheral stress markers and psychophysiology are further integrated, building a multilevel disease framework. We explore etiologic factors in gene-environment interaction approaches investigating childhood trauma, environmental adversity, and stressful life events in relation to selected candidate genes (5-HTT, NPSR1, COMT, MAOA, CRHR1, RGS2), Additionally, the pharmacogenetics of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor treatment are summarized (5-HTT, 5-HT2A, COMT, CRHR1). Finally, GAD and trait anxiety research challenges and perspectives in the field of genetics, including epigenetics, are discussed.
Comparing Treatment Effect Measurements in Narcolepsy: The Sustained Attention to Response Task, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Maintenance of Wakefulness Test.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To validate the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) as a treatment effect measure in narcolepsy, and to compare the SART with the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). DESIGN Validation of treatment effect measurements within a randomized controlled trial (RCT). PATIENTS Ninety-five patients with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy. INTERVENTIONS The RCT comprised a double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter trial comparing the effects of 8-w treatments with pitolisant (BF2.649), modafinil, or placebo (NCT01067222). MWT, ESS, and SART were administered at baseline and after an 8-w treatment period. The severity of excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy was also assessed using the Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI-C). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The SART, MWT, and ESS all had good reliability, obtained for the SART and MWT using two to three sessions in 1 day. The ability to distinguish responders from nonresponders, classified using the CGI-C score, was high for all measures, with a high performance for the SART (r = 0.61) and the ESS (r = 0.54). CONCLUSIONS The Sustained Attention to Response Task is a valid and easy-to-administer measure to assess treatment effects in narcolepsy, enhanced by combining it with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.
[Taste preference for sweets and caries prevalence in preschool children].

OBJECTIVE To assess the preference for sweetness among preschool children and differences between less and more deprived groups. In addition, to assess whether sweet taste preference was associated with presence of caries. METHODS The sample was composed by 572 preschool children aged between 4 and 6, distributed in three day nurseries of varied socioeconomic background. Cross-sectional study developed in two steps. Preference for sweetness was assessed using a modified version of the Sweet Preference Inventory. The solutions varied in sugar concentration from 0 to 1,17 molar (0 to 400 g / litre). The presence of caries was assessed using the defs index. The socioeconomic status of the sample was classified according to the origin of domicile. RESULTS The variation in preference for sweetness in our sample was too small. Most children preferred the sweetest juice. This reduced the ability of this variable to explain variation in caries prevalence. Despite this limitation, our results showed that socioeconomic level influenced preference for sweetness, which in turn was associated with caries prevalence. CONCLUSION The socioeconomic status influence the sweetness preference and this, in turn, is associated with the dental caries prevalence.
Model Predictive Direct Speed Control with Finite Control Set of PMSM Drive Systems

Servo drives and drives for position control require a high dynamic on speed control. In this paper, model predictive direct speed control (MP-DSC) is proposed, which overcomes limitations of cascaded linear controllers. The novel concept predicts the future current and speed states in discrete steps and it selects plant inputs which depends mainly on the predicted speed error. Secondary control objectives, such as maximum torque per ampere tracking are included. MP-DSC uses the finite control set approach which makes it suitable for online predictions with a prediction horizon of a few sample periods. The concept has been developed by simulation and evaluated on an experimental test bench. The overall control behavior is evaluated applying reference and disturbance steps to the system, where MP-DSC shows promising results. A solution for disturbance (e.g., load toque) rejection is proposed, and the effectiveness to avoid control offsets is shown. Furthermore, the dynamic performance and the steady-state behavior of MP-DSC is evaluated and discussed.
Toxicity of gold-nanoparticles: Synergistic effects of shape and surface functionalization on micromotility of epithelial cells

Abstract Nanoparticle exposure is monitored by a combination of two label-free and non-invasive biosensor devices which detect cellular shape and viscoelasticity (quartz crystal microbalance), cell motility and the dynamics of epithelial cell-cell contacts (electric cell-substrate impedance sensing). With these tools we have studied the impact of nanoparticle shape on cellular physiology. Gold (Au) nanoparticles coated with CTAB were synthesized and studied in two distinct shapes: Spheres with a diameter of (43 ± 4) nm and rods with a size of (38 ± 7) nm × (17 ± 3) nm. Dose-response experiments were accompanied by conventional cytotoxicity tests as well as fluorescence and dark-field microscopy to visualize the intracellular particle distribution. We found that spherical gold nanoparticles with identical surface functionalization are generally more toxic and more efficiently ingested than rod-shaped particles. We largely attribute the higher toxicity of CTAB-coated spheres as compared to rod-shaped particles to a higher release of toxic CTAB upon intracellular aggregation.
Change Leadership During Hospital Mergers: A Case Study of the Formation of Alberta Health Services

In the spring of 2008, the Alberta government consolidated nine health regions and three provincial programmes to become the largest health authority in Canada. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) hired to lead this new organization was terminated with less than 2 years in the position. This document review explores the political and organizational issues that resulted in the termination of the CEO and illustrates that: (i) Physicians are able to leverage significant public support for their agendas; (ii) Effective change management must recognize and address front-line staff; and (iii) Research on the benefits of hospital consolidation is weak.
Efficient $\widetilde{O}(n/\epsilon)$ Spectral Sketches for the Laplacian and its Pseudoinverse

In this paper we consider the problem of efficiently computing $\epsilon$-sketches for the Laplacian and its pseudoinverse. Given a Laplacian and an error tolerance $\epsilon$, we seek to construct a function $f$ such that for any vector $x$ (chosen obliviously from $f$), with high probability $(1-\epsilon) x^\top A x \leq f(x) \leq (1 + \epsilon) x^\top A x$ where $A$ is either the Laplacian or its pseudoinverse. Our goal is to construct such a sketch $f$ efficiently and to store it in the least space possible. We provide nearly-linear time algorithms that, when given a Laplacian matrix $\mathcal{L} \in \mathbb{R}^{n \times n}$ and an error tolerance $\epsilon$, produce $\tilde{O}(n/\epsilon)$-size sketches of both $\mathcal{L}$ and its pseudoinverse. Our algorithms improve upon the previous best sketch size of $\widetilde{O}(n / \epsilon^{1.6})$ for sketching the Laplacian form by Andoni et al (2015) and $O(n / \epsilon^2)$ for sketching the Laplacian pseudoinverse by Batson, Spielman, and Srivastava (2008). Furthermore we show how to compute all-pairs effective resistances from $\widetilde{O}(n/\epsilon)$ size sketch in $\widetilde{O}(n^2/\epsilon)$ time. This improves upon the previous best running time of $\widetilde{O}(n^2/\epsilon^2)$ by Spielman and Srivastava (2008).
Effects of tumor necrosis factor on prostacyclin production and the barrier function of human endothelial cell monolayers.

The endothelium controls the influx of macromolecules into the tissues, a process that may be disturbed at sites of inflammation and in atherosclerotic plaques. In this article, we report our evaluations of the effects of the inflammatory mediator, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), on the production of prostacyclin and the barrier function of human endothelial cell monolayers in an in vitro model. TNF-alpha (500 units/ml) had no direct effect on the passage of sucrose, peroxidase, and low density lipoprotein through monolayers of human aortic endothelial cells. On the other hand, during the first hours after addition 500 units/ml TNF-alpha induced a reduction of the permeability of umbilical artery endothelial cell monolayers. Within 10 minutes TNF-alpha induced an increase in prostacyclin production by primary cultures of umbilical artery endothelial cells. However, the reduction in permeability was not caused by a change in prostacyclin production or by a change in cyclic AMP concentration because 1) the effect of TNF-alpha on permeability was not prevented by aspirin, 2) no change in the cellular cyclic AMP concentration could be observed after addition of TNF-alpha, and 3) TNF-alpha was still able to reduce the passage rate in the presence of 25 microM forskolin. The reduction in permeability was accompanied by a decrease of F-actin in stress fibers. With prolonged incubation with TNF-alpha, the permeability of umbilical artery endothelial cell monolayers increased, and F-actin was found again in stress fibers. However, these effects of TNF-alpha were only significant at high concentrations of TNF-alpha. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
GTPase-activating protein SH2-SH3 domains induce gene expression in a Ras-dependent fashion

The p21ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP) is thought to function as both a negative regulator and a downstream target of p21ras. Here, we have investigated the role of GAP by using a transient expression assay with a fos luciferase reporter plasmid. We used GAP deletion mutants that lack the domain involved in interaction with p21ras and encode essentially only the SH2-SH3 domains. When these GAP deletion mutants were expressed, we observed a marked induction of fos promoter activity similar to induction by activated p21ras. Expression of a full-length GAP construct had no effect on the activity of the fos promoter. Activation of the fos promoter by these GAP SH2-SH3 regions was inhibited by cotransfection of a dominant inhibitory mutant of p21ras, Ras(Asn-17). Thus, the induction of gene expression by GAP SH2-SH3 domains is dependent on p21ras activity. Moreover, induction of fos promoter activity by GAP SH2-SH3 domains is increased severalfold after cotransfection of an activated mutant of p21ras, Ras(Leu-61), or insulin stimulation of A14 cells, both leading to an increase in the levels of GTP-bound p21ras. The combined effect of Ras(Leu-61) and the GAP deletion mutants was not inhibited by Ras(Asn-17), indicating that GAP SH2-SH3 domains do not function to activate endogenous p21ras but cooperate with another signal coming from active p21ras. These data suggest that GAP SH2-SH3 domains serve to induce gene expression by p21ras but that additional signals coming from p21ras are required for them to function.