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IntroductionDogs are increasingly being employed for conservation purposes worldwide. In Africa, they work in challenging environments with unique health risks which have not been investigated until now.MethodsTo understand the health challenges faced by the dogs, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from 14 organisations that used working dogs in their conservation programmes. The data was qualitatively analysed by thematic analysis.ResultsFive themes were generated. Three affective themes influenced how participants responded to the challenges associated with having a successful conservation dog programme. A strong handler-dog attachment, proficient handler training, and the acknowledgement of the challenging environment were pivotal to maintaining dog health. Two themes related to the difficulties in managing these programmes and how veterinary support interacts with the management choices being made.DiscussionTo have healthy conservation dogs, current and future programmes should focus on fostering the handler-dog relationship and provide continuous handler training. The management of conservation dogs’ health should adopt an evidence-based approach. Future research should focus on areas where the evidence base is lacking, particularly in the areas of prevention and treatment of African canine trypanosomiasis. Programmes should develop a good working relationship with a veterinarian that has access to evidence-based veterinary medical information.

In low- and middle-income countries, many women experience anemia during pregnancy due to insufficient dietary intake of key micronutrients, parasitic infections, hemoglobinopathies, and chronic infections. Maternal anemia increases perinatal risks for both mothers and infants, and slow progress to reduce the prevalence may be due in part to the lack of affordable tools to quantify hemoglobin levels in antenatal care (ANC) clinics. A simple, inexpensive, accurate, and robust diagnostic is needed to measure hemoglobin in ANC. This study evaluated the performance and usability of the TrueHb Hemometer. A cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study was conducted to compare the accuracy of the TrueHb and the HemoCue® 201+ using capillary samples. Next, analytical performance (precision, coefficient of variation, R2) of the TrueHb was evaluated in varying environmental conditions using linearity panels with serial dilutions of venous blood samples. Lastly, the usability of the TrueHb Hemometer was assessed across three domains (effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction) by 20 ANC providers in Ghana. Capillary blood test results were not well correlated (R2 = 0.35) between the TrueHB and HemoCue201+, but 80% of TrueHb measurements were within +/-1.0 g/dl of the HemoCue® 201+ hemoglobin values. Precision tests indicated similar mean values across the three environmental conditions (CV 0.90) but begins to underestimate the hemoglobin concentration below 7.0 g/dl. The usability study identified potential failure modes due to inadequate instructions and device feedback. With some modifications, both to the product and to the instructions for use, the TrueHb may be suitable for use in ANC settings to help fill the diagnostic gap for anemia screening during pregnancy. Further testing is required with anemic populations in LMIC settings.

Abstract Background Despite considerable global efforts to reduce growth faltering in early childhood, rates of stunting remain high in many regions of the world. Current interventions primarily target nutrition-specific risk factors, but these have proven insufficient. The objective of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the relationship between active tobacco use during pregnancy and growth outcomes in children under five years of age. Methods In this systematic review and meta-analysis, six online databases were searched to identify studies published from January 1, 1980, through October 31, 2016, examining the association between active tobacco use during pregnancy and small-for-gestational age (SGA), length/height, and/or head circumference. Ecological studies were not included. A meta-analysis was conducted, and subgroup analyses were carried out to explore the effect of tobacco dosage. Results Among 13,189 studies identified, 210 were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review, and 124 in the meta-analysis. Active tobacco use during pregnancy was associated with significantly higher rates of SGA (pooled adjusted odds ratio [AORs] = 1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.76, 2.16), shorter length (pooled weighted mean difference [WMD] = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.44), and smaller head circumference (pooled WMD = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.29) at birth. In addition, a dose-response effect was evident for all growth outcomes. Conclusion Tobacco use during pregnancy may represent a major preventable cause of impaired child growth and development.

This multiple methods study examined the impact of brief, intentional instruction in the areas of mindfulness and social and emotional learning (SEL) on teacher self-efficacy, teacher mindfulness, and the use of mindfulness practices. The SEL content and strategies were taught to pre-service educators during their student teaching seminars. Teacher efficacy includes the beliefs that a teacher holds about their ability to lead learning and includes beliefs about classroom management, instructional practices, and student engagement. Social and emotional learning, as defined by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), includes five components: self-awareness, self-management, other awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These components encompass skills essential to effective teaching. Mindfulness has been defined as present moment awareness without judgment and is linked to well-being. We hypothesized that teacher efficacy and mindfulness would be improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention. Eighteen of 35 potential participants completed quantitative measures of efficacy (Teacher Self Efficacy Scale) and mindfulness (Teacher Mindfulness Scale). Thirty-four participants completed qualitative session reflections. Seven participants completed journal responses. Increases in mindfulness and teacher efficacy were found; however, within the quantitative measures, only increases in teacher efficacy were significant. Within the qualitative findings from the Self-Assessing Social and Emotional Instruction and Competencies scale, self-awareness was identified as participants' greatest strength while self-management of emotions was identified as their greatest opportunity for improvement. In addition, most participants noted current or future plans to use mindfulness or SEL strategies. Findings are consistent with previous work indicating that short-term training in mindfulness and SEL should be included in educator preparation programs as a mechanism to support teacher wellbeing and potentially reduce teacher burnout.

We employed a mixed methods research design using survey data to examine gifted students' perceptions of implicit theories of intelligence, giftedness, need for cognition, and goal orientations. Eighty-one gifted middle-school students completed the Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) plus open-ended questions concerning giftedness, expectations, challenges, and personal goals. Results indicated that giftedness and intelligence were viewed as somewhat related (r = 0.19, r = 0.31), but gifted students also perceived giftedness as less malleable than intelligence (g = -0.39) on some MAP items. Many perceived both intelligence and giftedness as malleable constructs that could develop through effort and opportunity. The majority expressed preference for making a good grade rather than being challenged, though many also reported a need for cognition, supported by participation in gifted programming. Participants not only provided positive connotations of giftedness, understanding its connection to challenging curricular opportunities, but also conveyed limited descriptors of giftedness such as "being smart," providing a need to communicate domain-specific giftedness from a talent development perspective.

A variety of foods fermented with lactic acid bacteria serve as dietary staples in many African communities; yet, their bacterial profiles are poorly characterized. The integration of health-promoting probiotics into naturally fermented milk products could make a profound impact on human health. Here, we characterize the bacterial community composition of a naturally fermented milk product (lait caillé) from northern Senegal, prepared in wooden bowls (lahals) with a bacterial biofilm to steer the fermentation process. We incorporated a probiotic starter culture containing the most documented probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (generic strain name yoba 2012) into the local fermentation process. Bar-coded 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of lait caillé samples indicated that the bacterial community of lait caillé has high species richness with over 100 bacterial genera; however, few have high abundance. In contrast to the diverse bacterial compositions of other characterized naturally fermented milk products, the composition of lait caillé predominantly consists of the lactic acid bacteria Streptococcus and Lactobacillus, resembling the bacterial composition in regular yogurt. The bacterial community composition of lait caillé varies geographically based on the presence of some genera, including Lactoccoccus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, and Bacillus, but this trend is not consistent within production communities. The diversity of bacterial communities is much higher in the lahal biofilm than in the naturally fermented milk products, which is in turn greater than in commercial yogurts. Addition of a starter culture with L. rhamnosus yoba 2012 to milk in lahals led to substantial growth of this probiotic bacterium during the fermentation process. Two independent quantitative PCR-analyses specific for L. rhamnosus yoba 2012 indicated a 20- to 60-fold increase in the total number of probiotic bacteria in the first batch after inoculation. A similar increase of the probiotic was observed in a variation of lait caillé prepared with carbohydrate-rich millet granules (thiakry) added prior to fermentation. This study shows the feasibility of integrating health-promoting probiotic strains into naturally fermented foods produced in regions with a high prevalence of malnutrition.

Blood hemoglobin (Hb) is a common indicator for diagnosing anemia and is often determined through laboratory analysis of venous samples. One alternative to laboratory-based methods is the handheld HemoCue® Hb 201+ device, which requires a finger prick and wicking of blood into a pretreated cuvette for analysis. An alternative HemoCue® gravity method is being investigated for improved accuracy. Further, recent developments in noninvasive technologies could provide an accurate, rapid, safe, point-of-care option for hemoglobin estimation while addressing some limitations of current tools, but device performance must be assessed in low-resource settings. This study evaluated the performance of two HemoCue® Hb 201+ blood sampling methods and a noninvasive device (Pronto® with DCI-mini™ sensors) in a Rwandan pediatric clinic. Reference hemoglobin values were determined in 132 children 6 to 59 months of age by using a standard hematology analyzer (Sysmex KN21TM). Half were tested using the HemoCue® wicking method; half were tested using the HemoCue® gravity method; and 112 had successful hemoglobin readings with Pronto® DCI-mini™. Statistical analysis was used to assess the level of bias generated by each method and the key drivers of bias. The HemoCue® gravity method was the least biased. The HemoCue® wicking and Pronto® methods biases were inversely related to the Sysmex KN21TM results. Both HemoCue® sampling methods correctly classified patients' anemic status in 80% or more of instances, whereas the Pronto® device had a correct classification rate of only 69%. The HemoCue® gravity method was more accurate than the traditional HemoCue® wicking method in this study, but its accuracy and operational feasibility should be confirmed by future studies. The Pronto® DCI-mini™ devices showed considerable promise but require further improvements in sensitivity and specificity before wider adoption.

Population estimates using genetic capture–recapture methods from non-invasively collected wildlife samples are more accurate and precise than those obtained from traditional methods when detection and resampling rates are high. Recently, detection dogs have been increasingly used to find elusive species and their by-products. Here we compared the effectiveness of dog- and human-directed searches for Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) faeces at two sites. The critically endangered Cross River gorilla inhabits a region of high biodiversity and endemism on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. The rugged highland terrain and their cryptic behaviour make them difficult to study and a precise population size for the subspecies is still lacking. Dog-directed surveys located more fresh faeces with less bias than human-directed survey teams. This produced a more reliable population estimate, although of modest precision given the small scale of this pilot study. Unfortunately, the considerable costs associated with use of the United States-based detection dog teams make the use of these teams financially unfeasible for a larger, more comprehensive survey. To realize the full potential of dog-directed surveys and increase cost-effectiveness, we recommend basing dog-detection teams in the countries where they will operate and expanding the targets the dogs are trained to detect.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition is one of many factors affecting the cognitive development of children. In Cambodia, 55% of children

Perfectionism can influence how one approaches challenges and deals with setbacks, and, consequently, can inhibit or facilitate achievement. The present study (1) explored the relationship between Frost’s six dimensions of perfectionism and five types of coping strategies; (2) examined how dimensions of perfectionism predict coping in response to academic stress; and (3) investigated differences between gifted underachievers and other gifted students on perfectionism and coping among 130 American gifted students in grades 6–8. Results of stepwise regression models revealed approach coping was predicted by adaptive perfectionism (Positive Strivings-notably Organization), whereas avoidance coping (Internalizing, Externalizing, and Distancing) was predicted by various combined models. Gifted underachievers displayed lower Positive Strivings perfectionism scores and lower positive coping when compared to achievers. This information is helpful when considering ways to guide gifted students to high levels of academic achievement while utilizing adaptive approaches.

Many educator preparation programs desire to partner with P-12 and community groups. The authors showcase the development of a P-12 School-University-Family partnership. Partnership goals included literacy growth and interest among linguistically and culturally diverse P-12 learners while also providing a sustainable training ground for current and future educators. Instead of decreasing students' literacy skills over the summer months, elementary students (n=40) experienced growth in both reading skills and enjoyment (p < 0.05) after participating in the discussed summer literacy program. Beyond student benefits, it should be remembered that both educator preparation programs (EPPs) and P-12 schools have much to offer each other and benefit reciprocally when they work together; methods for forming and sustaining a productive partnership are discussed. Recommendations for sustainability and future plans are discussed.

The authors believe it's important to help gifted children recognize the emotions they experience. When gifted children are able to identify their emotions, they can ultimately gain control and regulate them. However, it's not always easy for children to identify or label how they are feeling on their own. They may need guidance to understand their emotions and work through the process. To help parents and educators work with gifted children to strengthen their emotional intelligence by recognizing and managing their emotions, the authors have developed the CHECK framework, based on their years of research in the areas of mindset, perfectionism, and underachievement. When parents and teachers use CHECK, they can help gifted children approach and manage the stress and emotions associated with difficult academic, performance, or social situations. The five facets of the CHECK framework are: (1) Control vs. Not Control; (2) Hear What Your Child is Saying; (3) Emotional Awareness; (4) Challenge Thoughts; and (5) Know a Plan.

Beliefs about intelligence can affect how children approach school work and perform. It is why some gifted children tackle challenges with excitement while others feel threatened by challenges and avoid them. The mindset beliefs influence how the child views ego, effort, and errors. Those with a fixed mindset believe that their potential has been defined, measured, and chiseled in stone. The child is more concerned with looking smart than getting smarter. In contrast, children with a growth mindset believe they have an unknown potential and strive to do all they can in order to develop it. Mindsets matter for all students, but there are some additional considerations for what this powerful idea means for gifted students, who often do not have to persevere through a challenge or work hard until they reach college or graduate school. Questions and misconceptions about giftedness and mindsets include: (1) Are gifted students more prone to developing fixed mindsets?; (2) Since intelligence is malleable, does this mean everyone can become gifted?; (3) Is it possible to acknowledge a child's high ability without promoting a fixed mindset?; and (4) Do gifted programs promote a fixed or growth mindset? Two sidebars address: (1) specific ways adults can nurture a love of learning and challenge in children; and (2) how to provide feedback that promotes a growth mindset.

Bullying and victimization rates among 90 gifted and nongifted, high-achieving (HA) high school students were assessed by using the Reynolds Bully Victimization Scale (BVS; W. M. Reynolds, 2003). The mean scores indicate that gifted and HA high school students bully others and are victimized by others generally at unelevated rates based on BVS scores. Rates of bullying and victimization found among gifted and HA high school students were not significantly different from each other either. Bullying and victimization rates for male and female participants were also compared, and no significant differences were found between males and females for either bullying or victimization. Results from this study do not provide support for social interventions for gifted students as a group but suggest that gifted programs continue to focus on promoting primarily advanced intellectual endeavors (N. Colangelo, S. Assouline, & M. U. M. Gross, 2004). However, individual gifted students may need targeted interventions focused on reducing bullying and victimization. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)