Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CURRICULUM OVERLOAD AND ITS IMPACT ON TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

The study investigated the curriculum overload in primary schools. The multiple case study approach was used and ten schools in Bindura urban participated in this study. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants. The participants were teachers teaching in the primary schools. Data were generated using interviews ad open-ended questionnaires. Data were qualitatively analyzed. The study also found out that the curriculum was broad yet the time to cover this curriculum was limited. The study concluded that there was prevalence of work overload in the schools. The study recommends that the primary school curriculum be reviewed reduce work overload. Article visualizations:
Seismicity near the slip maximum of the 1960 Mw 9.5 Valdivia earthquake (Chile): Plate interface lock and reactivation of the subducted Valdivia Fracture Zone

Understanding the processes behind subduction-related hazards is an important responsibility and major challenge for the Earth sciences. Few areas demonstrate this as clearly as south-central Chile, where some of the largest earthquakes in human history have occurred. We present the first observation of local seismicity in the Villarrica region (39°–40°S), based on a temporary local network of 55 stations installed from the Chilean coast into the Argentinian back-arc for one year. While consistent with the Chilean national catalog (SSN), our results allow us to observe smaller magnitudes with a completeness of about 2.0 and image the geometry of the Wadati-Benioff Zone from the Chile Trench down to 200 km. Offshore, a gap in interplate seismicity is observed in the region of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake slip. Above the interface, two offshore seismicity clusters possibly indicate ongoing stress relaxation. In the subducting Nazca Plate, we find a prominent seismicity cluster along the extrapolated trace of the oceanic Valdivia Fracture Zone (VFZ). The seismicity cluster is observed between 70 and 130 km depth and comprises mainly strike-slip events. It indicates weakening and reactivation of the major VFZ by dehydration of oceanic crust and mantle. Interpreting the subducted VFZ section as a localized reservoir of potential fluid release offers an explanation for the Villarrica volcanic complex that is located above the reactivated VFZ and shows the highest volcanic activity in South America. Crustal seismicity is observed near Puyehue volcano, which recently started to erupt (June 2011). Key Points: - We observe local seismicity near the 1960 Valdivia maximum slip region - The subducted Valdivia Fracture Zone is reactivated by fluid release - The seismogenic zone is free of seismicity; events occur at faults and volcanoes
A novel single-cell proliferation assay shows that long-term culture-initiating cell (LTC-IC) maintenance over time results from the extensive proliferation of a small fraction of LTC-IC.

We have previously shown that when adult marrow CD34+/HLA-DR- cells are cultured for 5 or 8 weeks in the presence of stroma-conditioned media with interleukin-3 (IL-3) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha), long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC) are maintained but not expanded. However, if the same cultures are evaluated after 2 weeks, we show that LTC-IC expand 5.5- +/- 0.2-fold. Because expansion of LTC-IC is likely the result of a balance between proliferation and loss of LTC-IC, we hypothesized that, although LTC-IC proliferate in these cultures, loss of a fraction of LTC-IC underlies the lack of long-term expansion. To evaluate the fate of LTC-IC (proliferation, conservation, or loss), we performed PKH-26 labeling assays and developed a single LTC-IC proliferation assay. For PKH-26 labeling assays, CD34+/HLA-DR- cells were incubated with the membrane intercallating dye, PKH-26, before culture for 14 days in stroma-noncontact cultures + IL-3 + MIP-1 alpha. Progeny was reselected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting based on their PKH-26 fluorescence intensity. These studies showed that LTC-IC proliferate because 80% of LTC-IC at week 2 had 0.5 to 1 log lower fluorescence intensity than did freshly labeled CD34+/HLA-DR- cells. To further determine the fate of LTC-IC, we also developed a single LTC-IC proliferation assay. A population of CD34+/CD33- cells, highly enriched in LTC-IC, was sorted singly in stroma-conditioned media+IL-3 + MIP-1 alpha. After 5 weeks, the content of each well was divided equally over 8 secondary stroma-containing wells and cultured for 8 weeks to determine the capacity of the single-cell progeny to initiate 1 or more secondary stromal cultures. Progeny of single-sorted cells were able to initiate up to 8 secondary long-term cultures, demonstrating that LTC-IC proliferate in stroma-conditioned media+IL-3 + MIP-1 alpha. However, more than 65% of single-sorted LTC-IC were not conserved because their progeny could no longer initiate secondary long-term cultures. This finding indicates that, although stromal factors and IL-3 + MIP-1 alpha can induce proliferation of LTC-IC, failure to conserve a large fraction of LTC-IC results in lack of long-term expansion. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The Architecture of Ethnic Identity

dian, Australian, and Papuan tribes are cases in point. Confederacies of tribes, in order to make a viable state, are probably not to be expected in the short run, because of traditional enmities and status belli, among other things. True, the Tullbergs have signalled this problem too. Secondly, although the Tullbergs have also acknowledged the problem of what constitutes an ethnic group-or any other potentially separatist group-and have presented two criteria for the definition of such groups, it will be extremely difficult, I would guess, to reach even a modicum of consensus on this issue. Thirdly, the authors have also noted the existence of ethnic mosaics in many regions, and the pocket-into-pocket, enclave-into-enclave coexistence of many ethnies and their intermingling in many "hot" areas, such as the Balkans. Yet, "the problem of the number of participants" (as I shall call it for lack of a better term) is a very real one. Consider, for example, the Kurds. Their desire to establish a Kurdish state involves not only (opposing factions of) the Kurds themselves, but also the populations ofTurkey, Iran, Iraq, and the neighboring and surrounding states. One "uncivilized" party is enough to sabotage (or "veto") the whole enterprise. The states involved may perceive their political stability jeopardCommentaries: Solving Ethnic Conflict
Clinical characteristics and treatment of esophageal atresia: a single institutional experience

Purpose Treatment for esophageal atresia has advanced over several decades due to improvements in surgical techniques and neonatal intensive care. Subsequent to increased survival, postoperative morbidity has become an important issue in this disease. The aim of our study was to analyze our experience regarding the treatment of esophageal atresia. Methods We reviewed and analyzed the clinical data of patients who underwent surgery for esophageal atresia at Severance Children's Hospital from 1995 to 2010 regarding demographics, surgical procedures, and postoperative outcomes. Results Seventy-two patients had surgery for esophageal atresia. The most common gross type was C (81.9%), followed by type A (15.3%). Primary repair was performed in 52 patients. Staged operation was performed in 17 patients. Postoperative esophageal strictures developed in 43.1% of patients. Anastomotic leakages occurred in 23.6% of patients, and recurrence of tracheoesophageal fistula was reported in 8.3% of patients. Esophageal stricture was significantly associated with long-gap (≥3 cm or three vertebral bodies) atresia (P = 0.042). The overall mortality rate was 15.3%. The mortality in patients weighing less than 2.5 kg was higher than in patients weighing at least 2.5 kg (P = 0.001). During the later period of this study, anastomotic leakage and mortality both significantly decreased compared to the earlier study period (P = 0.009 and 0.023, respectively). Conclusion The survival of patients with esophageal atresia has improved over the years and the rate of anastomotic leakage has been significantly reduced. However, overall morbidities related to surgical treatment of esophageal atresia still exists with high incidence.
PlantTFDB 3.0: a portal for the functional and evolutionary study of plant transcription factors

With the aim to provide a resource for functional and evolutionary study of plant transcription factors (TFs), we updated the plant TF database PlantTFDB to version 3.0 (http://planttfdb.cbi.pku.edu.cn). After refining the TF classification pipeline, we systematically identified 129 288 TFs from 83 species, of which 67 species have genome sequences, covering main lineages of green plants. Besides the abundant annotation provided in the previous version, we generated more annotations for identified TFs, including expression, regulation, interaction, conserved elements, phenotype information, expert-curated descriptions derived from UniProt, TAIR and NCBI GeneRIF, as well as references to provide clues for functional studies of TFs. To help identify evolutionary relationship among identified TFs, we assigned 69 450 TFs into 3924 orthologous groups, and constructed 9217 phylogenetic trees for TFs within the same families or same orthologous groups, respectively. In addition, we set up a TF prediction server in this version for users to identify TFs from their own sequences.
An exploration of Turkish teachers’ attributions to barriers faced within learner-centred teaching

Abstract This study explored Turkish teachers’ attributional reasoning regarding the barriers they face when they attempted to undertake learner-centred teaching, which is a core requirement of educational reform-based initiations in Turkey. To achieve this aim, a naturalistic inquiry was conducted in order to capture the clarifications of the barriers and related attributional reasoning of 31 teachers. The teachers defined 12 teaching barriers for the initial trials of learner-centred teaching and made several attributions to the faced barriers. The study showed that the teachers made pervasively externalised attributions when explicating the reasons for the barriers they faced. They were the usual suspects of making fundamental attribution error due to the excessive externality of their attributions. The teachers’ barrier clarifications and accompanied attributional reasoning typologies in terms of learner-centred teaching have confirmed that the teachers in this study are only in the early stages in regard to being competent implementers of reform-based initiatives in Turkey.
Role of tonic GABAergic currents during pre- and early postnatal rodent development

In the last three decades it became evident that the GABAergic system plays an essential role for the development of the central nervous system, by influencing the proliferation of neuronal precursors, neuronal migration and differentiation, as well as by controlling early activity patterns and thus formation of neuronal networks. GABA controls neuronal development via depolarizing membrane responses upon activation of ionotropic GABA receptors. However, many of these effects occur before the onset of synaptic GABAergic activity and thus require the presence of extrasynaptic tonic currents in neuronal precursors and immature neurons. This review summarizes our current knowledge about the role of tonic GABAergic currents during early brain development. In this review we compare the temporal sequence of the expression and functional relevance of different GABA receptor subunits, GABA synthesizing enzymes and GABA transporters. We also refer to other possible endogenous agonists of GABAA receptors. In addition, we describe functional consequences mediated by the GABAergic system during early developmental periods and discuss current models about the origin of extrasynaptic GABA and/or other endogenous GABAergic agonists during early developmental states. Finally, we present evidence that tonic GABAergic activity is also critically involved in the generation of physiological as well as pathophysiological activity patterns before and after the establishment of functional GABAergic synaptic connections.
Mutation of Rubie, a Novel Long Non-Coding RNA Located Upstream of Bmp4, Causes Vestibular Malformation in Mice

Background The vestibular apparatus of the vertebrate inner ear uses three fluid-filled semicircular canals to sense angular acceleration of the head. Malformation of these canals disrupts the sense of balance and frequently causes circling behavior in mice. The Epistatic circler (Ecl) is a complex mutant derived from wildtype SWR/J and C57L/J mice. Ecl circling has been shown to result from the epistatic interaction of an SWR-derived locus on chromosome 14 and a C57L-derived locus on chromosome 4, but the causative genes have not been previously identified. Methodology/Principal Findings We developed a mouse chromosome substitution strain (CSS-14) that carries an SWR/J chromosome 14 on a C57BL/10J genetic background and, like Ecl, exhibits circling behavior due to lateral semicircular canal malformation. We utilized CSS-14 to identify the chromosome 14 Ecl gene by positional cloning. Our candidate interval is located upstream of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4) and contains an inner ear-specific, long non-coding RNA that we have designated Rubie (RNA upstream of Bmp4 expressed in inner ear). Rubie is spliced and polyadenylated, and is expressed in developing semicircular canals. However, we discovered that the SWR/J allele of Rubie is disrupted by an intronic endogenous retrovirus that causes aberrant splicing and premature polyadenylation of the transcript. Rubie lies in the conserved gene desert upstream of Bmp4, within a region previously shown to be important for inner ear expression of Bmp4. We found that the expression patterns of Bmp4 and Rubie are nearly identical in developing inner ears. Conclusions/Significance Based on these results and previous studies showing that Bmp4 is essential for proper vestibular development, we propose that Rubie is the gene mutated in Ecl mice, that it is involved in regulating inner ear expression of Bmp4, and that aberrant Bmp4 expression contributes to the Ecl phenotype.
AGB stars in the Magellanic Clouds. III. The rate of star formation across the Small Magellanic Cloud

Aims. This article compares the K s magnitude distribution of Small Magellanic Cloud asymptotic giant branch stars obtained from the DENIS and 2MASS data with theoretical distributions. Methods. Theoretical K s magnitude distributions have been constructed using up-to-date stellar evolution calculations for low- and intermediate-mass stars, and in particular for thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars. Separate fits of the magnitude distributions of carbon- and oxygen-rich stars allowed us to constrain the metallicity distribution across the galaxy and its star formation rate. Results. The Small Magellanic Cloud stellar population is found to be on average $7{-}9$ Gyr old but older stars are present at its periphery and younger stars are present in the direction of the companion galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud. The metallicity distribution traces a ring-like structure that is more metal rich than the inner region of the galaxy. Conclusions. The C/M ratio discussed in Paper I is a tracer of the metallicity distribution only if the underlying stellar population is of intermediate-age.
Macroautophagy-generated increase of lysosomal amyloid β-protein mediates oxidant-induced apoptosis of cultured neuroblastoma cells

Increasing evidence suggests the toxicity of intracellular amyloid β-protein (Aβ) to neurons, as well as the involvement of oxidative stress in Alzheimer disease (AD). Here we show that normobaric hyperoxia (exposure of cells to 40% oxygen for five days), and consequent activation of macroautophagy and accumulation of Aβ within lysosomes, induced apoptosis in differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Cells under hyperoxia showed: (1) increased numbers of autophagic vacuoles that contained amyloid precursor protein (APP) as well as Aβ monomers and oligomers, (2) increased reactive oxygen species production, and (3) enhanced apoptosis. Oxidant-induced apoptosis positively correlated with cellular Aβ production, being the highest in cells that were stably transfected with APP Swedish KM670/671NL double mutation. Inhibition of γ-secretase, prior and/or in parallel to hyperoxia, suggested that the increase of lysosomal Aβ resulted mainly from its autophagic uptake, but also from APP processing within autophagic vacuoles. The oxidative stress-mediated effects were prevented by macroautophagy inhibition using 3-methyladenine or ATG5 downregulation. Our results suggest that upregulation of macroautophagy and resulting lysosomal Aβ accumulation are essential for oxidant-induced apoptosis in cultured neuroblastoma cells and provide additional support for the interactive role of oxidative stress and the lysosomal system in AD-related neurodegeneration.
Comparison Some of Ontology Editors

In this paper some software tools related to Semantic web are considered and compared. In fact, five ontology-editors are described and compared. They are: Apollo, OntoStudio, Protégé, Swoop and TopBraid Composer Free Edition. The structure and basic features of these editors are described, as well as the way of their using. The main criterion for comparison of these editors was the convenience for user and possibility to apply in different kind of applications.
Germinal Center Founder Cells Display Propensity for Apoptosis before Onset of Somatic Mutation

B lymphocytes undergo affinity maturation of their antigen receptors within germinal centers. These anatomical structures develop in secondary lymphoid organs from the clonal expansion of a few antigen-specific founder B cells, whose isolation and characterization are reported here. Human germinal center founder cells express the naive B cell markers surface IgM and IgD as well as the germinal center B cell markers CD10 and CD38. They express low levels of Bcl-2, high levels of Fas, and undergo rapid apoptosis in culture. The smaller nonproliferating sIgM+IgD+CD38+ B cells displayed a lower level of somatic mutation in their immunoglobulin variable region genes compared with the large proliferating ones. Unmutated sIgM+IgD+CD38+ tonsillar B cells may thus represent germinal center founder cells in which the program for apoptotic cell death is triggered before the onset of somatic mutation, allowing the selection of the germline antibody repertoire at an early stage.
Ground-Effect Characteristics of the Tu-144 Supersonic Transport Airplane

Ground-effect characteristics of the Tu-144 supersonic transport airplane have been obtained from flight and ground-based experiments to improve understanding of ground-effect phenomena for this class of vehicle. The flight test program included both dynamic measurements obtained during descending flight maneuvers and steady-state measurements obtained during level pass maneuvers over the runway. Both dynamic and steady-state wind-tunnel test data have been acquired for a simple planform model of the Tu-144 using a developmental model support system in the NASA Langley Research Center 14by 22-ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel. Data from steady-state, full-configuration wind-tunnel tests of the Tu-144 are also presented. Results from the experimental methods are compared with results from simple computational methods (panel theory). A power law relationship has been shown to effectively fit the variation of lift with height above ground for all data sets. The combined data sets have been used to evaluate the test techniques and assess the sensitivity of ground effect to various parameters. Configuration details such as the fuselage, landing gear, canards, and engine flows have had little effect on the correlation between the various data sets. No distinct trend has been identified as a function of either flightpath angle or rate of descent. NOMENCLATURE a x acceleration in X body axis, g , positive forward a z acceleration in Z body axis, g , positive down b span, ft C D drag coefficient C L lift coefficient C m pitching moment coefficient about the reference center of gravity (40-percent MAC ) C N normal force coefficient, positive up C X force coefficient in X body axis, positive forward C Z force coefficient in Z body axis, positive down DGE dynamic ground effect DGPS differential global positioning system h height of the wing aerodynamic center above the ground, ft HSCT high-speed civil transport I x , I y , I z moments of inertia about the X, Y, and Z axes, slugs-ft 2 k constant MAC mean aerodynamic chord, ft n1 stage one compressor rate of rotation for engine number 1, percent NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration OGE out-of-ground effect 2 p roll rate, rad/sec q pitch rate, rad/sec dynamic pressure, lb/ft 2 r yaw rate, rad/sec S wing reference area, ft 2 T thrust, lb V true airspeed, ft/sec W gross weight, lb α angle of attack, deg γ flightpath angle, positive for ascending flight, deg δ e elevon position, deg incremental change in lift coefficient due to ground effect θ pitch attitude, deg
Expression pattern of arenicins—the antimicrobial peptides of polychaete Arenicola marina

Immune responses of invertebrate animals are mediated through innate mechanisms, among which production of antimicrobial peptides play an important role. Although evolutionary Polychaetes represent an interesting group closely related to a putative common ancestor of other coelomates, their immune mechanisms still remain scarcely investigated. Previously our group has identified arenicins—new antimicrobial peptides of the lugworm Arenicola marina, since then these peptides were thoroughly characterized in terms of their structure and inhibitory potential. In the present study we addressed the question of the physiological functions of arenicins in the lugworm body. Using molecular and immunocytochemical methods we demonstrated that arencins are expressed in the wide range of the lugworm tissues—coelomocytes, body wall, extravasal tissue and the gut. The expression of arenicins is constitutive and does not depend on stimulation of various infectious stimuli. Most intensively arenicins are produced by mature coelomocytes where they function as killing agents inside the phagolysosome. In the gut and the body wall epithelia arenicins are released from producing cells via secretion as they are found both inside the epithelial cells and in the contents of the cuticle. Collectively our study showed that arenicins are found in different body compartments responsible for providing a first line of defense against infections, which implies their important role as key components of both epithelial and systemic branches of host defense.