Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reflective practice among MATESOL graduates in the UAE: theoretical construct or ongoing benefit?

Many teacher training programs, including the MATESOL program at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in United Arab Emirates, encourage their trainees to reflect on their practice. However, whether or not reflection becomes a part of the trainees’ practice once they leave these programs is a thought-provoking question, which formed the core of the current study. The study was qualitative in nature, using interviewing as its method of data collection. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with four AUS MATESOL program graduates, and investigated their perceptions of and engagement with reflective practice. The findings of the study indicate that the participants have generally developed an understanding of and appreciation for reflection and reflective practice, are aware of its values, and use different forms of reflection in order to reflect on their practice. However, some of them hold some uncertainties and misconceptions about reflective practice and its different aspects.
CONSTRAINTS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRST LIGHT FROM SN 2014J

We study the very early light curve of supernova 2014J (SN 2014J) using the high-cadence broad-band imaging data obtained by the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope, which fortuitously observed M 82 around the time of the explosion, starting more than 2 months prior to detection, with up to 20 observations per night. These observations are complemented by observations in two narrow-band filters used in an Hα survey of nearby galaxies by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory that also captured the first days of the brightening of the supernova. The evolution of the light curves is consistent with the expected signal from the cooling of shock heated material of large scale dimensions, ≳1R☉. This could be due to heated material of the progenitor, a companion star or pre-existing circumstellar environment, e.g., in the form of an accretion disk. Structure seen in the light curves during the first days after explosion could also originate from radioactive material in the outer parts of an exploding white dwarf, as suggested from the early detection of gamma-rays. The model degeneracy translates into a systematic uncertainty of ±0.3 days on the estimate of the first light from SN 2014J.
Collective Self-esteem Contingency and its Role in Predicting Intergroup Bias

This research investigated the effect of the competitive dimension of collective self-esteem contingency (CSEC-C). We hypothesized that CSEC-C would predict higher levels of intergroup bias, particularly when faced with an out-group threat. The validity of the CSEC-C measure was established among Canadian undergraduate participants (Study 1). In Study 2, Australian undergraduates received criticism versus praise from an in-group versus out-group member. Participants showed more bias after receiving criticism from an out-group than in-group member, but the effect was specific to high CSEC-C participants. Study 3 replicated these findings using a resource allocation measure. High CSEC-C participants also displayed a marginal drop in personal self-esteem after receiving an out-group criticism. All effects remained after controlling for identification and collective self-esteem.
Mycobacterial catalases , peroxidases , and superoxide dismutases and their effects on virulence and isoniazid-susceptibility in mycobacteria – a review

Mycobacteria are intracellular bacterial parasites which survive and proliferate inside of macrophages for long periods of time. Because mycobacterial survival in macrophages is required for virulence, a great deal of effort has been focused on identifying the genetic and physiologic determinants of intracellular survival and growth. A number of factors, among them catalases, peroxidases, and superoxide dismutase have been suggested as agents permi�ing mycobacteria to overcome the intracellular defences of macrophages. The characteristic features of mycobacterial catalase/peroxidases and superoxide dismutase, their distribution within the genus Mycobacterium, and their mutual interactions in the inactivation of toxic oxygen products are reviewed. Focus is placed on evidence of the role of mycobacterial catalase-peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in virulence and on the role of catalaseperoxidase in susceptibility to isonicotinic acid hydrazide.
Risk Factors and Etiologies of Ischemic Strokes in Young Patients: A Tertiary Hospital Study in North India

Background and Purpose Stroke in young adults has a special significance in developing countries, as it affects the most economically productive group of the society. We identified the risk factors and etiologies of young patients who suffered ischemic strokes and were admitted to a tertiary referral hospital in North India. Methods A retrospective review of case records from patients with ischemic stroke in the age range of 18-45 years was conducted from 2005 to 2010. Data regarding patients' clinical profiles, medical histories, diagnostic test results, and modified Rankin Scale scores at hospital discharge were examined. Stroke subtyping was conducted in accordance with the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria. Results Of the 2,634 patients admitted for ischemic stroke, 440 (16.7%) were in the 18-45 year age range and the majority (83.4%) were male. The most common risk factors were hypertension (34.4%) and dyslipidemia (26.5%). The most common subtype of stroke was undetermined (57%), followed by other determined causes (17.3%). Among the category of undetermined etiology, incomplete evaluation was the most common. Most of the patients demonstrated good functional outcomes. Conclusions Young adults account for 16.7% of all stroke patients in North India. Risk factors are relatively prevalent, and a high proportion of the patients are categorized under undetermined and other determined causes. The results highlight the needs for aggressive management of traditional risk factors and extensive patient work-ups to identify stroke etiology in India.
Periodic variability in cetacean strandings: links to large-scale climate events

Cetacean strandings elicit much community and scientific interest, but few quantitative analyses have successfully identified environmental correlates to these phenomena. Data spanning 1920–2002, involving a total of 639 stranding events and 39 taxa groups from southeast Australia, were found to demonstrate a clear 11–13- year periodicity in the number of events through time. These data positively correlated with the regional persistence of both zonal (westerly) and meridional (southerly) winds, reflecting general long-term and large-scale shifts in sea-level pressure gradients. Periods of persistent zonal and meridional winds result in colder and presumably nutrient-rich waters being driven closer to southern Australia, resulting in increased biological activity in the water column during the spring months. These observations suggest that large-scale climatic events provide a powerful distal influence on the propensity for whales to strand in this region. These patterns provide a powerful quantitative framework for testing hypotheses regarding environmental links to strandings and provide managers with a potential predictive tool to prepare for years of peak stranding activity.
Sensitivity of MMPI-2 validity scales to random responding and malingering.

This study explored the effects of both random responding and malingering on the validity scales of the MMPI-2 in an analog design using 4 groups of college students. One group completed the entire answer sheet randomly, a second group was instructed to malinger a moderate psychological disturbance, a third group was asked to simulate a severe disturbance, and a fourth group was given standard test instructions
Constraints on mineralization, fluid-rock interaction, and mass transfer during faulting at 2―3 km depth from the SAFOD drill hole

[1] Mineralogical and geochemical changes in mudrock cuttings from two segments of the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) drill hole (3066–3169 and 3292–3368 m measured depth) are analyzed in this study. Bulk rock samples and hand-picked fault-related grains characterized by polished surfaces and slickensides were investigated by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and geochemical analysis. The elemental changes in fault-related grains along the sampled San Andreas Fault are attributed to dissolution of detrital grains (particularly feldspar and quartz) and local precipitation of illite-smectite and/or chlorite-smectite mixed layers in fractures and veins. Assuming ZrO2 and TiO2 to be immobile elements, systematic differences in element concentrations show that most of the elements are depleted in the fault-related grains compared to the wall rock lithology. Calculated mass loss between the bulk rock and picked fault rock ranges from 17 to 58% with a greater mass transport in the shallow trace of the sampled fault that marks the upper limit the fault core. The relatively large amount of element transport at temperatures of ∼110–114°C recorded throughout the core requires extensive fluid circulation during faulting. Whereas dissolution/precipitation may be partly induced by the disequilibrium between fluids and rocks during diagenetic processes, stress-induced dissolution at grain contacts is proposed as the main mechanism for extensive mineral transformation in the fault rocks and localization of neomineralization along grain interface slip surfaces.
Imprinting on chromosome 20: Tissue‐specific imprinting and imprinting mutations in the GNAS locus

The GNAS locus on chromosome 20q13.11 is the archetypal complex imprinted locus. It comprises a bewildering array of alternative transcripts determined by differentially imprinted promoters which encode distinct proteins. It also provides the classic example of tissue‐specific imprinted gene expression, in which the canonical GNAS transcript coding for Gsα is expressed predominantly from the maternal allele in a set of seemingly unrelated tissues. Functionally, this rather obscure imprinting is nevertheless of considerable clinical significance, as it dictates the nature of the disease caused by inactivating mutations in Gsα, with end organ hormone resistance specifically on maternal transmission (pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a, PHP1a). In addition, there is a bona fide imprinting disorder, PHP1b, which is caused specifically by DNA methylation defects in the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) that determine tissue‐specific monoallelic expression of GNAS. Although the genetic defect in PHP1a and the disrupted imprinting in PHP1b both essentially result in profound reduction of Gsα activity in tissues with monoallelic GNAS expression, and despite a growing awareness of the overlap in these two conditions, there are important pathophysiological differences between the two whose basis is not fully understood. PHP1b is one of the only imprinted gene syndromes in which cis‐acting mutations have been discovered that disrupt methylation of germline‐derived imprint marks; such imprinting mutations in GNAS are helping to provide important new insights into the mechanisms of imprinting establishment generally. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The predictability of extinction: biological and external correlates of decline in mammals

Extinction risk varies among species, and comparative analyses can help clarify the causes of this variation. Here we present a phylogenetic comparative analysis of species-level extinction risk across nearly the whole of the class Mammalia. Our aims were to examine systematically the degree to which general predictors of extinction risk can be identified, and to investigate the relative importance of different types of predictors (life history, ecological, human impact and environmental) in determining extinction risk. A single global model explained 27.3% of variation in mammal extinction risk, but explanatory power was lower for region-specific models (median R2=0.248) and usually higher for taxon-specific models (median R2=0.383). Geographical range size, human population density and latitude were the most consistently significant predictors of extinction risk, but otherwise there was little evidence for general, prescriptive indicators of high extinction risk across mammals. Our results therefore support the view that comparative models of relatively narrow taxonomic scope are likely to be the most precise.
A novel feature extraction strategy for multi-stream robust emotion identification

We investigate an effective feature extraction front-end for speech emotion recognition, which performs well in clean and noisy conditions. First, we explore the use of perceptual minimum variance distortionless response (PMVDR). These features, originally proposed for accent/dialect and language identification (LID), can better approximate the perceptual scales and are less sensitive to noise and speaker variation. Also developed for LID, shifted delta cepstral (SDC) approach can be used to incorporate additional temporal information. It is known that supra-segmental speech characteristics, such as pitch and intensity, provide better discriminative information for emotion recognition by fusing with other emotion dependent features. Combined PMVDR and SDC together, the system outperforms the baseline system (MFCC based) by 10.3% (absolute). Furthermore, we find both PMVDR and SDC offer much better robustness in noisy condition, which is critical for real applications. All the evaluation the proposed features using the Berlin database of emotion speech.
The Catalytic Site Atlas 2.0: cataloging catalytic sites and residues identified in enzymes

Understanding which are the catalytic residues in an enzyme and what function they perform is crucial to many biology studies, particularly those leading to new therapeutics and enzyme design. The original version of the Catalytic Site Atlas (CSA) (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/thornton-srv/databases/CSA) published in 2004, which catalogs the residues involved in enzyme catalysis in experimentally determined protein structures, had only 177 curated entries and employed a simplistic approach to expanding these annotations to homologous enzyme structures. Here we present a new version of the CSA (CSA 2.0), which greatly expands the number of both curated (968) and automatically annotated catalytic sites in enzyme structures, utilizing a new method for annotation transfer. The curated entries are used, along with the variation in residue type from the sequence comparison, to generate 3D templates of the catalytic sites, which in turn can be used to find catalytic sites in new structures. To ease the transfer of CSA annotations to other resources a new ontology has been developed: the Enzyme Mechanism Ontology, which has permitted the transfer of annotations to Mechanism, Annotation and Classification in Enzymes (MACiE) and UniProt Knowledge Base (UniProtKB) resources. The CSA database schema has been re-designed and both the CSA data and search capabilities are presented in a new modern web interface.
The Contractual Role of Boundaries: Law and Economics Meets International Organization

Without universally efficacious contract enforcement, contracting boundaries divide the world into ‘insiders’, with whom we contract freely, and ‘outsiders’, with whom contracting is circumscribed. Boundary types vary and vacillate between territorially defined ones and ones defined on nonterritorial margins (religion, ethnicity or functional specialization). Sovereignty, or sole legal constitutional authority, has always existed alongside other, less formal systems of contractual enforcement. Both early law and economics and early International Relations theory largely ignored this interacting, overlapping web of enforcement institutions; and recent world events highlight the limitations of theories in which the nature of boundaries — and hence the nature of entities themselves — has little impact on the nature of predicted interactions. The contracting branch of law and economics contains useful insights into the material functions of boundaries, the strengths and weaknesses of different types of boundary-maintenance devices, the characteristics necessary for ‘successful’ boundaries and why different types of boundaries might emerge or persist under different conditions. These insights suggest that the coexistence of and historical vacillation between territorially defined boundaries and ones defined on nonterritorial margins should not come as a surprise.
Speed and accuracy of text-messaging emergency department electrocardiograms from a small community hospital to a provincial referral center

Background Currently, transmission of electrocardiograms (EKGs) from a small emergency department (ED) to specialists at referral hospitals can be a time-consuming and laborious process. We investigate whether text messaging by use of short message service (SMS) of EKGs from a small hospital to consultants at a large hospital is rapid and accurate. Methods This study involved a one-month prospective evaluation of consecutive EKGs recorded in a small community ED. Investigators obtained de-identified photographs of each EKG via a mobile phone camera. Each EKG picture, along with a brief patient clinical history, was sent via SMS to on-call emergency physicians located at a large referral care site. All images were evaluated solely on a mobile phone. The primary outcome was the proportion of SMS that were received within two minutes of being sent. As a secondary outcome, the intra-rater evaluation of the initial EKG and the SMS EKG image were compared on 13 standardized features. The tertiary outcome was cost of text messaging. Results A total of 298 patients (14.6%) had 409 EKGs performed and a total of 926 SMS were sent. 921 SMS (99.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 98.7–99.8%) arrived within two minutes with a median transmission time of nine seconds (interquartile range (IQR) 3–32 s). Between the gold standard original EKG, and the interpretation of the texted image, six out of 409 (1.5%, 95% CI 0.6–3.3%) had any differences recorded, across all 13 categories. Overall, the study cost 4.1 cents per texted image. Conclusions Systematic text messaging of ED EKGs from a small community hospital to a referral center is a rapid, accurate, portable, and inexpensive method of data transfer. This may be a safe and effective strategy to communicate vital patient information.
Evolutionary behaviour in ecological systems with trade-offs and non-equilibrium population dynamics

Question: Do non-equilibrium (cycles or chaos) population dynamics change evolutionary behaviour when compared with equilibrium dynamics? Mathematical methods: The theory of adaptive dynamics is applied to a discrete ecological model with an explicit trade-off between reproduction and survival. Simulation techniques are compared with the theoretical findings. Key assumptions: Mutations in life-history parameters are assumed to be small. A separation of the ecological and evolutionary time scales is assumed. There is a feedback loop between the environment and its inhabitants. Conclusions: With equilibrium population dynamics the shape of the trade-off can be used to characterize the evolutionary behaviour. Trade-offs with accelerating costs produce a continuously stable strategy (CSS). Trade-offs with decelerating costs produce a non-evolutionarily stable strategy (non-ESS) repellor. The characterization holds for non-equilibrium dynamics with low amplitude population oscillations. When the magnitude of the population oscillation exceeds a threshold, the characterization fails. Trade-offs with decelerating costs can produce a CSS, multiple CSSs or evolutionary branching points. The evolution of reproduction and survival parameters may be contingent on initial conditions and sensitive to small changes in other life-history parameters. Evolutionary branching allows types with distinct reproduction and survival parameters to evolve and co-exist.
Improved circuit model of photovoltaic cell for energy harvesting application

This paper mainly focuses on model of photovoltaic cell for energy harvesting application (EHV). This model is developed using the standard simulation software LTspice to explore the effect of electrical and physical parameters on Current-Voltage (I-V) and Power-Voltage (P-V) characteristics of photovoltaic cell (PV). The proposed model is based on mathematical equations and is described through an equivalent circuit. The developed model serves to specify the optimal conditions for operating the PV cell and define the maximum power point (MPP). It also allows the prediction of PV cell behavior as a function of temperature and ambient radiation. To demonstrate the validity of the generated model, an experimental test was performed for a PV cell (of type“ASI” from SCHOTT Company). Experimental and technical data display a good agreement with the simulated findings.
Tools and Technologies NF 1 Deletion Generates Multiple Subtypes of Soft-Tissue Sarcoma That Respond to MEK Inhibition

Soft-tissue sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors arising from connective tissue. Recently, mutations in the neurofibromin 1 (NF1) tumor suppressor gene were identified in multiple subtypes of human soft-tissue sarcomas. To study the effect of NF1 inactivation in the initiation and progression of distinct sarcoma subtypes, we have developed a novel mouse model of temporally and spatially restricted NF1-deleted sarcoma. To generate primary sarcomas, we inject adenovirus containing Cre recombinase into NF1; Ink4a/Arf mice at two distinct orthotopic sites: intramuscularly or in the sciatic nerve. The mice develop either high-grade myogenic sarcomas or malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST)-like tumors, respectively. These tumors reflect the histologic properties and spectrum of sarcomas found in patients. To explore the use of this model for preclinical studies, we conducted a study of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway inhibition with the MEK inhibitor PD325901. Treatment with PD325901 delays tumor growth through decreased cyclin D1 mRNA and cell proliferation. We also examined the effects of MEK inhibition on the native tumor stroma and find that PD325901 decreases VEGFa expression in tumor cells with a corresponding decrease in microvessel density. Taken together, our results use a primary tumor model to show that sarcomas can be generated by loss of NF1 and Ink4a/Arf, and that these tumors are sensitive to MEK inhibition by direct effects on tumor cells and the surrounding microenvironment. These studies suggest that MEK inhibitors should be further explored as potential sarcoma therapies in patients with tumors containing NF1 deletion. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(9); 1906–17. 2013 AACR.