Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Culturally responsive literacy instruction: a case study of a Fe y Alegria school in Bolivia

This study addresses the problem of a lack of culturally responsive literacy instruction in poor and marginalized communities, in developing countries. Relatedly, the study addresses factors that affect the implementation of this instruction, specifically the training of teachers to provide culturally responsive literacy instruction. This research provides a grounded description of how teachers in a Bolivian Fe y Alegria school use culturally responsive literacy instruction in the classroom and what factors affect their ability to do so. This case study was based on qualitative data collected from participant interviews, classroom and community observations and analysis of school and government documents. This study concludes that in this setting, despite the Fe y Alegria school's philosophy that reflects the aspects of culturally responsive instruction, few instances of this type of pedagogy in practice were observed. The data revealed rich and varied literacy practices within the community context. However, the data also suggested gaps between the home literacy practices and the literacy practices students were exposed to at school. As well, during the course of teacher interviews regarding formal and informal training, the data supports previous findings in other research that teacher training programs in the developing world were theory laden and for the most part impractical. This study contributes to a small but, hopefully, growing base of research on culturally responsive schools, give educators much needed information on how to consider and utilize the communities' cultural contexts when planning and teaching their students and highlight some of the factors, such as teacher training, that hinder or help the implementation of this type
Association between mean platelet volume levels and inflammation in SLE patients presented with arthritis.

BACKGROUND Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be characterized by periods of remissions and chronic or acute relapses. The complexity of clinical presentation of the SLE patients leads to incorrect evaluation of disease activity. Mean platelet volume (MPV) has been studied as a simple inflammatory marker in several diseases. There is no study in the literature about MPV levels in adult SLE patients with arthritis. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the MPV levels in the SLE population with arthritis during and between activations. METHODS The study consisted of 44 SLE patients with arthritis in activation period (Group 1), the same 44 SLE patients with arthritis in remission period (Group 2) and 44 healthy controls (Group 3). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), creactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count, platelet count, and mean platelet volume (MPV) levels were retrospectively recorded from patient files. RESULTS The mean ages of the SLE subjects were 42 ± 16 years, while the mean ages of controls was 41 ± 17 years. MPV was significantly lower in Group 1(7.66±0.89fL) than in Group 2 (8.61±1.06 fL) and Group 3(8.62±1.11fL) (p<0.0001). The differences between groups reached statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that MPV levels decrease in patients with arthritis of SLE activation when compared to the same patients in remission and healthy controls.
Pyrolytic Graphite Heat Sinks: A Study of Circuit Board Applications

Pyrolytic graphite (PG) is of interest as a heat sink and heat exchanger material because it has a thermal conductivity greater than copper with a density less than aluminum. However, its anisotropic molecular structure creates a significant challenge to the realization of practical thermal performance benefits. The current computational study compares the performance of a high-thermal conductivity PG, Pyroid® HT, to aluminum over a design space that focuses on circuit board component cooling. The applications considered in this paper include flat-plate thermal spreaders and finned heat sinks. The results are presented in a form that can be used to provide material and geometry selection during preliminary design. The competition between the size of the heat source, the thickness of the spreader, its size, and the strength of the forced convection is quantitatively presented. In addition, the thicknesses that provide the optimal performance are determined and the performance is compared with a thickness that would be approximately cost neutral. A single isotropic analytical fin model is used to quantitatively establish the fin sizes and aspect ratios that would demonstrate the largest performance benefit if made from PG. Finally, the impact of Pyroid® on the size of finned heat sinks is examined.
Magnetic resonance imaging of children without sedation: preparation with simulation.

OBJECTIVE It was hypothesized that a scanner simulator that replicates the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment could be used to prepare pediatric subjects for successful completion of a diagnostic-quality MRI examination without pharmacological sedation. METHOD Sixteen healthy children, 6 to 17 years of age, were matched for age and sex with 16 psychotropic medication-naive children with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Distress was measured throughout simulation and scanning procedures using heart rate and a self-report distress scale. Ten healthy children, 6 to 17 years of age, also underwent the same actual MRI scanning procedure but did not undergo the simulation scanning procedure. RESULTS Significant decreases in heart rate and self-reported distress level were observed in all subjects during the simulator session that were maintained to the end of the actual scanner experience. All subjects successfully completed MRI examinations without chemical restraint. Subjects who were not trained in the simulator had higher heart rates and self-reported distress levels in the actual scanner than did simulation-trained subjects. CONCLUSIONS Simulation without pharmacological sedation successfully prepared pediatric subjects in this pilot study for high-quality MRI studies. Subject preparation may be an alternative procedure to sedation for routine MRI examination in healthy and anxious children 6 years of age and older.
Peripheral Expression of Rod Photoreceptor Arrestin Induces an Epitope-Specific, Protective Response Against Experimental Autoimmune Uveoretinitis

Purpose: To examine the immunological basis for reduced susceptibility to experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) in rats expressing retinal photoreceptor cell arrestin in the periphery. Methods: Peripheral expression of arrestin in Lewis rats was achieved by engraftment of syngeneic bone marrow (BM) transduced with retroviruses encoding wild-type arrestin or a mutant arrestin lacking the immunodominant epitope Arr273 − 289 (Δ 273-Arr). EAU was induced by immunization with arrestin peptides Arr273−289 or Arr343−362. Cultured splenocytes and/or lymphocytes from immunized rats were assayed for antigen-induced proliferation, antibody production, and cytokines. Results: Rats expressing Δ 273-Arr were not protected from Arr273 − 289-induced EAU, showing that protection was epitope specific. Proliferation assays found little difference in the ability of draining lymph node cells from arrestin-transduced rats to proliferate in response to the antigen, indicating that antigen-responsive T cells were not deleted in BM recipients. Only rats immunized with Arr343 − 362 elicited antibodies, but no difference in titer was found between transduced and control animals. Higher levels of IFN-γ mRNA were made by Arr273 − 289-immunized rats than Arr343 − 366-immunized rats, but in either case, the levels did not correlate with chimeric status or EAU susceptibility. Arr273 − 289-immunized rats had higher levels of IL-10 mRNA than Arr343 − 362-immunized rats, and those levels were decreased in arrestin chimeric rats. Overall, immunization with the more potently uveitogenic Arr343 − 362 induced lower levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ than the less uveitogenic Arr273 − 289. A strong correlation was found between the ability of lymphocytes to make IL-4 in the arrestin-chimeric animals and inhibition of EAU. Conclusions: Peripheral expression of arrestin in a regenerating immune system induces an epitope-specific protective response to EAU induced by arrestin peptides. Although IL-4 and IL-10 levels were altered in arrestin-chimeric mice, the outcome was not consistently TH2-like. Only IL-4 production was clearly associated with reduced susceptibility to EAU.
Mutations in the Yeast MRF1 Gene Encoding Mitochondrial Release Factor Inhibit Translation on Mitochondrial Ribosomes*

Although the control of mitochondrial translation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been studied extensively, the mechanism of termination remains obscure. Ten mutations isolated in a genetic screen for read-through of premature stop codons in mitochondrial genes were localized in the chromosomal gene encoding the mitochondrial release factor mRF1. The mrf1-13 and mrf1-780 mutant genes, in contrast to other alleles, caused a non-respiratory phenotype that correlated with decreased expression of mitochondrial genes as well as a reporter ARG8m gene inserted into mitochondrial DNA. The steady-state levels of several mitochondrially encoded proteins, but not their mRNAs, were dramatically decreased in mrf1-13 and mrf1-780 cells. Structural models of mRF1 were constructed, allowing localization of residues substituted in the mrf1 mutants and offering an insight into the possible mechanism by which these mutations change the mitochondrial translation termination fidelity. Inhibition of mitochondrial translation in mrf1-13 and mrf1-780 correlated with the three-dimensional localization of the mutated residues close to the PST motif presumably involved in the recognition of stop codons in mitochondrial mRNA.
Competitive CBFbeta/MYH11 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for quantitative assessment of minimal residual disease during postremission therapy in acute myeloid leukemia with inversion(16): a pilot study.

PURPOSE (1) Quantification of minimal residual disease (MRD) by competitive CBFbeta/MYH11 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and inversion(16) [inv(16)] during postremission therapy, (2) comparison of this method with conventional two-step RT-PCR, and (3) evaluation of a potential prognostic value. PATIENTS AND METHODS MRD of six consecutive adult patients with AML and inv(16)(p13;q22) or t(16;16)(p13;q22) who entered complete remission (CR) was monitored by competitive CBFbeta/MYH11 RT-PCR in their bone marrow (BM) during postremission therapy with high-dose cytarabine (HiDAC) or after BM transplantation with a matched unrelated-donor marrow (MUD-BMT) during an observation period of 4.5 to 27 months after initiation of treatment. RESULTS Competitive PCR showed a gradual decline by at least 4 orders of magnitude after 7 to 9 months in patients in continuous CR (CCR), while one patient who relapsed after 13.5 months only achieved a reduction by 2 orders of magnitude at the end of consolidation therapy. A rapid decrease below the detection limit was observed within 1 month in two patients after MUD-BMT. A temporary reappearance of molecular MRD was observed in these patients during immunosuppression for graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). After reduction of immunosuppression, the level of MRD dropped again below the PCR detection limit. Molecular monitoring by conventional two-step RT-PCR yielded comparable results only when multiple assays per time point were performed, while single-assay RT-PCR gave misleading results. CONCLUSION Competitive RT-PCR is a valuable tool for molecular monitoring during postremission chemotherapy, as well as after BMT.
Growth and immortalization of human myeloma cells in immunodeficient severe combined immunodeficiency mice: a preclinical model

Human multiple myeloma (MM) purified tumour cells readily undergo apoptosis in vitro. Interleukin 6 (IL‐6), a main growth factor of tumour cells, has enabled the development of IL‐6‐dependent MM cell lines. Recently, we developed anti‐gp130 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), two of which (B1 + I2) were able to dimerize gp130 and replace IL‐6 in vitro. We show here that the injection of B1 + I2 IL‐6 agonistic mAbs via the inguinal subcutaneous (SC) route efficiently produced tumours in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice grafted with IL‐6‐dependent myeloma cell lines compared with either the intraperitoneal (IP) or abdominal surgical bursa (SB) routes. The SC tumour graft, together with Matrigel and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), leads to a strong vascularization and early detection of serum human immunoglobulins (huIgs). SCID mice treated with B1 + I2 mAbs were injected with fresh MM cells from five patients, four of whom had consistent levels of huIgs, and tumour growth was present in two. For one patient, tumour plasma cells that were passed several times subcutaneously in new SCID mice, still expressed their initial markers after several months. They remained unable to grow in vitro in the presence of B1 + I2 or IL‐6. The nature of the SCID factors involved and the triggered genes are under investigation.
Isolation and Characterization of ΦGF1, a Morphotype C3 Bacteriophage that Infects Escherichia coli

It has been isolated a lytic bacteriophage specific to Escherichia coli, which can infect at least one different bacterial group. Phage ФGF1 was isolated from a wastewater treatment plant. It is resistant to the effect of chloroform and is stable at 40 and 50 °C. In addition, it is stable in the range of pH 5-8. Its host range is wide, infecting even strains from another genus such as Shigella. The one-step growth curve yielded a short latent period of 15 minutes and a burst size of 85 PFU per infected cell. Under the electron microscope, this phage presents the C3 morphotype, extremely rare among members of the Podoviridae family. Phage ФGF1 shows some characteristics that could be considered useful in biocontrol applications against E. coli. Keywords: Bacteriophage, Escherichia coli, morphotype C3, Podoviridae. IMPORTANCE Wastewater throughout the world is a heavy carrier of potential pathogens that live in their environment along with other biological agents, such as bacteriophages, which play a controlling role of the bacterial populations there, as in soil. The description of the diversity of such bacteriophages is of paramount importance since they could be used to intentionally reduce or remove those pathogens from that environment. Our work describes a bacteriophage that lives primarily in this type of water.
AP-3-dependent Mechanisms Control the Targeting of a Chloride Channel (ClC-3) in Neuronal and Non-neuronal Cells*

Adaptor protein (AP)-2 and AP-3-dependent mechanisms control the sorting of membrane proteins into synaptic vesicles. Mouse models deficient in AP-3, mocha, develop a neurological phenotype of which the central feature is an alteration of the luminal synaptic vesicle composition. This is caused by a severe reduction of vesicular levels of the zinc transporter 3 (ZnT3). It is presently unknown whether this mocha defect is restricted to ZnT3 or encompasses other synaptic vesicle proteins capable of modifying synaptic vesicle contents, such as transporters or channels. In this study, we identified a chloride channel, ClC-3, whose level in synaptic vesicles and hippocampal mossy fiber terminals was reduced in the context of the mocha AP-3 deficiency. In PC-12 cells, ClC-3 was present in transferrin receptor-positive endosomes, where it was targeted to synaptic-like microvesicles (SLMV) by a mechanism sensitive to brefeldin A, a signature of the AP-3-dependent route of SLMV biogenesis. ClC-3 was packed in SLMV along with the AP-3-targeted synaptic vesicle protein ZnT3. Co-segregation of ClC-3 and ZnT3 to common intracellular compartments was functionally significant as revealed by increased vesicular zinc transport with increased ClC3 expression. Our work has identified a synaptic vesicle protein in which trafficking to synaptic vesicles is regulated by AP-3. In addition, our findings indicate that ClC-3 and ZnT3 reside in a common vesicle population where they functionally interact to determine vesicle luminal composition.
Over-expression of a Codon Optimized Yeast Cytosolic Pyruvate Carboxylase (PYC2) in CHO Cells for an Augmented Lactate Metabolism

Monoclonal antibodies are the most demanding biotherapeutic drugs now a days used for the cure of various critical illnesses. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are one of the main hosts used for the large scale production of these antibodies. However, the cell line and production processes are the key factors to determine the cost and affordability of these antibodies. The metabolic waste lactic acid and ammonium are accumulated during a cell culture process and adversely affects productivity as well as product quality. To control the lactate metabolism of mAb (IgG1-kappa) producing CHO clones, we super-transfected the cells with a mammalian construct bearing codon optimized yeast cytosolic pyruvate carboxylase (PYC2) and a strong fusion promoter for optimal expression of PYC2 enzyme. A pool study was also performed for the assessment of cell’s performance, post-translational modification of a mAb and its expression in a CHO clone. The current study resulted an improved mAb titer up to 5%, galactosylation up to 2.5-folds, mannosylation up to twofold and marginal improved main and basic peaks in the charge variant profile at the cell pool stage. Such, approach may be suitable for the implementation in CHO cells producing recombinant protein for a better process control for the production of biotherapeutics.
Hormone withdrawal-associated symptoms: Comparison of oestradiol valerate/dienogest versus ethinylestradiol/norgestimate

Abstract Objectives To determine the effect of oestradiol valerate/dienogest (E2V/DNG) versus ethinylestradiol/norgestimate (EE/NGM) on hormone-withdrawal associated symptoms (HWAS) in otherwise healthy women who had experienced at least one of these symptoms when using 21/7-day combined oral contraceptives (COCs). Methods This phase III, parallel-group study randomised 409 women aged 18 to 50 years to E2V/DNG or EE/NGM. The primary efficacy variable was the change from baseline to cycle 6 in the average of the three highest visual analogue scale values for headache and/or pelvic pain during cycle days 22 to 28. Results In total, 395 were included in the full analysis set (E2V/DNG, n = 191; EE/NGM, n = 204). E2V/DNG reduced the symptoms of headache or pelvic pain during cycle days 22 to 28 from baseline to cycle 6 to a significantly greater extent than EE/NGM (mean decrease 43.6 vs. 35.5 mm; p = 0.0024). Both treatments were well tolerated with a similar proportion of women experiencing adverse events that were considered at least possibly related to treatment (35% E2V/DNG vs. 34% EE/NGM). Conclusions E2V/DNG reduces the frequency and intensity of headache and pelvic pain to a greater extent than EE/NGM, and may be a good option for women susceptible to HWAS with conventional 21/7-day COCs.
Retrieval of snow characteristics from spaceborne scatterometer data

We study the feasibility of using space borne scatterometer (QuikScat onboard SeaWinds) data for retrieval of snow parameters in Finland: onset of snow melt, end of snow melt, and fraction of snow-covered area during the seasonal snow melting period. The results are based on satellite and ground truth data for 21 test sites in Finland covering the winters of 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. Radar-derived time series of snowmelt are produced and compared with corresponding snow products based on optical MODIS spectrometer data.
A survival analysis of metastatic breast cancer in Pakistani patients.

OBJECTIVE To determine the overall survival of metastatic breast cancer in the Pakistani patients and compare it with published information. METHOD The design was a retrospective analysis of metastatic breast cancer patients from breast cancer database. A total of 137 patient based information was available for review and analysis. RESULTS An overall median survival of 2.83 years was noted in metastatic breast cancer patients. CONCLUSION This survival figure in this study compares favorably to those published in the literature.
Prizes for *development: The political economy of subsidizing good institutional outcomes

PRIZES FOR DEVELOPMENT: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SUBSIDIZING GOOD INSTITUTIONAL OUTCOMES William M. Butterfield, Ph.D. George Mason University, 2008 Dissertation Director: Dr. Roger D. Congleton This dissertation sets out to understand how the effectiveness of foreign aid in promoting economic growth in low-and middle-income countries could be improved. It does this by merging the political economy/public choice literature, the industrial organization literature, and the literature on development aid effectiveness and then developing a theory based on this previous work. The dissertation is in eight chapters. Chapter I introduces and outlines the arguments of the paper and demonstrates that institutions, more than any other factor, are the fundamental cause of long-run economic growth. Chapter II reviews the literature on barriers to institutional reform, exploring the political economy/public choice problems in-depth and demonstrating that countries can get caught in a trap of non-development and therefore a case for intervention exists. Chapter III reviews the literature on Official Development Assistance (ODA) effectiveness, demonstrating that it largely finds that ODA in the form of subsidized inputs such as capital has failed to achieve its stated objective of facilitating economic growth in lowand middle-income countries and outlining possible theoretical reasons for this failure. Chapter IV reviews the history of ODA designed to influence policy outputs, such as conditional loans and selective disbursements, finding that such efforts also failed to make ODA directly cause growth, yet arguing that such innovations were a very positive step in the right direction. Chapter V demonstrates empirically that foreign aid has been moving in the right direction by rewarding improved institutions as it is found that changes in ODA are increasingly positively correlated with changes in indicators of institutional quality over time, thus supporting the notion that even though ODA may not support economic growth directly, the future of foreign aid is to function as a mechanism to produce political incentives compatible with the creation of institutions that lead to good economic outcomes. Chapter VI analyzes advantages realized by moving away from the practice of subsidizing inputs and outputs and toward a system where cashtransfer type “prizes” are awarded on a rule-based system. Grants or prizes that are conditioned on pre-defined improvements in institutional and/or economic outcomes solve most of the informational, principal-agent, and political economy problems outlined in the previous chapters. Chapter VII provides further applications by suggesting ways that poor governments can support infrastructure development and spur industrialization at home using the model developed here. Finally, Chapter VIII is a short conclusion that reviews the arguments of the dissertation.