Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Student perceptions of peer assessment: an interdisciplinary study

Peer assessment provides students with multiple benefits during their learning process. The aim of our study is to examine students’ perception of peer assessment. Questionnaires were administered before and after the peer-assessment process to 416 students studying 11 different subjects in four different fields taught at the University of Girona. Results suggest that students have a positive predisposition towards this methodology, both before and after its implementation. Students perceive it as a both motivating and recommended methodology that facilitates the acquisition of learning at different levels. As for its limitations, students highlight the responsibility that comes with it and a certain amount of distrust in fellow students’ abilities to peer-assess.
ISOLATION AND SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF THE Na+/H+ ANTIPORTER cDNA FROM Atriplex halimus AND Suaeda pruinosa

Two Egyptian native (non-domesticated) plant species, Atriplex halimus L. , and Suaeda pruinosa from family Amaranthacae were collected from North West Coast of Marsa Matrouh governorate, Egypt under abiotic stress. For cDNA synthesizing and analysis, it is essential to isolate RNA in good quality and quantity to be used for RT-PCR amplification. Two protocols; TRIzol® Reagent with RNeasy Plant Mini Kit for RNA cleanup and RNeasy Plant Mini Kits plus polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) were evaluated for their efficiency in RNA isolation. Both methods proved to be suitable for isolating RNA from plants rich in secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds as they produced pure and with reasonable amount of RNA, without contamination with DNA. The ultimate goal of this study was to identify the vacuolar antiporter NHX1 candidate genes from Egyptian Atriplex halimus and Suaeda pruinosa. Multiple sequence alignments were conducted to NHX1 genes from plants related to Atriplex and Suaeda to identify the conserved regions and to design primers for cloning those genes. According to NHX1 family conserved region, several primers were synthesis either to amplify the full genes or core regions of the genes. Phusion Taq DNA Polymerase for RT-PCR amplification for cDNAs took place. Only touchdown PCR program (TD-PCR) succeeded in amplifying the cDNAs of the Na+/H+ antiporter genes when using with Phusion Taq. This technique increased specificity, sensitivity and yield to amplify cDNA. The obtained cDNA vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter gene AhNHX1 from both Atriplex halimus and Suaeda pruinosa were sequenced and submitted to GenBank under accession numbers KJ452334.1 and KJ452335.1, respectively. Alignment of the amino acid sequences revealed highly conserved regions representing vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter. Computer analysis for the prediction of amino acid sequence of AhNHX1 and SpNHX1 recognized different domains including amiloride-binding domain (85LFFIYLPPI94), NHE (Na+/H+ exchange) domain, and 10 and 9 trans-membrane segments (TM). In addition, phylogenetic relationship analysis indicated that AhNHX1 and SpNHX1 were clustered into the vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter group. The obtained results indicated that AhNHX1 and SpNHX1 genes are new members of the vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter families.
Miller Fisher−Guillain−Barré overlap syndrome during the Zika Virus outbreak

Miller Fisher is a variant of Guillain–Barre syndrome, presented mainly with ataxia, areflexia and ophthalmoplegia. After the 2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak, an association between Guillain–Barre syndrome and ZIKV was established. ZIKV is a mosquito–borne–flavivirus, considered a mild disease with symptoms including fever, rash, conjunctivitis, and arthralgia. Most of cases with ZIKV infection are asymptomatic, however in neurologic complications including Guillain–Barre syndrome, symptoms could evolve leading to fatalities. A case of Miller Fisher–Guillain–Barre overlap syndrome during the 2016 ZIKV outbreak is presented.
Consumer sensory evaluation of meat from South African goat genotypes fed on a dietary supplement

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of genotype and supplementary feeding on sensory scores of chevon from different indigenous goat genotypes prepared using different thermal treatments. 48 6-month-old Xhosa lop-eared (XLE), Nguni (NGN), Xhosa-Boer cross (XBC) and Boer (BOR) castrated goats with a body weight range of between 20 and 25 kg was used in the study. Half of the goats were supplemented with 200 g per head per day of sunflower cake. A consumer sensory evaluation was done with consumers of different ages, tribes and gender. In the non-supplemented XLE and BOR goats, the aroma intensity scores of the fried meat were significantly higher than the cooked meat. Female respondents gave higher (P < 0.05) scores than male respondents for both cooked and fried meat on aroma intensity. Shona consumers gave higher (P < 0.05) aroma intensity scores than the Xhosa and the Zulu consumers for both cooked and fried meat. In the non-supplemented goats, fried meat for all the genotypes was superior (P < 0.05) to the cooked meat for initial impression of juiciness. The age and gender of respondents and thermal treatment influenced initial impression of juiciness scores (P < 0.05). In meat from the non-supplemented XLE and NGN goats, the consumers gave higher (P < 0.05) muscle fibre and overall tenderness scores in cooked meat than the fried meat. Key words: Dietary supplementation, fried chevon, cooked chevon, Xhosa lop-eared goats, Nguni goats, Boer goats.
Effect of silicon on rice blast disease

Silicon is the second most plentiful element in soil and is beneficial for a large variety of plants. It is concentrated in plant tissues in quantities similar to that of macronutrients. Considerable damages to plants caused by abiotic stresses such as drought stress, salinity stress, heavy metal stress and nutrient imbalance, as well as biotic stresses like insect pests and pathogens and even herbivorous attacks, have been reported to be reduced significantly by silicon application. Among rice diseases, blast is recognized as the most devastating one. Silicon fertilization has been reported to be efficacious in controlling and mitigating rice blast severity. Two different hypotheses are proposed for the ability of silicon to lessen disease severity. The first hypothesis emphasizes on silicon function as a mechanical barrier against appressorial penetration, while the second hypothesis is based upon the belief that silicon has some physiological roles in disease resistance.
Expression of Human Chloride Channels ClC1 or ClC2 Revert the Petite Phenotype of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae GEF1 Mutant

The mechanism of activation of the yeast ClC chloride channel/transporter GEF1 is unknown, and in this study we tested the ability of human ClC1 and ClC2, two channels with different activation kinetics, to revert the petite phenotype of a strain whose GEF1 gene was deleted. We found that when the human channels are expressed in a low-copy plasmid, the reversion of the phenotype does not occur; in contrast, when the channels are over expressed by means of a strong transcriptional promoter in a multiple-copy plasmid, the cells reach the normal size, and show a normal membrane surface and oxygen consumption. To determine the size variationsof individual cells, we employed flow-cytometry as a quantitative tool to evaluate the petite phenotype. These results suggest that the human ClC channels, when abundantly present in the cells, can support the metabolism disrupted in the knock-out strain. We also observed that the fluorescence emitted by GFP-tagged channels was found mostly towards the periphery of the wt yeast, whereas in the GEF1 knock-out it was detected in intracellular clusters. GFP-tagged channels expressed in X. laevis oocytes produced robust currents and did not show any evident difference with respect to the normal ClCs, whereas Gep1p did not show voltage-dependent activation.
Aerococcus sp. with an antimycobacterial effect

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that causes fatality every year because of drugs resistance of the Mycobacterium complex; this is why the development of new antibiotics becomes an urgent need. To reach that target, a main approach was led; consisting on screening of active substances producing microorganism. In this study, we reported data on a strain that was isolated from different areas of Fez (Morocco), which present an antagonistic effect against Mycobacterium smegematis and possessed a large spectrum against bacteria of Gram positive and negative. The antimycobacterial compounds producer, ZI1, was identified as Aerococcus sp. on the basis of PCR amplification of 16S ribosomal RNA gene followed by sequencing (99 and 100% of homology, respectively by RS16 and FD1), and by using biochemical tests, the unknown bacterium ZI1 was so close to either the species Aerococcus viridans or Aerococcus urinaeequi , but it was distinguishable from the other five Aerococcus species. The antimycobacterial compounds were synthesised in the exponential growth phase of Aerococcus sp. and were fully affected following heat treatment and protolytic enzymes which indicated the proteinaceous nature of the active agents. Key words : Tuberculosis, antimycobacterial compounds, Aerococcus sp
Development and gorillas? : assessing fifteen years of integrated conservation and development in south-western Uganda

This report summarises the findings of a study, conducted between 2001 and 2002, which aimed to test the effectiveness of these strategies in reconciling biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development interests, in particular through interventions that both improved livelihoods and resulted in increased support for biodiversity conservation, in terms of the attitudes and behaviours of local communities. The study reviewed some of the common assumptions associated with ICD interventions, specifically those that seek to link local people to park resources and those that seek to break this link.
DNA SINGLE-MOLECULE FORCE SPECTROSCOPY STUDIES

Structural deformation of DNA has a central role in many biological processes. It occurs, for example, during replication, transcription, and regulation of the activity of the genome. To understand these fundamental processes it is necessary to have a detailed knowledge of the mechanical properties of DNA. How DNA responds to longitudinal stress has been studied on the single-molecule level for over two decades. Early it was discovered that torsionally relaxed double-stranded (ds) DNA undergoes a structural transition when subjected to forces of about 60-70 pN. During this overstretching transition the contour length of the DNA increases by up to 70% without complete strand dissociation. Since its discovery, a debate has arisen as to whether the DNA molecule adopts a new form or denatures under the applied tension. In the work of this thesis the overstretching transition is studied using optical tweezers to extend individual dsDNA molecules of 60 – 122 base pairs. By stretching short designed molecules of variable base-composition and with structural modification, factors determining the outcome of the process could be isolated and investigated. The structural changes induced during the transition vary depending on the stability of the dsDNA. Sequences that have a high GC-content are demonstrated to undergo a reversible overstretching transition into a longer form that remains base-paired. At high salt concentrations, this form of DNA, referred to as S-form, is found to be stable for extended periods of time, while at low salt it quickly denatures. AT-rich sequences are found to denature under tension in two different ways: if the AT-rich domain has one free end, melting will occur by progressive peeling of one strand from the other. When peeling is inhibited, here using synthetic inter-strand crosslinks, melting instead occurs internally within the sequence. The results presented here refine our knowledge of DNA mechanics, essential for understanding how proteins in our cells interact with DNA.
Regional impacts of global change: seasonal trends in extreme rainfall, run-off and temperature in two contrasting regions of Morocco

Abstract. In Morocco, socio-economic activities are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events. This study investigates trends in mean and extreme rainfall, run-off and temperature, as well as their relationship with large-scale atmospheric circulation. It focuses on two Moroccan watersheds: the subhumid climate region of Bouregreg in the north and the semi-arid region of Tensift in the south, using data from 1977 to 2003. The study is based on a set of daily temperature, precipitation and run-off time series retrieved from weather stations in the two regions. Results do not show a homogeneous behaviour in the two catchments; the influence of the large-scale atmospheric circulation is different and a clear spatial dependence of the trend analysis linked to the distance from the coast and the mountains can be observed. Overall, temperature trends are mostly positive in the studied area, while weak statistically significant trends can be identified in seasonal rainfall, extreme rainfall events, average run-off and extreme run-off events.
CENTURY‐SCALE DEVELOPMENT OF POLYGON‐PATTERNED TUNDRA WETLAND, BYLOT ISLAND (73° N, 80° W)

Previous studies in tundra ecology provide evidence for sensitivity of the vegetation–soil complex to climate. Short-term experiments (≤10 yr) suggest that climate change may have a decade-scale effect on soil moisture, decomposition and nutrient availability, plant phenology, and plant growth. In contrast, there exists little evidence to confirm or refute the role of climate in structuring tundra vegetation over longer time scales (10 to 1000 yr). This study accordingly examines ∼1500 yr in the stratigraphy of two permafrost sediment cores from a High Arctic, polygon-patterned, graminoid–moss tundra. Present-day bryophyte–environment relationships are quantified, and the radiocarbon-dated macrofossil record of bryophytes is used to reconstruct past changes in soil moisture. The paleoecological record is characterized by pronounced variability during polygon development. As the hydrology of tundra polygons is controlled by known climatic and geomorphologic mechanisms, the recurrent development of polygon vegetation (cf. hydrologic change) is compared to an independent paleoclimatic proxy for net radiation (Rn). Based on this comparison, the vegetation provides support for a pronounced shift to colder and wetter conditions during the Little Ice Age (∼300–465 yr BP), though the long-term response to past climate change is otherwise equivocal. We suggest accordingly that autogenic geomorphologic-vegetation processes may have been generally more important than climate in the long-term development of the polygon-patterned wetland examined. A framework for such processes is presented. We caution that previous research to simulate and describe the effects of climate warming might not have properly accounted for the dynamic role of geomorphology in regulating tundra microclimate.
Effect of microfinance services on the growth of women owned small and medium enterprises in Ruiru Sub-county

x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.1.1 Microfinance Services . 2 1.1.2 Growth of Women Owned Small and Medium Enterprises . 4 1.1.3 Microfinance Services and Growth of Women Owned SMEs . 5 1.1. 4 SMEs in Ruiru Sub-county . 7 1.2 Research Problem . 7 1.2. 1 Objective of the Study . 9 1.3 Value of the Study. 9 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 11 2.
Four Current Meter Models Compared in Strong Currents in Drake Passage

AbstractSeven current meters representing four models on a stiffly buoyed mooring were placed for an 11-month deployment to intercompare their velocity measurements: two vector-measuring current meters (VMCMs), two Aanderaa recording current meter (RCM) 11s, two Aanderaa SEAGUARDs, and a Nortek Aquadopp. The current meters were placed 6-m apart from each other at about 4000-m depth in an area of Drake Passage expected to have strong currents, nearly independent of depth near the bottom. Two high-current events occurred in bursts of semidiurnal pulses lasting several days, one with peak speeds up to 67 cm s−1 and the other above 35 cm s−1. The current-speed measurements all agreed within 7% of the median value when vector averaged over simultaneous time intervals. The VMCMs, chosen as the reference measurements, were found to measure the median of the mean-current magnitudes. The RCM11 and SEAGUARD current speeds agreed within 2% of the median at higher speeds (35–67 cm s−1), whereas in lower speed ranges .
PARTICLE MATTER FROM A DIESEL ENGINE FUELED WITH JATROPHA CURCAS OIL BIODIESEL AND ULTRA-LOW SULPHUR DIESEL

Biodiesels are promoted as alternative fuels due to their potential to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and carbon emissions. Research in this field has focused on the study of the emissions of light duty vehicles. However, particle matter and gaseous emissions emitted from heavy-duty diesel engines fueled by Jatropha Oil Biodiesel (JOB) and Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) has not been studied. The objective of this study is to explore the performance and emission levels of a Cummins 4-stroke, 4.8 liter, 4-cylinder diesel engine with common rail fuel injection, equipped with a cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). There was a substantial reduction by the use of JOB in unburned hydrocarbons (- 45%), carbon monoxide (- 75%), and particulate matter (- 25%) compared to emission from diesel fuel. At mid and high loads, NOx emissions were higher for JOB compared to ULSD. Most of the particles (64%) for ULSD were in a range of between 40 and 560 nm. On the other hand, most of the particles (94%) for JCB mode were between 6 and 40 nm. In the range between 6 and 40 nm, mass mean diameters in ULSD were 34.4, 34.7 and 33.3 nm while for JOB they were 21.3, 18.2 and 20.1 nm for 100, 50 for a 10% load, respectively.
Afferent Neural Branching at Human Acupuncture Points: Do Needles Stimulate or Inhibit?

Abstract Background: Acupuncture has previously been considered to be stimulatory to the nervous system; however, the specific mechanism for this remains unknown, with the few published studies of acupuncture-point histology showing reduced numbers of nerves and neural receptors at acupuncture-point sites. Objective: This study was undertaken to visualize the neuroanatomic features of acupuncture points in humans. Materials and Methods: Light microscopy was performed on silver-stained sections of a human cadaver at P 6, and confocal microscopy was performed on PgP9.5 and P2X3 immunostained sections of 2 points (GB 20 and SP 6) from a live human volunteer. Results: At each point, but not at control sites, a single nerve bundle extending to the dermal–epidermal junction was identified where it branched into two parts, with each branch running perpendicularly, parallel to the dermal–epidermal junction. Conclusions: Acupuncture may incise afferent unmyelinated axonal branch points, disrupting both neural tran.
A Study of Monetary Transmission Mechanism Convergence and Monetary Policy Effectiveness among Core EMU Members from 1991-2006

In this paper, I study how the implementation of the European Monetary Union (EMU), which involves the adoption of a single currency and a common monetary policy by all members, impacted its core members (Germany, Spain, France and Italy). Specifically, I examine how the implementation of the EMU affected the core members’ experience with macroeconomic shocks and consequently, how effective a common monetary policy is in meeting their individual economic objectives. I use SVARs (Structural Vector Autoregressions) to model the core members’ experience with EMU integration. Using SVARs, I generate impulse response graphs (IRGs) to illustrate how macroeconomic shocks propagate through the monetary transmission mechanisms (MTMs) of the different core EMU countries This article is available in Undergraduate Economic Review: http://digitalcommons.iwu. edu/uer/vol3/iss1/6 Undergraduate Economic Review A publication of Illinois Wesleyan University Vol. III – 2006 2007 Title “A Study of Monetary Transmission Mechanism Convergence and Monetary Policy Effectiveness among Core EMU Members from 1991-2006” Author Bennett Surajat Affiliation Carleton College Abstract In this paper, I study how the implementation of the European Monetary Union (EMU), which involves the adoption of a single currency and a common monetary policy by all members, impacted its core members (Germany, Spain, France and Italy). Specifically, I examine how the implementation of the EMU affected the core members’ experience with macroeconomic shocks and consequently, how effective a common monetary policy is in meeting their individual economic objectives. I use SVARs (Structural Vector Autoregressions) to model the core members’ experience with EMU integration. Using SVARs, I generate impulse response graphs (IRGs) to illustrate how macroeconomic shocks propagate through the monetary transmission mechanisms (MTMs) of the different core EMU countries 1 Surajat: A Study of Monetary Transmission Mechanism Convergence and Moneta Published by Digital Commons @ IWU, 2007 A Study of Monetary Transmission Mechanism Convergence and Monetary Policy Effectiveness among Core EMU Members from 1991-2006 Bennett Surajat
Quantifying AGN-driven metal-enhanced outflows in chemodynamical simulations

We show the effects of AGN-driven outflows on the ejection of heavy elements using our cosmological simulations, where super-massive black holes originate from the first stars. In the most massive galaxy, we have identified two strong outflows unambiguously driven by AGN feedback. These outflows have a speed greater than $\sim 8000$ km\,s$^{-1}$ near the AGN, and travel out to a half Mpc with $\sim 3000$ km\,s$^{-1}$. These outflows remove the remaining gas ($\sim 3$ per cent of baryons) and significant amounts of metals ($\sim 2$ per cent of total produced metals) from the host galaxy, chemically enriching the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and the intergalactic medium (IGM). 17.6 per cent of metals from this galaxy, and 18.4 per cent of total produced metals in the simulation, end up in the CGM and IGM, respectively. The metallicities of the CGM and IGM are higher with AGN feedback, while the mass--metallicity relation of galaxies is not affected very much. We also find `selective' mass-loss where iron is more effectively ejected than oxygen because of the time-delay of Type Ia Supernovae. AGN-driven outflows play an essential role not only in quenching of star formation in massive galaxies to match with observed down-sizing phenomena, but also in a large-scale chemical enrichment in the Universe. Observational constraints of metallicities and elemental abundance ratios in outflows are important to test the modelling of AGN feedback in galaxy formation.
The Returns to Education in Rural Areas

We compare the returns to human capital in rural areas with those in urban areas, and across the different regions of the US. A key finding is that these returns are considerably lower in rural than in urban areas. Furthermore, failure to correct for spatial dependence bias produces an overestimate of the returns to education at the county-level. We also examine various interactions among the regressors to identify the reasons why the returns to education vary between rural and urban areas.