Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Play and Learn: Teachers’ Perceptions About Classroom Video Games

The use of video games to support learning in the classroom became popular over the last two decades. Even though games have proved to be successful not only to improve the learning outcomes but also skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, it is still a challenge to adapt them to the classroom routine. Issues such as the lack of video games that cover the school curriculum, limited time to cover curriculum content and lack of technological resources are some of the barriers that influence teachers’ decisions not to adopt video games. In order to look for solutions that may facilitate the implementation of classroom video games, we collected information of what teachers think about these games. Data was collected through a survey answered by 714 primary and secondary school teachers, which gathered participants’ demographic information and their perceptions about learning through video games. Using Logistic Regression and Decision Tree models, we identified factors that influence or inhibit the adoption of video games by teachers. The results suggest that the adoption of video games is influenced by students’ primary language (English or non-English speaking), motivational features of the video games, how the game relates to the curriculum and the pedagogical underpinning of the game. A significant group of teachers thinks games that are targeted for use in the classroom are pedagogically poorly designed and do not fit for purpose. Other barriers teachers face to using games in class are lack of time and lack of technological resources. These results are important as they indicate which features should be present in an educational game and how these games are used in classroom nowadays. Furthermore, identifying teachers’ opinions and the challenges they face in the classroom video games implementation allow developers and researchers to look for solutions that may facilitate this process.
Confidence in Alternative Dispute Resolution: Experience from Switzerland

Alternative Dispute Resolution plays a crucial role in the justice system of Switzerland. With the unified Swiss Code of Civil Procedure, it is required that each litigation session shall be preceded by an attempt at conciliation before a conciliation authority. However, there has been little research on conciliation authorities and the public's perception of the authorities. This paper looks at public confidence in conciliation authorities and provides results of a survey conducted with more than 3,400 participants. This study found that public confidence in Swiss conciliation authorities is generally high, exceeds the ratings for confidence in cantonal governments and parliaments, but is lower than confidence in courts. Since the institutional models of the conciliation authorities (meaning the organization of the authorities and the selection of the conciliators) differ widely between the 26 Swiss cantons, the influence of the institutional models on public confidence is analyzed. Contrary to assumptions based on New Institutional-ism approaches, this study reports that the institutional models do not impact public confidence. Also, the relationship between a participation in an election of justices of the peace or conciliators and public confidence in these authorities is found to be at most very limited (and negative). Similar to common findings on courts, the results show that general contacts with conciliation authorities decrease public confidence in these institutions whereas a positive experience with a conciliation authority leads to more confidence. The Study was completed as part of the research project 'Basic Research into Court Management in Switzerland', supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Christof Schwenkel is a PhD student at the University of Lucerne and a research associate and project manager at Interface Policy Studies. A first version of this article was presented at the 2013 European Group for Public Administration (EGPA) Annual Conference in Edinburgh.
Effects of Crop Planting Structure Adjustment on Water Use Efficiency in the Irrigation Area of Hei River Basin

The adjustment of crop planting structure can change the process of water and material circulation, and thus affect the total amount of water and evapotranspiration in the irrigation district. To guide the allocation of water resources in the region, it is beneficial to ascertain the effects of changing the crop planting structure on water saving and farmland water productivity in the irrigation district. This paper takes Yingke Irrigation District as the background. According to the continuous observation data from 2012 to 2013, Based on the modified Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and taking advantage of monthly scale remote sensing EvapoTranspiration (ET) and crop growth parameters (leaf area index and shoot dry matter), we tested the simulation accuracy of the model, proposed irrigation efficiency calculation methods considering water drainage, and established the scenario analysis method for the spatial distribution of crop planting structure. Finally, we evaluated the changes in water savings in irrigation district projects and resources, the irrigation water productivity and the net income water productivity under different planting structure scenarios. The results indicate that the efficiency of irrigation has increased by 15~20%, while considering drainage, as compared with conventional irrigation efficiency. Additionally, the adjustment of crop planting structure can reduce regional evapotranspiration by 14.9%, reduce the regional irrigation volume by 30%, and increase the net income of each regional water area by 16%.
Gamma Ray- and EMS-Induced Bold-Seeded High-Yielding Mutants in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Three bold-seeded high-yielding mutants were isolated from the M2 progeny of chickpea var. Pusa-212, viz. Pusa-212 A (200 Gy), Pusa-212 C (400 Gy), and Pusa-212 F (300 Gy + 0.2% EMS). Data on various quantitative traits, such as plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight (g), seed yield (g) per plant, and protein content (%), were recorded for all 3 mutants in the M3 generation. The mutants were morphologically quite distinct, as compared to the control and to each other. The most notable change was in seed size and shape of these mutants, giving them bold characteristics as compared to small seeds in the control. Mean performance of different quantitative traits was significantly better among the mutants as compared to the control, with a few exceptions. Seed protein content did not show any significant positive correlation with seed size and test weight. Heritability estimates were quite high for almost all polygenic traits among the mutants, in comparison to the control. Cytological analysis of the mutants was almost normal, except for a few chromosomal aberrations.
Gene promoter hypermethylation in leukoplakia of the oral mucosa

correspondence: Mingli Liu Department of Physics, Tufts University school of Medicine, 136 harrison Avenue r708, Boston, MA 02111, UsA Tel +1 617 636 2943 Fax +1 617 636 0445 email mingli.liu@tufts.edu Abstract: To examine whether aberrant DNA methylation in the promoter region might occur earlier in tumorigenesis, particularly in premalignant lesions, we examined biopsies from 111 participants in a chemoprevention trial aimed at reversal of oral leukoplakia, using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction for the promoter regions of the tumor suppressor gene CDKN2A (p16), the putative metastasis suppressor gene for death-associated protein kinase (DAP-K), the DNA repair gene O-methyguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT), and the detoxification gene glutathione S-transferase p1(GSTP1). p16 promoter hypermethylation was detected in 21 of 82 (25.6%), DAP-K hypermethylation in 28 of 87 (32.2%), and MGMT hypermethylation in 32 of 106 (30.2%) oral leukoplakia lesions analyzed. No aberrant methylation was found at the GSTP1 gene in 110 lesions examined. Among 68 biopsies analyzed for all three genes (p16, DAP-K, MGMT), 17 biopsies were detected with an abnormal methylation pattern at only one gene, 15 at two genes, and 8 at all three genes. Among clinical characteristics and their correlation with methylation, only alcohol consumption was correlated with DAP-K methylation (P = 0.027), while MGMT methylation was more frequent in females (P = 0.003) and nonsmokers (P = 0.0005). A significant correlation was found between p16 and DAP-K hypermethylation; p16 promoter was methylated in 14 (56%) of 25 lesions with DAP-K methylation, and only 5 (11.1%) of 45 DAP-K methylation-negative lesions (P = 0.0001). DAP-K aberrant methylation was also significantly correlated with MGMT methylation (16 of 31 in MGMT methylation-positive lesions versus 12 of 52 MGMT methylation-negative lesions, P = 0.0016). Our results suggest that epigenetic mechanisms of inactivation, such as aberrant methylation of p16, DAP-K, and MGMT genes, occur early in head and neck tumorigenesis, and might play a role in the progression of these lesions.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Recent Work Title New insight into the role of MMP 14 in metabolic balance Permalink

Membrane-anchored matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) is involved broadly in organ development through both its proteolytic and signal-transducing functions. Knockout of Mmp14 (KO) in mice results in a dramatic reduction of body size and wasting followed by premature death, the mechanism of which is poorly understood. Since the mammary gland develops after birth and is thus dependent for its functional progression on systemic and local cues, we chose it as an organmodel for understanding why KO mice fail to thrive. A global analysis of the mammary glands’ proteome in the wild type (WT) and KO mice provided insight into an unexpected role of MMP14 in maintaining metabolism and homeostasis. We performed mass spectrometry and quantitative proteomics to determine the protein signatures of mammary glands from 7 to 11 days old WT and KO mice and found that KO rudiments had a significantly higher level of rate-limiting enzymes involved in catabolic pathways. Glycogen and lipid levels in KO rudiments were reduced, and the circulating levels of triglycerides and glucose were lower. Analysis of the ultrastructure of mammary glands imaged by electron microscopy revealed a significant increase in autophagy signatures in KO mice. Finally,Mmp14 silencedmammary epithelial cells displayed enhanced autophagy. Applied to a systemic level, these findings indicate that MMP14 is a crucial regulator of tissue homeostasis. If operative on a systemic level, these findings could explain how Mmp14KO litter fail to thrive due to disorder in metabolism. Subjects Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Veterinary Medicine
Performance of pre-sprouted sugarcane seedlings in response to the application of humic acid and plant growth-promoting bacteria

Sugarcane cultivation using pre-sprouted seedlings has decreased the number of stalks used per hectare, increased the multiplication rate, improved seedling health, and increased planting uniformity. However, because this system has been only recently proposed, the number of studies evaluating this new technology is still scarce, particularly those examining the effect of the application of growth-promoting substances on seedling characteristics during the production phase. Here, we hypothesized that it is possible to combine the plant growth-promoting activity of humic acid (HA) with the inoculation of selected strains of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) to improve the yield of sugarcane seedlings compared with the individual application of these two techniques. The potential of the combined use of HA and PGPB as agricultural inputs was evaluated by conducting an experiment with sugarcane micro cuttings in a greenhouse. Treatments included control, PGPB, HA, and PGPB with HA. At the end of the experiment (60 d after planting), the plants were subjected to biometric evaluation. The results indicated that it was possible to combine HA with selected strains of PGPB (Burkholderia sp.) to improve the yield of seedlings compared with individual HA and PGPB treatments. HA, PGPB, and HA + PGPB increased the total dry matter compared with the control by 23%, 25%, and 36%, respectively. Therefore, the use of HA-based plant regulators in combination with PGPB was more effective than the isolated use of these inputs for the treatment of micro cuttings and improvement of sugarcane seedling yield.
Some knots in S^1 x S^2 with lens space surgeries

We propose a classification of knots in S^1 x S^2 that admit a longitudinal surgery to a lens space. Any lens space obtainable by longitudinal surgery on some knots in S^1 x S^2 may be obtained from a Berge-Gabai knot in a Heegaard solid torus of S^1 x S^2, as observed by Rasmussen. We show that there are yet two other families of knots: those that lie on the fiber of a genus one fibered knot and the `sporadic' knots. All these knots in S^1 x S^2 are both doubly primitive and spherical braids. This classification arose from generalizing Berge's list of doubly primitive knots in S^3, though we also examine how one might develop it using Lisca's embeddings of the intersection lattices of rational homology balls bounded by lens spaces as a guide. We conjecture that our knots constitute a complete list of doubly primitive knots in S^1 x S^2 and reduce this conjecture to classifying the homology classes of knots in lens spaces admitting a longitudinal S^1 x S^2 surgery.
Endo and ectoparasites in conventionally maintained rodents laboratory animals

Purpose: One of the most common problems regarding the health conditions of laboratory animals has been the endo and ectoparasites. The aim of this review is to discuss the most important aspects of these disorders in research rodents. Methods: The author performed a review in Pubmed, SieLo and Web of Science using the key words: parasites, rodents, laboratory animals, endoparasites and ectoparasites. The most relevant and recent articles were reviewed and used to elaborate this paper. Isues about clinical simptoms, diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment of the most frequent protozoa, helminths and ectoparasites in laboratory rodents were analysed. Conclusion: This review demonstrates that endo and ectoparasites are common in laboratory rodents, and that veterinary control is essential to get quality control, welfare and health of research animals.
Identification of canine platelet proteins separated by differential detergent fractionation for nonelectrophoretic proteomics analyzed by Gene Ontology and pathways analysis

Abstract During platelet development, proteins necessary for the many functional roles of the platelet are stored within cytoplasmic granules. Platelets have also been shown to take up and store many plasma proteins into granules. This makes the platelet a potential novel source of biomarkers for many disease states. Approaches to sample preparation for proteomic studies for biomarkers search vary. Compared with traditional two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis systems, nonelectrophoretic proteomics methods that employ offline protein fractionation methods such as the differential detergent fractionation method have clear advantages. Here we report a proteomic survey of the canine platelet proteome using differential detergent fractionation coupled with mass spectrometry and functional modeling of the canine platelet proteins identified. A total of 5,974 unique proteins were identified from platelets, of which only 298 (5%) had previous experimental evidence of in vivo expression. The use of offline prefractionation of canine proteins by differential detergent fractionation resulted in greater proteome coverage as compared with previous reports. This initial study contributes to a broader understanding of canine platelet biology and aids functional research, identification of potential treatment targets and biomarkers, and sets a new standard for the resting platelet proteome.
EFFECT OF GROWTH REGULATORS ON IN VITRO GERMINATION OF COCONUT MATAG 2 ZYGOTIC EMBRYOS IN LIQUID AND SOLID CULTURE MEDIA

A protocol for the in vitro germination of coconut embryos was developed. Coconut MatagF2 embryos were screened for in vitro germination on MS and Y3 media containing different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 10.0 mg/L) of BAPor NAA. Less tissue browning was observed when the culture media contained less than 1.0 mg/L BAP or NAA. The best embryo expansion (250%) was observed using Y3 medium containing 0.5 mg/L BAP, which caused only 20% tissue browning. Compared with solid culture media, a liquid medium (with agar excluded) was more conducive to embryo germination, resulting in 90% bud shoot initiation and 480% embryo expansion being achieved when supplemented with 0.5mg/L each of BAP and NAA.This protocol could facilitate the production of large numbers of germinated embryos useful in an in vitro micropropagati on system for Matag coconut.
Testing relationships between spectator’s motives and points of attachment in mixed martial arts in Poland

From the perspective of attendance and viewership, mix ed martial arts (MMA) rapidly became one of the most de man ded spectator sport in Poland [1,2]. Despite this popularity, MMA in some circles is still considered controversial, primarily due to an amount of sanctioned violence [3]. Further more, the reasons behind the attractiveness of MMA from the spectators’ perspective are scarce, especially in Europe. In this study, starting from the framework, which divides people attending sporting events to spectators and fans, we constructed a theoretical model of relations between motives and multiple points of attachment in MMA [4,5,6]. Next, it was tested on the data obtained at the MMA events. People attend sporting events in order to fulfil some social or psychological needs [7]. Therefore, motives like vicarious achie vement, aesthetics, socializing, escape, eustress are considered antecedent of sport consumption behaviours [7]. The concept closely related to motives is attachment to a specific sport object, used sometimes interchangeably with identification [8]. It was recognized that identification is not one-dimensional, as fans relate themselves to different entities involved in an event like a type of sport, its level, town, university, team, players, and coach [5,9,10]. Based on the framework of Sloan [4] and Fisher and Wake field [11], Trail et al. [5] developed models, where it was hypo the sized that motives would lead to stronger attachment [12]. In the Model C Trail et al. [5] separated motives to those espe cially relevant to spectators, who are foremost observers; fans, who are devoted to a team; and motives similarly important for both groups. Spectator Motives consisted of aesthetics, physical skill of the athletes, eustress (drama) and knowledge while Fan Motives reflected to vicarious achievement. Mo tives of escape and social interactions were assumed to be similarly relevant to both groups and were represented by the latent variable labelled as Overarching Motives [5]. The dime nsions of attachment were gathered under the two latent variables: Sport Identification (consisting of attachment to a level of sport and to a particular sport) and Organizational Identifi cation (involving attachment to a team, coach, community, uni versity and players). Spectator Motives were considered to predict the Sport Identification while vicarious achievement was directly linked to Organizational Identification [5,6,13]. We used Trail et al.’s [5] model as a framework to develop a research hypothesis. As the previous studies examining the relationships between points of attachment and motives were conducted in team sports, essential changes had to be made to adapt the model to the context of individual, combat sport [5,6,14].
Hydrochemical Analysis of Drinking Water Quality of Alwar District, Rajasthan

Hydrochemical study of 13 ground water samples of Alwar district was done. Alwar districts lies in the eastern plains of Rajasthan State, covers an area 8,380 km 2 and lies between 27°-57' N latitude and 76°-6'E longitude. Different sampling stations were selected for the study purpose in the district. Sample collected from the Bore-wells and hand pumps were analyzed for the various physicochemical parameters like pH, electrical conductivity (EC), sodium(Na), potassium (K), Calcium (Ca +2 ), magnesium (Mg +2 ), fluoride (F - ), chloride (Cl - ), sulphate (SO4 -2 ), nitrate (NO3 - ), total dissolved solids (TDS) and total hardness (TH). The results revealed that most of the water samples were out of limit according to the WHO standards (1996). The potability of ground water is going to be deteriorate. There is a rigorous fluoride problem in various parts of Alwar region. The results revealed that the values of pH were found to be ranging between 7.18-7.86, EC ranged from 592 to 1810 μs/cm and chloride content differed from 69.98 to 299.91 mg/l and total hardness varied from 295.23 to 865.70 msg/l. The most important parameter fluoride was found to be 0.45 to 3.6 ppm, which is more than the permissible limit in most of the samples studied. The results revealed that the quality of drinking water of Alwar region is very poor, which can be used for drinking and cooking only after prior treatment. (Nature and Science. 2009;7(2):30-39). (ISSN: 1545-0740).
CRYPTOSPORIDIUM AND CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS: A BRIEF REVIEW

Summary Siddiki, A. M. A. M. Z. & M. Masuduzzaman. 2009. Cryptosporidium and cryptosporidiosis: A brief review. Bulg. J. Vet. Med., 12, No 2, 91−111. Cryptosporidium parvum is an important zoonotic protozoan that has been found in human and animal populations throughout the world. It has a predilection for epithelial cells in the digestive tracts of a wide variety of hosts (humans, livestock, companion animals, wildlife, birds, reptiles and fish). The zoonotic form of infection was also reported by many investigators and led to many cross transmission studies to understand the complex epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis. More importantly, the opportunistic pathogen can produce an infection that may be chronic and even life-threatening for undernourished infants and AIDS patients. The waterborne transmission through drinking water or swimming pool is quite common resulting in a number of outbreaks in many countries worldwide. While many physical and chemical methods are employed to remove the oocysts from drinking water, it is still difficult to completely remove it through any single technique. The parasite has a unique intracellular but extracytoplasmic location and several other unusual features like presence of relict mitochondria, unique life cycle features like production of two types of oocysts, ability to autoinfection and lack of host specificity. Until now numerous in vivo and in vitro drug trials have been conducted against this important opportunistic pathogen but none was found to be completely effective against cryptosporidiosis. Recent release of complete genome sequences for C. parvum and C. hominis has facilitated further studies of this pathogen. It is expected that the use of modern bioinformatic tools along with mass spectrometry can be very useful to understand the global proteome of this parasite. Efforts to design a satisfactory treatment of cryptosporidiosis have not been successful due to a lack of understanding of basic cellular and molecular biology of the parasite. Therefore, considerable research is underway to explore the biology of C. parvum which will eventually lead to identification of suitable drug targets. In this review we attempted to highlight different biological aspects of Cryptosporidium along with present status of research and future directions.