School-based professional development in a developing context: lessons learnt from a case study in Zambia

This paper reports on the development and outcomes of the second phase of OER4Schools, a schoolbased professional development programme supporting interactive forms of subject teaching in conjunction with Open Educational Resources (OER) and technology in Zambian primary schools. We worked with partners to identify the needs of school-based continuing professional development (CPD) adapted to the local context; the programme was based on participatory, collaborative and inquiry-based pedagogies for both classroom learning and teacher development. We worked over a 1-year period with four experienced teachers in two basic (primary) schools serving disadvantaged communities. Data were collected from observations, interviews, surveys, lesson planning / review meetings and team workshops. All participants integrated OER and technology into mathematics and science lessons and developed more interactive practices, including collaborative learning. Professional dialogue, quality conversations, reflective practice, cultural sensitivity, peer learning and co-operation were pivotal mechanisms through which teachers shifted their focus from teaching (and teacher exposition) to student learning. Seeing students as capable individuals, teachers raised their expectations, and developed insight into interactive practices such as group work, providing meaningful opportunities for student collaboration and active learning by all.We are most grateful to the teachers and the two schools who participated in our trials. Thanks also to Riikka Hofmann for useful comments on an earlier draft. Other partners supporting the work included iSchool Zambia (http://www.ischool.zm), the Ministry of Education (Zambia), Aptivate (UK-based NGO), the National In-Service Teachers’ College (now Chalimbana University, Zambia), and VVOB Zambia. The OER4Schools programme was based in the University of Cambridge Centre for Commonwealth Education and was supported by the Commonwealth Education Trust,This is the author accepted manuscript. The final published version is available via Taylor & Francis at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19415257.2014.938355#.VVNgXy73Q80

Effect of clonidine on the release of serotonin from the rat hippocampus as measured by microdialysis

The purpose of the present study is to clarify the effect of clonidine on the release of serotonin from the rat hippocampus in vivo. For this purpose, endogenous serotonin release was measured by brain microdialysis. Potassium-evoked serotonin release from the hippocampus of freely moving rats was significantly inhibited when clonidine (10-5 M) was added to the perfusion solution, while the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid output remained unchanged. In catecholaminergically denervated rats, clonidine (10-5 M) also inhibited the potassium-evoked serotonin release from the hippocampus and the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid output was unaffected by clonidine. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of clonidine on serotonin release from the hippocampus might reflect the activation of [alpha]2-adrenoceptors which are localized on the serotonergic nerve terminals.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/30049/1/0000417.pd

Opioid receptor regulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine release from the rat hippocampus measured by in vivo microdialysis

The modulation of serotonin (5-HT) release by opioid receptors in the hippocampus of the awake, unrestrained rat was evaluated by use of in vivo microdialysis. The hippocampus was perfused with Ringer's solution (2 [mu]l/min), and extracellular levels of 5-HT and its major metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were estimated by assaying their concentration in the dialysate by HPLC-ECD. Addition of potassium (K+, 60 and 120 mM) to the perfusate evoked a concentration-dependent release of 5-HT, but did not alter extracellular 5-HIAA levels. Co-perfusion of morphine (0.1 to 10 [mu]M) with K+ (120 mM) produced a concentration-dependent reduction of 5-HT release. Naltrexone (0.03 to 3 mg/kg, i.p.), a relatively selective [mu]-opioid receptor antagonist, blocked in a dose-dependent manner the morphine (10 [mu]M)-induced inhibition of 5-HT release. Naltrexone alone did not alter significantly either extracellular 5-HT levels or the release of 5-HT evoked by K+. Neither co-perfusion with [-Pen2, -Pen5]-enkephalin (DPDPE, 1 to 10 [mu]M), an agonist selective for [delta]-opioid receptors, nor with U-69593 (10 [mu]M), an agonist selective for [kappa]-opioid receptors, modified the K+ (120 mM)-evoked release of 5-HT. These findings indicate that [mu]-opioid receptors modulate the physiological release of 5-HT from serotonergic neurons in the rat hippocampus.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/30746/1/0000396.pd

Nondegenerate Super-Anti-de Sitter Algebra and a Superstring Action

We construct an Anti-de Sitter(AdS) algebra in a nondegenerate superspace. Based on this algebra we construct a covariant kappa-symmetric superstring action, and we examine its dynamics: Although this action reduces to the usual Green-Schwarz superstring action in flat limit, the auxiliary fermionic coordinates of the nondegenerate superspace becomes dynamical in the AdS background.Comment: Latex, 12 pages, explanations added, version to be published in Phys. Rev.

Inhibitory effects of clonidine on serotonergic neuronal activity as measured by cerebrospinal fluid serotonin and its metabolite in anesthetized rats

Clonidine-induced changes in the serotonergic neuronal activity of the central nervous system were estimated by measuring the concentrations of serotonin (5-HT) and its major metabolite, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA), in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of anesthetized rats. Clonidine (30 and 300 [mu]g/kg, i.v.) led to 74% and 60% reductions in the concentration of 5-HT in the CSF 60 min after administration. CSF 5-HIAA concentrations were also decreased to 77% and 66%, respectively. Clonidine-induced (30 [mu]g/kg, i.v.) decreases in CSF 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations were attenuated by pretreatment with idazoxan (5 mg/kg, i.p.). Idazoxan by itself did not alter the CSF 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations. Decreased CSF 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations after i.v. administration of clonidine (30 [mu]g/kg) were abolished by noradrenergic denervation after pretreatment with 6-hydroxydopamine (200 [mu]g/rat, i.c.v.). These results suggest the possibility that clonidine acts to inhibit the serotonergic neuronal activity, which is mediated via the [alpha]2-adrenoceptors. It indicates, moreover, that noradrenergic nervous systems are involved in the clonidine-induced inhibition of serotonergic neuronal activity. Therefore, noradrenergic neurons play a significant role in mediating the actions of clonidine on serotonergic neuronal activity in the rat brain.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31094/1/0000771.pd

DrosoPhyla: Resources for Drosophilid Phylogeny and Systematics.

The vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster is a pivotal model for invertebrate development, genetics, physiology, neuroscience, and disease. The whole family Drosophilidae, which contains over 4,400 species, offers a plethora of cases for comparative and evolutionary studies. Despite a long history of phylogenetic inference, many relationships remain unresolved among the genera, subgenera, and species groups in the Drosophilidae. To clarify these relationships, we first developed a set of new genomic markers and assembled a multilocus data set of 17 genes from 704 species of Drosophilidae. We then inferred a species tree with highly supported groups for this family. Additionally, we were able to determine the phylogenetic position of some previously unplaced species. These results establish a new framework for investigating the evolution of traits in fruit flies, as well as valuable resources for systematics

Wess-Zumino term for AdS superstring

We examine a bilinear form Wess-Zumino term for a superstring in anti-de Sitter (AdS) spaces. This is composed of two parts; a bilinear term in superinvariant currents and a total derivative bilinear term which is required for the pseudo-superinvariance of the Wess-Zumino term. The covariant supercharge commutator containing a string charge is also obtained.Comment: 14 pages, To appear in Phys. Rev. D. References added and minor change

SL(5) duality from canonical M2-brane

We show how the SL(5) duality in M-theory is explained from a canonical analysis of M2-brane mechanics. Diffeomorphism constraints for a M2-brane coupled to supergravity background in d=4 are reformulated in a SL(5) covariant form, in which spatial diffeomorphism constraints are recast into a SL(5) vector and the generalized metric in the Hamiltonian constraint is quartic in the SL(5) generalized vielbein. The Hamiltonian for a M2 brane has the SL(5) duality symmetry in a background dependent gauge.Comment: 13 pages; v2: comments and references added; v3: a reference corrected, version to appear on JHE