The Use of Videos in the Training of Math Teachers: Formative Assessment in Math Teaching and Learning

open5noThe chapter has been designed and shared in all its parts by all the five authors. In particular, "FRAMEWORK ON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN MATHEMATICS TEACHING AND LEARNING" and "Assessing Maths learning: a didactic and a social problem" are by Giorgio Bolondi, .§ Formative assessment: a support to promote the processes of teaching-learning and § THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CLASSROOM OBSERVATION OF TEACHERS' FA PRACTICES TO IMPROVE THEIR PROFESSIONALISM by Ira Vannini, § THE FAMT&L PROJECT AND ITS PHASES by Federica Ferretti, § A TOOL FOR OBSERVATION OF TEACHERS' ASSESSMENT PRACTICES AND VIDEO ANALYSIS, VIDEOS FOR TEACHER TRAINING ON ASSESSMENT: WEB REPOSITORY AND E-LEARNING PLATFORM and CONCLUSION: THE VIDEOS IN THE TEACHER TRAINING, BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE by Stefania Lovece.The purpose of this chapter is to present a systematic observational research on the math teachers’ assessment practices in the classroom. This research is a specific phase of an international project (FAMT&L - Comenius Multilateral Project) and it is aimed to promote the use of formative assessment in teaching mathematics to students aged from 11 to 16. The observational study is carried out by a plan of systematic observations of teachers’ behaviour in the classroom with the help of video recording. Thanks to a specific tool of video analysis (a structured grid), developed using indications from international literature and experiences of teacher training in the five Partner countries involved (Italy, France, Holland, Switzerland and Cyprus), we managed to gather many different indicators on good and bad practices for the formative assessment of mathematics teachers. Furthermore, the analysed video will be used in in-service teacher training courses in order to promote a correct use of formative assessment and to improve achievements in learning mathematics.openBolondi, Giorgio; Ferretti, Federica; Gimigliano, Alessandro; Lovece, Stefania; Vannini, IraBolondi, Giorgio; Ferretti, Federica; Gimigliano, Alessandro; Lovece, Stefania; Vannini, Ir

Linker histone H1.8 inhibits chromatin binding of condensins and DNA topoisomerase II to tune chromosome length and individualization

DNA loop extrusion by condensins and decatenation by DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) are thought to drive mitotic chromosome compaction and individualization. Here, we reveal that the linker histone H1.8 antagonizes condensins and topo II to shape mitotic chromosome organization. In vitro chromatin reconstitution experiments demonstrate that H1.8 inhibits binding of condensins and topo II to nucleosome arrays. Accordingly, H1.8 depletion in Xenopus egg extracts increased condensins and topo II levels on mitotic chromatin. Chromosome morphology and Hi-C analyses suggest that H1.8 depletion makes chromosomes thinner and longer through shortening the average loop size and reducing the DNA amount in each layer of mitotic loops. Furthermore, excess loading of condensins and topo II to chromosomes by H1.8 depletion causes hyper-chromosome individualization and dispersion. We propose that condensins and topo II are essential for chromosome individualization, but their functions are tuned by the linker histone to keep chromosomes together until anaphase

Linker histone H1.8 inhibits chromatin-binding of condensins and DNA topoisomerase II to tune chromosome compaction and individualization [preprint]

DNA loop extrusion by condensins and decatenation by DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) drive mitotic chromosome compaction and individualization. Here, we reveal that the linker histone H1.8 regulates chromatin levels of condensins and topo II. In vitro chromatin reconstitution experiments demonstrate that H1.8 inhibits binding of condensins and topo II to nucleosome arrays. Accordingly, H1.8 depletion in Xenopus egg extracts increased condensins and topo II levels on mitotic chromatin. Chromosome morphology and Hi-C analyses suggest that H1.8 depletion makes chromosomes thinner and longer likely through shortening the average loop size and reducing DNA amount in each layer of mitotic loops. Furthermore, H1.8-mediated suppression of condensins and topo II binding to chromatin limits chromosome individualization by preventing resolution of interchromosomal linkages. While linker histones locally compact DNA by clustering nucleosomes, we propose that H1.8 controls chromosome morphology and topological organization through restricting the loading of condensins and topo II on chromatin

Growth Inhibition of Retinoblastoma Cell Line by Exosome-Mediated Transfer of miR-142-3p

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is the most common ocular paediatric malignancy and is caused by a mutation of the two alleles of the tumor suppressor gene, RB1. The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a complex system whose function is not yet well defined and where microvesicles, such as exosomes, play a key role in intercellular communication. Micro-RNAs (mRNAs) have emerged as important modifiers of biological mechanisms involved in cancer and been able to regulate tumor progression. Methods: Co-culture of monocytes with retinoblastoma cell lines, showed a significant growth decrease. Given the interaction between Rb cells and monocytes, we investigated the role of the supernatant in the cross-talk between cell lines, by taking the product of the co-culture and then using it as a culture medium for Rb cells. Results: miR-142-3p showed to be particularly over-expressed both in the Rb cell line and in the medium used for their culture, comparing to control cell line and the normal supernatant, respectively. Therefore, we provided evidence that miR-142-3p is released by monocytes in the co-culture medium's exosomes and that it is subsequently up-taken by Rb cells, causing the inhibition of proliferation of Rb cell line by affecting cell cycle progression. Conclusion: This study highlights the role of exosomic miR-142-3p in the TME of Rb and identifies new molecular targets, which are able to control tumor growth aiming the development of a forward-looking miR-based strategy

Structural basis of SNAPc-dependent snRNA transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) carries out transcription of both protein-coding and non-coding genes. Whereas Pol II initiation at protein-coding genes has been studied in detail, Pol II initiation at non-coding genes, such as small nuclear RNA (snRNA) genes, is less well understood at the structural level. Here, we study Pol II initiation at snRNA gene promoters and show that the snRNA-activating protein complex (SNAPc) enables DNA opening and transcription initiation independent of TFIIE and TFIIH in vitro. We then resolve cryo-EM structures of the SNAPc-containing Pol IIpre-initiation complex (PIC) assembled on U1 and U5 snRNA promoters. The core of SNAPc binds two turns of DNA and recognizes the snRNA promoter-specific proximal sequence element (PSE), located upstream of the TATA box-binding protein TBP. Two extensions of SNAPc, called wing-1 and wing-2, bind TFIIA and TFIIB, respectively, explaining how SNAPc directs Pol II to snRNA promoters. Comparison of structures of closed and open promoter complexes elucidates TFIIH-independent DNA opening. These results provide the structural basis of Pol II initiation at non-coding RNA gene promoters

miRandola 2017: a curated knowledge base of non-invasive biomarkers

miRandola (http://mirandola.iit.cnr.it/) is a database of extracellular non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that was initially published in 2012, foreseeing the relevance of ncRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers. An increasing amount of experimental evidence shows that ncRNAs are frequently dysregulated in diseases. Further, ncRNAs have been discovered in different extracellular forms, such as exosomes, which circulate in human body fluids. Thus, miRandola 2017 is an effort to update and collect the accumulating information on extracellular ncRNAs that is spread across scientific publications and different databases. Data are manually curated from 314 articles that describe miRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs. Fourteen organisms are now included in the database, and associations of ncRNAs with 25 drugs, 47 sample types and 197 diseases. miRandola also classifies extracellular RNAs based on their extracellular form: Argonaute2 protein, exosome, microvesicle, microparticle, membrane vesicle, high density lipoprotein and circulating. We also implemented a new web interface to improve the user experience