Assessment Literacy in Light of Teachers’ Discipline: hard Sciences, soft sciences, and ELT

The current study attempted to investigate and compare the perceptions of Iranian in-service hard disciplines, soft disciplines, and English teachers of their prognostic, formative, and summative assessment literacy. To this end, a total number of 282 high school teachers (94 teachers from each disciplinary groups) were asked to complete the modified and validated version of Rahimi and Rastgoo’s (2017) questionnaire. To enrich the quantitative phase, 90 teachers (30 ones in each group of disciplines) were also interviewed. The results of one-way ANOVA and multiple comparisons revealed a significant difference between hard disciplines and English teachers in terms of their prognostic and summative assessment literacy. However, no significant difference was found among the three groups in terms of their formative assessment literacy. The content analysis of the interviews cast light on the commonalities and discrepancies of assessment perceptions and practices depending on the teachers’ disciplines. The findings can be transferred to teacher education programs to enhance the teachers’ subject-specific assessment competencies

Regulatory Role of Non-Coding RNAs on Immune Responses During Sepsis

Sepsis is resulted from a systemic inflammatory response to bacterial, viral, or fungal agents. The induced inflammatory response by these microorganisms can lead to multiple organ system failure with devastating consequences. Recent studies have shown altered expressions of several non-coding RNAs such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) during sepsis. These transcripts have also been found to participate in the pathogenesis of multiple organ system failure through different mechanisms. NEAT1, MALAT1, THRIL, XIST, MIAT and TUG1 are among lncRNAs that participate in the pathoetiology of sepsis-related complications. miR-21, miR-155, miR-15a-5p, miR-494-3p, miR-218, miR-122, miR-208a-5p, miR-328 and miR-218 are examples of miRNAs participating in these complications. Finally, tens of circRNAs such as circC3P1, hsa_circRNA_104484, hsa_circRNA_104670 and circVMA21 and circ-PRKCI have been found to affect pathogenesis of sepsis. In the current review, we describe the role of these three classes of noncoding RNAs in the pathoetiology of sepsis-related complications

Frequency of oral and maxillofacial giant cell lesions in Iran in a period of 22-year (1991-2012)

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Giant cell lesions as a group of the oral and maxillofacial lesions are common and potentially destructive. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of oral lesions containing giant cells in a 22-year period in Isfahan Dental School, Iran. METHODS: In this epidemiological, cross-sectional, retrospective study the archive information in the Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry between 1991 and 2012 was used. All information obtained from the patients records with giant cell lesions [peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG), central giant cell granuloma (CGCG), aneurysmal bone cyst, and Cherubism and Brown tumor] were analyzed using SPSS, chi-square test and Fisher (P < 0.050). RESULTS: Of the 8217 cases with pathology records, 591 cases (7.1%) were giant cell lesions. The most common lesion was PGCG (68.5%). The prevalence of lesions in the mandible was more than the maxilla (P = 0.039), and also the prevalence of these lesions in woman was slightly more than men (P = 0.078). CONCLUSION: The giant cell lesions were more common in women and in the mandible. They were seen more frequently in the second decade of life. Regards the results of this study, we can prevent PGCG using methods such as improvement of oral hygiene. KEYWORDS: Epidemiology; Giant Cells; Granulom

Acquaintance of Patients with the Aims of Pre-Operative Anesthesia Evaluation Clinics

ABSTRACT Background: Anesthesia is peri-operative medicine. The role of anesthesiologist in the quality of care rendered to patient

Expression Change of miR-214 and miR-135 during Muscle Differentiation

Objective: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that play pivotal roles in many biological processes such as regulating skeletal muscle development where alterations in miRNA expression are reported during myogenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of predicted miRNAs and their target genes on the myoblast to myocyte differentiation process. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted on the C2C12 cell line. Using a bioinformatics approach, miR-214 and miR-135 were selected according to their targets as potential factors in myoblast to myocyte differentiation induced by 3% horse serum. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) was undertaken to confirm the differentiation process and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the expression level of miRNAs and their targets. Results: During myoblast to myocyte differentiation, miR-214 was significantly downregulated while miRNA-135, Irs2, Akt2 and Insr were overexpressed during the process. Conclusion: miR-214 and miR-135 are potential regulators of myogenesis and are involved in skeletal muscle development through regulating the IRS/PI3K pathway

Language Teaching Anxiety and Personal Intelligences: Pre-service versus In-service EFL Teachers

English language teaching is considered as an anxiety-provoking profession for the novice members of the teaching community. Indeed, their perceptions and practices might be influenced by this variable. Despite the full attention allocated to the English learners’ anxiety, teachers’ anxiety seems to have remained untouched. The current study attempted to explore the pre-service and in-service English teachers’ language teaching anxiety to see whether these two groups differed in terms of this trait. The study further aimed to investigate the possible relationship between pre-service and in-service English teachers’ interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences and their language teaching anxiety. To this end, a convenient sample of 120 pre-service and 120 in-service English teachers were asked to complete Capel’s Teaching Anxiety Scale and answer the relevant items from McKenzie’s Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire. The results of descriptive statistical analysis indicated the participants’ seemingly high level of teaching anxiety. The analysis further demonstrated the significant negative correlation between the participants’ interpersonal intelligence and their language teaching anxiety while no significant link was found between their intrapersonal intelligence and anxiety level. Moreover, the results of the independent samples t-test revealed a significant difference between pre-service and in-service English teachers in terms of their language teaching anxiety. The findings pointed to the necessity of informed educational actions to lower pre-service teachers’ teaching anxiety and breed a more strategic generation of English teachers who are empowered to rise to the challenges in their teaching profession in order to achieve more desired outcomes

Development of Insulin Resistance through Induction of miRNA-135 in C2C12 Cells

Abstract Objective: Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are a class of posttranscriptional regulators that play crucial roles in various biological processes. Emerging evidence suggests a direct link between miRNAs and development of several diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of predicted miRNA and target genes on insulin resistance. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted on the C2C12 cell line. Using bioinformatics tools miRNA-135 and two respective target genes-insulin receptor (Insr) and vesicle associated membrane protein 2 (Vamp2)- were selected as potential factors involved in insulin resistance process. Levels of glucose uptake miRNA expression and respective gene targets were determined after cell transfaction by miR-135. Results: It was determined that Insr gene expression was significantly down-regulated in miR-135 transfected C2C12 cell line (P≤0.05). Interestingly; these transfected cells have shown a significant difference in glucose uptake incomparision the positive control cells, while it was similar to the insulin resistant cell line (P≤0.05). In contrast, no significant alteration of Vamp2 gene expression was observed. Conclusion: Our data indicated no change on the Vamp2 expression level after miRNA transfection, while expression level of Insr was reduced and miR-135 expression was contrarily increased leading to poor stimulation of glucose uptake through insulin, and development of insulin resistance phenotype in C2C12 cell line

Biochemical changes and SDS-PAGE analyses of chickpea (cicer arietinum L.) genotypes in response to salinity during the early stages of seedling growth

Salinity is one of the most serious abiotic stresses for plants, causing other subsequent consequences such as oxidative stress, which eventually leads to cell death. Measured various biochemical parameters in chickpea genotypes were performed under various NaCl concentrations (0, 8 and 12 dS.m-1 ( in controlled condition at 21 and 28-day after sowing (DAS). After determination of tolerant (MCC544) and susceptible (MCC806) genotypes and also the best differential salt concentration, SDS-PAGE was used to compare protein profiling in these two genotypes in 3 time points with four replicates. Proline and protein contents were significantly higher in MCC544 as much as 27 fold (for proline) and 30% (for protein) increase over control in 28 DAS at 12 dS.m-1 of salt. The leaf soluble carbohydrates increased significantly in MCC544 and MCC760, compared with others. The minimum decline of electrolyte leakages (6%) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was belonged to MCC760 while MCC806 genotype showed the highest decrease rate (more than 20%). Total leaf chlorophyll content decreased in all genotypes. More strong and positive correlations between parameters was recorded in tolerant genotypes which resulted in membrane and osmotic balance. Analyses of SDS-PAGE revealed that more rapid accumulation and/or less degradation of proteins occurred in higher molecular weight proteins. Moreover, the response of genotypes through protein changes before 96 h stress might be a possible reason for salinity tolerance in this condition