bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lapatinib plus Capecitabine for HER2-Positive Advanced-Stage Breast Cancer in Elderly Women: Review of the Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology (ASMO) Experience
Authors: Cetin Bulent , Benekli Mustafa , Dane Faysal , Boruban Cem , Gumus Mahmut , Oksuzoglu Berna , Kaplan Mehmet A. , Tufan Gulnihal , Sevinc Alper , Coskun Ugur , Buyukberber Suleyman
Published: March 2013

Background: The efficacy and safety of the lapatinib and capecitabine combination remain elusive in elderly patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), who progress after trastuzumab-based therapy. Patients and Methods: A total of 26 patients with HER2-positive MBC were included in this retrospective multicenter study. Median age was 69 years (range 65-82 years). All patients were treated with the combination of lapatinib (1,250 mg/day, continuously) and capecitabine (2,000 mg/m2 on days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle). Data on demographics, clinical outcome, and toxicity were collected for descriptive analyses. Results: The median follow-up was 10 months (range 2-31 months). An overall response rate of 33.4% was achieved, including 1 complete response (3.8%), and 8 partial responses (30.8%). Median progression-free survival was 7 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 5-8), and the median overall survival was 15 months (95% CI 11-19). Most common side effects were fatigue (53.8%), diarrhea (46%), vomiting (36.3%), hand-foot syndrome (34.5%), and anorexia (34.6%). Grade 3-4 toxicities were identified as hand-foot syndrome (3.8%), diarrhea (7.6%), and fatigue (11.5%). There were no symptomatic cardiac events. Conclusion: Lapatinib and capecitabine combination therapy was effective and well tolerated in elderly patients with MBC, who had progressive disease after trastuzumab-based therapy.
A Patient with Recurrent Breast Cancer Showing Long-Term Survival after Developing Pericardial Effusion and Cardiac Tamponade Caused by Carcinomatous Pericarditis
Authors: Ikeda Hirokuni , Kikawa Yuichiro , Nakamoto Yoshihiko , Takeo Masahiko , Yamamoto Mistuo
Published: March 2013

Background: Malignant pericardial effusion caused by carcinomatous pericarditis is a complication of advanced malignancy. Breast cancer is the second most important cause of malignant pericardial effusion. Malignant pericardial effusion is the end stage of breast cancer, and the prognosis is very poor. Pericardial effusion may cause cardiac tamponade and sudden death if it is not controlled properly. There is a debate on which is the best method to control pericardial effusion. Case Report: We describe the clinical course of a 55-year-old woman with recurrent breast cancer, pericardial effusion, and cardiac tamponade caused by carcinomatous pericarditis. Thoracoscopic pericardial window was performed to control the pericardial effusion. The patient survived for about 5 years after being diagnosed with pericardial metastases. Conclusion: The observed long-term survival in such a patient with the development of pericardial effusions and cardiac tamponade caused by carcinomatous pericarditis attributable to breast cancer is rare. Thoracoscopic pericardial window was effective in controlling the pericardial effusion.
Are Somatic Symptoms a Legitimate Part of the Depression Profile in Prostate Cancer Patients?
Authors: Sharpley Christopher F. , Bitsika Vicki , Christie David H.R.
Published: March 2013

Background: Although depression is often reported in prostate cancer patients, some tests of depression omit the somatic criteria that are listed for Major Depressive Episode, arguing that these may be confounded by the cancer itself. However, this omission may be challenged in terms of the particular somatic symptoms that have been associated with prostate cancer. Therefore, the present study investigated the relative contribution to total depression scores made by the somatic criteria for Major Depressive Episode that were not caused by prostate cancer. Patients and Methods: 491 prostate cancer patients completed the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Data were analysed to compare the predictive power of 5 subsets of depression on patients' total depressive scores. Results: Somatic symptoms were the most powerful predictor of total depression scores, followed by anhedonia and depressed mood, with similar findings for depression clinical status. Emotional symptoms and cognitive confusion were not significant predictors of total depression scores but did predict depression clinical status. Conclusion: Valid and reliable assessment of depression and selection of appropriate treatment options in prostate cancer patients requires consideration of somatic items which match the DSM-IV-TR criteria for Major Depressive Episode.
Orofacial Apraxia in Motor Neuron Disease
Authors: Pita Lobo Patrícia , Pinto Susana , Rocha Luz , Reimão Sofia , de Carvalho Mamede
Published: March 2013

Introduction: Cognitive and behavioral impairments are considered to occur frequently in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease (MND). Rarely, apraxia has been reported in MND. Orofacial, or buccofacial, apraxia is characterized by a loss of voluntary control of facial, lingual, pharyngeal and masticatory muscles in the presence of preserved reflexive and automatic functions of the same muscles. Methods: We report a patient with MND who presented with spastic dysarthria and asymmetric orofacial apraxia. She progressed to frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Results: Clinical and neurophysiological examinations were suggestive of bulbar-onset MND-FTD. Tractography showed a reduction of fractional anisotropy in the centrum semiovale, corona radiata, corticomedullary pathway and inferior aspect of the medulla; the changes were more severe on the left side. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an asymmetric presentation of an apraxic syndrome in MND-FTD.
Pulmonary Embolism in a Patient with Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Causal or Coincidental
Authors: Jones Patricia D. , Moll Stephan , Dellon Evan S.
Published: March 2013

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic immune-mediated disease characterized by infiltration of the esophageal mucosa with eosinophils and concomitant esophageal dysfunction. Though there are well-described associations between certain chronic inflammatory conditions and venous thromboembolism, there have been no reports of venous thromboembolism occurring in eosinophilic esophagitis. We report the case of a 33-year-old man with severe eosinophilic esophagitis resulting in recurrent esophageal strictures who was unresponsive to oral viscous budesonide therapy, and who developed an isolated pulmonary embolism in the absence of risk factors for venous thromboembolism. We then discuss potential mechanisms for venous thromboembolism in eosinophilic esophagitis, such as inflammation-mediated hypercoagulability, hypereosinophilia, and immunoglobulin E-mediated platelet activation.
Both NF-κB and c-Jun/AP-1 involved in anti-β2GPI/β2GPI-induced tissue factor expression in monocytes
Authors: Xia Longfei , Hu Lichao , Xie Hongxiang , Wang Ting , Xu Ya , Liu Jingjing , Zhang Xiaolei , Yan Jinchuan , Zhou Hong
Published: March 2013

Our previous data has demonstrated that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and its signalling pathway can contribute to anti-β2-glycoprotein I/β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI/β2GPI) -induced tissue factor (TF) expression in human blood monocytes and acute monocytic leukaemia cell line THP-1. However, its downstream nuclear transcription factors have not been well explored. In the current study, we further investigated whether nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and activator protein (AP-1) were activated and their roles in anti-β2GPI/β2GPI complex stimulating TF expression. The results showed that treatment of the cells with anti-β2GPI (10 µg/ml)/β2GPI (100 mg/ml) complex could markedly increase the levels of phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB p65) and c-Jun/AP-1 (p-c-Jun), as well as TF expression. Both NF-κB inhibitor PDTC (20 µM) and AP-1 inhibitor curcumin (25 mM) could attenuate TF expression induced by anti-β2GPI/β2GPI or APS-IgG/β2GPI complex. Combination of any two inhibitors of MAPKs (SB203580/U0126 or SB203580/SP600125 or U0126/SP600125) could decrease activation of NF-κB. SB203580/SP600125 or U0126/SP600125, but not SB203580/U0126, could reduce the phosphorylation of c-Jun/AP-1. Neither NF-κB nor c-Jun/AP-1 activation caused by anti-β2GPI/β2GPI complex could be affected by TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242. In conclusion, our results indicate that both NF-κB and c-Jun/AP-1 can be activated and play important roles in the process of anti-β2GPI/β2GPI-induced TF expression in monocytes, thereby contributing to the pathological processes of antiphospholipid syndrome.
Genetic Determinants of Dabigatran Plasma Levels and Their Relation to Bleeding
Authors: Paré Guillaume , Eriksson Niclas , Lehr Thorsten , Connolly Stuart , Eikelboom John , Ezekowitz Michael D. , Axelsson Tomas , Haertter Sebastian , Oldgren Jonas , Reilly Paul , Siegbahn Agneta , Syvanen Ann-Christine , Wadelius Claes , Wadelius Mia , Zimdahl-Gelling Heike , Yusuf Salim , Wallentin Lars
Published: March 2013

Background—

Fixed-dose unmonitored treatment with dabigatran etexilate is effective and has a favorable safety profile in the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation patients compared with warfarin. We hypothesized that genetic variants could contribute to interindividual variability in blood concentrations of the active metabolite of dabigatran etexilate and influence the safety and efficacy of dabigatran.

Methods and Results—

We successfully conducted a genome-wide association study in 2944 Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy (RE-LY) participants. The
CES1
single-nucleotide polymorphism rs2244613 was associated with trough concentrations, and the
ABCB1
single-nucleotide polymorphism rs4148738 and the
CES1
single-nucleotide polymorphism rs8192935 were associated with peak concentrations at genome-wide significance (
P
<9×10
−8
) with a gene-dose effect. Each minor allele of the
CES1
single-nucleotide polymorphism rs2244613 was associated with lower trough concentrations (15% decrease per allele; 95% confidence interval, 10–19;
P
=1.2×10
−8
) and a lower risk of any bleeding (odds ratio, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.55–0.82;
P
=7×10
−5
) in dabigatran-treated participants, with a consistent but nonsignificant lower risk of major bleeding (odds ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.43–1.01). The interaction between treatment (warfarin versus all dabigatran) and carrier status was statistically significant (
P
=0.002), with carriers having less bleeding with dabigatran than warfarin (hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.46–0.76;
P
=5.2×10
−
5) in contrast to no difference in noncarriers (hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.81–1.14;
P
=0.65). There was no association with ischemic events, and neither rs4148738 nor rs8192935 was associated with bleeding or ischemic events.

Conclusions—

Genome-wide association analysis identified that carriage of the
CES1
rs2244613 minor allele occurred in 32.8% of patients in RE-LY and was associated with lower exposure to active dabigatran metabolite. The presence of the polymorphism was associated with a lower risk of bleeding.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00262600.
A Neural Measure of Precision in Visual Working Memory
Authors: Ester Edward F. , Anderson David E. , Serences John T. , Awh Edward
Published: March 2013

Recent studies suggest that the temporary storage of visual detail in working memory is mediated by sensory recruitment or sustained patterns of stimulus-specific activation within feature-selective regions of visual cortex. According to a strong version of this hypothesis, the relative “quality” of these patterns should determine the clarity of an individual's memory. Here, we provide a direct test of this claim. We used fMRI and a forward encoding model to characterize population-level orientation-selective responses in visual cortex while human participants held an oriented grating in memory. This analysis, which enables a precise quantitative description of multivoxel, population-level activity measured during working memory storage, revealed graded response profiles whose amplitudes were greatest for the remembered orientation and fell monotonically as the angular distance from this orientation increased. Moreover, interparticipant differences in the dispersion—but not the amplitude—of these response profiles were strongly correlated with performance on a concurrent memory recall task. These findings provide important new evidence linking the precision of sustained population-level responses in visual cortex and memory acuity.
The Effect of Imagination on Stimulation: The Functional Specificity of Efference Copies in Speech Processing
Authors: Tian Xing , Poeppel David
Published: March 2013

The computational role of efference copies is widely appreciated in action and perception research, but their properties for speech processing remain murky. We tested the functional specificity of auditory efference copies using magnetoencephalography recordings in an unconventional pairing: We used a classical cognitive manipulation (mental imagery—to elicit internal simulation and estimation) with a well-established experimental paradigm (one shot repetition—to assess neuronal specificity). Participants performed tasks that differentially implicated internal prediction of sensory consequences (overt speaking, imagined speaking, and imagined hearing) and their modulatory effects on the perception of an auditory (syllable) probe were assessed. Remarkably, the neural responses to overt syllable probes vary systematically, both in terms of directionality (suppression, enhancement) and temporal dynamics (early, late), as a function of the preceding covert mental imagery adaptor. We show, in the context of a dual-pathway model, that internal simulation shapes perception in a context-dependent manner.
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Contribute to Learning-induced Metaplasticity in the Hippocampus
Authors: Becker Benjamin , Klein Eva M. , Striepens Nadine , Mihov Yoan , Schlaepfer Thomas E. , Reul Juergen , Goossens Liesbet , Schruers Koen , Kendrick Keith M. , Hurlemann René
Published: March 2013

Hippocampal learning is thought to induce metaplasticity, which can facilitate subsequent learning. Administered at single low doses, the N-methyl-d-aspartate-type glutamate receptor antagonist memantine predominantly blocks α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs). Placebo-controlled administration of a single low dose of memantine in a pharmaco-fMRI experiment may thus help characterize the role of α7 nAChRs in hippocampal metaplasticity. We hypothesized that if α7 nAChRs contribute to learning-induced metaplasticity in the hippocampus, blockade of these receptors with low-dose memantine would selectively interfere with a facilitation of subsequent learning without impairing hippocampal learning per se. To specifically test this hypothesis, we devised a randomized controlled trial in which healthy volunteers were administered a 20-mg single oral dose of memantine or placebo and scanned on three subsequent runs of a hippocampal learning task. Our results indicate no discrepancies in behavioral learning between low-dose memantine- and placebo-treated participants in the first and second run of this task. In the third run, however, only the placebo-treated group showed facilitated behavioral learning, an effect paralleled by decreased neural responses in the hippocampal cornu ammonis region. Our findings suggest that blockade of α7 nAChRs selectively interfered with a learning-induced facilitation of subsequent learning while leaving unimpaired hippocampal learning per se. Taken together, our results provide support for a relevant contribution of α7 nAChRs to learning-associated metaplasticity in the hippocampus.
Impact of Spike Train Autostructure on Probability Distribution of Joint Spike Events
Authors: Pipa Gordon , Grün Sonja , van Vreeswijk Carl
Published: March 2013

The discussion whether temporally coordinated spiking activity really exists and whether it is relevant has been heated over the past few years. To investigate this issue, several approaches have been taken to determine whether synchronized events occur significantly above chance, that is, whether they occur more often than expected if the neurons fire independently. Most investigations ignore or destroy the autostructure of the spiking activity of individual cells or assume Poissonian spiking as a model. Such methods that ignore the autostructure can significantly bias the coincidence statistics. Here, we study the influence of the autostructure on the probability distribution of coincident spiking events between tuples of mutually independent non-Poisson renewal processes. In particular, we consider two types of renewal processes that were suggested as appropriate models of experimental spike trains: a gamma and a log-normal process. For a gamma process, we characterize the shape of the distribution analytically with the Fano factor (FFc). In addition, we perform Monte Carlo estimations to derive the full shape of the distribution and the probability for false positives if a different process type is assumed as was actually present. We also determine how manipulations of such spike trains, here dithering, used for the generation of surrogate data change the distribution of coincident events and influence the significance estimation. We find, first, that the width of the coincidence count distribution and its FFcdepend critically and in a nontrivial way on the detailed properties of the structure of the spike trains as characterized by the coefficient of variation CV. Second, the dependence of the FFcon the CVis complex and mostly nonmonotonic. Third, spike dithering, even if as small as a fraction of the interspike interval, can falsify the inference on coordinated firing.
A Study on L2-Loss (Squared Hinge-Loss) Multiclass SVM
Authors: Lee Ching-Pei , Lin Chih-Jen
Published: March 2013

Crammer and Singer's method is one of the most popular multiclass support vector machines (SVMs). It considers L1 loss (hinge loss) in a complicated optimization problem. In SVM, squared hinge loss (L2 loss) is a common alternative to L1 loss, but surprisingly we have not seen any paper studying the details of Crammer and Singer's method using L2 loss. In this letter, we conduct a thorough investigation. We show that the derivation is not trivial and has some subtle differences from the L1 case. Details provided in this work can be a useful reference for those who intend to use Crammer and Singer's method with L2 loss. They do not need a tedious process to derive everything by themselves. Furthermore, we present some new results on and discussion of both L1- and L2-loss formulations.
Recharge Oscillator Mechanisms in Two Types of ENSO
Authors: Ren Hong-Li , Jin Fei-Fei
Published: March 2013

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) tends to behave arguably as two different “types” or “flavors” in recent decades. One is the canonical cold-tongue-type ENSO with major sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) positioned over the eastern Pacific. The other is a warm-pool-type ENSO with SSTA centered in the central Pacific near the edge of the warm pool. In this study, the basic features and main feedback processes of these two types of ENSO are examined. It is shown that the interannual variability of upper-ocean heat content exhibits recharge–discharge processes throughout the life cycles of both the cold tongue (CT) and warm pool (WP) ENSO types. Through a heat budget analysis with focus on the interannual frequency band, the authors further demonstrate that the thermocline feedback plays a dominant role in contributing to the growth and phase transitions of both ENSO types, whereas the zonal advective feedback contributes mainly to their phase transitions. The westward shift of the SSTA center of the WP ENSO and the presence of significant surface easterly wind anomalies over the far eastern equatorial Pacific during its mature warm phase are the two main factors that lead to a reduced positive feedback for the eastern Pacific SSTA. Nevertheless, both the WP and CT ENSO can be understood to a large extent by the recharge oscillator mechanism.
Comparison of Raindrop Size Distribution Measurements by Collocated Disdrometers
Authors: Tokay Ali , Petersen Walter A. , Gatlin Patrick , Wingo Matthew
Published: March 2013

An impact-type Joss–Waldvogel disdrometer (JWD), a two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD), and a laser optical OTT Particle Size and Velocity (PARSIVEL) disdrometer (PD) were used to measure the raindrop size distribution (DSD) over a 6-month period in Huntsville, Alabama. Comparisons indicate event rain totals for all three disdrometers that were in reasonable agreement with a reference rain gauge. In a relative sense, hourly composite DSDs revealed that the JWD was more sensitive to small drops (<1 mm), while the PD appeared to severely underestimate small drops less than 0.76 mm in diameter. The JWD and 2DVD measured comparable number concentrations of midsize drops (1–3 mm) and large drops (3–5 mm), while the PD tended to measure relatively higher drop concentrations at sizes larger than 2.44 mm in diameter. This concentration disparity tended to occur when hourly rain rates and drop counts exceeded 2.5 mm h−1 and 400 min−1, respectively. Based on interactions with the PD manufacturer, the partially inhomogeneous laser beam is considered the cause of the PD drop count overestimation. PD drop fall speeds followed the expected terminal fall speed relationship quite well, while the 2DVD occasionally measured slower drops for diameters larger than 2.4 mm, coinciding with events where wind speeds were greater than 4 m s−1. The underestimation of small drops by the PD had a pronounced effect on the intercept and shape of parameters of gamma-fitted DSDs, while the overestimation of midsize and larger drops resulted in higher mean values for PD integral rain parameters.
Better, Worse or Different? A Critique of ‘Using Language Policies to Highlight and Contrast the Values that Shape Multicultural Societies: Examples from Singapore and Australia’ by Beatrice Boufoy-Bastick (1997)
Authors: Smith Ian D. , Gopinathan S.
Published: March 2013

This paper examines the argument of a previous article published in this journal by Boufoy-Bastick (1997). In that article, Boufoy-Bastick made some comparisons between the language policies of Australia's and Singapore's education systems. The author claimed that Australia's language policies are more egalitarian and promote multiculturalism, whereas Singapore's policies produce only superficial harmony and are, in fact, discriminatory. The present article questions these claims on the grounds that they are either untrue, contradictory or lacking in evidence to substantiate such serious allegations about the educational and social policies of one of Australia's closest neighbours in Asia.
Gifted, Streamed and Mixed-Ability Programs for Gifted Students: Impact on Self-Concept, Motivation, and Achievement
Authors: Craven Rhonda G. , Marsh Herbert W. , Print Murray
Published: March 2013

Gifted and talented (GAT) students in a new regional selective GAT program were compared with GAT students in mixed ability and streamed classes. Outcomes were academic and non-academic self-concepts, motivation orientations, and achievement tests administered at the start and end of the school year. Selective GAT students' gains were not significantly better than comparison GAT student's gains on any outcome. Selective GAT students' scores were significantly more negative for all facets of academic self-concepts, for all but one of the facets of non-academic self-concept, and for four of six motivational orientations, but did not differ from the comparison GAT students on achievement test scores. Comparisons of students in mixed ability and streamed settings were nonsignificant for 16 of 18 outcomes. The results did not support the intended outcomes of the selective GAT program in relation to academic self-concept and motivational orientations but were consistent with previous self-concept theory and research.
Teaching Computer Programming: A Connectionist View of Pedagogical Change
Authors: Yuen Allan H. K.
Published: March 2013

One of the major issues of teaching computer programming is concerned with determining pedagogical factors that contribute to students' learning and instructional improvement. Classroom teachers are the keys to making learning happen as well as improving teaching in schools. Teachers' perspectives on teaching affect how teachers perceive the nature of the subject, the problems of instruction and how they adopt solutions or ways to improve instruction. Teachers' views of knowledge have great impact on teachers' perspectives and their pedagogical practices. Over the years, two predominant computational theories of mind have emerged from the study of artificial intelligence, namely, the symbolic and the connectionist models. In this article, I argue, based on a qualitative study of 12 computer studies teachers in Hong Kong, that the connectionist view provides an alternative way of thinking about understanding and knowledge which leads to better insight on teaching and facilitates pedagogical change.
The Endgame for National Girls' Schooling Policies in Australia?
Authors: Ailwood Jo , Lingard Bob
Published: March 2013

Gender equity: A framework for Australian schools is the most recent policy dealing with gender in schools at the national level in Australia. This paper provides a critical discourse analysis of the policy document, tracking two themes: ‘the construction of gender’, and ‘equity: a discourse of education for all boys and girls”. Through this analysis the authors argue that the policy signals a substantial shift in focus—from girls and boys in relation to girls, to both girls and boys—within a framework of presumptive equality. It is also argued that the policy shuts down federal involvement in policy for girls' schooling. In the process, responsibility is devolved to the states and territories where, in many cases, gender equity programs will be struggled over at a local, school-based level. At the same time, however, spaces have been created which potentially enable new strategies for gender equity policies in Australian schools.
Improving Post-School Outcomes for Rural School Leavers
Authors: Abbott-Chapman Joan , Kilpatrick Sue
Published: March 2013

A study of Year 10 leavers from rural high schools in Tasmania has found that school pressures to remain in Years 11 and 12 have not necessarily solved the post-school career dilemmas of rural youth. Indeed, despite growing numbers of VET options in schools, these are not being taken up significantly by younger students despite student and family aspirations for a ‘steady job” and job related training, within an increasingly depressed and casualised regional labour market. Implications of family support and community “social capital” in negotiating a way through the trials and errors of the work/study mosaic are discussed in relation to national policy frameworks.
Internationalisation of Education: A Business Perspective
Authors: Edwards Ron , Edwards Julie
Published: March 2013

Australian schools and universities are increasingly becoming involved in earning revenue from foreign students. This process is strongly associated with the broader concept of ‘internationalisation of education’. To explore the implications of educational institutions, mainly universities, entering the commercial sphere, various models of internationalisation in the international business literature are examined. This approach shows that universities face a range of risks and opportunities. Paramount is the potential for universities, under competitive pressure, to aim to produce global graduates with little accommodation of local and national educational priorities.
The Contribution of the Higher Education Sector to Australian Research and Development
Authors: Burgio-Ficca Claudia
Published: March 2013

During the last two decades the higher education sector has accounted for over one quarter of all research and development expenditure in Australia. A review of empirical and case study research in this area indicates that, despite a growing body of literature, surprisingly little work has been undertaken on the actual contributions of the higher education sector to Australian R&D. This paper aims to present a review of R&D expenditure trends within Australia and explore the contribution of the higher education sector to such research. It further highlights the type of research conducted and the source of funding for the research. Research and development is vital to the advancement of knowledge and thus the contribution of the higher education sector is of great importance.
How Do Culturally Situated Notions of ‘Polite’ Forms Influence the Way Vietnamese Postgraduate Students Write Academic English in Australia?
Authors: Le Ha Phan
Published: March 2013

This paper explores how the Vietnamese culturally situated notions of ‘politeness’, which are embedded in Vietnamese postgraduate students' performance at different Australian universities, influence the way they write academic English. The data of this qualitative study were collected from in-depth interviews with four Vietnamese postgraduate students from different universities in Melbourne. The paper also makes suggestions to Australian academics on how they can best help Vietnamese postgraduate students' writing at universities.
Queensland Year 2 Diagnostic Net and Teachers' Explanations of Literacy Failure
Authors: Henderson Robyn W.
Published: March 2013

This article reports research into the ways that early childhood teachers in three schools used narratives of blame as part of their theorisation of literacy failure in relation to Queensland's Year 2 Diagnostic Net. The teachers' narratives clustered into three groups: blaming families, blaming children and explanations that moved beyond blame and focused instead on teaching. However, despite the range of explanations, all of the teachers in this study based their pedagogical decisions for literacy failure and intervention on a deficit model of literacy learning. It is argued that a reconceptualisation of literacy that views literacy as a social practice might assist teachers to rethink intervention in the early childhood classroom.
Student Participation and School Culture: A Secondary School Case Study
Authors: Wilson Steve
Published: March 2013

This paper reports the findings of a single-site case study investigating the nature of student participation in a coeducational comprehensive government high school situated in the western suburbs of Sydney. The purpose of the study was to understand the relationship between student participation and cultural dimensions in the school, particularly those dimensions which acted to enhance or inhibit student participation. The study used qualitative methodologies and the author was a single researcher with prolonged engagement in the research site. Fieldwork was conducted over 25 months within an emergent research design. The research identified 24 cultural dimensions in the school which impacted upon student participation. The majority of these were found to have an inhibiting impact on student participation; 8 were found to have an enhancing impact.
French Schools are Changing: But Post-School Transition is Becoming More and More Difficult
Authors: Langouët Gabriel
Published: March 2013

The aim of this paper is to assess progress towards greater social equality in education in France. Micro-level studies indicate some improvements in school education, but the macro-level picture is more mixed. There has been a massification of successive levels of French secondary and tertiary education, with program expansion and rising qualification levels. But is the system more democratic? Social relativities both in participation and in transition to further study and employment remain marked. Vertical displacement in the labour market (through over-qualification) and horizontal displacement (based on social origins) are impeding social mobility through education.
Educational Inequalities in the United Kingdom: A Critical Analysis of the Discourses and Policies of New Labour
Authors: Leathwood Carole , Hayton Annette
Published: March 2013

This paper explores the intentions and attempts of the New Labour government in the United Kingdom (UK) to challenge educational inequalities. It begins with an overview of ‘Third Way’ philosophy and New Labour's commitment to social justice and social inclusion, then moves on to examine three policy themes in some detail: the economising of education; support for ability setting and selection; and policy related to widening participation in higher education. The paper highlights the contradictions in New Labour educational policies and pronouncements, and concludes that current policy developments are likely to reinforce rather than ameliorate educational inequalities.
Malaysian Higher Education: Captive or Post-Western?
Authors: Subramani Surendra , Kempner Ken
Published: March 2013

The article explores problems of modernisation and national identity in the developing world, with Malaysian higher education as the empirical site. Noting that developing nations and their university personnel are often held in the condition of what Alatas (1974) famously called ‘the captive mind’, it examines the steps taken in Malaysia to overcome this. After theorising forms of Western hegemony in the intellectual life of developing countries (diffusion, dependency, captive mind) and an outline of the history of Malaysian higher education, the authors present the findings of extended interviews with ten senior administrators and academic faculty from Malaysian universities. There have been significant attempts to break from the captive mindset, for example language policies, and centres for regional studies. The continuing issue for countries like Malaysia is how to modernise economy, society, education and knowledge while sustaining and advancing the national project: how to combine development with self-determination.
Refining a Stage Model for Studying Teacher Concerns about Educational Innovations
Authors: Cheung Derek
Published: March 2013

This paper discusses the stages of concern that teachers pass through as they engage in the process of innovation adoption and implementation. A 24-item questionnaire was constructed to assess teachers' concerns on five sequential stages: (1) indifference, (2) informational-personal, (3) management, (4) consequence-collaboration, and (5) refocusing. Using the questionnaire, 290 Hong Kong teachers' concerns about school-based assessment as a component of the public examination system were surveyed. Results supported the 5-stage model of teacher concerns. However data collected from another sample of 53 teachers through an open-ended survey indicated that an additional stage of evaluation concerns should be inserted between the indifference and informational-personal stages. Teachers' evaluation concerns focused on the worth and necessity of school-based assessment, as well as support from the Hong Kong Examinations Authority. The revised 6-stage model can provide a more comprehensive framework for analysing teachers' concerns regarding innovations.
Beliefs about Language Learning: Indonesian Learners' Perspectives, and Some Implications for Classroom Practices
Authors: Erlenawati
Published: March 2013

Language learners hold a set of beliefs concerning language learning and these beliefs may influence the ways they learn, even though the beliefs are not always explicitly stated. This paper, part of the researcher's on-going research project, investigates the beliefs held by three Indonesian learners undertaking an English course in an English language centre at an Australian university. Data were gathered through questionnaire and interview. The findings reveal that the learners indeed held preconceived ideas about how English should best be learnt. Despite some misconceptions, learners' beliefs were on the whole realistic. The paper aims to sensitise teachers in the English as a foreign language and in second language environments to the types of beliefs learners may hold, and to the possible consequences of these beliefs for second or foreign language learning and instruction.
Families, Cultural Resources and the Digital Divide: ICTs and Educational (dis)Advantage
Authors: Angus Lawrence , Snyder Ilana , Sutherland-Smith Wendy
Published: March 2013

By concentrating on cases of family engagement with information communication technologies at a very local level, this paper tries to illustrate that issues related to ‘access’ and social disadvantage require extremely sophisticated and textured accounts of the multiple ways in which interrelated critical elements and various social, economic and cultural dimensions of disadvantage come into play in different contexts. Indeed, to draw a simple dichotomy between the technology haves and have-nots in local settings is not particularly generative. It may be the case that, even when people from disadvantaged backgrounds manage to gain access to technology, they remain relatively disadvantaged.
Getting below the Surface of the Principal Recruitment ‘Crisis’ in New Zealand Primary Schools
Authors: Brooking Keren , Collins Graham , Court Marian , O'Neill John
Published: March 2013

Since 1989 in New Zealand, the work of the primary school principal has been transformed in official policy texts from that of leading professional to chief executive officer. Surveys document the changing nature of the role and the workload and other pressures that have resulted, particularly for principals with teaching responsibilities in smaller schools. There is a generally accepted crisis of preparation, recruitment, development and retention. Below the surface, however, are deeper-seated, structural difficulties: women comprise the majority of teachers, yet are a minority of principals and their career advancement is largely limited to small schools and those in poorer socioeconomic areas. This article reviews the situation and examines the reasons why dominant images of the primary school principalship may be both partial and counterproductive.
Ontario's Principal Scarcity: Yesterday's Abdicated Policy Responsibility—Today's Unrecognised Challenge
Authors: Williams T. R.
Published: March 2013

This article highlights the principal recruitment problem in Ontario. It suggests that the problem is closely associated with the retirement plans of principals which is resulting in a significant loss of human capital; poorly planned implementation of policy changes which presents problems at the school level and discourages potential leaders from pursuing the principalship; and a lengthy and burdensome certification process. The article concludes that leadership succession planning and development in Ontario represents a major policy challenge to government and school boards alike.
Principal Recruitment in a Climate of Leadership Disengagement
Authors: Gronn Peter , Rawlings-Sanaei Felicity
Published: March 2013

International and Australian evidence suggests there is a widespread problem with school principal recruitment. It appears that principal candidate pools are diminishing and that employers are unable to replace current vacancies and meet projected demand. In this article we investigate the parameters of this perceived principal recruitment problem in the context of recent school governance reforms. An unintended consequence of reform policies is the emergence of leadership ‘disengagement’—a disinclination among teachers to pursue the principalship and other school-level leadership roles. We explore some of the origins of disengagement, we provide an explanation for its emergence and we consider some of its major implications for future research into principal recruitment and replenishment.
Remaking the World in Our Own Image: Australia's Efforts to Liberalise Trade in Education Services
Authors: McBurnie Grant , Ziguras Christopher
Published: March 2013

Australia has developed a reputation as an aggressive and competitive provider of international education and an ardent proponent of free trade in education services. This paper describes Australia's role in promoting trade liberalisation through the World Trade Organization's (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services. When Australia first committed to open its education market to foreign providers in the WTO in 1995, there was little discussion of the implications of such an undertaking; but with the rise of opposition to economic globalisation and increased scrutiny of international trade agreements, the government is hesitant to make any further commitments. On the international stage, however, Australia is playing a leading role in promoting trade liberalisation in a variety of international forums. The Australian government is pursuing a more diversified approach to trade promotion, which includes building confidence in international quality assurance mechanisms and demonstrating the benefits of trade-driven internationalisation to importing countries.
Working-Class Families and the New Secondary Education
Authors: Connell R. W.
Published: March 2013

The troubled relation of working-class families to education systems is one of the deep structural problems of modern education, which is taking a new shape under neo-liberalism. The issue is explored in the context of an Australian reform intended to make upper-secondary education more inclusive, especially through expanded vocational education. A spectrum of family projects is found. Generally working-class families are more concerned to get their children to the new labour market minimum qualification than to pursue meritocratic projects. Families' practical involvement in schools shows a wide range, from supportive to conflictual, the modal pattern involving an accepted division of labour between home and school. This positions the students as key decision makers and communicators. The working-class families interviewed are not strongly market-oriented. Vocational education reforms are welcomed, and reinforce working-class goodwill towards schooling, but are still marginal to the main social class dynamics shaping secondary education.
Renegotiating Schooling for Social Justice in an Age of Marketisation
Authors: McInerney Peter
Published: March 2013

This article draws on a recently completed ethnographic study to present an argument for a renewed commitment to social justice in, and through, public schooling. Such a commitment needs to incorporate whole-school responses to the classed nature of society and inequalities arising from the political economy, but must also be attentive to the claims to recognition of groups excluded or marginalised through various forms of cultural oppression. Although acknowledging the importance of locally conceived responses to educational disadvantage, the article warns against the dangers of ‘romantic localism’ (Troyna & Vincent, 1995) and highlights the need for collective action across the public education system and the broader community.
International TESOL Training and EFL Contexts: The Cultural Disillusionment Factor
Authors: Chowdhury Md. Raqibuddin
Published: March 2013

This article reports on a study examining the implementation of communicative language teaching (CLT) in Bangladesh in general and at the University of Dhaka in particular. When CLT was first introduced across Europe, the English as a foreign language (EFL) context in which it would inevitably be applied was not considered. Here university EFL teachers discuss the problems and contradictions associated with adopting this western-forged methodology. One paradox faced by the teachers was that of an essentially learner-centred curriculum in a tradition where the centrality of the teacher is the culturally and socially sanctioned basis of teaching. Although in developing countries we cannot afford simply to retreat to traditional teaching methods, the study suggests the need for an educational agenda set within a new post-colonial framework which acknowledges the importance of the adaptation of CLT and recognises the significance of its applicability in Bangladesh.
Victorian Certificate of Education: Mathematics, Science and Gender
Authors: Cox Peter J. , Leder Gilah C. , Forgasz Helen J.
Published: March 2013

Gender differences in participation and performance at ‘high stakes’ examinations have received much public attention, which has often focused on mathematics and science subjects. This paper describes the innovative forms of assessment introduced into mathematics and science subjects within the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) system. Results from these subjects are examined for patterns of gender differences in participation and performance over the period 1994–1999. A larger proportion of males than females studied all the VCE science and mathematics subjects except Biology and Psychology over this period. Based on study scores, females, on average, out-performed males in almost all VCE science and mathematics subjects in nearly every year from 1994–1999. As exceptions to the patterns, males out-performed females in Chemistry and Mathematical Methods. Results from a general ability test are used to question the legitimacy of gender comparisons in subjects in which enrolment is no longer compulsory. The data do not support simplistic conclusions about gender differences in participation and performance.
‘Unwelcome Sisters?’ An Analysis of Findings from a Study of How Muslim Women (and Muslim Men) Experience University
Authors: Asmar Christine , Proude Elizabeth , Inge Lici
Published: March 2013

Integrating students into an academic community has long been established as an important aspect of a student's life and learning on university campuses. Yet efforts at greater inclusiveness by both institutions and teaching staff are taking place in the context of an increasingly diverse student body, in Australia as elsewhere. Differences between students, and between staff and students, offer both challenges and opportunities. This article reports findings from a national study of female and male Muslim students in Australian universities—a group strongly associated with difference. The study found that, although their academic satisfaction and commitment are strong, their sense of belonging may be diminished by factors operating at both institutional and interpersonal levels. Gender differences were generally not significant within the group, which challenges certain stereotypes regarding relations between male and female Muslims.
Reforming the Education Program for Physical Science Teachers in Taiwan
Authors: She Hsiao-Ching
Published: March 2013

This article reports on reforms of the science education program for prospective physical science teachers in Taiwan and examines their impact on these teachers. The reforms include restructuring the courses in physical science methods, and requiring all prospective teachers to do action research during their one-year full-time teaching practice. The former aims to instil knowledge of constructivism and enable them to teach physical science by using constructivist approaches, and the latter provides them with an opportunity to apply what they have acquired to actual teaching. This study shows that exposure to constructivism affected the teachers' beliefs and initial choice of science teaching approach. Evidence further demonstrates that successful experience with action research reinforced their beliefs, and made them more willing to employ constructivist science teaching approaches in their teaching practice. Introducing these reforms in Taiwan has the potential of enhancing the competency of prospective science teachers.