bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maintaining Peroxisome Populations: A Story of Division and Inheritance
Authors: Fagarasanu Andrei , Fagarasanu Monica , Rachubinski Richard A.
Published: June 2007

Eukaryotic cells divide their metabolic labor between functionally distinct, membrane-enveloped organelles, each precisely tailored for a specific set of biochemical reactions. Peroxisomes are ubiquitous, endoplasmic reticulum–derived organelles that perform requisite biochemical functions intimately connected to lipid metabolism. Upon cell division, cells have to strictly control peroxisome division and inheritance to maintain an appropriate number of peroxisomes in each cell. Peroxisome division follows a specific sequence of events that include peroxisome elongation, membrane constriction, and peroxisome fission. Pex11 proteins mediate the elongation step of peroxisome division, whereas dynamin-related proteins execute the final fission. The mechanisms responsible for peroxisome membrane constriction are poorly understood. Molecular players involved in peroxisome inheritance are just beginning to be elucidated. Inp1p and Inp2p are two recently identified peroxisomal proteins that perform antagonistic functions in regulating peroxisome inheritance in budding yeast. Inp1p promotes the retention of peroxisomes in mother cells and buds by attaching peroxisomes to as-yet-unidentified cortical structures. Inp2p is implicated in the motility of peroxisomes by linking them to the Myo2p motor, which then propels their movement along actin cables. The functions of Inp1p and Inp2p are cell cycle regulated and coordinated to ensure a fair distribution of peroxisomes at cytokinesis.
Nanoscale Electromechanics of Ferroelectric and Biological Systems: A New Dimension in Scanning Probe Microscopy
Authors: Kalinin Sergei V. , Rodriguez Brian J. , Jesse Stephen , Karapetian Edgar , Mirman Boris , Eliseev Eugene A. , Morozovska Anna N.
Published: June 2007

Functionality of biological and inorganic systems ranging from nonvolatile computer memories and microelectromechanical systems to electromotor proteins and cellular membranes is ultimately based on the intricate coupling between electrical and mechanical phenomena. In the past decade, piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) has been established as a powerful tool for nanoscale imaging, spectroscopy, and manipulation of ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials. Here, we give an overview of the fundamental image formation mechanism in PFM and summarize recent theoretical and technological advances. In particular, we show that the signal formation in PFM is complementary to that in the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques, and we discuss the implications. We also consider the prospect of extending PFM beyond ferroelectric characterization for quantitative probing of electromechanical behavior in molecular and biological systems and high-resolution probing of static and dynamic polarization switching processes in low-dimensional ferroelectric materials and heterostructures.
Postgenomic Adventures with Rhodobacter sphaeroides
Authors: Mackenzie Chris , Eraso Jesus M. , Choudhary Madhusudan , Roh Jung Hyeob , Zeng Xiaohua , Bruscella Patrice , Puskás Ágnes , Kaplan Samuel
Published: June 2007

This review describes some of the recent highlights taken from the studies of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1. The review is not intended to be comprehensive, but to reflect the bias of the authors as to how the availability of a sequenced and annotated genome, a gene-chip, and proteomic profile as well as comparative genomic analyses can direct the progress of future research in this system.
Negative Feedback Loop in the Bim–Caspase-3 Axis Regulating Apoptosis and Activity of Osteoclasts
Authors: Wakeyama Hidetoshi , Akiyama Toru , Takahashi Katsuhiko , Amano Hitoshi , Kadono Yuho , Nakamura Masaki , Oshima Yasushi , Itabe Hiroyuki , Nakayama Keiichi I , Nakayama Keiko , Nakamura Kozo , Tanaka Sakae
Published: June 2007

Proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bim plays an essential role in the osteoclast apoptosis and is degraded through ubiquitin/proteasome pathways in a caspase-3–dependent manner. This negative feedback loop in the Bim–caspase-3 axis is important for regulating the survival and activity of osteoclasts.

Introduction: Bim is a member of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family and regulates the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Bim expression is post-translationally regulated in osteoclasts (OCs) through ubiquitin/proteasome pathways, and Bim is critical for their survival and activity.

Materials and Methods: Time-course of change in the expression of Bim in the course of OC apoptosis was examined, and the effect of various proteinase inhibitors on the degradation of Bim was analyzed. The role of caspase-3 and caspase-7 on Bim degradation was studied using RNA interference technique and caspase-3−/− mice.

Results: Bim was degraded after caspase-3 activation, which was suppressed by a caspase inhibitor and a proteasome inhibitor. Bim degradation was suppressed by gene knockdown of caspase-3 or in caspase-3−/− OCs but not by caspase-7 knockdown. OCs generated from caspase-3−/− bone marrow cells exhibited a shorter life span and higher bone-resorbing activity than normal OCs. Association of Bim with E3 ubiquitin ligase c-Cbl was suppressed by gene knockdown of caspase-3 or in caspase-3−/− OCs. Actin ring formation and cathepsin K expression were promoted in caspase-3−/− OCs.

Conclusions: Caspase-3 negatively regulates Bim expression by stimulating its degradation through ubiquitin/proteasome pathways, thus creating a negative feedback loop in the Bim–caspase axis.
Dentes da desigualdade: marcas bucais da experiência vivida na pobreza pela comunidade do Dendê, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil
Authors: Moreira Thiago Pelúcio , Nations Marilyn Kay , Alves Maria do Socorro Costa Feitosa
Published: June 2007

Este estudo antropológico investiga a experiência vivida das doenças bucais no contexto da pobreza no Nordeste brasileiro. Durante seis meses em 2004, foram conduzidas entrevistas etnográficas, narrativas e observação participante com 31 moradores do Dendê, comunidade de baixa renda em Fortaleza, Ceará, analisadas pelo método hermenêutico-dialético. Revelou-se que as precárias condições de vida dificultam priorizar o cuidado em saúde. Embora sofram da dor dentária, ir ao dentista é percebido com um luxo, não um direto do cidadão. O difícil acesso ao serviço e restauração de má qualidade, favorecem a extração dentária como mais resolutiva. A deterioração da saúde bucal é lamentada pelos moradores que buscam ajuda de clínicas populares, políticos e curandeiros. A experiência da doença dentária diferencia de acordo com a classe, deixa marcas bucais da iniqüidade e prejudica a auto-estima e inclusão social. "Tratar" os dentes da desigualdade nesse contexto exige aprofundar a compreensão dos determinantes sociais da saúde, reduzir injustiças no acesso aos serviços de qualidade, remover estigmas que desmoralizam e fortalecer a viva voz da comunidade frente às forças estruturais que afetam sua vida.
Vacinação contra influenza em idosos por área de residência: prevalência e fatores associados
Authors: Francisco Priscila Maria S. Bergamo , Donalisio Maria Rita , Barros Marilisa Berti de Azevedo , Cesar Chester Luis Galvão , Carandina Luana , Goldbaum Moisés
Published: June 2007

A vacinação contra influenza é a principal forma de prevenir e reduzir a morbidade e mortalidade associadas à doença entre os idosos e grupos de risco. O objetivo deste estudo é determinar fatores demográficos, socioeconômicos, comportamentais e de saúde associados à vacinação, entre idosos residentes em diferentes áreas do Estado de São Paulo, no período de 2001 a 2002. Trata-se de um delineamento transversal de base populacional que considerou os idosos residentes em duas áreas do Estado: uma composta pelo município de Campinas e distrito do Butantã, na cidade de São Paulo, e outra pelos municípios de Taboão da Serra, Embu e Itapecerica da Serra (região metropolitana do município de São Paulo). A amostra foi composta por 849 e 641 indivíduos com 60 anos ou mais, residentes em tais localidades, respectivamente. Na análise bruta foram utilizadas razões de prevalência e intervalos de confiança de 95% e a análise multivariada foi realizada pela regressão de Poisson. A prevalência de vacinação auto-referida foi de 66,9% entre os residentes em Campinas e no distrito do Butantã e 67,6% naqueles das demais localidades. Após análise ajustada, para os idosos de Campinas e Butantã, apenas menor escolaridade (RP = 1,25; IC 95%: 1,02-1,54) esteve associada à vacinação. Já na área composta pelos municípios menos populosos, idade mais avançada (RP = 1,15; IC 95%: 1,02-1,31), hipertensão arterial (RP = 1,21; IC 95%: 1,02-1,45), diabetes (RP = 1,16; IC 95%: 1,01-1,33) e doença crônica de pulmão (RP = 1,30; IC 95%: 1,03-1,64) referidas, estiveram também associadas. Apesar de a prevalência de vacinação contra influenza entre os idosos das diversas localidades ser praticamente a mesma, pôde-se observar diferenças no perfil do idoso quanto à referência desse procedimento preventivo.
Interfaces do corpo: integração da alteridade no conceito de doença
Authors: Czeresnia Dina
Published: June 2007

A cultura ocidental fragmentou o corpo em redutoras perspectivas teóricas que fizeram aparecer diferentes ordens de realidade: biológica, psíquica e social. Este artigo identifica o limite da biomedicina em integrar a alteridade no conceito de doença, como uma das lacunas importantes para a aproximação entre os conceitos de psiquismo e corpo biológico. Apresenta a proposição de que as interfaces do corpo são centrais para a compreensão da constituição do corpo biológico em seus processos de individuação. Levanta a possibilidade de ocorrer uma transformação epistemológica na medicina, a partir da valorização dos estudos sobre fenômenos biológicos que ocorrem nestas interfaces. Ressalta, mediante análise da literatura médica recente, indícios de uma possível integração da alteridade no conceito de doença. Esta análise se detém na crescente elaboração de um discurso sobre a relação com os microorganismos e sua importância na constituição ontogênica do organismo humano e, por conseqüência, na etiologia das doenças.
Beyond the Shadow
Authors: Gillman Laura
Published: June 2007

This essay examines racial scripts as indicators of differentiated gender–race formations, expressed through a double-voiced discourse. White feminists deploy scripts to disaffiliate from a universalized gender but at the same time deny racial difference in order to maintain a coherent narrative of oppression based on gender. Feminists of color, on the contrary, adopt a double-voiced discourse in order to dismantle a false unity that depends on discursive processes of exclusion of a racialized ‘other.’ The implementation of a ‘conjunctural approach,’ one that systematically brings together intersectionality and whiteness studies frameworks as well as the scripts they generate, models a critical pedagogy that exposes race–gender constitution as a relational dynamic, characterized by racialized discursive struggle. The intentional juxtaposition of incompatible perspectives and political commitments that emerge in real-lived interactions enhances our understanding of how power accrues, how it is contested, and how it can be dismantled within feminist thought and practices.
Novel preparation and mechanical properties of rigid polyurethane foam/organoclay nanocomposites
Authors: Xu Zhongbin , Tang Xiling , Gu Aijuan , Fang Zhengping
Published: June 2007

A novel method for preparing rigid polyurethane (PU) foam/organoclay nanocomposites was developed through the direct incorporation of an organoclay into PU foam matrices without the addition of any physical or chemical blowing agent. The resultant foams with an appropriate content of the organoclay had a finer cell structure than the pristine PU foams because the organoclay not only acted as a nucleating agent as expected but also acted as a blowing agent of the PU foams; this could be attributed to the bound water between the interlayers of the organoclay. In addition, the incorporation of the organoclay up to 4 phr resulted in improvements in the tensile and compressive strengths, with the maximum values appearing at 2 phr (110 and 152%, respectively). The significant improvement in the mechanical properties could be attributed to the finer cell structure and the increased internal strength of the materials due to the higher degree of hydrogen bonding. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007
Evidence for the Mode of Action of the Highly Cytotoxic Streptomyces Polyketide Kendomycin
Authors: Elnakady Yasser A. , Rohde Manfred , Sasse Florenz , Backes Christina , Keller Andreas , Lenhof Hans‐Peter , Weissman Kira J. , Müller Rolf
Published: June 2007

The macrocyclic polyketide kendomycin exhibits antiosteoporotic and antibacterial activity, as well as strong cytotoxicity against multiple human tumor cell lines. Despite the promise of this compound in several therapeutic areas, the cellular target(s) of kendomycin have not been identified to date. We have used a number of approaches, including microscopy, proteomics, and bioinformatics, to investigate the mode of action of kendomycin in mammalian cell cultures. In response to kendomycin treatment, human U‐937 tumor cells exhibit depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, caspase 3 activation, and DNA laddering, consistent with induction of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. To elucidate possible apoptotic triggers, DIGE and MALDI‐TOF were used to identify proteins that are differently regulated in U‐937 cells relative to controls. Statistical analysis of the proteomics data by the new web‐based application GeneTrail highlighted several significant changes in protein expression, most notably among proteasomal regulatory subunits. Overall, the profile of altered expression closely matches that observed with other tumor cell lines in response to proteasome inhibition. Direct assay in vitro further shows that kendomycin inhibits the chymotrypsin‐like activity of the rabbit reticulocyte proteasome, with comparable efficacy to the established inhibitor MG‐132. We have also demonstrated that ubiquitinylated proteins accumulate in kendomycin‐treated U‐937 cells, while vacuolization of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial swelling are induced in a second cell line derived from kangaroo rat epithelial (PtK2) cells, phenotypes classically associated with inhibition of the proteasome. This study therefore provides evidence that kendomycin mediates its cytotoxic effects, at least in part, through proteasome inhibition.
Glycosylations Directed by the Armed‐Disarmed Effect with Acceptors Containing a Single Ester Group
Authors: Schmidt Thomas H. , Madsen Robert
Published: June 2007

A selective glycosylation reaction controlled by the armed‐disarmed effect is described by the use of phenyl thioglycosides. The donor thioglycoside is fully protected with benzyl ethers while the acceptor thioglycoside contains benzyl ethers at position 2 and 3 and a strongly electron‐withdrawing pentafluorobenzoate ester group at position 6. The coupling can be performed with galactose, glucose, mannose, and phthalimide‐protected glucosamine to afford the corresponding 1,4‐linked disaccharides in good yield. These disaccharides can act as glycosyl donors for an additional coupling reaction in the same pot if another acceptor and more promoter are added. In this way, two consecutiveglycosylations can be achieved to afford trisaccharides in one operation. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)
The Crystal and Molecular Structure of Mercury Fulminate (Knallquecksilber)
Authors: Beck Wolfgang , Evers Jürgen , Göbel Michael , Oehlinger Gilbert , Klapötke Thomas M.
Published: June 2007

A short survey on the fascinating history of mercury fulminate is given. The crystal structure of Hg(CNO)2 has been determined using single crystal X‐ray diffraction. Mercury fulminate crystallizes in an orthorhombic cell, space group Cmce with a = 5.3549(2), b = 10.4585(5), c = 7.5579(4) Å and Z = 4. The distances and angles in the O‐N≡C‐Hg‐C≡N‐O molecule are Hg‐C 2.029(6) Å, C≡N 1.143(8) Å, N‐O 1.248(6) Å and C‐Hg‐C 180.0(1)°, Hg‐C≡N 169.1(5)°, C≡N‐O 179.7(6)°. Each mercury atom is surrounded by two oxygen atoms from neighbouring Hg(CNO)2 molecules with a nonbonding distance of Hg···O 2.833(4) Å. The Hg‐C bond lengths in the linear Hg(CNO)2 molecules are shorter than those in the tetrahedral complex [Hg(CNO)4]2−. This refers to a large contribution of the 6s orbital in the Hg‐C bonds of Hg(CNO)2. The results of the X‐ray powder investigation on Hg(CNO)2 are also reported.
Syntheses, Crystal Structures, and Optical and Magnetic Properties of Some CsLnCoQ3 Compounds (Ln = Tm and Yb, Q = S; Ln = Ho and Yb, Q = Se)
Authors: Chan George H. , Sherry Leif J. , Van Duyne Richard P. , Ibers James A.
Published: June 2007

The four new compounds CsTmCoS3, CsYbCoS3, CsHoCoSe3, and CsYbCoSe3 have been synthesized at 1123 K. These black‐colored isostructural compounds crystallize in the KZrCuS3 structure type with four formula units in space group Cmcm of the orthorhombic system. The structure of these compounds is composed of layers separated by Cs atoms. Because there are no Q–Q bonds, the formal oxidation states of Cs/Ln/Co/Q are 1+/3+/2+/2−, respectively. CsHoCoSe3 shows paramagnetic behavior with μeff = 11.9(1) μB, whereas CsYbCoS3 displays an antiferromagnetic‐like transition at ∼2.7 K with μeff = 5.85(1) μB. Both CsYbCoS3 and CsYbCoSe3 exhibit optical band gaps in the near infrared region and broad absorption bands at lower energies.
Response to Ayres: The Legacies of Nicaea, East and West
Authors: Behr John
Published: June 2007

In his work, Nicaea and Its Legacy, Lewis Ayres raises a number of issues important to the discipline of theology. The first is simply the difficulty of studying the past, especially the fourth century, one of the key periods in the formation of Christian theology. Reading texts from fifteen hundred years ago is sufficiently challenging, but these texts are set in a very complex history (or histories) of theological, social and imperial controversies and transitions. Then there is the task of relating the study of historical theology to modern systematic theology, knowing that simply retelling the history more thoroughly will not solve or resolve modern issues, for they have their own complicated genealogy. There is also the need to be aware of the involvement of different exegetical practices and presuppositions—then and now—in all of this. Finally, and most broadly or ecumenically, there are the implications that such work now has for dialogue between “Western” and “Eastern” trinitarian theology, and the questionable usefulness of such categories. That Ayres has remained sensitive to these, and other, dimensions of difficulty, while also engaging with a substantial body of literature, numerous primary texts, and diverse secondary texts (if that is still a useful distinction) makes his work both challenging and significant.
Yes and No: Reflections on Lewis Ayres, Nicaea and Its Legacy
Authors: Anatolios Khaled
Published: June 2007

Lewis Ayres's Nicaea and its Legacy has created a stir among historians of Christian doctrine since its publication. Its relation to the previously existing body of scholarship on fourth-century trinitarian theology is one of both consolidation and provocation. Ayres accomplishes a prodigious work of consolidation by synthesizing much of the groundbreaking scholarship that has lately transpired in the study of fourth-century trinitarian debates, while simultaneously making his own contributions toward retelling the narrative of these debates. Following Hanson, Simonetti, Barnes, and others, Ayres rejects a simplistic division between more or less uniform camps of Nicene and “Arian” theologies. Somewhat paradoxically, however, his distinctive contribution to this retelling is to insist on a fundamental unity between pro-Nicene camps in both the Greek and Latin traditions. While Ayres makes this point with forceful persuasion, the point itself is not controversial among patristic scholars. The assertion of a substantive rift between Eastern and Western trinitarian theologies has not held much sway within this milieu; it is not found in either Hanson or Simonetti, for instance, and its genealogy, traced back to the figure of de Régnon, has been famously exposed by Michel Barnes. What is provocative, however, is Ayres's insistence that there existed a geographically consistent “pro-Nicene” culture in both East and West that was also internally consistent as a superior construal of the “plain sense” of canonical Scripture. More provocative still is Ayres's polemical engagement, in the concluding chapter of his work, with modern systematic theology. Here, Ayres offers a sweeping dismissal of modern trinitarian theology as wallowing in a Hegelian wasteland, in bondage to methodological commitments that are antithetical to “pro-Nicene culture,” with no hope of a redeeming synthesis in sight. The only way forward is first to return to an integration of historical and systematic theology, based on a reappropriation of the basic tenets of pro-Nicene culture.
Phonon related properties of transition metals, their carbides, and nitrides: A first-principles study
Authors: Isaev E. I. , Simak S. I. , Abrikosov I. A. , Ahuja R. , Vekilov Yu. Kh. , Katsnelson M. I. , Lichtenstein A. I. , Johansson B.
Published: June 2007

Lattice dynamics of body-centered cubic (bcc) Vb-VIb group transition metals (TM), and B1-type monocarbides and mononitrides of IIIb-VIb transition metals are studied by means of first-principles density functional perturbation theory, ultra soft pseudopotentials, and generalized gradient approximation to the exchange-correlation functional. Ground state parameters of transition metals and their compounds are correctly reproduced with the generated ultrasoft pseudopotentials. The calculated phonon spectra of the bcc metals are in excellent agreement with results of inelastic neutron scattering experiments. We show that the superconductivity of transition metal carbides (TMC) and transition metal nitrides (TMN) is related to peculiarities of the phonon spectra, and the anomalies of the spectra are connected to the number of valence electrons in crystals. The calculated electron-phonon interaction constants for TM, TMC, and TMN are in excellent agreement with experimentally determined values. Phonon spectra for a number of monocarbides and mononitrides of transition metals within the cubic NaCl- and hexagonal WC-type structures are predicted. Ideal stoichiometric B1 crystals of ScC, YC, and VC are predicted to be dynamically stable and superconducting materials. We also conclude that YN is a semiconductor.
Approaches to Learning and Levels of Understanding
Authors: Entwistle N.J. , Hanley Maureen , Ratcliffe G.
Published: June 2007

Summary Three exploratory studies are reported which extend the work on approaches to learning carried out by Marton and his colleagues in Gothenburg. The main aim of the studies was to develop a questionnaire to investigate the way students approach the task of reading an academic article. Marton had distinguished between ‘deep’ and ‘surface’ approaches, and a coding procedure has been developed to obtain similar categories from questionnaires. These exploratory studies, while not producing statistically convincing results, did confirm the pattern of findings reported by Marton and suggest ways in which his explanatory constructs could be elaborated to take account of the styles of learning adopted by students.
Schools do Make a Difference
Authors: Chapman B.L.M.
Published: June 2007

Summary A recent re‐analysis of a large data base relating to ‘O’ level achievement in England is revealing significant school effects which could not have been disclosed by the more conventional procedure of multiple regression analysis.

These effects are due to strong interaction between variables and they present schools characteristics not so much as factors which elevate or depress achievement but as agents which aggregate or disperse achievement scores about the group mean.

This implies that school process is uniquely and strongly associated with enhanced achievement among certain well‐defined subsets of pupils but that grouping within schools is such as to nullify any overall effect.
Reading Progress in English Infant Schools: some problems emerging from a study of teacher effectiveness*
Authors: Gray John
Published: June 2007

Summary A number of researchers have emphasised the ‘importance of the teacher’ in criticising studies of school effectiveness. This position has gained considerable support from practitioners who argue that some teachers are better than others and that experienced practitioners know a good teacher when they see one. Studies of teacher effectiveness are, however, notoriously difficult to design and conduct; they are rarely replicated. The paper presents evidence from one such attempt involving the teaching of reading in English infant schools and comes up with some unexpected results.
A Content Analysis of ‘O’ and ‘A’ Papers on Modem British and European History Set by Two GCE Examination Boards
Authors: Inglis W.F.J.
Published: June 2007

Summary The content of ‘O’ and ‘A’ level papers on modern British and European History set by two GCE Examination Boards was analysed to find out what particular aspects of the past were emphasised and thus to throw light on the experience of history as a subject which was gained by the candidates. These papers, which are taken by the great majority of the candidates, were found to be dominated by political history, up to 77% of the questions being devoted to the affairs of governments and political leaders. Foreign politics was especially important in papers on European history reaching as high as 44% of the questions set and domestic politics was central to papers on British history attaining means in different groups of papers between 40 and 50%. At the end of the article the wisdom of the approach to school history evident in these papers is questioned.
Progression Through School: a study of the school careers of secondary modern girls
Authors: Lomax Pamela
Published: June 2007

In this paper a new approach to the study of organisations is suggested, one that focuses on the organisation in terms of the meaning that organisation members find within it. In the following account I have used this approach to examine school from the pupil's perspective. The major concepts that are employed are career, career segment and career pattern. The term ‘career’ is open to objection because of possible ambiguity. It is, however, a convenient term and no difficulty should be caused if it is borne in mind that it relates to what happens in the school and not what happens after. I have drawn on my own research at Rushel Secondary Modern School to illustrate the analysis.
Towards Effective Schools: problems and progress in British research
Authors: Gray John
Published: June 2007

A number of recent studies have questioned the conclusion that ‘schools don ' t make a difference’. A brief review of earlier studies suggests a number of key questions which would result in significant increments to our knowledge and understanding of issues of school effectiveness. More recent studies are then examined in the light of these criteria and, in turn, suggest some further questions. It is argued that the research base for any conclusions about school effectiveness is weaker than previously thought but that, in general, the findings from all the studies are fairly consistent. Some suggestions for reanalysing existing studies and for extending the range of questions addressed are put forward.
Rasch‐Fitting
Authors: Bryce T.G.K.
Published: June 2007

An analysis is made of Goldstein's contention that the assumptions and rationale of the Rasch model render it unsuitable for routine educational assessment. The argument hinges on the mechanisms underlying item discrimination and the certainty with which response patterns may be said to reflect mental processes. Consequently, the relationship between the homogeneity of test items and the dimensionality of ability is examined from a theoretical and an empirical stance. Evidence concerning the nature of good‐ and ill‐fitting SCE O‐grade physics items is provided and, at least in the circumstances studied, item‐failure found to be a reflection of discrepancies between teaching and testing. In so far as we have evidence concerning the dimensions of ability, or take practical steps to ensure their reflection in item responses, the rejection of items in a Rasch analysis will lead to more homogeneity (where this refers to content coverage) and not to less heterogeneity (where this refers to the abilities tapped by items). Thus far, the case against Rasch‐scaling is argued to be unduly pessimistic.
The Construct Validity of some Certificate of Secondary Education Biology Examinations: the evidence from factor analysis
Authors: Hoste Roland
Published: June 2007

Factor analysis of a number of Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) examinations showed that tests of practical biology loaded significantly on the same factor as biology theory papers. When a fictitious correlation matrix was factored it was necessary for the correlation between tests of practical and theoretical biology to fall to about 0.17 before the two separate tests of biological ability appeared as distinct constructs. It is concluded that the examinations studied were not adequately distinguishing practical biology from theoretical biology. All assessments appeared to be testing a general factor which might be related either to general ability, or to a specific biological ability.
Active Tutorial Work, Discussion and Educational Research
Authors: Hutchinson Barry
Published: June 2007

The use of classroom discussion healthily remains on the agenda of concerns of teachers and of educational researchers. What is not often considered is the relationship between the kind of dialogue which researchers engage in with teachers, and the kind of dialogue teachers engage in with their pupils. This paper explores the relationships between different kinds of research and their implications for the practice of discussion. In this exploration the nature of discussion itself is examined; a Gadamarian account of it is provided; and the way in which this can contribute to the improvement of discursive practice is illustrated.
Research Partnership and an Issues Framework: a review of the methodology of an overarching project on competence funded by the Further Education Unit and the Training Agency
Authors: Haffenden Ian , Blackman Shane , Brown Alan
Published: June 2007

This article reports on the structure and the methodology of a national overarching project funded by the Training Agency and the Further Education Unit. The project sought to investigate the impact and implications of competence‐led curricula in the further education sector in England and Wales. The article outlines how the project evolved through a two‐phase process, the research methodology adopted and the management approach applied. Finally, the paper outlines the alternative dissemination strategies that have been utilised in phase two of the project in an attempt to satisfy the needs of a range of audiences. In conclusion, the paper identifies that the ‘teacher‐as‐researcher’ approach, which has been advanced so successfully in schools, needs now to be applied more explicitly within the context of further education.
What Are Connolly's Rules? A Reply to Paul Connolly
Authors: Foster Peter
Published: June 2007

Abstract This paper is a response to the critique by Connolly (in this issue) of my study of policy and practice in multicultural and anti‐racist education in a multiethnic inner‐city comprehensive school.
The Impact of Group Size on the Behaviour and Involvement of Male Mature Students in Tutorless Seminars
Authors: Kniveton Bromley H.
Published: June 2007

Current demands to increase the number of student places without a commensurate increase in resources have forced academics to seek ways of becoming more ‘efficient’. Increasingly, tutorless seminar groups are seen as a way of doing this. Group size has been shown, in other contexts, to affect individual participation. One hundred and nine male mature students in small seminar group sizes of 3 were compared to those in larger groups of approximately 6. Observational measures of behaviour were made and all students completed a questionnaire. It was found that large groups were more negative, felt less satisfied and were less involved and that they had less influence on the discussion than the small groups. It is suggested that the results imply being a member of a larger seminar group is a less satisfactory experience for a student than being a member of a small group.
The Profession of Educational Research
Authors: Gipps Caroline V.
Published: June 2007

This paper argues that educational research and policy‐making is in crisis: centrally funded research is subject to increasing intervention and restrictions on reporting; research findings are misreported in the press; and the policy‐making process has become truncated ignoring discussion, debate and research evidence. Furthermore the direction in which current reforms are taking education is contrary to the style of curriculum, learning and assessment that is needed to produce resourceful, active learners for the twenty‐first century. The author calls on researchers to continue to work with teachers in support of a worthwhile educational enterprise, urges researchers to continue to strive to publish their findings and to work together within BERA to move forward in the hostile climate.
Teachers' Careers and Comprehensive School Closure: policy and professionalism in practice
Authors: Riseborough George F.
Published: June 2007

This paper presents tape‐recorded material obtained from ethnographic interviews conducted with two secondary school teachers in an urban working‐class school. It illustrates how their careers were made and unmade during a particular historical moment, exploring the experience of the closure of a comprehensive school in the context of falling rolls and monetarist state policy. The collapse of their (and others') vertical, horizontal and moral careers is presented. The teachers' crises of motivation are outlined, together with the practical accomplishment of transfer to other schools within the authority. In conclusion, the social class position of these teachers is explored—whether their experience pushed them ideologically and culturally closer to their students and the working class, and away from the New Right state and its policy.
Black and White Unite or Flight? The racialised dimension of schooling and parental choice
Authors: Bagley Carl
Published: June 2007

In the late 1980s UK education witnessed a few highly publicised, controversial and contentious cases of white parents successfully campaigning to have their children educated in predominantly white schools. Since then educational reforms have sought to give parents even greater choice of school, while discussion around white parental choice and ‘race’ has remained largely silent. This paper reopens that debate by examining the extent to which ‘race’ is a factor in white parents' choice of school. It draws on the quantitative and qualitative findings of the Parental and School Choice Interaction (PASCI) Study, a 3‐year longitudinal investigation into the interaction between parental choice of school and school decision‐making, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. The paper concludes by discussing the complex picture arising from the data and the implications of the findings for education policy.
What Do We Know about Breaktime? Results from a National Survey of Breaktime and Lunchtime in Primary and Secondary Schools[1]
Authors: Blatchford Peter , Sumpner Clare
Published: June 2007

Almost every school has a morning break and a lunchbreak, and sometimes an afternoon break. Breaktimes are often seen as a problem, and there are signs that time allocated to them is being reduced and more closely supervised. Research suggests, however, that breaktimes may have a social value for pupils, not easily recognised by staff. Information on even basic characteristics of breaktimes, such as their duration and supervision arrangements, was lacking and so a national survey, examining the current situation and changes over the past 5 years, was conducted. The sample comprised 1245 primary and 300 secondary schools, which represents 6% of schools in England. The response rate was 61%. Results showed a tendency for changes to involve a reduction in the lunchbreak and abolition of the afternoon break. Staff reasons given for this were demands of teaching and behavioural problems. At primary level, lunchtime supervision was largely in the hands of ancillary staff but teachers had concerns about supervision provided at breaktime. Results are discussed in the context of current developments in education and it is argued that the possible value of breaktime to pupils needs to be considered more seriously.
The Tutoring Process and its Manifestation in the Classroom Behaviour of Tutors and Tutees
Authors: Bar‐Eli Nurith , Bar‐Eli Michael , Tenenbaum Gershon , Forlin Chris
Published: June 2007

Three case studies were conducted of seventh graders teaching mathematics to third graders, in place of their classroom teacher, applying the Learning Through Teaching (LTT) method. Audio and video recording provided information on tutoring sessions. Trained observers coded the behaviours of the tutors and tutees during the tutoring sessions and in their respective classes during mathematics and other lessons. The results show that when tutors are appropriately prepared to teach their younger counterparts, substantial academic task‐related activities are later enhanced in their regular class. Furthermore, both tutors and tutees become better achievers and more socially accepted by their peers. These results are restricted to successful interactions between the tutor and tutee. The present investigation suggests that tutoring seems to benefit more the tutor than the tutee on both academic and social aspects.
Theories of Inclusion, Theories of Schools: deconstructing and reconstructing the ‘inclusive school’
Authors: Clark Catherine , Dyson Alan , Millward Alan , Robson Sue
Published: June 2007

The Government's recent commitment to inclusive education aligns English policy in special needs education with the international inclusion movement. One of the founding assumptions of that movement is that mainstream schools can and should develop structures and practices which will allow them to respond more fully to the diversity of their pupil populations. This article reports a study of four comprehensive schools seeking to develop in this more inclusive direction. It finds, however, that their attempts were beset by difficulties and ambiguities which call for an explanation. It considers, and finds inadequate, accounts within the literature in terms of theories of educational change, theories of inclusive schools and micro‐political theories. These accounts, it argues, need to be supplemented by a perspective which sees responses to diversity as being beset by dilemmas arising from contradictory imperatives within mass education systems. Such a dilemmatic perspective suggests that movement towards inclusive schooling is likely to be more problematic and more complex than we have supposed.
The Educational Researcher as a Public Intellectual*
Authors: Goodson Ivor
Published: June 2007

As education and schooling are themselves repositioned and restratified in the new global work order, so research on education is itself repositioned. In such a situation, even if people go on researching as they researched before, their work may have been repositioned: sometimes so as to substantially shift, or even invert, the relevance and effect of that work. A crisis of positionality arises at this point because of the reconstitution and repositioning of the social relations of production. The importance of this for educational researchers, as public intellectuals, is clearly of great concern. Through a case study, some of the implications of this repositioning are assessed. In the final section, new strategies for rejuvenating public intellectual work are assessed. Certain aspects of New Right overreach are explored. Firstly, the attack on professional groups in general; secondly, the general attack on public life and the disinvestment in local communities, and thirdly, the ‘dumbing down’ of public media. These struggles are seen as central arenas in which public intellectual life can be repositioned and rejuvenated.
Learning outcomes and ways of thinking across contrasting disciplines and settings in higher education
Authors: Entwistle Noel
Published: June 2007

This article describes the ways in which learning outcomes have been, or will be, investigated within the TLRP projects in higher education. It introduces the term ways of thinking and practising which has been used in one of the projects to describe the intentions of staff in higher education. This term covers what staff see as the essential nature of their discipline and so defines learning outcomes more broadly than is typical in the current specification of intended learning outcomes. The article considers the wide range of differences in learning outcomes that exist across higher education, reflecting different institutional missions and priorities, as well as the fundamental differences that exist between subject areas in the nature of learning outcomes, and considers some of the problems encountered in how to conceptualize and assess them.
Measurement and distribution of runoff and soil losses from selected watersheds in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region
Authors: Zokaib Suhail , Jehangir Mohammad , Shah Hakim , Merz Juerg , White Roger
Published: June 2007

The sediment loads of Himalayan Rivers are amongst the highest in the world, resulting in problems such as siltation of reservoirs, blockage of river channels and poor quality of water supplies. The aim of the study was to develop total sediment calculation and distribution on different land uses and thus to provide information for planning the quantification of sediment loads to rivers and reservoirs. Hydrological, meteorological and soil erosion data were collected from four watersheds, the Jhikhu Khola, the Hilkot, the Bhetagad and the Xizhuang, all of which featured several types of land use. Runoff and sediment losses were monitored. Total annual rainfall in the region ranged between 972 to 2400 mm. About 44 to 66 percent of rainfall occurred from June to August, which is mostly the Monsoon season in the region. Results show that runoff and soil losses were higher in the months of May to September, when rainfall duration and intensity were higher in all the watersheds. Large rainfall events contributed most of annual runoff and soil loss in the area. The highest annual runoff was generated in the Jhikhu Khola watershed under all conditions of land use while it was very low in the Bhetagan and Hilkot watersheds.

The highest runoff and soil loss was recorded from degraded land plots because there less vegetation was available and the soil was loose and susceptible to erosion. In agricultural plots runoff and soil erosion was higher during the periods when there was no crop canopy and soil was not compacted after ploughing. During the months when crop cover was good there was less runoff and soil erosion. In pasture and forest plots runoff and soil loss was minimal throughout because of good vegetation and higher concentrations of organic matter that increased water infiltration and reduced runoff and soil loss.
Does drug education work?
Authors: MDFORD RICHARD
Published: June 2007

Recent research indicates that certain drug education programmes do stop or delay the onset of drug use under optimum conditions. Social inoculation programmes have generally enjoyed the greaterst degree of success, but the behaviour changes have been confined to a small number of students; have not been uniform across all drugs and have diminished over time. Research on the cost effectiveness of drug education progammes indicates that they compare favourably with the cost effectiveness of most law enforcement approaches, but are not as cost effective as treatment. While there are some methodological qualifications, the drug education literature does indicate that soundly conceptualized and rigorously implemented programmes can influence drug using behaviour and that comprehensive provision of such programmes is likely to produce a net social cost saving to society. This does not mean that proven drug education programs will necessarily be implemented. The most powerful factor in the implementation process is selection of programmes on the basis of ideal outcomes, rather than on the evidence of what can realistically be achieved. Ultimately, this is self‐defeating, because programme failures will again discredit the whole drug education approach. Drug education programmes must be selected because they have demonstrated the ability to have a beneficial impact on youth drug use and youth drug problems.
Ester-linked phospholipid fatty acids in marine sediments: Testing the possibility of methane seepage in the Japan Sea
Authors: Ogawa Mari , Tanimoto Daisuke , Okamoto Takuji , Saito Yasunori , Jing Zhang , Takeuchi Akira , Naganuma Takeshi
Published: June 2007

Two target sites in Japan Sea, Toyama Bay and Shiribeshi Seamount, were studied using deep-sea submersibles to ‘dowse’ or imply seafloor methane seepage by analysis of ester-linked phospholipid fatty acids in sediments. No methane seeps in the studied sites had been reported before. The sediments associated with yellow to red patches showed a relatively high abundance of phospholipid fatty acids with biomarkers for sulfate-reducing bacteria and methane-oxidizing bacteria. Similar phospholipid fatty acid compositions were found in the sediments near the dense colonies of the deep-sea tunicate Megalodicopia hians. The tunicate colonies were first discovered in the coastal Japan area by this study, and their association with possible methane seepage was suspected. These results suggest that microflora with sulfate-reducing and methane-oxidizing bacteria may have developed in adaptation to methane seepage in the bathyal Japan Sea floor, where gas hydrate is likely formed beneath. In addition, supplement 16S rDNA data from the yellow patch sediment in Toyama Bay suggested that sulfur-oxidizing bacteria occur in response to sulfide supplied by sulfate-reducing bacteria. As methane is a more effective greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and thus has more impact on global biosphere from aquatic systems, these observations call for the survey of the distribution of methane seeps associated with faults and subsurface gas hydrate in the coastal Japan Sea.
Abdominal Wagging in the Social Paper WaspPolistes dominulus: Behavior and Substrate Vibrations
Authors: Brennan Bernard J.
Published: June 2007

The abdominal wagging behavior ofPolistes dominulusfoundresses is highly conspicuous and frequently performed, but comprehensive descriptions are lacking. It has been suggested that abdominal wagging is involved in vibratory signaling, but the wagging behavior has not been distinguished from the substrate‐borne signal, and nest vibrations have never been described. Here I provide a detailed description of the behavior and the first video‐linked accelerometer recordings of nest vibrations. These recordings indicate that an impulsive vibration is produced when the adult female repeatedly strikes its abdomen against cell rims as it swings it across the nest surface. These strong vibrations propagate throughout the nest. Scanning electron microscopy reveals no specialized structures for vibration production on the abdomen or nest. These results provide a foundation for the mechanical playback studies required to experimentally determine the function of abdominal wagging.