bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Final Reflections
Authors: BEHR JOHN , ANATOLIOS KHALED
Published: June 2007

As a concluding comment, I should like to return to the point raised by Ayres, that it is not enough simply to tell a better version of the fourth-century history in the expectation that modern theologians will finally get it straight! This is a valid point: if we want to have Christianity's fourth-century heritage taken seriously, we need to be in dialogue with modern writers. But, if there is to be a dialogue, both sides must be allowed to speak, and so we are also responsible for expounding the historical material on its own terms. As Heidegger put it, “[O]nly when we think through what has been thought will we be of any use for what must still be thought.” Perhaps studying the figures from a distant era will open up for us possibilities we would never have dreamed of within our own modern presuppositions, so that we can recognize differences even beyond those which lie within our own horizon or tradition. If I am right in affirming that there is a different style of doing theology prior to Augustine and after him in the East than that which we find in the theological and scholarly tradition in which Ayres's book stands, then we must ask whether we need to address the question of the legitimacy of each (and ponder how one might even answer that) or whether a plurality of approaches is possible without reducing one to the other. In a way, this would be a further step toward deconstructing monolithic notions of “Orthodoxy” in recognition of genuine and legitimate diversity within early Christianity and among modern Christians. Might it be better not to speak of Nicaea and its legacy, but of the legacies of Nicaea—or better—“Christ and him crucified” (2 Cor 2:2) and the ways in which Nicaea and its interpreters affirm the true divinity of this one?
Management of granular myringitis: A systematic review
Authors: Neilson L J , Hussain S S M
Published: June 2007

Introduction:

Granular myringitis is a chronic disorder characterised by lateral squamous de-epithelialisation and granulation of the tympanic membrane. Untreated, granular myringitis can lead to post-inflammatory medial external auditory canal fibrosis, acquired canal atresia and inflammatory infiltration of the deep canal.

Aim:

This study aimed to establish optimal management strategies which could be applied to clinical practice, through systematic review of the current literature.

Methods:

Current literature was obtained by searching evidence-based medical databases, the Cochrane database, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, the Cochrane controlled trials register, Ovid Medline, the variousBritish Medical Journalimprint journals, individual journal websites and citation indexes, and by hand-searching current journals. Detailed inclusion criteria were set. Data were retrieved from the selected studies and checked for accuracy and consistency. The primary outcome measured was the effect of the proposed intervention on recurrence of granular myringitis, compared with empirical antibiotic therapy.

Results:

Fifty-eight publications were identified, dating from 1964 to 2005; 46 of these were potentially relevant. After assessment using the preset inclusion criteria, only two studies remained. El-Seifi and Fouad (2000) found that surgical excision of granulation tissue resulted in an 80 per cent reduction in recurrence of granular myringitis when compared with conventional antibiotic therapy. However, Junget al.(2002) demonstrated a 96 per cent reduction in granular myringitis recurrence when managed with dilute vinegar solution.

Conclusions:

There was a reduced recurrence of granular myringitis in both studies' intervention groups, although neither study was randomised or blinded, making it difficult to assess the clinical relevance of the results. However, the following conclusions can be inferred. (1) Conventional topical antibiotic and steroid drops appear to be less efficacious and more likely to lead to recurrence of symptoms, compared with other proposed treatment modalities. (2) Treatment with dilute vinegar solution presents a logical, unharmful alternative to conventional antibiotic drops. Further research of high value is needed.
Evaluation of endoscopic sinus surgery by Glasgow benefit inventory
Authors: Newton J R , Shakeel M , Ram B
Published: June 2007

Introduction:

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is a common adjunct to medical therapy in cases of chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis.

Aim:

The objective of this study was to assess patients' quality of life up to two years after endoscopic sinus surgery.

Method:

Fifty consecutive patients attending a rhinology clinic filled in the Glasgow benefit inventory. The patients were divided into three groups according to the time period elapsed since surgery (i.e. six months, 12 months or up to two years).

Results:

The results showed that, generally, the Glasgow benefit inventory scores indicated a benefit from the procedure. Overall, surgery led to statistically significant improvements in both total and general scores (p < 0.05). Comparison of endoscopic sinus surgery with nasal polypectomy (plus endoscopic sinus surgery) indicated a greater benefit for polyp disease. No statistical difference was observed between the scores for females vs males or for various post-operative follow-up periods.
Disturbance rejection by online ZMP compensation
Authors: Prahlad Vadakkepat , Dip Goswami , Meng-Hwee Chia
Published: June 2007

A novel method of Zero-Moment-Point (ZMP) compensation is proposed to improve the stability of locomotion of a biped, which is subjected to disturbances. A compensating torque is injected into the ankle-joint of the foot of the robot to improve stability. The value of the compensating torque is computed from the reading of the force sensors located at the four corners of each foot. The effectiveness of the method is verified on a humanoid robot, MANUS-I. With the compensation technique, the robot successfully rejected disturbances in different forms. It carried an additional weight of 390 gm (17% of body weight) while walking. Also, it walked up a 10° slope and walked down a 3° slope.
Lunar surface: Dust dynamics and regolith mechanics
Authors: Colwell J. E. , Batiste S. , Horányi M. , Robertson S. , Sture S.
Published: June 2007

The lunar surface is characterized by a collisionally evolved regolith resulting from meteoroid bombardment. This lunar soil consists of highly angular particles in a broad, approximately power law size distribution, with impact‐generated glasses. The regolith becomes densified and difficult to excavate when subjected to lunar quakes or, eventually, manned and unmanned activity on the surface. Solar radiation and the solar wind produce a plasma sheath near the lunar surface. Lunar grains acquire charge in this environment and can exhibit unusual behavior, including levitation and transport across the surface because of electric fields in the plasma sheath. The fine component of the lunar regolith contributes to the operational and health hazards posed to planned lunar expeditions. In this paper we discuss the mechanical response of the regolith to anticipated exploration activities and review the plasma environment near the lunar surface and the observations, models, and dynamics of charged lunar dust.
Active salt tectonics in the Needles District, Canyonlands (Utah) as detected by interferometric synthetic aperture radar and point target analysis: 1992–2002
Authors: Furuya M. , Mueller K. , Wahr J.
Published: June 2007

The Needles District in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, is known for its well‐exposed array of extensional faults, which are thought to be produced by gravity‐driven extension and downward flexure of a thin sandstone plate into the Colorado River canyon in response to dissolution and flow of underlying evaporites (halite and gypsum). Owing to a lack of precise geodetic data, however, it remains uncertain if and to what extent those extensional faults are currently deforming. In this study we use synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to search for ongoing, decadal ground displacements, by applying both a stacking interferometric SAR (InSAR) analysis and Interferometric Point Target Analysis (IPTA). Our results show that most of the Needles District is indeed undergoing deformation now at a maximum rate of 2–3 mm/year away from the satellite, looking roughly westward with an incidence angle of about 20°. Also, we identify a localized region along the riverbank that is uplifting at a rate of 2–3 mm/year. We estimate the measurement precision to be better than 0.8 mm/year, except along the riverbank where the errors are probably higher than this, by analyzing residual signals and carrying out a signal recovery experiment using synthetic two dimensional correlated noise. The deforming region is almost totally bounded by the Colorado River canyon to the west and north, a rapidly subsiding, east‐west trending graben to the south, and a relatively sharp to very diffuse deformation gradient to the east. We observe deformation patterns that were previously undetected. These include an area in the southwestern part of the deforming region that is deforming at higher rates than anywhere else in the Needles but that has little surface extensional faulting. Rates of deformation are lower but still clearly significant further north, in a region of spectacularly exposed fault blocks that have been previously studied in considerable detail.
The beta‐lactam antibiotic, ceftriaxone, attenuates morphine‐evoked hyperthermia in rats
Authors: Rawls S M , Tallarida R , Robinson W , Amin M
Published: June 2007

Background and purpose:

Beta‐lactam antibiotics are the first practical pharmaceuticals capable of increasing the expression and activity of the glutamate transporter, GLT‐1, in the CNS. However, the functional impact of beta‐lactam antibiotics on specific drugs which produce their pharmacological effects by increasing glutamatergic transmission is unknown. One such drug is morphine, which causes hyperthermia in rats, mediated by an increase in glutamatergic transmission. Since drugs (e.g. antibiotics) that enhance glutamate uptake also decrease glutamatergic transmission, we tested the hypothesis that ceftriaxone, a beta‐lactam antibiotic, would block the glutamate‐dependent portion of morphine‐evoked hyperthermia.

Experimental approach:

A body temperature assay was used to determine if ceftriaxone decreased morphine‐induced hyperthermia in rats by increasing glutamate uptake.

Key results:

Body temperatures of rats treated with ceftriaxone (200 mg kg−1, i.p. × 7 days) did not differ from rats receiving saline. Morphine (1, 4, 8 and 15 mg kg−1, s.c.) caused significant hyperthermia. Pre‐treatment with ceftriaxone, as described above, decreased the hyperthermic response to these doses of morphine. The effects of ceftriaxone were prevented by TBOA (0.2 μmol, i.c.v.), an inhibitor of glutamate transport.

Conclusions and implications:

Ceftriaxone attenuated the hyperthermia caused by morphine, an effect prevented by inhibiting glutamate transport. Thus this effect of ceftriaxone was most likely mediated by increased glutamate uptake. These data revealed a functional interaction between ceftriaxone and morphine and indicated that a beta‐lactam antibiotic decreased the efficacy of morphine in conscious rats.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2007)151, 1095–1102; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707309
Pharmacophore modelling of stereoselective binding to the human organic cation transporter (hOCT1)
Authors: Moaddel R , Ravichandran S , Bighi F , Yamaguchi R , Wainer I W
Published: June 2007

Background and purpose:

The human organic cation transporter‐1 (hOCT1) is a polyspecific transporter that plays a role in drug distribution, metabolism and excretion. Previous studies have demonstrated that hOCT1 binding can be stereoselective, but the mechanism for stereochemical recognition has not been described. The purpose of this study was to develop a pharmacophore model to describe stereoselective binding to hOCT1.

Experimental approach:

A set of 22 compounds including 8 pairs of enantiomers and five pairs of diastereomers was used to develop a pharmacophore model. The pharmacophore modeling was carried out using Catalyst version 4.11 and HypoGen and was based upon the correlation of the structures and activities (Kivalues) of the compounds used in the study.

Key results:

The resulting model contained a positive ion, hydrophobic and two hydrogen‐bond acceptor interaction sites. The relative enantioselectivity of 8/8 enantiomeric pairs and diastereoselectivity of 5/5 diastereomers was described by mapping to a combination of at least 3 of the 4 functional feature sites of the model.

Conclusions and implications:

The pharmacophore model describes stereoselective interactions with hOCT1 at one of the binding sites on the molecule.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2007)151, 1305–1314; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707341
Acute actions and novel targets of matrix metalloproteinases in the heart and vasculature
Authors: Chow A K , Cena J , Schulz R
Published: June 2007

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been shown to play significant roles in a number of physiological as well as pathological processes. Best known to proteolyse components of the extracellular matrix, MMPs have recently been discovered to also target a growing list of proteins apart from these, both inside and outside the cell. MMPs have also been traditionally thought of as enzymes involved in chronic processes such as angiogenesis, remodelling and atherosclerosis on a days‐week time‐scale. However they are now understood to also act acutely in response to oxidative stress on a minutes time‐scale on non‐extracellular matrix substrates. This review focuses on the acute actions and both extracellular and intracellular targets of two prominent MMP family members, MMP‐2 and ‐9, in cardiovascular diseases including ischaemia/reperfusion injury, inflammatory heart disease, septic shock and pre‐eclampsia. Also discussed are various ways of regulating MMP activity, including post‐translational mechanisms, the endogenous tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases and pharmacological inhibitors. A comprehensive understanding of MMP biology is necessary for the development of novel pharmacological therapies to combat the impact of cardiovascular disease.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2007)152, 189–205; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707344
Cryogenic resonant acoustic spectroscopy of bulk materials (CRA spectroscopy)
Authors: Zimmer Anja , Nawrodt Ronny , Koettig Torsten , Neubert Ralf , Thürk Matthias , Vodel Wolfgang , Seidel Paul , Tünnermann Andreas
Published: June 2007

The capability to measure Q factors at cryogenic temperatures enhances the ability to study relaxation processes in solids. Here we present a high-precision cryogenic setup with the ability to measure Q factors of at least 109. This level of sensitivity offers new potential for analyzing relaxation processes in solids and for correlating mode shape and relaxation strength. Our improved method of mechanical spectroscopy, cryogenic resonant acoustic spectroscopy of bulk materials, is verified by identifying relaxation processes in low-loss quartz crystals. For the first time, we observe additional damping peaks. The mechanical Q factors of different modes of cylindrical crystalline quartz substrates were measured from 300 down to 6K. Resonant modes with frequencies between 10 and 325kHz were excited without contact to the substrates and the ring down of the amplitudes was recorded using an interferometric vibration readout.
Amorphous nonstoichiometric Ge1−x–Cx:H compounds obtained by radiolysis-chemical vapor deposition of germane/ethyne or germane/allene systems: A bonding and microstructure investigation performed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Benzi Paola , Bottizzo Elena , Demaria Chiara , Infante Guido , Iucci Giovanna , Polzonetti Giovanni
Published: June 2007

Hydrogenated germanium carbides have been produced by x-ray activated–chemical vapor deposition from germane/ethyne or germane/allene systems. The chemical composition and structure of the reaction products as a function of the hydrocarbon percentage in the irradiated mixture and of the solid annealing temperature have been studied and discussed. Bonding and microstructure of these alloys have been investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that the solids are formed by a randomly bound network of carbon, germanium and hydrogen atoms with composition, and characteristics and properties variable with the radiolysis experimental conditions. The spectra show the presence of Ge–C bonds and a partial polymerlike character of the films with hydrogen atoms bonded both to germanium and carbon. Clustered-germanium zones dispersed in the material matrix are also evidenced. The results suggest that the conductive properties of the materials are related to the density of these amorphous clusters. The annealing causes compositional and structural transformations becoming more drastic with temperature.
Dynamics and sound attenuation in viscoelastic polymer containing hollow glass microspheres
Authors: Zhao Honggang , Liu Yaozong , Wen Jihong , Yu Dianlong , Wen Xisen
Published: June 2007

The practical design of composite material suggests that there is a need for an improved quantitative understanding of the interaction between acoustic waves and microspheres. The multiple scattering method is used to investigate the sound attenuation of the viscoelastic polymer containing hollow glass microspheres. Then the dynamics of the hollow glass microspheres is investigated by reference to the elements of the scattering matrices. It shows that the dilatational vibration of the microsphere plays a key role in the sound attenuation within the viscoelastic polymer composite at the quasistatic region. The thinner glass shell undergoes more severe dilatational vibration and induces more attenuation in the polymer composite.
Traumatic Stress in the 21st Century
Authors: McFarlane Alexander C.
Published: June 2007

Objective: The introduction to a series of articles on traumatic stress aims to examine the ambivalent relationship between traumatic stress and psychiatry. It provides an outline to the very significant contribution that this field made before the conceptualisation of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how the research and theoretical thinking in this field can provide many insights into the relationship between environmental factors and psychological health. It focuses on the relevance of this field to general psychiatry.

Result: Posttraumatic stress disorder has emerged as the most common anxiety disorder in women. As well, there are high rates discovered in a range of chronically ill psychiatric patient populations. In particular, strategies for dealing with the issues of childhood abuse and neglect are not often considered by adult psychiatric services for the chronically and severely mentally ill, despite there being important predictors of suicidal behaviour, hospitalisation and prolonged disability. An effective consideration of the available evidence is often complicated by concerns about the impact of financial compensation on the presentation of psychopathology. This is a complex social dialectic whose impact is important to the practise of psychiatry. Equally, this field in itself must avoid becoming excessively rigid in its clinical definitions and the particular interventions which are espoused.

Conclusions: The impact of traumatic events on long-term psychological adjustment and physical health have been under estimated. Identification of those at risk is an important issue given that effective treatments are now available. This is an area in which further conceptual thinking is required. It also provides particular opportunities to explore the biological processes of, and interaction between, the environment and the underlying genetic and neurobiological processes which are critical to the modulation of psychopathology.
Psychological Debriefing: Controversy and Challenge
Authors: Deahl Martin
Published: June 2007

Objective: The efficacy of psychological debriefing following potentially traumatising events has become extremely controversial. This review aims to identify the issues underlying this controversy and their theoretical, social and political ramifications which are important in other areas of psychiatry and the social sciences.

Method: The historical background to the debriefing debate and the (largely negative) results of recent randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are reviewed.

Results: Despite the negative results of recent RCTs, psychological debriefing remains the most widely used structured intervention following potentially traumatising events, designed to reduce the incidence of long-term psychiatric morbidity. The clinical relevance these trials and their applicability in vivo is questioned. There are implicit difficulties in conducting rigorous randomised controlled trials of group debriefing, and such trials may be unachievable.

Conclusions: Demonstrating the efficacy of debriefing or other preventive interventions presents major challenges to investigators and it is unlikely the controversy will be resolved in the near future.
The Internet and Mental Health Literacy
Authors: Christensen Helen , Griffiths Kathleen
Published: June 2007

Objective: This paper describes the informational and treatment opportunities offered by the Worldwide Web (WWW) and comments on the advantages, disadvantages and potential dangers of its role in mental health and mental health research.

Method: Two perspectives are taken: (i) the impact of the Web from the point of view of the clinician (the practitioner view) and (ii) the impact of the Web on the public's knowledge of mental health (mental health literacy; the community or public health view). These perspectives are applied to two areas of impact: (i) information and knowledge; and (ii) treatment and self-help.

Results: The Web, due to its accessibility, has advantages in providing access to information, online therapy and adjunctive therapy in mental health. Problems include information overload, poor information quality, potential harm and lack of scientific evaluation.

Conclusions: Issues of overload and quality of information, the potential for harm and the need to evaluate interventions are not unique to the Internet. However, the Internet has special features which make these issues more prominent. The Internet is likely to increase the general public's access to information and to decrease unmet need. Sites and interventions on the Internet need to be formally evaluated.
Psychiatrists' Experience and Views Regarding St John's Wort and ‘Alternative’ Treatments
Authors: Walter Garry , Rey Joseph M. , Harding Amabel
Published: June 2007

Objective: This study aims to ascertain the experience and views of psychiatrists in relation to St John's Wort and alternative treatments generally.

Method: A questionnaire was posted to all members of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists living in Australia or New Zealand.

Results: Of the 1910 mailed questionnaires, 862 (45%) were returned. Eighty per cent of respondents had patients who had used the herb. Side-effects and drug interactions were reported by 28% and 8% respectively of these psychiatrists. Some adverse events were described as serious. Psychiatrist attitudes about St John's Wort and alternative treatments were positive overall and psychiatrists seemed willing to recommend St John's Wort despite limited evidence of its usefulness.

Conclusions: Psychiatrists in Australia and New Zealand regularly manage patients who take St John's Wort and a considerable number actually recommend the treatment. However, they also report side-effects and drug interactions. Psychiatrists should routinely enquire about their patients' use of alternative treatments, be mindful of possible side-effects and in particular be aware of the dangers of combining St John's Wort with other psychotropics.
Effectiveness of Barriers at Suicide Jumping Sites: A Case Study
Authors: Beautrais Annette L.
Published: June 2007

Objectives: Suicide safety barriers were removed from a central city bridge in an Australasian metropolitan area in 1996 after having been in place for 60 years. The bridge is a known suicide site and is located adjacent to the region's largest hospital, which includes an acute inpatient psychiatric unit. This paper examines the impact of the removal of these barriers on suicide rates.

Method: Data for suicide deaths by jumping from the bridge in question, from 1992to 2000, were obtained from the regional City Police Inquest Office. Data for suicide deaths by jumping from other sites in the metropolitan area in question, from 1992 to 1998, were obtained from the national health statistics database. Case history data about each suicide death by jumping in the metropolitan area in question, from 1994 to 1998, were abstracted from coronial files held by a national database.

Results: Removal of safety barriers led to an immediate and substantial increase in both the numbers and rate of suicide by jumping from the bridge in question. In the 4 years following the removal of the barriers (compared with the previous 4 years) the number of suicides increased substantially, from three to 15 (χ2 = 8, df = 1, p < 0.01); the rate of such deaths increased also (χ2 = 6.6, df = 1, p < 0.01). The majority of those who died by jumping from the bridge following the removal of the safety barriers were young male psychiatric patients, with psychotic illnesses. Following the removal of the barriers from the bridge the rate of suicide by jumping in the metropolitan area in question did not change but the pattern of suicides by jumping in the city changed significantly with more suicides from the bridge in question and fewer at other sites.

Conclusions: Removal of safety barriers from a known suicide site led to a substantial increase in the numbers of suicide deaths by jumping from that site. These findings appear to strengthen the case for installation of safety barriers at suicide sites in efforts to prevent suicide deaths, and also suggest the need for extreme caution about the removal of barriers from known jumping sites.
Postnatal Depression, Anxiety and Unsettled Infant Behaviour
Authors: McMahon Catherine , Barnett Bryanne , Kowalenko Nicholas , Tennant Christopher , Don Neville
Published: June 2007

Objective: This study compares maternal mood, marital satisfaction and infant temperament in 128 mothers admitted to the residential care unit of a parentcraft hospitaland 58 mothers in a demographically matched group.

Method: Mothers were recruited from the residential care unit of a parentcraft hospital (Tresillian Family Care Centres) and a comparison group from a private obstetric practice in the same demographic area. Both groups completed self-report questionnaires on depression, anxiety and marital adjustment, while mothers in the residential care group also received a structured diagnostic interview for depression (CIDI).

Results: Sixty-two per cent of mothers in the residential care group met diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode occurring since childbirth and a further 13% met DSM-IV research criteria for minor depression. The residential care group also scored significantly higher on both state and trait anxiety and rated their infants as significantly more temperamentally difficult than did the comparison group.

Conclusions: This study replicates a previous Australian finding of a high incidence of maternal mood disorders in mothers admitted to parentcraft hospitals. Acknowledgement of the close association between maternal mood state and unsettled infant behaviour facilitates an integrated multidisciplinary approach offering appropriate management for both mothers and infants. Residential care units may be ideally suited to provide such early intervention strategies in a non-stigmatizing environment, but provision of adequate staff support, mental health consultation, education and skills in managing mental health problems in these settings is important.
Socio‐psychological Environments and Learning: a quantitative synthesis
Authors: Haertel Geneva D. , Walberg Herbert J. , Haertel Edward H.
Published: June 2007

To estimate the sign and size of correlations between student perceptions of social‐psychological environments of their classes and learning outcomes, 734 correlations from 12 studies on 823 classes in eight subject areas were analyzed. These represented a total of 17,805 students in four nations. A total of 31 of 36 hypotheses, theoretically‐derived in 1969 were supported. Learning outcomes and gains are positively associated with Cohesiveness, Satisfaction, Task Difficulty, Formality, Goal Direction, Democracy, and the Material Environment and negatively associated with Friction, Cliqueness, Apathy, and Disorganization. Jack‐knifed regression equations show that the magnitudes of the correlations depend on specific scales, level of aggregation, and nation but not on sample size, subject matter, domain of learning outcome (cognitive, affective, or behavioral), or statistical adjustments for ability and pretests.
Sixth‐formers' Perceptions of the Effective Teacher of Mathematics at ‘O’ Level
Authors: Kyriacou Chris
Published: June 2007

One hundred and ninety‐four first‐year sixth‐form college pupils completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to rate 38 teacher characteristics according to the extent to which they perceived each of the characteristics to be associated with the effective teacher of mathematics at ‘O’ level. A specific criterion of teacher effectiveness was employed: pupil success at ‘O’ level. The characteristics with the highest mean ratings were ‘explains points clearly and at pupils' level’, ‘is confident and at ease when teaching’ and ‘pays attention to revision and examination technique’. A principal components analysis of the ratings identified five factors which were labelled: ‘positive rapport’, ‘monitoring progress', ‘aloof discipline’, ‘exam oriented’ and ‘enthusiast’. The similarities and differences of the findings here with those reported in earlier studies using the same questionnaire with heads of mathematics departments in secondary schools and PGCE students are discussed, and the relationship between these findings and research elsewhere is explored.
Examinations and Teaching: an exploratory study
Authors: Scarth John , Hammersley Martyn
Published: June 2007

This article examines claims made about the influence of public examinations on teaching, and reviews the empirical research in this area. The prevailing view among educationalists, teachers and researchers seems to be that public examinations encourage teaching that involves a high level of fact‐transmission. Though there has been much debate about this issue, what little research there has been is inconclusive. We report the findings of a four year study of examinations and teaching. Using timings of teacher and pupil talk, we examine teaching on a range of different types of assessed and non‐assessed courses. Strong claims cannot be made on the basis of our data, but our research does raise questions about the current orthodoxy that public examinations cause fact‐transmission teaching.
Classroom Behaviour Problems which Secondary School Teachers say they find most Troublesome
Authors: Houghton Stephen , Wheldall Kevin , Merrett Frank
Published: June 2007

A questionnaire survey of 251 British secondary school teachers was carried out based on a stratified random sample of secondary schools in a West Midlands education authority. The questionnaire aimed to determine the types and frequency of troublesome classroom behaviours. The results showed that 55% of teachers responding claimed that they spent too much time on problems of order and control. Two behaviours, ‘talking out of turn’ and ‘hindering other children’, were clearly identified by teachers as being the most problematic. The variables of sex of teacher, age group taught and subject area taught are also examined.
Non‐verbal Effects in Oral Testing
Authors: Seddon G. M. , Pedrosa M. A.
Published: June 2007

The investigation is intended to determine whether non‐verbal effects such as appearance and body language can result in a difference in the scores given to students' oral answers to oral questions. A sample of 14‐15‐year‐old students answered a set of typical science questions orally and was assessed by two pairs of experienced teachers. One pair put the questions and assessed the students in a face‐to‐face situation. The other assessed the same answers out‐of‐sight using a radio link. A comparison of the scores from these two different conditions of assessment indicated that the scores were enhanced as a result of non‐verbal effects.
Issues in the Evaluation of Standard Assessment Tasks and the Reliability of National Curriculum Assessment
Authors: Sainsbury Marian , Schagen Ian , Whetton Chris
Published: June 2007

Important issues in the reliability of National Curriculum assessment were raised by an earlier paper by Davies & Brember, but unfortunately not supported by a valid analysis of the data they collected from five primary schools in 1991. This paper aims to clarify some of those issues and to point out the lack of comparability between the two measures which were compared. Suggestions for more valid analysis are given.
Improving Children's Writing: the construction of a behavioural self‐management package
Authors: Panagopoulou‐Stamatelatou Anthi , Merrett Frank
Published: June 2007

In this study, the effect of self‐management on the quantity and quality of primary school children's writing was examined. Self‐management was used as an intervention technique, because its rationale coincides with that of writing as an interactional process and both of them seek ways to promote independent learning. To serve the aims of the present research, several self‐management procedures were integrated into a package which was constructed especially for the purpose. An attempt was made to include as many as possible of these procedures, in order to maximise the effectiveness of the intervention. Results showed self‐management to be associated not only with increased output, but higher quality of output and higher attentional levels, as well.
Preschool Literacy Experiences of Children in Punjabi, Urdu and Gujerati Speaking Families in England
Authors: Hirst Kath
Published: June 2007

This paper discusses some findings from a literacy survey of 30 Asian families with preschool children. Research has been undertaken with bilingual preschool children but there is little research with families of preschool children whose first language is Punjabi, Urdu or Gujerati. Families in this survey lived in an inner‐city area in England and were mainly of Pakistani origin. Families were interviewed at home with the assistance of an interpreter where necessary. Parents reported extensive preschool activities in the home, high aspirations for their children's education and a willingness to be involved in home‐school links. Issues arising and implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Concentrated Disadvantage and Access to Educational Credentials in Arab and Jewish Localities in Israel[1]
Authors: Mazawi André Elias
Published: June 2007

This article examines the effects of aggregated indicators of concentrated disadvantage on access of the 17‐18 age cohort in Arab and Jewish localities in Israel to high school matriculation. The major findings suggest that Arab localities secure a significantly lower access to educational credentials compared to their Jewish counterparts. Arab localities were found to be much more affected by their sociodemographic characteristics than by their relatively homogeneous subordinate position in the broader economic and labour market opportunity structure. By contrast, Jewish localities were found to be rather affected by their economic and labour market differentiation, much more than by their sociodemographic characteristics. The findings further reveal the existence of a significant interaction effect between the ethnic composition of the locality and other structural variables. In sum, the concentration of disadvantage at locality level affects access to educational credentials in Israel in two complementary ways, both related to the ethnic division of economic and occupational opportunities. Ethnic, spatial, economic and labour market marginalisation determines the subordinate position of Arab localities in the broader opportunity structure. This exacerbates the negative economic consequences of the prevalence of larger families in the locality on access to high school credentials. By contrast, economic and occupational differentiation mediates unequal educational opportunities among Jewish localities. The implications of these findings for the study of educational opportunities are then discussed.
The Long March to Rural Reform
Authors: Becker Jasper
Published: June 2007

FOR THE PAST HALF CENTURY, CHINA’S PEASANTS HAVE BEEN THE POOR RELATIONS OF THE REVOLUTION; NOW THEY MAKE UP THE FORGOTTEN BILLION OF THE COUNTRY’S ‘ECONOMIC MIRACLE’
Education, Education, Education
Authors: Cairncross Frances
Published: June 2007

A WELL-EDUCATED AND YOUTHFUL INDIA COULD LEAD THE WORLD AS A SOURCE OF INNOVATION AND IDEAS
Surfing the Dragon
Authors: Hilton Isabel
Published: June 2007

CAN CHINA EVER BREAK OUT OF THE NARRATIVE IN WHICH IT HAS BOUND ITSELF? CAN THERE BE PEACEFUL CHANGE AND EQUAL SPACE FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM?
The Story That Was My Life
Authors: Pawar Urmila , Kesharshivam  , Pandit Maya
Published: June 2007

INDIA’S CASTE SYSTEM REDUCES ITS UNTOUCHABLES TO A LESS-THAN-HUMAN STATUS. TWO DALITS TELL THEIR STORIES IN RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS
Untouchable India
Authors: Sengupta Amit
Published: June 2007

INDIA’S BRUTAL CASTE SYSTEM IS A STAIN ON THE NATION AND RESISTANCE IS MET WITH SAVAGE REPRISALS
Danger Beyond Dyads: Third-Party Participants in Militarized Interstate Disputes
Authors: Corbetta Renato , Dixon William J.
Published: June 2007

Stuart Bremer often reminded us that third parties—directly or indirectly—affect the initiation, evolution, and termination of conflict. He encouraged scholars to research the phenomenon of joining behavior further and personally investigated it. Questions about joining behavior are indeed deeply intertwined with a variety of theories of conflict. However, existing records on third-party interventions are limited to states' military involvement in conflict. The limitations imposed by the data can lead researchers to biased or incomplete conclusions about many international phenomena. We heed Bremer's encouragement and present here the results of an effort to collect new evidence on nonneutral (partisan) interventions in militarized interstate disputes for the 1946—2001 period. The data we present differ from existing records in that: (1) they provide information on both third parties' military and nonmilitary activities; (2) they broaden the notion of what constitutes a third party by including coalitions of states, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); (3) they expand the investigation framework by recording interventions that occur before and after a militarized dispute. We test the usefulness of the data by exploring the issue of major powers' interventions in conflicts, as Yamamoto and Bremer did in their 1980 “Wider Wars and Restless Nights” article. We offer strong support for Yamamoto and Bremer's finding that major powers drag one another into ongoing conflicts and show how the data may help us raise and answer new and more complex hypotheses about third parties and the dynamics of joining behavior.
Grasping the TLRP nettle: preliminary analysis and some enduring issues surrounding the improvement of learning outcomes
Authors: James Mary , Brown Sally
Published: June 2007

The ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme is the largest ever programme of educational research in the UK. This article reports the purposes, processes, outcomes and issues arising from cross‐programme thematic work on the conceptualization of, and research into, ‘enhancing learning outcomes’ which is a key aim of the programme. Early documentation from thirty projects is analysed, especially in relation to a classification of learning outcomes, dominant metaphors of learning, sector differences and evidence of outcomes. Discussion focuses upon persistent issues concerning the assessment of the broad range of outcomes, what leads to them, and how knowledge of these links might be established.
Importance and impotence? Learning, outcomes and research in further education
Authors: James David
Published: June 2007

One of the defining features of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme is that it ‘aims to improve outcomes for learners of all ages in teaching and learning contexts across the UK’. This article argues that, although it is possible to use the terms outcomes for learners and learning outcomes interchangeably, they have an important difference in connotation. Particular meanings of the latter term are dominant within the Further Education sector. Some insight from analysis in the TLRP project Transforming Learning Cultures in Further Education is presented to illustrate this difference and to underline the necessity for educational research to engage critically with both outcomes for learners and learning outcomes if it is to provide knowledge with a practical application.
Immune Responses and Viral Phenotype: Do Replication Rate and Cytopathogenicity Influence Virus Load?
Authors: Wodarz Dominik , Nowak Martin A.
Published: June 2007

We use mathematical models to investigate the relationship between viral characteristics and virus load under the following immune responses: (a) CTL‐mediated lysis, (b) CTL‐mediated inhibition of virus entry into target cells, (c) CTL‐mediated inhibition of virion production and (d) antibody responses. We find that the rate of virus entry into target cells may generally only have a weak influence on virus load. The rate of virion production by infected cells only has a weak effect on the equilibrium number of infected cells while strongly influencing the number of free virus particles. On the other hand, viral cytopathogenicity may be a major determinant of virus load under certain types of immune responses. If there is no immune response, or if immune mediators inhibit infection of target cells, non‐cytopathic viruses may attain significantly higher abundances than cytopathic ones. On the other hand, immune mediators acting on infected cells control both types of viruses with similar efficiencies. These results are used to interpret data on perforin‐knockout experiments in LCMV infection and provide the basis for understanding the suppression and rise of non‐syncytium (NSI) and syncytium inducing (SI) HIV phenotypes during the disease process.
Use of Coping Techniques as a Predictor of Lapse When Quitting Smoking among Pregnant and Non‐Pregnant Women
Authors: Ortendahl Monica , Näsman Per
Published: June 2007

We examined the number of lapses among pregnant and non‐pregnant women when trying to quit smoking, number of coping techniques used, and the relationship between any lapse and usage of coping techniques. Forty women were followed over a two‐week period. On day 14, the women rated how often eleven different coping techniques were used. One‐fourth of the women lapsed every day. If non‐pregnant, the odds ratio was eight times higher compared to being pregnant for any lapse during the period. Being pregnant gives a higher success rate in attempts to quit smoking.
The risks of cannabis use: evidence of a dose‐response relationship
Authors: CUNNINGHAM JOHN A. , BONDY SUSAN J. , WALSH GORDON W.
Published: June 2007

The consequences of cannabis use are less well described than is true for licit psychoactive substances. Published data on dose—response relationships are almost completely absent. This manuscript takes a first look at the dose—response relationship between cannabis use and the experience of negative consequences. Using data from the 1990–91 Mental Health Supplement to the Ontario Health Survey (N = 9953), items were selected from the DSM‐III‐R criteria for cannabis abuse or dependence and interpreted as negative consequence measures for cannabis use. The incidence of one or more of these items in the last year was then related to frequency of cannabis use. As with other substances of abuse, a dose‐response relationship was observed. The more frequent the use of cannabis in the last year, the more likely the user was to experience negative consequences. Limitations of this study and future research directions are discussed.
THE CLOSURE OF THE RUSSIAN LABOUR MARKET
Authors: Clarke Simon
Published: June 2007

This paper reports on recent research on the job search and placement strategies of Russian employees. Wage differentials have increased enormously in Russia, which would lead a labour economist to expect that informal methods of job search would have declined as people have to widen their search to get better jobs while employers open up competition to reduce wages. In fact the data clearly show that it has become increasingly important to have the help of personal and family connections to get a job. This closure of the labour market is on the initiative of employers, who take the opportunity of easier labour market conditions not so much to reduce wages, as to pursue much more selective hiring policies. This helps to explain why very high wage differentials persist, despite the high rate of labour mobility in Russia. Hiring through personal connections not only provides a firmer guarantee of the professional, social and personal qualities of the applicant, but also worsens job matches, and reinforces the ‘feudalization’ and criminalization of post-soviet management and the social exclusion of those not embedded in appropriate networks.
1. On the Assignment of Individuals to Latent Classes
Authors: Goodman Leo A.
Published: June 2007

Consider an m-way cross-classification table (for m = 3, 4, …) of m dichotomous variables that describes (1) the 2m possible response patterns to a set of m questions (where the response to each question is binary), and (2) the number of individuals whose responses to the m questions can be described by a particular response pattern, for each of the 2m possible response patterns. Consider the situation where the data in the cross-classification table are analyzed using a particular latent class model having T latent classes (for T = 2, 3, …), and where this model fits the data well. With this latent class model, it is possible to estimate, for an individual who has a particular response pattern, what is the conditional probability that this individual is in a particular latent class, for each of the T latent classes. In this article, the following question is considered: For an individual who has a particular response pattern, can we use the corresponding estimated conditional probabilities to assign this individual to one of the T latent classes? Two different assignment procedures are considered here, and for each of these procedures, two different criteria are introduced to help assess when the assignment procedure is satisfactory and when it is not. In addition, we describe here the particular framework and context in which the two assignment procedures, and the two criteria, are considered. For illustrative purposes, the latent class analysis of a classic set of data, a four-way cross-classification of some survey data, obtained in a two-wave panel study, is discussed; and the two different criteria introduced herein are applied in this analysis to each of the two assignment procedures.