bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arsenic sorption and redox transformation on iron‐impregnated ordered mesoporous carbon
Authors: Gu Zhimang , Deng Baolin
Published: June 2007

Ordered mesoporous carbon has been actively investigated for its potential applications as catalyst supports, electrochemical materials and gas separation media. In this study, we tested an iron‐modified ordered mesoporous carbon (FeOMC) for its ability to adsorb arsenic from the aqueous phase. The FeOMC synthesis involved the preparation of an ordered silica template SBA‐15, in situ polymerization of acrylic acid in the template, carbonization and template removal to obtain the ordered mesoporous carbon, and iron impregnation. Batch experiments showed that the pH level of the solution had a major impact on arsenic sorption. Further, we found that the presence of anions (i.e. PO43− and SiO32−) could significantly decrease the sorption of both arsenate and arsenite. Arsenite oxidation to arsenate was observed in alkaline solutions, with or without anions being present. The oxidation of arsenite was attributed to both direct and catalytic reactions with the surface functional groups on the ordered mesoporous carbon. Adsorption of arsenic on FeOMC could be well explained by the surface complexation model. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of gel on crystallization behavior of natural rubber after accelerated storage hardening test
Authors: Yunyongwattanakorn Jintana , Sakdapipanich Jitladda T. , Kawahara Seiichi , Hikosaka Masamichi , Tanaka Yasuyuki
Published: June 2007

Crystallization of natural rubber (NR) and purified NR after storage hardening of the rubbers under dried condition with phosphorus pentoxide was investigated by dilatometry and polarized light microscopy. The purified NR was prepared by removing proteins and fatty acid ester groups from fresh NR (FNR) through deproteinization and transesterification, respectively. The rubbers were characterized in regard as gel content, ester content and crosslink density. Nucleation (I) and growth rates (V) of the gel fraction estimated from the number of spherulites and their sizes observed in the course of isothermal crystallization depended on supercooling (ΔT = Tm0 − T). Tm0 is equilibrium melting temperature and T is absolute temperature. Slope of linear line in a plot of logarithmic V versus 1/TΔT for NR was independent of time for storage hardening, suggesting that the lateral surface free energy and diffusion were little function of branching and crosslinking. The rate of crystallization of FNR significantly decreased when the crosslink density increased. Since the overall crystallization is functions of chain mobility and surface free energy, the slower crystallization of well crosslinked FNR may be attributed to the less chain mobility and small value of Δσ due to the formation of crosslinked and branched entities. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007
Spontaneous Coating of Carbon Nanotubes with an Ultrathin Polypyrrole Layer
Authors: Pumera Martin , Šmíd Břetislav , Peng Xinsheng , Golberg Dmitri , Tang Jie , Ichinose Izumi
Published: June 2007

A novel protocol for precisely coating individual multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with an ultrathin layer of polypyrrole was developed. The nanocoated MWCNTs were successfully prepared by in situ chemical deposition of polypyrrole in an aqueous suspension of MWCNTs. The coating layer was very uniform and the thickness of the layer was determined by controlling the monomer concentration used, which gave nanometer precision. The products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and conductivity and current–voltage measurements. The ultrathin polypyrrole layer could electrically insulate individual MWCNTs.
The “Z‐effect” phenomenon defined: A laboratory study
Authors: Strauss Eric J. , Kummer Frederick J. , Koval Kenneth J. , Egol Kenneth A.
Published: June 2007

The Z‐effect phenomenon is a potential complication of two lag screw intramedullary nail designs used for fixation of intertrochanteric hip fractures, in which the inferior lag screw migrates laterally and the superior lag screw migrates medially during physiologic loading. The current investigation was undertaken in an attempt to reproduce the Z‐effect phenomenon in a laboratory setting. Sixteen different simulated femoral head and neck constructs having varying compressive strengths were created using four densities of solid polyurethane foam and instrumented with a two‐screw cephalomedullary intramedullary nail. Each specimen was then cyclically loaded with 250 N vertical loads applied for 10, 100, 1000, and 10,000 cycles. Measurement of screw displacement with respect to the lateral aspect of the intramedullary nail was made after each cyclic increment. The inferior lag screw migration component of the Z‐effect phenomenon was reproduced in specimens with head compressive strengths that were higher than the compressive strengths of the neck. Specimens with the greatest difference in head–neck compressive strength demonstrated the most significant displacement of the inferior lag screw without any displacement of the superior lag screw. Specimens with a femoral neck compressive strength of 0.91 MPa of and a head compressive strength of 8.8 MPa resulted in more than one centimeter of inferior lag screw lateral migration after 10,000 cycles of vertical loading. Models where the femoral head had a higher compressive strength than that of the femoral neck may simulate fracture patterns with significant medial cortex comminution that are prone to varus collapse. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 25:1568–1573, 2007
Role of open-ended questionnaires in patients with balance symptoms
Authors: Stapleton E , Mills R
Published: June 2007

Introduction:

A clear and detailed clinical history is essential in the assessment of patients with balance symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of open-ended questionnaires in the specialist balance clinic.

Methods:

Fifty-four consecutive new patients completed an open-ended questionnaire, prior to a consultation in which the clinical history was taken using a standardised proforma. The results of the two were compared.

Results:

The open-ended questionnaires provided patient-centred data, and did not provide clinicians with sufficient data for diagnosis. Patients were more likely to respond in the affirmative when asked about symptoms directly, than to report the same symptoms spontaneously on an open-ended questionnaire. When questions had a number of possible answers, patients were more likely to report them in full in an open-ended questionnaire than to provide a response during direct questioning.
Bifid inferior turbinate: a case report
Authors: Selcuk A , Ozcan K M , Ozcan I , Dere H
Published: June 2007

Objectives:

A bifid inferior turbinate is an extremely rare anatomical variation and has been reported in only two cases to date. Including the present report, the uncinate processes were missing in all three patients reported. It is suggested that, in the reported patient, bifid inferior turbinate coexisted with a developmental anomaly of the uncinate process, and that the bifid inferior turbinate represented two separate turbinates originating from the same site.

Case report:

We present the first reported case of bilateral bifid inferior turbinates, with a secondary middle turbinate, in a patient complaining of nasal obstruction.

Conclusion:

We suggest that the superior part of the bifid inferior turbinate may have been formed by severe medial displacement and inferior rotation of the uncinate process, and that the bifid inferior turbinate is an anatomical abnormality of the uncinate process.
Magma intrusion and deformation predictions: Sensitivities to the Mogi assumptions
Authors: Masterlark Timothy
Published: June 2007

Mogi's (1958) magma intrusion model is widely used to predict observed deformation of active volcanoes. The model simulates a small spherical expansion source (SES) embedded in a homogeneous, isotropic, Poisson‐solid half‐space (HIPSHS). This study computes surface displacement due to SESs at depth using a combination of analytical and finite element models (FEMs), for which the HIPSHS assumptions are not required. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data suggest that Okmok volcano, Alaska, subsided more than a meter owing to lava extrusion during its 1997 eruption. Inverse methods, which use an HIPSHS model, precisely locate an SES at a depth of 3100 m beneath the center of the caldera. A series of alternative model configurations relax the combined suite of HIPSHS assumptions and sequentially isolate the effects of each assumption. Forward modeling predictions are relatively insensitive to topographic effects and layered elastic properties, somewhat sensitive to anisotropic elastic properties and Poisson's ratio, and very sensitive to the presence of weak materials within a caldera. Inverse methods, combined with analytical and FEM‐generated impulse response functions, isolate the influence of each HIPSHS assumption on SES depth and pressure estimations. Results are particularly sensitive to a model configuration simulating a weak caldera, for which the estimated SES depth (4500 m) is significantly deeper than the estimate for the HIPSHS model. For deformation data having high signal‐to‐noise ratios, such as the co‐eruption InSAR data for Okmok volcano, both forward and inverse deformation prediction errors attributed to the Mogi (1958) assumptions can greatly exceed observation uncertainties.
A surface velocity spiral observed with ADCP and HF radar in the Tsushima Strait
Authors: Yoshikawa Y. , Matsuno T. , Marubayashi K. , Fukudome K.
Published: June 2007

The structure of a wind‐driven flow in the Tsushima Strait is investigated with moored acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and HF radar. Two ADCPs of high and low acoustic frequencies are simultaneously used to measure velocities in both the surface boundary layer and the interior with high resolutions. The velocity relative to an interior flow in the surface boundary layer is estimated by subtracting the reference velocity (estimated from velocities at greater depths) from a velocity in the surface layer, and complex principal component analysis (PCA) of the lagged wind stress and the relative velocity is performed. Despite a short (2 weeks) observation period of relatively calm and variable wind, a clockwise velocity spiral similar to a theoretical Ekman spiral is detected as the first mode of PCA. Ekman transport estimated from the relative velocities of the first mode agrees best with Ekman transport expected from wind stress of the first mode with 11–13 hours time lag, for which the explained variance of the first mode is also largest. This indicates that a wind‐driven flow is balanced with wind stress after 11–13 hours, half of the inertial period at this latitude. Eddy viscosity is also inferred from wind stress and the relative velocities of the first mode. It is found to increase from O(10−3) m2 s−1 at greater depth to O(10−2) m2 s−1 near the sea surface.
Objectively mapping HF radar‐derived surface current data using measured and idealized data covariance matrices
Authors: Kim Sung Yong , Terrill Eric , Cornuelle Bruce
Published: June 2007

Surface currents measured by high‐frequency radars are objectively mapped using covariance matrices computed from hourly surface current vectors spanning two years. Since retrievals of surface radial velocities are inherently gappy in space and time, the irregular density of surface current data leads to negative eigenvalues in the sample covariance matrix. The number and the magnitude of the negative eigenvalues depend on the degree of data continuity used in the matrix computation. In a region of 90% data coverage, the negative eigenvalues of the sample covariance matrix are small enough to be removed by adding a noise term to the diagonal of the matrix. The mapping is extended to regions of poorer data coverage by applying a smoothed covariance matrix obtained by spatially averaging the sample covariance matrix. This approach estimates a stable covariance matrix of surface currents for regions with the intermittent radar coverage. An additional benefit is the removal of baseline errors that often exist between two radar sites. The covariance matrices and the correlation functions of the surface currents are exponential in space rather than Gaussian, as is often assumed in the objective mapping of oceanographic data sets. Patterns in the decorrelation length scale provide the variabilities of surface currents and the insights on the influence of topographic features (bathymetry and headlands). The objective mapping approach presented herein lends itself to various applications, including the Lagrangian transport estimates, dynamic analysis through divergence and vorticity of current vectors, and statistical models of surface currents.
Hydrologic and biotic control of nitrogen export during snowmelt: A combined conservative and reactive tracer approach
Authors: Petrone Kevin , Buffam Ishi , Laudon Hjalmar
Published: June 2007

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) stored in the snowpack are important sources of N in snow‐covered ecosystems, yet we have limited knowledge of their fate during the melt period. Our objective was to quantify the role of hydrologic and biogeochemical processes in regulating stream fluxes of DIN (NO3− + NH4+) and DON in a forest‐dominated and a wetland‐dominated catchment during the snowmelt period. We combined isotopic hydrograph separation with concurrent measurements of meltwater DIN and DON to calculate “conservative” N export (hydrologic mixing only) and compared it with “reactive” N export (i.e., observed fluxes that include biogeochemical processes). On balance, N was retained in the catchments during snowmelt because of storage of meltwater N in soils, but our N export comparison revealed N generation (mostly as DON) from the mobilization of dissolved organic matter. In contrast, NO3−, which was highly enriched in snowpack meltwater, remained below detection in streams, and both catchments were sinks for NO3−, suggesting that denitrification and/or uptake may be important at the catchment scale. Over the melt period, the forest catchment was a greater total N source because of the convergence of lateral flow and near‐stream riparian N sources in surface soils, which elevated stream DON and to a lesser extent NH4+. In contrast, preferential flow in the wetland catchment tended to dilute DIN in saturated peatland soils and in the stream, whereas DON varied little over time. These findings highlight the importance of hydrologic processes that store meltwater N in catchment soils but at the same time deliver DON from riparian sources to the stream. Further, model results suggest that biotic uptake and/or sorption effectively retain much of the meltwater DIN from the snowpack. Collectively, hydrologic storage and biogeochemical processes act to retain N that is likely important for boreal ecosystem production later in the spring and summer seasons.
PSNCBAM‐1, a novel allosteric antagonist at cannabinoid CB1 receptors with hypophagic effects in rats
Authors: Horswill J G , Bali U , Shaaban S , Keily J F , Jeevaratnam P , Babbs A J , Reynet C , Wong Kai In P
Published: June 2007

Background and purpose:

Rimonabant (AcompliaTM, SR141716A), a cannabinoid CB1 receptor inverse agonist, has recently been approved for the treatment of obesity. There are, however, concerns regarding its side effect profile. Developing a CB1 antagonist with a different pharmacological mechanism may lead to a safer alternative. To this end we have screened a proprietary small molecule library and have discovered a novel class of allosteric antagonist at CB1 receptors. Herein, we have characterized an optimized prototypical molecule, PSNCBAM‐1, and its hypophagic effects in vivo.

Experimental approach:

A CB1 yeast reporter assay was used as a primary screen. PSNCBAM‐1 was additionally characterized in [35S]‐GTPγS, cAMP and radioligand binding assays. An acute rat feeding model was used to evaluate its effects on food intake and body weight in vivo.

Key results:

In CB1 receptor yeast reporter assays, PSNCBAM‐1 blocked the effects induced by agonists such as CP55,940, WIN55212‐2, anandamide (AEA) or 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol (2‐AG). The antagonist characteristics of PSNCBAM‐1 were confirmed in [35S]‐GTPγS binding and cAMP assays and was shown to be non‐competitive by Schild analyses. PSNCBAM‐1 did not affect CB2 receptors. In radioligand binding assays, PSNCBAM‐1 increased the binding of [3H]CP55,940 despite its antagonist effects. In an acute rat feeding model, PSNCBAM‐1 decreased food intake and body weight.

Conclusions and implications:

PSNCBAM‐1 exerted its effects through selective allosteric modulation of the CB1 receptor. The acute effects on food intake and body weight induced in rats provide a first report of in vivo activity for an allosteric CB1 receptor antagonist.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 152, 805–814; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707347; published online 25 June 2007
Photoluminescence decay time and electroluminescence of p-Si∕β-FeSi2 particles∕n-Si and p-Si∕β-FeSi2 film∕n-Si double-heterostructures light-emitting diodes grown by molecular-beam epitaxy
Authors: Suemasu T. , Ugajin Y. , Murase S. , Sunohara T. , Suzuno M.
Published: June 2007

We have epitaxially grown Si∕β-FeSi2∕Si (SFS) structures with β-FeSi2 particles on Si(001), and SFS structures with β-FeSi2 continuous films on both Si(001) and Si(111) substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy. All the samples exhibited the same photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength of approximately 1.54 μm at low temperatures. However, the PL decay times for the 1.54 μm emission were different, showing that the luminescence originated from different sources. The decay curves of the SFS structures with β-FeSi2 continuous films were fitted assuming a two-component model, with a short decay time (τ∼10 ns) and a long decay time (τ∼100 ns), regardless of substrate surface orientation. The short decay time was comparable to that obtained in the SFS structure with β-FeSi2 particles. The short decay time was due to carrier recombination in β-FeSi2, whereas the long decay time was probably due to a defect-related D1 line in Si. We obtained 1.6 μm electroluminescence (EL) at a low current density of 2 A∕cm2 up to around room temperature. The temperature dependence of the EL peak energy of the SFS diodes with β-FeSi2 particles can be fitted well by the semiempirical Varshni’s law. However, EL peak positions of the SFS diodes with the β-FeSi2 films showed anomalous temperature dependence; they shifted to a higher energy with increasing temperature, and then decreased. These results indicate that the EL emission originated from several transitions.
Thermally evaporated Cu–Co top spin valve with random exchange bias
Authors: Chiolerio Alessandro , Allia Paolo , Chiodoni Angelica , Pirri Fabrizio , Celegato Federica , Coïsson Marco
Published: June 2007

A cobalt-copper top spin valve was prepared by thermal evaporation of a stack of ferromagnetic thin films separated by thin layers of the diamagnetic metal, with a cap layer containing an antiferromagnetic (AFM) exchange-biasing material. A nonconventional top AFM layer was used, in order to optimize the multilayer roughness and to avoid electrical interference with metallic layers; it consists of a composite material easily processed by means of optical lithography, basically a polymeric matrix composite with a dispersion of nickel oxide microparticles. Magnetization and magnetoresistance measurements were performed from 4to300K. The measurements of both quantities indicate random pinning action of the top AFM layer, resulting in a small exchange-bias field and in asymmetric magnetization and magnetoresistance curves. A simple model explains the observed physical effects.
Structural and optical properties of nanocrystalline Zn1−xMnxO
Authors: Samanta K. , Dussan S. , Katiyar R. S. , Bhattacharya P.
Published: June 2007

The multi phonon Raman scattering in Mn doped (1%–10%) ZnO was observed at room temperature using 514.5nm Ar+ laser. The additional optical modes at 327, 332, 482, 532, and 680cm−1 in Zn1−xMnxO targets were identified as the second order Raman modes in the disordered lattice and the precipitation of the secondary phase ZnMn2O4. The crystalline grain sizes of 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10% Mn doped ZnO samples were calculated by phonon confinement model as 31.8, 18.3, 15.9, and 14.1nm, respectively. The optical band gap was found to be increased (3.27–3.41eV) due to the Mn doping.
Enhancement of two-color high harmonic by using two compound strong ionic transitions in double-target scheme
Authors: Suzuki Masayuki , Ganeev Rashid A. , Ozaki Tsuneyuki , Baba Motoyoshi , Kuroda Hiroto
Published: June 2007

The authors generated high-order harmonics by using the two-component laser-ablation plumes, which were irradiated by a femtosecond laser pulse. The harmonic spectra from double-target schemes comprised those obtained from separate targets. For indium/chromium plumes, the enhancement of two harmonics (13th and 29th orders) was obtained at the wavelengths of 61.15 and 27.41nm, respectively. The conversion efficiencies of these two harmonics were estimated to be 10−5. The authors attribute the enhancement of 13th and 29th harmonics to the multiphoton resonances with the strong radiative transitions of ions in indium and chromium plumes, respectively.
High transmission nanoscale bowtie-shaped aperture probe for near-field optical imaging
Authors: Wang Liang , Xu Xianfan
Published: June 2007

A near-field scanning optical microscope probe integrated with nanoscale bowtie aperture for enhanced optical transmission is demonstrated. The bowtie-shape aperture allows a propagating mode in the bowtie gap region, which enables simultaneous nanoscale optical resolution and enhanced optical transmission. The optical characteristics of the bowtie aperture are demonstrated by measuring the optical near fields produced by the aperture. It is shown that bowtie aperture probes have one order of magnitude increase in transmission over probes with a regular shape aperture of the same resolution. The imaging results using bowtie aperture are in agreement with those obtained from numerical calculations.
Dielectric relaxations in Ca(Fe1∕2Nb1∕2)O3 complex perovskite ceramics
Authors: Liu Y. Y. , Chen X. M. , Liu X. Q. , Li L.
Published: June 2007

Dielectric characteristics of Ca(Fe1∕2Nb1∕2)O3 ceramics were investigated in wide temperature and frequency ranges. A very high dielectric constant peak with strong frequency dispersion following the Arrhenius law was observed in the temperature range of 473–673K, and this high temperature dielectric relaxation reflected the defect ordering induced relaxor ferroelectricity. A dielectric constant step associated with a low temperature dielectric relaxation was observed in the temperature range of 200–500K, but the dielectric constant step was very low (∼50) and could only be detected in the O2-annealed samples due to the overshadowing amplitude of the high temperature dielectric relaxation. The low temperature dielectric relaxation, following the Arrhenius law, indicated the electronic ferroelectricity due to the ordering among heterovalent iron ions.
Prevalence and Precipitants of Aggression in Psychiatric Inpatient Units
Authors: Barlow Karen , Grenyer Brin , Ilkiw-Lavalle Olga
Published: June 2007

Objective: Aggression is a significant clinical problem in psychiatric facilities. The present study reviews data on aggression collected from psychiatric inpatient units in order to determine prevalence and causal factors.

Method: Data on aggressive incidents were gathered from four adult psychiatric units in the Illawarra, Australia. Information obtained included diagnosis, causal factors and patient sociodemographic characteristics.

Results: During the 18-month period, a total of 1269 psychiatric patients were admitted and 174 patients (13.7%) were recorded as being aggressive. Patients with bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia had a 2.81 and 1.96 significantly increased risk of aggression, respectively, while depression and adjustment disorder conferred a significantly lower risk. Aggression was most likely to occur within 2 days of admission and length of stay was greater for aggressive than non-aggressive patients. The greater number of incidents occurred on day shift. Most patients who displayed aggression did so on one occasion, but a small proportion of total patients (6.0%) accounted for a large number of incidents (71.0%). High-risk patients were identified as those who were under 32 years of age, were actively psychotic, detained and known to have a history of aggression and substance misuse. The most frequent form of aggression was physical and staff were most often the victims.

Conclusions: These results have important implications for predicting and thereby reducing inpatient aggression. Organisations need to ensure aggression management strategies are in place and periodically identify and assess the level of risk for workers.
Depressive Symptoms Reduced in Individuals with HIV/AIDS Treated with Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Judd Fiona K. , Cockram Alex M. , Komiti Angela , Mijch Anne M. , Hoy Jennifer , Bell Richard
Published: June 2007

Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the stability of depressive symptoms over time, explore possible reasons for the genesis of depressive symptoms, examine psychosocial adjustment over time and examine the effects of the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in a group of HIV infected patients.

Method: HIV seropositive outpatients were assessed at 6 monthly intervals over a 2-year period. At each assessment patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Life Event Inventory, the Core Bereavement Item questionnaire and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale. Details regarding HIV illness progression and antiretroviral treatment were recorded for each follow-up assessment.

Results: One hundred and sixty-three patients completed the baseline assessment and proceeded to the 2-year follow-up study. Most patients remained well over the 2-year follow-up period; mean CD4 count for the group increased over the study period. Ten patients developed AIDS and 18 patients died. Antiretroviral medications changed significantly during the follow-up, with most patients changing to combination (triple) therapy, which included the use of a protease inhibitor. Psychosocial stressors (life event distress and number of bereavements) reduced as the study progressed. Reported depressive symptoms decreased over time and psychosocial adjustment to illness tended to improve over the 2-year period.

Conclusions: Over a 2-year follow-up period HIV/AIDS symptoms and illness markers and psychosocial adjustment to illness improved, psychological stressors and depressive symptoms decreased, with a temporal relationship to changes in antiretroviral therapy.
Generalized Dissociative Amnesia: Episodic, Semantic and Procedural Memories lost and found
Authors: Van Der Hart Onno , Nijenhuis Ellert
Published: June 2007

Objective: This review tests Ribot's classic twofold categorization of generalized amnesia (GA) into Type I, total loss of episodic memory, and Type II, additional more or less extensive loss of semantic and/or procedural memory. It also explores his law of regression, according to which, cast in modern terms, recovery of lost procedural and semantic memories precedes recovery of episodic memory, as well as reported aetiological factors.

Method: Clinically and formally assessed cases of GA, published since 1845, were surveyed and further analysed.

Results: Over and above authentic episodic memory loss, cases differed widely in the extent of impairment of semantic and procedural memory. Recovery of semantic and procedural memory often preceded recovery of episodic memory. This particularly applied to authenticated trauma memories. To an extent, lost memories affected current functioning, and in some cases were associated with alternating dissociative personalities. Severe memory distortions upon memory recovery were not reported. Most cases were trauma or stress related, while in some cases the aetiology remained unknown.

Conclusions: Contrary to the view expressed in DSM-IV, which states that dissociative amnesia pertains to an inability to recall personal information, GA may also involve loss and recovery of semantic and procedural memories. Since the loss of various memory types in GA is dimensional rather than categorical, Ribot's typological distinction does not hold. Some of the reviewed cases suggest a trauma-related aetiology. Generalized amnesia of varying degrees of severity can involve delayed retrieval of trauma memories, as well as the loss and delayed retrieval of the premorbid personality.
Are Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs also Atypical Antidepressants?
Authors: Parker Gordon , Parker Gordon , Malhi Gin
Published: June 2007

Objective: To report a case series and review the psychopharmacology of the neuroleptic drugs to suggest that the atypical antipsychotic drugs may have an antidepressant action, at least for those patients with the melancholic subtype.

Method: We note the literature suggesting that the older (or typical) antipsychotic drugs were established as having antidepressant activity, describe an open study of some two dozen patients with a treatment-resistant melancholic depression, describe rapid resolution of depression and augmentation benefits associated with commencing an atypical antipsychotic drug in a percentage of subjects, and then review relevant psychopharmacological studies to consider whether there is a rationale for use of antipsychotic drugs to treat depression.

Results: Of some two dozen patients treated with an atypical antipsychotic drug, almost immediate improvement was noted in four patients, and evidence of augmentation benefit obtained in another three patients.

Conclusions: Impressions from this case series are encouraging. However, as open clinical observational studies are problematic, controlled studies are required to establish whether the atypical antipsychotic drugs have a role in the management of certain expressions of depression, and, in particular, treatment-resistant melancholic depression.
The role of the teacher in resource based learning: towards a conceptual framework
Authors: Graystone John A.
Published: June 2007

The use of resources or RBL, which has increased in schools over the last few years, may have implications for the role of the teacher in the classroom. RBL has many meanings and is described here in terms of two dimensions —individualised/class and independent/dependent learning. Role is problematic as a concept and many criticisms have been made of its use. At the risk of adding to the semantic confusion a dynamic model of the teacher in the classroom is presented. The teacher has the ‘authority’ to impart ‘socially valued’ knowledge. He imparts this knowledge using a certain teaching method which in turn involves classroom management and certain tasks. At each stage certain influences may affect his action. If this model is applied to RBL questions are generated, the answers to which may prove useful for in‐service education or teacher training programmes.
Teachers as Researchers: some experience of an alternative paradigm*
Authors: Cope Edith , Gray John
Published: June 2007

Summary How can teachers become more closely involved in researching educational issues of national concern? Until recently efforts to involve teachers have been largely confined to individual classrooms. The paper: (a) describes some experience of an alternative paradigm through which teachers, amongst others, have been given access to a major national survey of secondary education and the transition to tertiary education or work; and (b) explores the problems that have been encountered in the attempt to decentralise the control of educational knowledge in this way.
Loevinger's Ego Development Measures — a New Research Tool?
Authors: Head John , Shayer Michael
Published: June 2007

Summary A description of Loevinger's model of ego development and its measurement by sentence completion tests is given. Results of using this test with 300 British schoolchildren are reported in terms of distribution of scores at a given age level, correlation with Piagetian cognitive levels, age correlation, and subject choice. Limitations of the test are discussed with a suggestion that by item analysis its utility can be extended to provide further, specific information.
Scholarly Productivity in Psychology: a criticism of citation count research
Authors: Thomas J.B.
Published: June 2007

Summary The place of citation count research in the study of disciplinary dynamics is introduced. The body of the paper presents a critical case study of one piece of such research (Rushton & Endler, 1977, 1979) and indicates the basic fallacies of a purely statistical approach to measuring the growth of knowledge in a subject or the influence of its practitioners on the direction and quality of research. The author illustrates lack of validity by reference to the publications of professors of education (educational psychology) in 1975 and demonstrates the inaccuracy and inadequacy of the citation study. The conclusion indicates central weaknesses in citation count research and suggests more appropriate and effective ways of studying the development of knowledge and research in an academic subject.
The Curricular Anatomy of Primary School Health Education
Authors: Wilcox Brian , Gillies Pam
Published: June 2007

The paper describes a survey of the health education which was taught in 193 Sheffield primary schools during the school year 1978/79 as reported by class teachers. Data were obtained from 728 teachers who between them were responsible for classes of pupils covering the age range from 5 to 12 years.

The teaching of particular health topics, and the effective priority given to them by teachers, were found, in the main, to vary systematically with the age of the pupils. Most health education was found to be taught incidentally within other subjects or activities with only, on average, about 20% or so of the topics taught as discrete entities in their own right.

The survey results are discussed in the light of present practice in health education and, more generally, in the context of current concerns with describing economically the reality of the curriculum in action.
The Implications of Meta‐analysis for Educational Research
Authors: Fitz‐Gibbon C. T.
Published: June 2007

Meta‐analysis, as developed over the last few years by Glass and others, is a quantitative method for synthesising research results. Its use is illustrated here by means of examples ranging from irreproachable to dubious. Being simple to use and easily understood, meta‐analysis will undoubtedly become popular and this increasing use may well bring about some notable changes. The well‐controlled, small‐scale experiment is likely to become more important and better use will be made of many existing research reports, reports which can now be dusted off and incorporated into meta‐analyses. Because meta‐analysis focuses on how much difference something makes (the magnitude of an effect) and not on whether or not the difference was statistically significant at a pre‐specified level, its use encourages a more scientific approach to the interpretation of quantitative results. It also offers some hope that we might eventually have a clearer idea of the conditions under which research findings can be generalised. Progress in this direction will require mutual support between quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Examination Grades: how many should there be?
Authors: Cresswell M. J.
Published: June 2007

There is no generally accepted rationale for deciding the number of grades which should be used to report examination results. Two schools of thought on this matter have been identified in the literature. One view is that the number of grades should reflect the reliability of the underlying mark scale. The other view focusses upon the loss of information incurred when the mark scale is reduced to a number of fairly coarse categories. The first of these views usually implies the adoption of a relatively small number of grades; the second view implies the use of a considerably larger number of grades. In this paper, the various factors which determine the relative merits of these two schools of thought are considered in relation to the different functions which examinations fulfil. The intention is to enable better informed choices to be made concerning the number of grades to be used in the grading scheme of any particidar examination.
Improving Study‐skills
Authors: Hartley James
Published: June 2007

This article considers four areas of research on study‐skills. The article begins by documenting the development of interest in study‐skills courses in British secondary and primary schools. It continues by examining some of the research on study‐skills courses and their components—most of which has been carried out in the context of higher education. A third section contrasts individualised study‐skills courses developing in Britain with more directed learning‐strategies courses being developed in the USA. Finally, the article concludes by suggesting some possible rapprochements between these two main approaches to devising courses in study‐skills.
Action Research and the Politics of Educational Knowledge
Authors: Whitehead Jack , Lomax Pamela
Published: June 2007

There has been an explosion of interest in educational action research. As with many new forms of discourse which challenge existing orthodoxies there is a danger that those dominating what counts as ‘rational’ and ‘educational’ knowledge within our institutions of higher education will attempt to colonise the movement by taking over its rhetoric and incorporating it within the propositional form of their discourse. What counts as valid practice in schools, an area of knowledge long despised by theoreticians as mundane and trivial, and therefore left to the control of practitioners, would be appropriated. We believe that the emancipatory potential of action research, a potential that could raise the intellectual status of competent professional practice and the theories‐in‐use underlying it depends on a logic of question and answer. We think that action research needs a rationale which allows practitioners, through negotiation and collaboration, to regain control of their definitions of good practice. Such a rationale would legitimate claimants theories about their own practice, theories that would both form and be changed by the changing public conversation of all those engaged in that conversation about their own action. In this paper our concerns are threefold: (1) to present a critique of the taxonomy of action research presented by Wilf Carr; (2) to locate this critique in a broader debate about dialectical and propositional logic; and (3) to suggest a method of collaborative theory development that could enhance educational practices. Overall, we hope to exemplify our practice by using a discourse based on a logic of question and answer.
Lesbian and Gay Issues in Education: a study of the attitudes of first‐year students in a college of higher education
Authors: Clift Stephen M.
Published: June 2007

The present study investigated the attitudes of 80 first‐year students in a college of higher education towards homosexuals, lesbian women, gay men and ‘homosexuality and education’ using specially constructed scales. An attempt was also made to assess the effect of a short unit on ‘homosexuality and education’ on the attitudes of students following a foundation course in Educational Studies. Test‐retest reliabilities over a one‐week interval were very satisfactory and the scales were highly inter‐correlated. Consistent with earlier research evidence significant sex differences emerged, with men being less tolerant than women towards homosexuals in general, gay men and greater openness in education. For the lesbian women scale, in contrast, men expressed more positive attitudes, with particularly clear and significant differences in this direction emerging for three lesbian items. Students who rated themselves as other than exclusively heterosexual and as having lesbian and gay acquaintances, were generally more positive in their attitudes, with the exception of men in relation to the ‘homosexuality and education’ scale. Finally, experience of a unit on homosexuality and education appeared to result in a significant shift in male students’ attitudes towards gay men, but in general the changes observed between pretest and post‐test were slight. The implications and shortcomings of the present investigation are discussed and suggestions for further studies in a neglected area of British research outlined.
Outstation Teams: a collaborative approach to research in schools
Authors: Webb Rosemary
Published: June 2007

The Outstation Programme is a research‐based, part‐time MA for practising teachers which has several innovatory features. The most distinctive is that the teachers are recruited in teams. Research into the experiences of participants provided insights into the ways in which teams operate and what the notion of a ‘team’ actually meant for team members. It revealed that the nature of team collaboration did not meet the expectations of the programme. Reflection and action were predominantly individualistic, owing to constraints in the programme itself and in the culture of schools. However, it was found that teams fulfil several important functions which facilitate progress through the programme and enhance the capacity of individuals to bring about change through the research process.
Grade Awarding Judgements in Differentiated Examinations
Authors: Good F. J. , Cresswell M. J.
Published: June 2007

The consistency of grade awarders' standards and the application of these standards to define comparable levels of achievement in differentiated examinations are investigated. An alternative statistical definition of comparability between grades from different versions of differentiated examinations is considered. Little variation in grading standards between teams of awarders was found for the examination as a whole, but some variation was apparent at individual grade boundaries on some components. In general, a higher proportion of candidates reached each grade boundary on easy components than on harder ones. It was thought probable that the standards that awarders apply to complete examinations were not always appropriate when applied to components which test only part of the syllabus. It is suggested that comparable standards of performance on different components should not be defined solely in terms of the awarders' judgements; the need for statistical comparability based on the candidates' responses should be taken into account.
Dyadic Pairings for the Enhancement of Cognitive Development in the School Curriculum: some preliminary results on science tasks
Authors: Kutnick Peter , Thomas Malcolm
Published: June 2007

Fields of cognitive development and science education have been linked over the past two decades. Within science education, developmental stages in scientific reasoning have informed the construction of curricula. Tests of science reasoning have informed us as to the match between pupil levels and curriculum expectations. Alternatively, collaborative and co‐operative groupings (in the field of cognitive development) have been shown to provide a necessary means to promote the transition from one stage to the next, and a dynamic underlying the development of scientific understanding. In applying the collaborative approach to education, this study questions whether the pupil's understanding of scientific concepts will be enhanced by the use of collaborative pairings and whether type of pairing affects performance (noting that the collaborative approach can easily be applied to other curriculum areas). Results found pupils working in pairs performed significantly better than their counterparts working individually and dyads improved upon initial performance no matter whether they are placed in equal and unequal matched pairings. Improvement by individual members within the pairings is explored. Educational implications may be drawn from this collaborative approach which will have application in curriculum planning.
The Integration of Research Findings on Classroom Management into a Programme for Use in Teacher Education
Authors: Martin Maeve , Norwich Brahm
Published: June 2007

This paper describes a study which examined recent research on classroom management and translated the research findings into a skills‐based programme on the theme of Effective Classroom Management. The programme was evaluated both formatively and summatively when piloted in both a rural and an urban setting during an in‐service course organised for primary teachers. The evaluation results show that research‐based concepts and principles lent themselves to translation in a way that was both meaningful and of practical value to teachers. Programme goals of developing a richer conceptualisation of what classroom management entailed and of extending management skills were largely achieved. The study indicates the importance of a conceptual and skills‐based approach to classroom management. It also suggests that the theme carries with it the potential to contribute to teachers' sense of professionalism.
Group Child Interviews as a Research Tool
Authors: Lewis Ann
Published: June 2007

Group interviews have several advantages over individual interviews. In particular they help to reveal consensus views, may generate richer responses by allowing participants to challenge one another's views, may be used to verify research ideas or data gained through other methods and may enhance the reliability of children's responses. There are, however, difficulties in carrying out group interviews and they require skilful and sensitive guidance by the interviewer. There have been few reports of their use with primary‐aged children but the work reported here suggests that they are a viable and useful technique with that age group.
Teachers' Implicit Theories Concerning Questioning
Authors: Mitchell Jim
Published: June 2007

This paper reports findings from research based on case studies of two in‐service teachers which, as part of a larger study in the area of teacher thinking and using data derived from ethnographic and stimulated recall interviews, sought to examine the nature and structure of teachers' ‘implicit’ theories concerning the skill of questioning. Data indicated that the teachers formulated theories about the skill which although idiosyncratic and incomplete contained common elements in the form of ‘beliefs’ about the skill, the ‘functions’ they saw it performing, and the strategies deemed to relate to the appropriate or inappropriate implementation of the skill. Teachers' strategies took the form of ‘rules’ and ‘principles’ which guided the use of questioning in their classrooms and detailed questioning ‘models’. These ‘models’ were found to be complex in structure, involving an integration of beliefs, functions, rules and/or principles, appropriately exemplified and set in a particular teaching context. Teachers' models were seen to differ in structure and focus from the skill models such as those commonly employed in microteaching programmes.