bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The mild phenotype in severe hemophilia A with Arg1781His mutation is associated with enhanced binding affinity of factor VIII for factor X
Authors: Yada Koji , Wakabayashi Hironao , Fay Philip J. , Shima Midori , Nogami Keiji
Published: March 2013

The clinical severity in some patients with haemophilia A appears to be unrelated to the levels of factor (F)VIII activity (FVIII:C), but mechanisms are poorly understood. We have investigated a patient with a FVIII gene mutation at Arg1781 to His (R1781H) presenting with a mild phenotype despite FVIII:C of 0.9 IU/dl. Rotational thromboelastometry using the patient’s whole blood demonstrated that the clot time and clot firmness were comparable to those usually observed at FVIII:C 5–10 IU/dl. Thrombin and FXa assays using plasma samples also showed that the peak levels of thrombin formation and the initial rate of FXa generation were comparable to those observed at FVIII:C 5–10 IU/dl. The results suggested a significantly greater haemostatic potential in this individual than in those with severe phenotype. The addition of incremental amounts of FX to control plasma with FVIII:C 0.9 IU/dl in clot waveform analyses suggested that the enhanced functional tenase assembly might have been related to changes in association between FVIII and FX. To further investigate this mechanism, we prepared a stably expressed, recombinant, B-domainless FVIII R1781H mutant. Thrombin generation assays using mixtures of control plasma and FVIII revealed that the coagulation function observed with the R1781H mutant (0.9 IU/dl) was comparable to that seen with wild-type FVIII:C at ∼5 IU/dl. In addition, the R1781H mutant demonstrated an ∼1.9-fold decrease in K m for FX compared to wild type. These results indicated that relatively enhanced binding affinity of FVIII R1781H for FX appeared to moderate the severity of the haemophilia A phenotype.

Note: An account of this work was presented, in part, at the 23rd Congress of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, July 27, 2011, Kyoto, Japan.
TAFI deficiency promotes liver damage in murine models of liver failure through defective down-regulation of hepatic inflammation
Authors: Hugenholtz Greg C. G. , Meijers Joost C. M. , Adelmeijer Jelle , Porte Robert J. , Lisman Ton
Published: March 2013

Emerging evidence indicates that various haemostatic components can regulate the progression of liver disease. Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) possesses anti-inflammatory properties besides its anti-fibrinolytic function. Here, we investigated the contribution of TAFI to the progression of disease in murine models of chronic and acute liver failure. Chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) administration induced liver damage and fibrosis both in TAFI knockout (TAFI−/−) mice and wild-type controls. Smooth muscle actin-α (α-SMA) content of liver tissue was significantly increased after 1 and 3 weeks, and pro-collagen α1 expression was significantly increased after 3 and 6 weeks in TAFI−/− mice. TAFI−/− mice showed significantly elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) after 3 weeks of CCL4. Neutrophil influx was significantly increased in TAFI−/− mice after 6 weeks of CCL4. No difference in hepatic fibrin deposition between TAFI−/− and wild-types was observed. After acetaminophen intoxication, necrosis was significantly increased in TAFI−/− mice at 24 hours (h) after injection. AST and ALT levels were decreased at 2 and 6 h after acetaminophen injection in TAFI−/− mice, but were significantly higher in the TAFI−/− mice at 24 h. Similarly, hepatic fibrin deposition was decreased at 6 h in TAFI−/− mice, but was comparable to wild-types at 24 h after injection. In conclusion, TAFI deficiency results in accelerated fibrogenesis and increased liver damage in murine models of chronic and acute liver disease, which may be related to increased inflammation.
Vena cava filters in hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary embolism
Authors: Matta Fadi , Stein Paul D.
Published: March 2013

In view of the high case fatality rates of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have pulmonary embolism (PE) we speculated that such patients might benefit from vena cava filters. To test this hypothesis we assessed the database of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. From 1998–2009, 440,370 patients were hospitalised with PE and COPD who were not in shock or ventilator-dependent and did not receive thrombolytic therapy or pulmonary embolectomy. In-hospital all-cause case fatality rate among those with filters was 5,890 of 68,800 (8.6%) (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.4–8.8) compared with 38,960 of 371,570 (10.5%) (95% CI = 10.4–10.6) (p<0.0001) who did not receive filters. Case fatality rate was age-dependent. Only those who were older than aged 50 years had a lower in-hospital all-cause case fatality rate with filters. Among such patients, absolute risk reduction was 2.1% (95% CI = 1.9–2.3). The greatest reduction of case fatality rate with vena cava filters was shown in patients >aged 80 years, 11,720 of 81,600 (14.4%) compared with 1,570 of 17,220 (9.1%) (p<0.0001). In conclusion, a somewhat lower in-hospital all-cause case fatality rate was shown with vena filters in stable patients with PE >aged 50 years who also had COPD. The benefit was greatest in elderly patients. The benefit in terms of a decreased case fatality rate would seem to outweigh the risks of vena cava filters in such patients.
Effect of Adaptation on Object Representation Accuracy in Macaque Inferior Temporal Cortex
Authors: Kaliukhovich Dzmitry A. , De Baene Wouter , Vogels Rufin
Published: March 2013

Stimulus repetition produces a decrease of the response in many cortical areas and different modalities. This adaptation is highly prominent in macaque inferior temporal (IT) neurons. Here we ask how these repetition-induced changes in IT responses affect the accuracy by which IT neurons encode objects. This question bears on the functional consequences of adaptation, which are still unclear. We recorded the responses of single IT neurons to sequences of familiar shapes, each shown for 300 msec with an ISI of the same duration. The difference in shape between the two successively presented stimuli,that is, adapter and test, varied parametrically. The discriminability of the test stimuli was reduced for repeated compared with nonrepeated stimuli. In some conditions for which adapter and test shapes differed, the cross-adaptation resulted in an enhanced discriminability. These single cell results were confirmed in a second experiment in which we recorded multiunit spiking activity using a laminar microelectrode in macaque IT. Two familiar stimuli were presented successively for 500 msec each and separated with an ISI of the same duration. Trials consisted either of a repetition of the same stimulus or of their alternation. Small neuronal populations showed decreased classification accuracy for repeated compared with nonrepeated test stimuli, but classification was enhanced for the test compared with adapter stimuli when the test stimulus differed from recently seen stimuli. These findings suggest that short-term, stimulus-specific adaptation in IT supports efficient coding of stimuli that differ from recently seen ones while impairing the coding of repeated stimuli.
Working Memory Processes Are Mediated by Local and Long-range Synchronization of Alpha Oscillations
Authors: Crespo-Garcia Maite , Pinal Diego , Cantero Jose L. , Díaz Fernando , Zurrón Montserrat , Atienza Mercedes
Published: March 2013

Different cortical dynamics of alpha oscillations (8–13 Hz) have been associated with increased working memory load, which have been mostly interpreted as a neural correlate of functional inhibition. This study aims at determining whether different manifestations of load-dependent amplitude and phase dynamics in the alpha band can coexist over different cortical regions. To address this question, we increased information load by manipulating the number and spatial configuration of domino spots. Time–frequency analysis of EEG source activity revealed (i) load-independent increases of both alpha power and interregional alpha-phase synchrony within task-irrelevant, posterior cortical regions and (ii) load-dependent decreases of alpha power over areas of the left pFC and bilateral posterior parietal cortex (PPC) preceded in time by load-dependent decreases of alpha-phase synchrony between the left pFC and the left PPC. The former results support the role of alpha oscillations in inhibiting irrelevant sensorimotor processing, whereas the latter likely reflect release of parietal task-relevant areas from top–down inhibition with load increase. This interpretation found further support in a significant latency shift of 15 msec from pFC to the PPC. Together, these results suggest that amplitude and phase alpha dynamics in both local and long-range cortical networks reflect different neural mechanisms of top–down control that might be crucial in mediating the different working memory processes.
Functional Neuroimaging and Psychology: What Have You Done for Me Lately?
Authors: Moran Joseph M. , Zaki Jamil
Published: March 2013

Functional imaging has become a primary tool in the study of human psychology but is not without its detractors. Although cognitive neuroscientists have made great strides in understanding the neural instantiation of countless cognitive processes, commentators have sometimes argued that functional imaging provides little or no utility for psychologists. And indeed, myriad studies over the last quarter century have employed the technique of brain mapping—identifying the neural correlates of various psychological phenomena—in ways that bear minimally on psychological theory. How can brain mapping be made more relevant to behavioral scientists broadly? Here, we describe three trends that increase precisely this relevance: (i) the use of neuroimaging data to adjudicate between competing psychological theories through forward inference, (ii) isolating neural markers of information processing steps to better understand complex tasks and psychological phenomena through probabilistic reverse inference, and (iii) using brain activity to predict subsequent behavior. Critically, these new approaches build on the extensive tradition of brain mapping, suggesting that efforts in this area—although not initially maximally relevant to psychology—can indeed be used in ways that constrain and advance psychological theory.
Visual Sensitivity Shifts with Perceived Eye Position
Authors: Odoj Bartholomäus , Balslev Daniela
Published: March 2013

Spatial attention can be defined as the selection of a location for privileged stimulus processing. Most oculomotor structures, such as the superior colliculus or the FEFs, play an additional role in visuospatial attention. Indeed, electrical stimulation of these structures can cause changes in visual sensitivity that are location specific. We have proposed that the recently discovered ocular proprioceptive area in the human postcentral gyrus (S1EYE) may have a similar function. This suggestion was based on the observation that a reduction of excitability in this area with TMS causes not only a shift in perceived eye position but also lateralized changes in visual sensitivity. Here we investigated whether these shifts in perceived gaze position and visual sensitivity are spatially congruent. After continuous theta burst stimulation over S1EYE, participants underestimated own eye rotation, so that saccades from a lateral eye rotation undershoot a central sound (Experiment 1). They discriminated letters faster if they were presented nearer the orbit midline (Experiment 2) and spent less time looking at locations nearer the orbit midline when searching for a nonexistent target in a letter array (Experiment 3). This suggests that visual sensitivity increased nearer the orbit midline, in the same direction as the shift in perceived eye position. This spatial congruence argues for a functional coupling between the cortical eye position signal in the somatosensory cortex and visuospatial attention.
Learning Spatial Invariance with the Trace Rule in Nonuniform Distributions
Authors: Leveillé Jasmin , Hannagan Thomas
Published: March 2013

Convolutional models of object recognition achieve invariance to spatial transformations largely because of the use of a suitably defined pooling operator. This operator typically takes the form of a max or average function defined across units tuned to the same feature. As a model of the brain's ventral pathway, where computations are carried out by weighted synaptic connections, such pooling can lead to spatial invariance only if the weights that connect similarly tuned units to a given pooling unit are of approximately equal strengths. How identical weights can be learned in the face of nonuniformly distributed data remains unclear. In this letter, we show how various versions of the trace learning rule can help solve this problem. This allows us in turn to explain previously published results and make recommendations as to the optimal rule for invariance learning.
Resentment and Renewal: Toward a Theory of the History of Judaism
Authors: Neusner Jacob
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Diverse Judaic religious systems, from the Pentateuchal statement to the Zionist reiteration of that statement, endure and will define future Judaisms too. A single paradigm defines those systems, however varied they are in detail. I propose to explain the endurance of the Judaic paradigm, which is realized in the myth of exile and return.
The Protohermes dichrous species group (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), with description of two new species from eastern Malaysia
Authors: LIU XINGYUE , HAYASHI FUMIO , YANG DING
Published: March 2013

A dobsonfly species group, the Protohermes dichrous group, endemic to Borneo, is characterized by the straight directed male ninth gonostylus with a narrow base and the elongate male ectoproct. Protohermes goodgeri sp. nov. and P. karubei sp. nov. from northern Borneo (eastern Malaysia) are herein described as new species placed in the P. dichrous group.
Two new species of Xenysmoderodes from China (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Ceutorhynchinae)
Authors: YANG NI , ZHANG RUNZHI , REN LI
Published: March 2013

Xenysmoderodes Yoshitake, 2007, belonging to the tribe Mecysmoderini, was described as a monotypic genus from Japan, including the species X. sasajii Yoshitake. Two new species, X. concavus sp. nov. and X. flos sp. nov., are described here fromChina, providing a new country record for this genus. We revise the description of the genus based on three species and present an updated key to the species.
Three new bathyal raphitomine gastropods (Mollusca: Conoidea) from the Indo-Pacific region
Authors: MORASSI MAURO , BONFITTO ANTONIO
Published: March 2013

Three new species of Conoidea are described from Red Sea, Gulf of Adenand Philippines. Awheaturris lozoueti sp. nov., from Philippines, is the first representative in the recent Indo-Pacific molluscan fauna of a hitherto Miocene fossil genus. Taranis adenensis sp. nov., from Gulf of Aden, is the first species certainly referable to genus Taranis Jeffreys, 1870 reported in the Gulf of Aden and the smallest described member of this genus in the Indo-Pacific region. Mioawateria vivens sp. nov. represents the first member of the genus Mioawateria Vella, 1954 reported in the Red Sea. The status of Mioawateria is discussed and photographs of its type species, Awateria (Mioawateria) personata Powell, 1942, from the Pliocene of New Zealand, are presented for the first time.
A new species of the genus Prethopalpus from Hainan Island, China (Araneae: Oonopidae)
Authors: TONG YANFENG , LI SHUQIANG
Published: March 2013

Oonopidae are very small (1–3 mm), haplogyne spiders that occur throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world (Ubick 2005). Recently, a series of papers on the Oonopidae of Hainan Island was published (Tong & Li 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). Endowed with a wealth of natural resources that include tropical forests, mountains, mangroves, and beaches, Hainanis recognized as one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world (Ouyang et al. 2001). At present, a total of six genera and 28 species of oonopids have been recorded fromHainan (Platnick 2012).
Climate Simulation and Change in the Brazilian Climate Model
Authors: Nobre Paulo , Siqueira Leo S. P. , de Almeida Roberto A. F. , Malagutti Marta , Giarolla Emanuel , Castelão Guilherme P. , Bottino Marcus J. , Kubota Paulo , Figueroa Silvio N. , Costa Mabel C. , Baptista Manoel , Irber Luiz , Marcondes Gabriel G.
Published: March 2013

The response of the global climate system to atmospheric CO2 concentration increase in time is scrutinized employing the Brazilian Earth System Model Ocean–Atmosphere version 2.3 (BESM-OA2.3). Through the achievement of over 2000 yr of coupled model integrations in ensemble mode, it is shown that the model simulates the signal of recent changes of global climate trends, depicting a steady atmospheric and oceanic temperature increase and corresponding marine ice retreat. The model simulations encompass the time period from 1960 to 2105, following the phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) protocol. Notwithstanding the accurate reproduction of large-scale ocean–atmosphere coupled phenomena, like the ENSO phenomena over the equatorial Pacific and the interhemispheric gradient mode over the tropical Atlantic, the BESM-OA2.3 coupled model shows systematic errors on sea surface temperature and precipitation that resemble those of other global coupled climate models. Yet, the simulations demonstrate the model’s potential to contribute to the international efforts on global climate change research, sparking interest in global climate change research within the Brazilian climate modeling community, constituting a building block of the Brazilian Framework for Global Climate Change Research.
Comparing Cyclone Life Cycle Characteristics and Their Interannual Variability in Different Reanalyses
Authors: Tilinina Natalia , Gulev Sergey K. , Rudeva Irina , Koltermann Peter
Published: March 2013

Characteristics of Northern Hemisphere extratropical cyclone activity were compared for five concurrent reanalyses: the NCEP–U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reanalysis (herein NCEP–DOE), the Japanese 25-year Reanalysis Project (JRA-25), the ECMWF Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (NASA-MERRA), and the NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (NCEP-CFSR), for the period 1979–2010 using a single cyclone tracking algorithm. The total number of cyclones, ranging from 1400 to more than 1800 yr−1, was found to depend strongly on the spatial resolution of the respective reanalysis. The largest cyclone population was identified using NASA-MERRA data, which also showed the highest occurrence of very deep cyclones. Of the reanalyses, two (NCEP–DOE and ERA-Interim) are associated with statistically significant positive trends in the total number of cyclones from 1% to 2% decade−1. These trends result from moderate and shallow cyclones contributing to approximately 90% of the total cyclone count on average. The number of very deep cyclones (<960 hPa) in the North Atlantic increased in most reanalyses until 1990 and then declined during the last decade. In the North Pacific, the number of these events reached a peak in 2000 and then decreased during the last decade. The winter pattern is characterized by robust trends in cyclone numbers, with an enhancement of the North Atlantic storm track and a weakening of the North Pacific subtropical storm track. In the summer, there is a robust intensification of the Mediterranean storm track and a decrease in counts over the North Atlantic. Interannual variability and decadal-scale variations of the cyclone counts are highly correlated among the reanalyses, with the greatest agreement in moderate and deep cyclones.
Determination of Planetary Boundary Layer Height on Short Spatial and Temporal Scales: A Demonstration of the Covariance Wavelet Transform in Ground-Based Wind Profiler and Lidar Measurements*
Authors: Compton Jaime C. , Delgado Ruben , Berkoff Timothy A. , Hoff Raymond M.
Published: March 2013

This article explores the application of the covariance wavelet transform (CWT) to lidar and, for the first time to the authors' knowledge, wind profiler data to examine the possibility of accurate and continuous planetary boundary layer (PBL) height measurements on short temporal resolution (1- and 15-min averages, respectively). Determining the mixing in the PBL was one goal of a study of the spatial and diurnal variations of the PBL height over Maryland for July 2011, during NASA's Earth Venture mission DISCOVER-AQ. The PBL heights derived from ground-based lidars [at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC); 39.25°N, 76.70°W], a 915-MHz wind profiler, and radiosondes (at Beltsville, Maryland; 38.92°N, 77.02°W) were compared. Results from the comparison show an R2 = 0.89, 0.92, and 0.94 correlation between the radiosonde PBL heights and two lidars and wind profiler PBL heights, respectively. Accurate determination of the PBL height by applying the CWT to lidar and wind profilers will allow for improved air quality forecasting and understanding of regional pollution dynamics.
Direct Calculation of Thermodynamic Wet-Bulb Temperature as a Function of Pressure and Elevation
Authors: Sadeghi Sayed-Hossein , Peters Troy R. , Cobos Douglas R. , Loescher Henry W. , Campbell Colin S.
Published: March 2013

A simple analytical method was developed for directly calculating the thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature from air temperature and the vapor pressure (or relative humidity) at elevations up to 4500 m above MSL was developed. This methodology was based on the fact that the wet-bulb temperature can be closely approximated by a second-order polynomial in both the positive and negative ranges in ambient air temperature. The method in this study builds upon this understanding and provides results for the negative range of air temperatures (−17° to 0°C), so that the maximum observed error in this area is equal to or smaller than −0.17°C. For temperatures ≥0°C, wet-bulb temperature accuracy was ±0.65°C, and larger errors corresponded to very high temperatures (Ta ≥ 39°C) and/or very high or low relative humidities (5% < RH < 10% or RH > 98%). The mean absolute error and the root-mean-square error were 0.15° and 0.2°C, respectively.
Assessing Ensemble Forecasts of Low-Level Supercell Rotation within an OSSE Framework
Authors: Potvin Corey K. , Wicker Louis J.
Published: March 2013

Under the envisioned warn-on-forecast (WoF) paradigm, ensemble model guidance will play an increasingly critical role in the tornado warning process. While computational constraints will likely preclude explicit tornado prediction in initial WoF systems, real-time forecasts of low-level mesocyclone-scale rotation appear achievable within the next decade. Given that low-level mesocyclones are significantly more likely than higher-based mesocyclones to be tornadic, intensity and trajectory forecasts of low-level supercell rotation could provide valuable guidance to tornado warning and nowcasting operations. The efficacy of such forecasts is explored using three simulated supercells having weak, moderate, or strong low-level rotation. The results suggest early WoF systems may provide useful probabilistic 30–60-min forecasts of low-level supercell rotation, even in cases of large radar–storm distances and/or narrow cross-beam angles. Given the idealized nature of the experiments, however, they are best viewed as providing an upper-limit estimate of the accuracy of early WoF systems.
Unpacking the Use of Social Media for Protest Behavior
Authors: Valenzuela Sebastián
Published: March 2013

Recent studies have shown a positive link between frequency of social media use and political participation. However, there has been no clear elaboration of how using social media translates into increased political activity. The current study examines three explanations for this relationship in the context of citizens’ protest behavior: information (social media as a source for news), opinion expression (using social media to express political opinions), and activism (joining causes and finding mobilizing information through social media). To test these relationships, the study uses survey data collected in Chile in 2011, amid massive demonstrations demanding wholesale changes in education and energy policy. Findings suggest that using social media for opinion expression and activism mediates the relationship between overall social media use and protest behavior. These findings deepen our knowledge of the uses and effects of social media and provide new evidence on the role of digital platforms as facilitators of direct political action.
Competency-Based Training: Evidence of a Failed Policy in Training Reform
Authors: Cornford Ian R.
Published: March 2013

The political decision to implement competency-based training widely throughout vocational education systems in Australia, before rigorous evaluation through adequate pilot programs, was made because it was viewed as essential for increasing skill levels and work productivity. Recent data indicate that Australia's relative international competitiveness actually declined during 1994–97, suggesting an urgent need to reassess underpinning policies. Despite the marked reluctance of the Australian National Training Authority to commission studies specifically assessing the effectiveness of competency-based training, several independent studies have been carried out. These and other commissioned studies indicate some major problems with competency-based training which has not achieved stated objectives of increasing skill levels. Research also indicates that competency-based training has not been adopted widely by business and industry. The appropriateness of using public agencies to implement innovations which are untested, and may not be supported by the wider community intended to benefit from their introduction, is queried.
Policy and Performance: Aboriginal Education in Western Australia in the 1990s
Authors: Beresford Quentin
Published: March 2013

Concern about low rates of participation and achievement among Aboriginal students intensified from the late 1960s. Twenty years later this concern was formalised into the National Aboriginal Education Plan (NAEP), a commonwealth/state agreement which identified 21 goals for Aboriginal education, grouped into four main purposes: to increase Aboriginal involvement in educational decision making; to improve equality of access for Aboriginal people to educational services; to increase Aboriginal participation to the same level as all Australians; and to achieve equitable and appropriate outcomes for Aboriginal people. This policy took effect from January 1990. Although progress in achieving these goals is recognised as being very slow (Partington, 1998, p. 4), there has been little examination at the state level of the effectiveness of the policy process underpinning Aboriginal education.
Making Difference Count: A Demographic Study of Overseas Born Teachers
Authors: Santoro Ninetta , Reid JoAnne , Kamler Barbara
Published: March 2013

This article reports on the findings of a demographic study which is part of an Australian Research Council funded case study. It seeks to better understand the experiences and challenges facing teachers who are overseas born and educated non-native speakers of English. The investigation has been carried out in Victorian government metropolitan, regional city and rural secondary schools. A statewide survey has provided data about this previously ‘invisible’ population of teachers, their demographic location, their qualifications, backgrounds and the nature of their teaching experiences. The findings raise a number of concerns in relation to overseas born teachers of ethnic difference in rural schools where cultural and professional isolation may be of particular concern. We explore some of the implications for teacher education in the light of increasing numbers of overseas born students entering teacher education courses.
The Measurement of Student Achievement in Music Using a Rasch Measurement Model
Authors: Pascoe Beverley J. , Waugh Russell F.
Published: March 2013

This paper explains the making of an objective measure of music achievement for students in Western Australian government schools. Forty-five music achievement tasks were developed to reflect exemplary classroom practice for three levels of music achievement. The tasks included analysis and process type questions relating to listening and appreciating, identifying music aspects and performance, with some linked tasks across levels, to enable the tasks (items) for the three levels to be calibrated on the same continuum. The sample consisted of students from Years 3, 7, and 10. The tasks were placed onto a continuum of student achievement which was matched to a standards framework based on Student outcome statements: The Arts. A Rasch measurement model was used to create a music achievement scale and transform student raw scores into achievement estimates and item difficulties on the same scale, with a computer program called RUMM.
The Demographics of the School-Age Population
Authors: Hugo Graeme J.
Published: March 2013

An appreciation of contemporary demography and impending shifts within it are needed for the efficient and equitable allocation of the limited resources available for education in Australia. The school-age population of Australia is increasing at substantially lower rates than the population as a whole. The paper examines recent trends in population growth in Australia from the perspective of their effects on the school-age population. Projected trends in population growth and age structure over the next two decades indicate that the school-age population at most will be stable and probably will decline. Shifts in levels of participation in the later years of secondary schooling are also examined. The paper then examines how the composition of the school-age population is changing and notes increasing levels of diversity and inequality. Finally some observations are made on policy influences on the future school-age population of Australia.
‘New’ Literacies for ‘New’ Times? Shaping Literacy Curricula for the Post-Compulsory Years
Authors: Gilbert Pam
Published: March 2013

This paper considers tensions associated with constructing literacy curricula for students in the post-compulsory years of schooling, where discourses of work, higher education and school accreditation jostle for prominence. Using an Australian state as example, the paper demonstrates how students are channelled towards different versions of English literacy in the senior secondary school, and how literacy curricula become complicit in the hierarchical sorting and streaming of young adult learners. Students seeking immediate post-school employment are offered a literacy program which emphasises practical, routine literacy skills and procedures, whereas students preparing for higher education entry are offered a curriculum which emphasises public, formal, theoretical analysis and imaginative and creative language play. The paper argues that post-compulsory students need access to a literacy repertoire that extends beyond such simple differentiation: a flexible and intelligent repertoire of literacy practices that prepares students for the changing and dynamic face of contemporary literate practice.
Epistemological Underpinnings of Theory Developments in Educational Administration
Authors: Hyung Park Sun
Published: March 2013

Although it is difficult to categorise the philosophical positions of competing theories of educational administration, it can be said that four major forms of theory have been advanced in the field: traditional positivism, subjectivism, critical theory, and an emerging theory, naturalistic coherentism. The major perspectives developed in the field have been influenced largely by theoretical developments in philosophy. This paper aims to examine the different epistemological commitments of the four competing theories of educational administration advanced to date. The paper analyses the main ideas proposed by each of the four major schools of thought and focuses particularly on their philosophical assumptions concerning the nature of science and their approach to theorising about educational administration.
Student Suspensions: The Influence on Students and Their Parents
Authors: Partington Gary
Published: March 2013

In this study, students in Years 8–10 who were suspended from school were interviewed during their suspension to obtain their views on the validity, efficacy and consequences of suspension as a strategy in behaviour management. Their parents were interviewed for their views on the effect of the suspension on the family and on the student. Periods of suspension were from two to ten days, and were supposed to be spent in the care of the parents. The findings indicate mixed consequences of suspension depending upon the context in which it occurs and the characteristics of the student. The study suggests that student responses reflect the extent to which they accept the authority of the school, with more resistant students being less submissive and coming from families where the school is viewed negatively. Alternative strategies to suspension might be more effective for the target students as suspension did little to improve behaviour or performance.
Peer Effects and Peer Group Processes: Joining the Conversation on Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Authors: Nash Roy
Published: March 2013

The interest in ‘peer effects’, which includes the effects on educational attainment of school ability or socioeconomic status composition, raises methodological issues that require careful discussion. It is argued with reference to a recent collaborative text by Australian and New Zealand authors representing quantitative and qualitative approaches that school composition effects are not necessarily peer effects and that the term ‘effect’ cannot be restricted by a positivist definition. It is further argued that the practice of using aggregated student responses as measures of institutional properties is fundamentally unsound. This case is supported by a detailed study of attitudes to school and their association with educational progress held by two groups of secondary students. It is concluded that a realist understanding of the properties of social entities might offer the basis for a collaborative approach more productive than the conventional paradigm now dominant in this field.
Finding a Place for Health in the Schooling Process: A Challenge for Education
Authors: Ridge Damien , Northfield Jeff , St Leger Lawrence , Marshall Bernie , Sheehan Margaret , Maher Shelley
Published: March 2013

It is common in schools for health and education goals to be seen as agendas that are in competition. However schools do attempt to find time in crowded curriculums to cover health issues as part of their responsibility towards advancing the health of their students. A qualitative approach was used in this study to explore perceived outcomes of a Health Promoting School intervention project. The project schools targeted for in-depth study were purposefully sampled to include diversity based on location, level, system and specific health activities. The results showed that the schools involved were moving beyond oppositional constructions of health and education towards approaching health as an element of effective schooling. It is concluded that in any effective health promotion activity in schools, the agenda needs to be driven primarily by an education sector that has demonstrated it can embrace holistic approaches to health, with the health sector acting as partner and facilitator.
Restructuring Educational Opportunity in England
Authors: Edwards Tony
Published: March 2013

Contrary to ‘Old Labour’ inclinations to end academic selection, and diminish the privileges of private schooling, both traditional features of the English secondary education have been untouched by the ‘New Labour’ Government. More significantly, traditional egalitarian objectives have been rejected as incompatible with a modernised system offering diversity and choice. This paper examines some effects on educational opportunity of policies which have both preserved old forms of relative advantage and created new ones. In the context of the Labour Government's declared commitment to evidence-based policy, the paper focuses more on research than on competing arguments.
Why State Policies Matter: The Influence of Curriculum Policy on Participation in Post-Compulsory Education and Training
Authors: Vickers Margaret , Lamb Stephen
Published: March 2013

This study examines the effects of state curriculum policies on participation in post-compulsory education and training. Whereas studies in the past looking at this issue have tended to focus on school retention rates alone, the present study measures participation in education and training more broadly, taking account of the greater diversity of provision of post-compulsory education. This is achieved by including data on technical and further education (TAFE) and non-TAFE vocational participation as possible equivalents of high school completion. The results show that state policies do matter, that they affect overall participation rates but, more than this, they have a marked and differential impact on participation for disadvantaged groups.
Schools for Young Adults: Senior Colleges in Australia
Authors: Polesel John
Published: March 2013

Student dissatisfaction, low achievement, poor transition outcomes for some groups, including early leavers, and persistent inequalities place considerable barriers in the way of schools' efforts to improve participation in education. This paper argues that there is a need to look beyond current structures of provision for models of schooling better able to deal with these issues. The existing research evidence on Australian initiatives to introduce senior school or multi-campus models of provision is reviewed and three case studies of the model presented in order to examine the potential of this model. The paper argues that this approach to schooling facilitates the provision of a broad and relevant curriculum (including VET), provides a more appropriate schooling environment for post-compulsory aged students and allows teachers (at both the junior and senior sites) to focus on the needs of their particular students.
A Tale of Two Cities: Comparing Higher Education Policies and Reforms in Hong Kong and Singapore
Authors: Lee Michael H.
Published: March 2013

In Hong Kong and Singapore, the latest higher education policy changes and reforms have emphasised quality assurance, managerial efficiency, cost-effectiveness, market relevance and public accountability. The rise of a more utilitarian, pragmatic and market-oriented perspective in relation to public service institutions, including higher education institutions, has secured the dominance of corporate managerialism, economic rationalism, and academic capitalism in the development of higher education in the two city-states, as in other developed or developing economies. In the process of reform, there have been major changes in the relationships between the governments and the universities, including matters of finance, provision and regulation. Though the two higher education systems have been affected by similar market forces and public sector reforms, certain policy changes and reforms have differed significantly between Hong Kong and Singapore. This article compares and evaluates the reform policies adopted by the two governments and examines the impact of those policies and reform initiatives on universities and the academic profession.
An Analysis of Relations among Locus of Control, Burnout and Job Satisfaction in Turkish High School Teachers
Authors: Sünbül Ali Murat
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to see how teachers' burnout is related to different aspects of locus of control, job satisfaction and demographic characteristics such as age and gender. The Job Satisfaction Scale was used to measure the subjects' job satisfaction level. In addition, the Maslach Burnout Inventory which was used to measure dimensions of teachers' burnout consisted of three subscales: emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment and depersonalisation. The Internal-External Locus of Control Scale was used to measure the extent to which teachers had an internal or external locus of control. The findings showed that all burnout dimensions were either positively or negatively related to independent variables. All variables were statistically significant in predictive effect on depersonalisation. External locus of control and age (predictor variables) were positively and directly related to emotional exhaustion dimension of burnout. Only one variable—age (predictor variable)—was significantly predictive of personal accomplishment.
High Stakes Principalship—Sleepless Nights, Heart Attacks and Sudden Death Accountabilities: Reading Media Representations of the United States Principal Shortage
Authors: Thomson Pat , Blackmore Jill , Sachs Judyth , Tregenza Karen
Published: March 2013

The possible shortage of applicants for principal positions is news in both Australia and abroad. We subject a corpus of predominantly United States (US) news articles to deconstructive narrative analysis and find that the dominant media representation of principals' work is one of long hours, low salary, high stress and sudden death from high stakes accountabilities. However, reported US policy interventions focus predominantly on professional development for aspirants. We note that this will be insufficient to reverse the lack of applications, and suggest that the dominant media picture of completely unattractive principals' work, meant to leverage a policy solution, will perhaps paradoxically perpetuate the problem. The dominant media picture is also curiously at odds with research that reports high job satisfaction among principals. We suggest that there is a binary of victim and saviour principal in both media and policy which prevents some strategic re-thinking about how the principalship might be different.
The Rocky Road to Headship
Authors: Draper Janet , McMichael Paquita
Published: March 2013

This article considers career decision making in relation to headship/principalship. It explores the career options open to experienced and promoted teachers. Changes in the role of the headteacher and perceptions of the role of the head held by potential and recently appointed headteachers are reviewed. Findings on acting headship are used to illuminate headship itself and recruitment issues. Headship is analysed in terms of factors at four levels: the system, headship itself, the school and the individual. The outcome of a recent major inquiry into teachers' pay and conditions in Scotland and changes subsequently agreed is analysed for its likely impact on the nature of and recruitment to headship. The article concludes with some thoughts on the need for sufficient but not excessive numbers of good applicants for headship, for effective human resource management of teachers and potential heads and for shared realism about the role of school leaders.
Principal Supply and Quality Demands: A Tale of Two Asia-Pacific City States
Authors: Walker Allan , Stott Kenneth , Cheng Yin Cheong
Published: March 2013

This article examines the state of principal recruitment in Hong Kong and Singapore. Whereas there is no discernible shortage of people willing to serve as principals in either society, there are serious concerns about the quality of both incumbent and future principals. The reasons behind these interrelated phenomena, however, are very different in each society and relate to a unique mixture of political, structural and cultural factors. For example, the extreme centralisation of the political and structural systems in Singapore explains the steady supply of new principals. By contrast, the much more disconnected nature of education governance in Hong Kong accounts for the ready supply of available new principals. The article focuses on analysing how and why the configurations of each system affect principal supply and principalship quality.
Changing Pre-Service Teachers' Purposes of Education through Existential Crises
Authors: Webster R. Scott
Published: March 2013

This article considers changing the purposes of education held by pre-service teachers. It argues that purposes of education are inextricably linked to life meanings and purposes. Employing an existential perspective, mainly through Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre and Morris, the fundamental beliefs that one has regarding the meaning and purpose of life are understood to serve as the basis for formulating purposes of education. An attempt to change these purposes is recommended by drawing upon the existential crisis and Kierkegaard's doctrine of ‘how’. Importance is placed not so much on the object or whatof purposes and understandings, but on how the individual relates to them.
Seeking Quality in Teacher Education Design: A Four-Dimensional Approach
Authors: Hoban Garry F.
Published: March 2013

The quality of existing teacher education programs is currently being debated in many countries and at many educational levels. This article examines the nature of teaching and challenges the common mechanistic approach to teacher education design. If teaching is a complex profession, then a more integrated and dynamic approach to designing teacher education programs is needed. This article proposes a four-dimensional approach for thinking about a conceptual framework to guide teacher education design. The four dimensions include: (a) links across the university-based curriculum; (b) links between schools and university experiences; (c) socio-cultural links between participants; and (d) personal links that shape the identity of teacher educators. It is argued that a conceptual framework based upon the consideration of these four dimensions is likely to ensure quality in a teacher education program.
Teaching about Science Teaching and Learning through an Experimental Inquiry Approach
Authors: Suen Ma Hon
Published: March 2013

This study investigates the effect of a science teaching approach—the experimental inquiry approach—on preservice student teachers' understanding of the teaching and learning of science in primary schools. This understanding might be influenced by their prior science learning experiences in schools and in teacher education. In this study, the experimental inquiry approach was implemented in the teaching of two exemplary science units in a teacher education module. Pre-tests and post-tests about their views of the teaching and learning of science were conducted and analysed. Their views, expectations and limitations of teaching science in primary schools in ways congruent to the experimental inquiry approach were also probed, as was the feasibility of implementing the experimental inquiry approach in primary schools during their teaching practicum.
Self-Study: The Fifth Commonplace
Authors: Clarke Anthony , Erickson Gaalen
Published: March 2013

This paper argues that there has been academic amnesia in the field of self-study with respect to the intellectual heritage underlying self-study as a way of understanding teaching practice. From Aristotle to Dewey, the concept of practical inquiry or deliberation has been a recurrent theme. However Schwab's exploration of the role of the ‘practical’ is the most significant in recent times in focusing attention on ‘the teacher as knowledge creator’ and interpreter of curriculum in classroom settings. This work is particularly important as it came at a time when educational research sought a place in the academy, and ‘technical rationality’ (Schön, 1983) was the vehicle for establishing that position. Schwab's characterisation of classroom practice, in terms of four commonplaces (the teacher, the student, the milieu, and the subject matter), highlighted the significance of the practical and paved the way for what we argue is the fifth commonplace: self-study.