bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain natriuretic peptide assessed at long-term follow-up before and after maximal exercise in surgically palliated patients with functionally univentricular hearts
Authors: Holmgren Daniel , Strömvall-Larsson Eva , Lundberg Per-Arne , Eriksson Bengt O. , Wåhlander Håkan
Published: June 2007

We evaluated the concentrations of brain natriuretic peptide in the plasma as a marker of systolic ventricular function before and after maximal exercise in 15 surgically palliated patients with functionally univentricular hearts, with apparently good ventricular function. Of the patients, 6 with median age of 14.6 years, and a range from 12.5 to 17.9 years, had been palliated by construction of a total cavopulmonary connection, while the other 9 patients, with a median age of 32.1 years, and a range from 15.6 to 54.2 years, had undergone the classical Fontan procedure. We used 8 healthy individuals, with a median age of 13.9 years, and a range from 12.8 to 14.2 years, as a control group for the measurements of brain natriuretic peptide. The values of the peptide were significantly higher in those with the classical Fontan procedure, both before, when the median value was 131.8 nanogram per litre, with a range from 0.5 to 296.4, and after maximal exercise, when the median value was 108.1, with a range from 0.1 to 235.9. The comparable values in those with a total cavopulmonary connection were a median of 12.8, and a range from 0.5 to 39.1 before, and a median of 9.7, with a range from 2.7 to 26.2 after maximal exercise. The median value for the control group was 13.1, with a range from 2.6 to 38.7 before exercise (p = 0.016), and a median of 24.1, with a range from 5.8 to 66.7 after maximal exercise (p = 0.03), respectively. In the control subjects, the level of the peptide increased by a median of 9.7 nanograms per litre, with a range from 1.2 to 28.0 after maximal exercise (p = 0.008). The level was unchanged after maximal exercise in those with classical Fontan procedures and total cavopulmonary connections, with a difference between levels before and after exercise of a median of 5.9 nanogram per litre, and a range from −23.7 to 31.0 (p = 0.96), and a median of −1.0 nanogram per litre, with a range from −12.0 to 3.9 (p > 0.99), respectively. We conclude that maximal exercise did not increase the level of brain natriuretic peptide level in those patients with the classical Fontan procedure, nor those with a total cavopulmonary connection, findings which may indicate that systolic ventricular dysfunction is not the major cause of the decreased working capacity observed in patients with well functioning palliated functionally univentricular hearts.
Deep Western Boundary Current variability in the subtropical northwest Atlantic Ocean during marine isotope stages 12–10
Authors: Hall Ian R. , Becker Julia
Published: June 2007

High‐resolution (125–500 year temporal resolution) sortable silt mean grain size data of subtropical northwest Atlantic Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 172, Site 1061, monitor fluctuations of the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) throughout marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 12–10 (330–460 kyr) in great detail. Comparison with foraminiferal stable isotope data from the same site and ODP Site 1063 (Bermuda Rise, data of Poli et al. (2000)) shows that the DWBC shoals during glacial times in relation to a reduced North Atlantic Deep Water production and increased advection of southern ocean waters. Superimposed fluctuations in the flow speed/position of the DWBC at a semiprecession scale are persistent throughout MIS 10–12 and independent of the glacial state. Additional millennial‐scale variations in DWBC flow speed parallel surface water cooling events and ice‐rafted debris episodes especially at the transition of MIS 11/10, indicating the sensitivity of deep current flow variations to changes in the surface water conditions. These millennial‐scale variations are amplified when benthic foraminiferal δ18O values exceed ∼3.8‰ and may be related to the transition of an ice volume threshold where climate variability is possibly amplified by feedback mechanisms associated with ice sheet growth.
Electron-acoustic-phonon scattering and electron relaxation in two-coupled quantum rings
Authors: Piacente G. , Hai G. Q.
Published: June 2007

Electron relaxation, induced by acoustic phonons, is studied for coupled quantum rings in the presence of external fields, both electric and magnetic. We address the problem of a single electron in vertically coupled GaAs quantum rings. Electron-phonon interaction is accounted for both deformation potential and piezoelectric field coupling mechanisms. Depending on the external fields, the ring radii, and the separation between the rings, we show that the two different couplings have different weights and importance. Significant oscillations are found in the scattering rates from electron excited states to the ground state as a function of either the geometry of the system or the external fields.
Band offsets and charge storage characteristics of atomic layer deposited high-k HfO2∕TiO2 multilayers
Authors: Maikap S. , Wang T.-Y. , Tzeng P.-J. , Lin C.-H. , Tien T. C. , Lee L. S. , Yang J.-R. , Tsai M.-J.
Published: June 2007

The band offsets and charge storage characteristics of atomic layer deposited high-k HfO2∕TiO2 multilayers with ten periods in p-Si∕SiO2∕(HfO2∕TiO2)∕Al2O3 structure have been investigated. The thickness of high-k HfO2 or TiO2 film is ∼0.5nm for each layer, before and after annealing treatment of 900°C for 1min in N2 ambient. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements on high-k HfO2∕TiO2 multilayers confirm the layer-by-layer structure after annealing treatment, suggesting the HfO2∕TiO2 multilayer quantum wells. The valence band offsets of HfO2 and TiO2 films are found to be ∼3.1 and ∼1.5eV, respectively. The conduction band offsets are found to be ∼1.7eV for HfO2 films and ∼0.9eV for TiO2 films. The high-k HfO2∕TiO2 multilayers in p-Si∕SiO2∕(HfO2∕TiO2)∕Al2O3/aluminum memory capacitor show a large capacitance-voltage hysteresis memory window of ∼5V at gate voltage of ±5V, due to the charge storage in multilayer quantum wells. The hysteresis memory window of ∼1.3V at small gate voltage of ±1V is also observed. The high-k HfO2∕TiO2 multilayer memory structure can be used in future nanoscale flash memory device applications.
Colour of Tester Effects on Children's Expressed Attitudes
Authors: Thomas K. C.
Published: June 2007

Summary In a detailed study of attitudes, preferences and stereotyping in a ‘multi‐racial’ secondary school two testers, one white and one black were used. Data analysis revealed that in certain areas there was a consistent tendency toward the presentation of a more favourable self image to the white tester by the West Indian pupils. This finding questions the view that a white tester necessarily inhibits the response of black subjects.
In‐Service Diploma Course Evaluation using Repertory Grids
Authors: Kevill Frances , Shaw Mildred , Goodacre Elizabeth
Published: June 2007

Kelly repertory grids (Kelly, 1955), and associated computer programs (Shaw, 1980) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Post Experience Diploma in Literacy Development taught at Middlesex Polytechnic. Thirteen teachers participated in the study and they reported two major causes of change directly attributable to the Diploma. These were: (a) a greater knowledge, and (b) increased self‐awareness. The two causes of change were closely related to the stated aims and objectives of the Diploma and they instigated many positive outcomes related to: (i) the organisation and planning of the teaching of reading, (ii) the nature of communication and interaction with colleagues, and (iii) specific child centred benefits. Fewer negative outcomes were reported but they should provide the course tutors with a feedback to re‐direct their energies more profitably to overcome these problems when next teaching the Diploma. It is suggested that senior personnel in the schools provide conditions for the returning teacher which enable the potential benefits of gaining a Diploma to be maximised within the school.
The Reliability and Validity of One‐zero Sampling: misconceived criticisms and unacknowledged assumptions
Authors: Smith Peter K.
Published: June 2007

Dunkerton (1981) has argued that one‐zero sampling methods are useless for quantitative observational research in classrooms. His conclusions rest on a confusion of reliability and validity, on unjustified confidence in the importance of absolute values of frequency and duration of behaviours, and a misunderstanding of the nature ofscientific measurement. Observational procedures do need to be clearly specified, butone‐zero sampling provides a useful choice of method in many circumstances.
The What and Wherefore of Nursery Record‐keeping
Authors: Moore Elizabeth , Sylva Kathy
Published: June 2007

Nursery headteachers and nursery class teachers in two LEAs with official records participated in a study of record‐keeping practices. One LEA offers a checklist form and the other a structured narrative. Although the two different formats are well liked, staff in both authorities extend the official records and often add items in a format different from the official one. Regardless of format, the purpose to which records are put in similar in both authorities: planning for individual children and organising staff teamwork. One authority places special emphasis on transfer records but neither uses records for communicating with parents or outside professionals. In only one authority do nursery assistants make a substantial contribution to the records. Few respondents questioned their accuracy in making assessments and several suggestions are made for improving objectivity
Gender Differences in High School Science in Israel
Authors: Tamir Pinchas
Published: June 2007

Within the framework of the Second IEA Science Study a representative sample of Israeli 12th grade students (N=2153) responded to a series of questionnaires and achievement tests in the last term of the academic years 1983 or 1984. The sample consisted of four groups, three of which specialising each in one of the sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) and one comprised of students who did not study any science in their junior and senior years. The purpose of this paper is to report on gender differences in achievement, attitudes, preferences, learning experiences and study habits. The major findings were as follows.

The percentage of girls in each of the specialising groups are as follows. Biology: 61; chemistry: 49; physics: 31; non‐science: 66.

More boys perceive themselves as high achievers in science and math.

Significantly more boys like to study math and science more than other school subjects.

Significantly more boys aspire for science‐oriented careers.

Boys achieve better than girls in physics and in earth science, but their achievement in biology and chemistry is similar to that of girls. The achievement of non‐science girls is alarmingly low and with the exception of biology much lower than that of boys.

Boys have more positive attitudes toward science and better understanding of the nature of science.

>Girls express more positive attitudes to school but boys are more interested in science studies.

There are no differences in cognitive preferences.

Girls report on having more inquiry oriented experiences.

More boys aspire for scientific research and engineering careers. Relatively more girls aspire for medical careers.

The implications of these findings for science education in general and in Israel in particular are discussed.
How should Parental Involvement in the Teaching of Reading be Evaluated?
Authors: Hannon Peter
Published: June 2007

The various forms of PITR (parental involvement in the teaching of reading) which have recently emerged have generally been evaluated in terms of effects on children's reading test performance. Three problems are identified. First, few such evaluations have overcome a basic difficulty of research design in this field, viz. given a set of test scores for children in a PITR programme, to what should they be compared? Second, the validity of the psychometric approach depends upon how performance on particular reading tests relates to the form of PITR being investigated and to reading activity in general. Third, experimental and quasi‐experimental approaches may not be the most appropriate method of evaluation at this stage in the development of practice. Alternative approaches to evaluation have not been much tried but it is argued that they be taken more seriously. Quantitative and qualitative techniques are both possible. Particular attention should be paid to the issues of take‐up of PITR programmes, analysing implementation processes, and studying teachers' and parents' views. Finally, the question of what should be done next is considered.
Occupational Stress and Satisfaction in Teaching
Authors: Borg Mark G. , Riding Richard J.
Published: June 2007

Teacher stress, job satisfaction, absenteeism, career intention, career commitment and self‐image as teacher were investigated in a context which allowed many of the characteristics of an educational system to be incorporated in the design. A questionnaire survey of 545 teachers in Maltese secondary schools revealed that some of the demographic characteristics of the sample were related to self‐reported teacher stress, job satisfaction and career commitment. Results also showed that teachers who reported greater stress were less satisfied with teaching, reported greater frequency of absences and a greater number of total days absent, were more likely to leave teaching (career intention), and less likely to take up a teaching career again (career commitment).
Effects of the 1988 Education Reform Act on Racial Equality of Opportunity in Further Education Colleges
Authors: Reeves Frank
Published: June 2007

This article describes the effects of the 1988 Education Reform Act on racial equality of opportunity in further education focusing, in particular, on management changes, including strategic planning, financial delegation, control over staff appointments, the composition and role of governing bodies, and relations with schools, higher education and adult continuing education. It concludes that the successful implementation of equal opportunity policy in further education requires the recognition and adoption of a management model, involving precise goal‐setting, resource allocation and evaluation.
An Investigation of Children's Knowledge of Mathematics at School Entry and the Knowledge their Teachers Hold about Teaching and Learning Mathematics, about Young Learners and Mathematical Subject Knowledge
Authors: Aubrey Carol
Published: June 2007

This paper describes an investigation of the mathematical competencies that 48 young children brought into school and their teachers' reported planning and implementation of the mathematics curriculum for the reception year. Competence was shown in counting, recognition of numerals, representation of quantity, simple addition, subtraction and social sharing, appropriate language of measurement, position in space and on a line, and selecting criteria to sort objects. The reception teachers claimed to plan integrated topic work and stressed the importance of play, flexibility and choice, with opportunities provided for practical activities in areas where children had already demonstrated competence. The content and sequence of the curriculum was derived from infant mathematics schemes which provided a rational analysis of subject knowledge. Little account was reported to be taken by class teachers of the nature and direction of young children's developing knowledge of mathematics gained in problem‐solving situations, and little evidence of its consideration could be found in the infant mathematics schemes they used.
‘No Problem Here’: action research against racism in a mainly white area
Authors: Donald Patricia , Gosling Susan , Hamilton Jean , Hawkes Nicolas , McKenzie David , Stronach Ian
Published: June 2007

The paper outlines the result of a one‐year project of action research into the prevalence and nature of racism in two primary schools and the implementation of multi‐cultural and anti‐racist guidelines in Scotland. Two schools are examined with respect to these factors by teachers. The conclusion is that the action research, although not officially supported by funding, except for a small amount from the University of Stirling, is nevertheless important. It has enabled teachers to examine a marginalised educational area related to social justice, and generate local and personal knowledge that can be translated into the leverage of power. The paper challenges assumptions about racism existing only ‘regionally’ in the UK.
Class Size in Primary Schools: perceptions of headteachers, chairs of governors, teachers and parents
Authors: Bennett Neville
Published: June 2007

Class sizes in primary schools have continued to rise throughout the last decade, in contrast to those in secondary schools. The response of central government has been that there is no evidence linking class size and pupil outcomes in Britain, and that class size is an issue to be resolved by schools and local government. This study was designed to assess the experiences, attitudes and perceptions of the major participants and users of statutory primary schooling—headteachers, chairs of governors, teachers and parents—in three broad areas: the current situation in their school and the importance of class size in the present educational context; how class size affects children as learners, and teachers classroom practices; and the management of resources and decision‐making at school level in relation to class size. The findings of a national survey are presented together with a consideration of their implications for action at school and governmental level.
Power and Gender in the Staffroom
Authors: Paechter Carrie , Head John
Published: June 2007

This paper explores the interface between gender and power through the examination of the process of introducing the new subject of design and technology into the English and Welsh National Curriculum. In considering teachers’ reactions to and interpretations of the new subject, three aspects of power are considered: the relationship between power and the self, the dynamic between positional and network power, and the way power was used by men and women in this situation. It is suggested that gender/power relations operating at the micro‐level within a professional group do not necessarily follow the structural apportionment of power and may, indeed, cut across and undermine it.
An Investigation of Teachers’ Mathematical Subject Knowledge and the Processes of Instruction in Reception Classes
Authors: Aubrey Carol
Published: June 2007

This paper forms the last in a series of four papers which has described the way mathematical knowledge is presented and the way it is understood by teachers and children in reception classes. The aim here is to explore the co‐ordination and utilisation of teacher and pupil knowledge in the complex world of reception classrooms by following four such classrooms across the school year. An in‐depth analysis of a sample of five lessons from each of the four teachers concerned is provided as well as an account of their own reported experiences of learning mathematics, and their planning, teaching and assessing of mathematics in children's reception year, obtained from subsequent interview. Consideration of the mathematical knowledge, skills and competences of a sample of 10 children from each setting is also made. Both interviews and informal discussions which took place during the year suggested that teachers’ understanding of their pupils was an accumulated, contextualised knowledge derived from experience of children's particular responses to particular curriculum tasks in particular contexts rather than from formal assessment procedures. Teachers spent most of their time observing and assessing, coaching, guiding and correcting small group, mathematical tasks which encouraged active learning. This was made possible by the range of choice and flexibility available in other classroom activities in three of the four settings and by a generous staff‐pupil ratio in the fourth. The tasks presented allowed teachers to assess the extent to which children could answer questions about content and apply knowledge strategically. Knowledge construction appeared to be a dynamic process generated in response to particular learning experiences and to situational demands. Task demand, in fact, was changed in the process of tutoring and guiding and in the ‘scaffolding’ of children's responses. The range and depth of teachers’ own subject knowledge and the diversity in observed practice raises some important questions with respect to teachers’ pedagogical subject knowledge and, more specifically, to its influence of the content and processes of mathematical instruction.
A Counter‐policy to Subvert Education Reform? Collaboration among Schools and Colleges in a Competitive Climate
Authors: Wallace Mike
Published: June 2007

The concept of a ‘counter‐policy’ is articulated as a heuristic device for grasping the process of mediation whereby implementation of national policies may stimulate resistance and co‐optation at other education system levels. The discussion is illustrated through exploratory research into initiatives promoting collaboration among English schools and colleges, some enjoying local education authority (LEA) support. The term counter‐policy is defined and located within a local perspective on national policy implementation; the scope of the investigation is summarised; the national policy context stimulating counter‐policies is sketched; how far the collaborative groups studied had developed a counter‐policy is discussed; interaction between key players at different system levels impacting on these counter‐policies is outlined, including reference to related counter‐policies developed in some LEAs; and conclusions are drawn about application of the counter‐policy concept to collaborative initiatives, utility of the conceptual orientation, an agenda for further research, and the potential of collaborative initiatives to subvert central government reform.
External Inspection or School Self‐evaluation? A Comparative Analysis of Policy and Practice in Primary Schools in England and Finland
Authors: Webb Rosemary , Vulliamy Graham , Häkkinen Kirsh , Hämäläinen Seppo
Published: June 2007

The findings reported in this article form part of a wider comparative research project investigating the processes of curriculum change in primary schools in England and Finland during the period 1994–97. The two countries’ policies on inspection and monitoring were moving in opposite directions. Finland has abandoned its national inspection system and is promoting school self‐evaluation, whilst in England external accountability has been imposed on schools through Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) inspections. Using data from case studies of six schools in each country, it is argued that each country has something to learn from the practice of the other. In England, the impact of OFSTED inspections has been mainly on policies and procedures, rather than on classroom practice, and the effects on teacher morale have been debilitating. In Finland, although early attempts at school self‐evaluation have lacked a whole‐school strategy, ownership of the evaluation process by teachers, together with inputs from parental feedback and pupil self‐assessment, have contributed to positive changes in classroom practice.
Evaluation of a Focused Literacy Teaching Programme in Reception and Year 1 classes: child outcomes
Authors: Hurry Jane , Sylva Kathy , Riley Jeni
Published: June 2007

This study investigated the effectiveness of a focused literacy teaching programme for children in Reception and Year 1 classes. The literacy programme combines a whole language approach to literacy with a structured classroom organisation, including a relatively high level of direct teacher instruction. It has been influential in the design of the National Literacy Strategy, which has adopted several of its organisational features. The children in six literacy programme and six comparison schools were assessed on entry to reception class and followed up at the end of Reception and Year 1. Children in the literacy programme schools made significantly more progress in reading in both Reception and Year 1, with an approximate 2 month reading age advantage at first post‐test and an approximate 4 month reading age advantage at second post‐test.
Assessing the Dyadic Approach to Interstate Conflict Processes: A.k.a. “Dangerous” Dyad-Years
Authors: Croco Sarah E. , Teo Tze Kwang
Published: June 2007

The “dyad” has become the analytical cornerstone of quantitative interstate conflict studies. Stuart Bremer, in no small part due to his “Dangerous Dyads” article, has been identified with the dyadic/dyad-year approach. We think this has come at the expense of his interest in “process models” of interstate conflict. Our examination of his writings on The Process of War indicate that multilateral conflict processes are most probably misspecified by a dyadic approach. We draw on examples such as alliance coalition formation, extended deterrence, economic sanctions, and especially war expansion, to elaborate upon and support our claim. We conclude our assessment of the dyadic/dyad-year approach by suggesting some areas for our colleagues to consider before adopting a dyadic approach in their own research.
Behind the acquisition metaphor: conceptions of learning and learning outcomes in TLRP school‐based projects
Authors: McGuinness Carol
Published: June 2007

Using Sfard's distinction between acquisition and participation metaphors as an organizing principle, the twelve school‐based projects within the TLRP programme were overwhelmingly judged by the Learning Outcomes Thematic Group as belonging to the acquisition metaphor. In essence, this article advances the initial analyses in two directions: (1) it reconsiders the projects from the point of view of conceptions of learning rather than metaphor and (2) it analyses outcomes from the point of view of a distinction that is particularly pertinent to notions of acquisition and participation—knowing that v. knowing how. The reason is simple—to keep the spotlight on the widest range of learning and learning outcomes that is being researched in the programme and to avoid blurring differences that might be important for curriculum planners, for teachers and for assessment. In the final section, some general implications for assessment in classrooms are briefly discussed.
Necrosis and Apoptosis: Distinct Cell Loss Mechanisms in a Mathematical Model of Avascular Tumour Growth
Authors: Byrne H. M. , Chaplain M. A. J.
Published: June 2007

During the initial avascular phase of solid tumour growth, it is the balance between cell proliferation and cell loss that determines whether the tumour colony expands or regresses. Experimentalists have identified two distinct mechanisms that contribute to cell loss. These are apoptosis and nicrosis. Cell loss due to apoptosis may be riferred to as programmed‐cell‐death, occurring,for example, when a cell exceeds its natural lifespan. In contrast, cell loss due to necrosis is induced by changes in the cells microenvironment,occurring, for example, in nutrient‐depleted regions of the tumour.In this paper we present a mathematical model that describes the growth of an avascular tumour which compuises a centual core of necrotic cells, surrounded by an outer annulus of puoliferating cells. The model distinguishes between apoptisis and necrosis. Using a combination of numerical and analytical techniques we present results which suggest how the relative importance of apoptisis and necrosis changes as the tumour develops. The implications of these results are discussed buiefly.
The effect of Multi Convergent Therapy on the psychopathology, mood and performance of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients: A preliminary study
Authors: Thomas Marie , Sadlier Michael , Smith Andrew
Published: June 2007

Objectives: Multi Convergent Therapy combines approaches such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Graded Exercise Therapy in an holistic treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Initial follow‐up data showed that patients were benefiting from this individualised form of therapy. The objective of the present study was to evaluate this Multi Convergent approach, developed at a specialised Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Outpatient clinic in Cardiff, and compare it to Relaxation Therapy and control groups using multiple outcome measures.

Design: Thirty‐five participants fitting the Centre for Disease Control criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome were recruited from two outpatient clinics and members of our existing patient panel. Patients were assigned to Multi Convergent Therapy (N=12), Relaxation Therapy (N=14) or recruited as controls (N=9).

Methods: Each patient completed a battery of mood and performance tasks along with comprehensive set of questionnaires at baseline, post‐treatment and at six‐month follow‐up. These measures had been validated in previous studies on untreated patients and matched healthy controls.

Results: Patients attending the Multi Convergent Therapy clinic showed statistically significant improvements in many of our measures. Most importantly we have produced data indicating that Multi Convergent Therapy provides improvements in objective measures of psychomotor performance and cognition.

Discussion: The outcomes of this small study are encouraging. Multi Convergent Therapy has not only produced results indicating significant improvements in standardised questionnaire based measures but also in objective cognitive performance tasks. The next step would be to assess Multi Convergent Therapy at the primary medical care level, with a greater number of patients to further evaluate its efficacy as a treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Injecting drug users, HIV risk behaviour and shooting galleries in Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Authors: HOSSAIN MOKERROM
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate HIV risk behaviours of IDUs and the drug scene in Bangladesh. The setting for the study was the city of Rajshahi, in the northwestern area of Bangladesh, which shares a border with India. Sixty‐four clients of a drug treatment agency were surveyed about their drug use, drug injecting, sexual behaviour and knowledge about HIV and AIDS. All participants were males with a mean age of 32 years. Most participants had no or little formal education. All participants had injected drugs, primarily buprenorphine. The majority of participants were long‐term drug users who had begun injecting drugs recently‐70% had commenced injecting in the last 3 years. Sexual contact with sex workers (50%) and with casual partners (85%) was common among participants. Although most participants had heard of AIDS, few knew how HIV is transmitted. Most participants (81%) injected in groups at shooting galleries where they paid another to inject them. The shooting galleries operated without concern for hygiene or user safety. The potential for HIV to spread among IDUs and onto their non‐injecting sexual partners in Bangladesh is cause for concern. A rapid assessment of HIV prevalence among IDUs in Bangladesh is urgently required.
Influence of the organic matter on the bioavailability of phenanthrene for benthic organisms
Authors: Lamy-Enrici M.-H. , Dondeyne A. , Thybaud E.
Published: June 2007

Ecotoxicological tests with benthic organisms are recommended to assess the toxicity of hydrophobic organic contaminants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that strongly adsorb on sediments. Many routes of exposure including ingestion from sediments are taken into account with bioassays. However, organic matter of the sediments can modify chemical partitioning and toxicity of these non-polar organic contaminants. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of both quality and quantity of organic matter on the bioavailability of phenanthrene for benthic organisms, Chironomus riparius and Hyalella azteca. Formulated sediments were useful models to determine the influence of the organic matter excluding any other change. Formulated sediments with 2 to 8% total organic carbon were used with three kinds of organic matter. Acute (survival) and chronic (growth, development) endpoints were investigated. Bioassays were carried out until adult stage for both organisms. Concentrations with a significant effect compared with controls and effect concentrations for 50% of the organisms were determined. After 10 days (chironomids) or 14 days (hyalella) exposure, survival of the organisms were below 44% at 300 mg kg−1 phenanthrene (dry weight). Most of the time, toxicity observed on chironomids after 10 days was enhanced after 28 days exposure. There were, however, no significant differences for the growth of the surviving midges at any concentration. Both the quality and the quantity of the organic matter influenced acute toxicity results whereas partitioning of phenanthrene was not affected by the organic matter. The toxicity results showed that the equilibrium partitioning theory that assumes that benthic organisms are primarily exposed to contaminants via the water phase could not be applied in that case to assess the effect of phenanthrene to benthic organisms in the environment.
Saturation and Microsecond Gating of Current Indicate Depletion-induced Instability of the MaxiK Selectivity Filter
Authors: Schroeder Indra , Hansen Ulf-Peter
Published: June 2007

Patch clamp experiments on single MaxiK channels expressed in HEK293 cells were performed with a high temporal resolution (50-kHz filter) in symmetrical solutions with 50, 150, or 400 mM KCl and 2.5 mM CaCl2 and 2.5 mM MgCl2. At membrane potentials >+100 mV, the single-channel current showed a negative slope resistance, concomitantly with a flickery block, which was not influenced by Ca2+ or Mg2+. The analysis of the amplitude histograms by beta distributions revealed that current in this voltage range was reduced by two effects: rate limitation at the cytosolic side of the pore and gating with rate constants 10–20-fold higher than the cutoff frequency of the filter (i.e., dwell times in the microsecond range). The data were analyzed in terms of a model that postulates a coupling between both effects; if the voltage over the selectivity filter withdraws ions from the cavity at a higher rate than that of refilling from the cytosol, the selectivity filter becomes instable because of ion depletion, and current is interrupted by the resulting flickering. The fit of the IV curves revealed a characteristic voltage of 35 mV. In contrast, the voltage dependence of the gating factor R, i.e., the ratio between true and apparent single-channel current, could be fitted by exponentials with a characteristic voltage of 60 mV, suggesting that only part of the transmembrane potential is felt by the flux through the selectivity filter.
Algebraic integrability: a survey
Authors: Vanhaecke Pol
Published: June 2007

We give a concise introduction to the notion of algebraic integrability. Our exposition is based on examples and phenomena, rather than on detailed proofs of abstract theorems. We mainly focus on algebraic integrability in the sense of Adler–van Moerbeke, where the fibres of the momentum map are affine parts of Abelian varieties; as it turns out, most examples from classical mechanics are of this form. Two criteria are given for such systems (Kowalevski-Painlevé and Lyapunov) and each is illustrated in one example. We show in the case of a relatively simple example how one proves algebraic integrability, starting from the differential equations for the integrable vector field. For Hamiltonian systems that are algebraically integrable in the generalized sense, two examples are given, which illustrate the non-compact analogues of Abelian varieties which typically appear in such systems.
Unilateral Mate Choice Causes Bilateral Behavioral Isolation Between Two Closely Related Phytophagous Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Epilachninae)
Authors: Matsubayashi Kei W. , Katakura Haruo
Published: June 2007

Behavioral isolation between two sympatric and closely related phytophagous ladybird beetles, Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata and Henosepilachana pustulosa, was studied in laboratory. Mating behavior was investigated using the male‐choice test. Males of H. vigintioctomaculata preferred conspecific females to heterospecific females as mates, whereas males of H. pustulosa did not show such preference. Females of H. vigintioctomaculata appeared more fastidious at mating than females of H. pustulosa, irrespective of the species of males. Males of neither species showed tenaciousness following rejection by females. The choice of conspecifics by H. vigintioctomaculata males and a difference in the intensity of rejection between H. vigintioctomaculata females (strong) and H. pustulosa females (weak) result in positive behavioral isolation in both directions of heterospecific matings. Our results thus indicated that positive unilateral mate choice yields bilateral behavioral isolation between these two species.
PROactive 06: cost‐effectiveness of pioglitazone in Type 2 diabetes in the UK
Authors: Valentine W. J. , Bottomley J. M. , Palmer A. J. , Brändle M. , Foos V. , Williams R. , Dormandy J. A. , Yates J. , Tan M. H. , Massi‐Benedetti M. ,   on behalf of the PROactive Study Group
Published: June 2007

Aims  To determine the cost‐effectiveness of adding pioglitazone to existing treatment regimens in patients with Type 2 diabetes with a history of macrovascular disease who are at high risk of further cardiovascular events.

Methods  We conducted two analyses. A within‐trial cost‐effectiveness analysis (CEA) based on data from the PROspective pioglitAzone Clinical Trial In macroVascular Events (PROactive) Study was performed to estimate the impact of additional pioglitazone treatment on life expectancy, quality‐adjusted life expectancy (QALE) and macrovascular events. PROactive data was then used as a basis for a lifetime modelling analysis using a modified version of the validated CORE diabetes model that simulated the same outcomes over a 35‐year time horizon. We accounted for direct medical costs from a health‐care payer perspective and related these to the clinical outcomes from the study. Costs and benefits were discounted at 3.5% per annum and extensive sensitivity analyses were performed to account for uncertainty in input parameters.

Results  (i) Within‐trial CEA: compared with placebo, pioglitazone was associated with improved life expectancy (undiscounted 0.0109 years), increased QALE [0.0190 quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs)] and slightly higher costs (£102 per patient). After a mean treatment period of 3 years, the incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) of pioglitazone vs. placebo was £5396 per QALY gained. The ICERs were relatively insensitive to cost and utility values and were most sensitive to event rates in the pioglitazone arm. (ii) Long‐term CEA: pioglitazone was associated with improvements in clinical outcomes based on model projections beyond the PROactive Study. Patients treated with pioglitazone could expect improved life expectancy (undiscounted 0.406 years), increased QALE (0.152 QALYs) and higher costs of care (£619 per patient) compared with those on existing treatment alone. The base case analysis indicated that the ICER of pioglitazone vs. placebo was £4060 per QALY gained. The cost‐effectiveness acceptability curve showed there was an 84.3% likelihood that pioglitazone would be considered cost‐effective in the UK using a willingness‐to‐pay threshold of £30 000 per QALY gained. These long‐term results were most sensitive to variation in the time horizon, the duration of cardiovascular benefit of pioglitazone, and changes in mortality rates.

Conclusions  The addition of pioglitazone to existing therapy in patients with Type 2 diabetes at high risk of further cardiovascular events is cost‐effective and represents good value for money by currently accepted standards in the UK.
Seven novel mutations and four exon deletions in a collection of Norwegian patients with SPG4 hereditary spastic paraplegia
Authors: Erichsen A. K. , Inderhaug E. , Mattingsdal M. , Eiklid K. , Tallaksen C. M. E.
Published: June 2007

To establish the phenotypic variation and frequency of SPAST mutations or deletions in Norwegian patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), we examined 59 unrelated patients with HSP and screened for DNA point mutations and microdeletions in SPG4. Forty‐one had a familial history, 35 had a clear dominant inheritance, six had other affected sibs and 18 were sporadic. We found 12 mutations in SPG4, seven of them novel, and four different heterozygous exon deletions, two of them novel. Mutations were found in 16 families showing autosomal dominant (AD) inheritance, and in one sporadic case. In two non‐SPG4 families the S44L polymorphism/modifier was found in both affected and unaffected individuals. This is the first study of Norwegian patients with HSP since the 1970s, and the first report on SPG4 in Norway. Our results show that SPG4 mutations and deletions are a significant cause of HSP in our population and warrant SPG4 screening in AD families and selected sporadic cases.
Teaching & Learning Guide for: Asking New Questions about the Partition of the Indian Subcontinent
Authors: Khan Yasmin
Published: June 2007

Focus Questions

Why have historians found it difficult to integrate the history of Partition’s extraordinary violence into the political narrative?

In Salman Rushdie’s novel Shame, about Pakistan, he writes, ‘Perhaps the place was just insufficiently imagined . . .’ What does he mean by this and would you agree with his analysis?

Author Recommends

* Ayesha Jalal and Sugata Bose, Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political Economy (Routledge: 1997), chapters 16 and 17.

An excellent overview of modern South Asian history by the most prominent authors working in the field which gives an impressive and succinct account of the major events leading up to 1947 and also analyses the ongoing repercussions of memories and meanings of Partition for South Asians. Includes an annotated bibliography.

* Urvashi Butalia, The Other Side of Silence (Hurst: 2000).

A moving and important set of oral accounts with Partition survivors and eye witnesses from Punjab, conducted over ten years; Butalia was one of the first to call for the history of violence and dislocation to be prioritised, but is also critical of ‘conventional’ historical methodology which has written ordinary people out of the story of 1947.

* Mohammad Mahbubar Rahman and Willem Van Schendel ‘I am Not a Refugee: Rethinking Partition Migration’Modern Asian Studies, 37/3 (2003): 551–584.

An important intervention in the historiography; this challenges the Punjabi‐centrism of many elite Partition narratives by focusing on poor Bengali migrants in the porous Bengal borderlines. This article argues for a rethinking of Partition’s scope and extent and also challenges the paradigm of ‘victimhood’ by examining the resilience and enterprise with which Bengali refugees remade their lives.

* Swarna Aiyar‘August Anarchy: The Partition Massacres in Punjab, 1947’ in D. A. Low and H. Brasted (eds.), Freedom, Trauma, Continuities: Northern India and Independence (Sage: 1998), 15–38. Also reprinted in South Asia, 22 (special issue, 1999):155–65.

This article rethinks the ways in which Partition violence was carried out in Punjab and draws attention to the role of militia groups and demobilized soldiers in the killings. It paints a convincing picture of Punjab in 1947 while also raising new questions about the relationship between politics and violence more broadly.

Online Materials

1. South Asia Citizens Web

http://www.sacw.net/partition/

A very useful page of full text links to a wide range of Partition‐related material maintained by Harsh Kapoor for the South Asia Citizen’s Web.

2. BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1751044.stm

A BBC timeline with photographs and audio links to the speeches of Indian and British leaders at the time of Independence.
Optimal Location of a Synthetic Jet on an Airfoil for Stall Control
Authors: Duvigneau R. , Hay A. , Visonneau M.
Published: June 2007

This study deals with the optimization of the location of a synthetic jet on the suction side of an airfoil to control stall. The optimal location is found by coupling a time-accurate flow solver with adaptive mesh refinement/coarsening techniques and an automatic optimization algorithm. The flow and jet are modeled by the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (URANSE) with a near-wall low-Reynolds number turbulence closure. An unstructured grid refinement/coarsening method is used to automatically generate meshes adapted to the presence of the synthetic jet at a prescribed location. An optimization algorithm modifies the location of the synthetic jet to determine the best actuator location to increase the time-averaged lift for high angles of attack. The proposed methodology is applied to optimize the location of a synthetic jet on the suction side of the NACA 0012 airfoil at a Reynolds number Re=2×106 and incidences of 18deg and 20deg. Finally, a physical analysis of the influence of the synthetic jet location on the control efficiency is proposed to provide some guidelines for practical jet positioning.
EVOLUTION OF THE D3-BRANE FOR DYNAMICAL EMBEDDINGS
Authors: GUSIN PAWEL , WARCZEWSKI JERZY
Published: June 2007

The evolution of both the D3-brane and the transverse directions has been obtained from the Dirac–Born–Infeld (DBI) action. For the special constraint put on the transverse coordinates a family of the contracting and expanding spaces has been found.
Forensic Injury Biomechanics
Authors: Hayes Wilson C. , Erickson Mark S. , Power Erik D.
Published: June 2007

Forensic injury biomechanics is the science that relates mechanical forces to disruption of anatomical regions of the human body. In this review, we introduce (a) how scaling techniques can be used to describe injury severity and probability of death; (b) how a simple ratio, the factor of risk, and more sophisticated injury risk functions can be used to determine the probability of injury; and (c) how injury criteria (also known as tolerance limits) are defined for the head and neck. Methods for establishing injury causation are then illustrated by real-world examples drawn from litigation involving motor vehicle collisions and slips, trips and falls. Those factors that distinguish litigation from basic and applied research are also discussed, including the criteria for admissibility of expert opinions and the level of certainty used as the basis for these opinions. The criteria that must be met to support opinions on causation at both epidemiological and individual levels are also noted. If the expert appreciates the difference between the demands of ligation and those of basic and applied research, expert opinion can play a crucial role in the decision-making process that characterizes litigation. Because forensic injury biomechanics is central to opinions on injury causation, and because causation is often the key to determinations of who is at fault, forensic injury biomechanics can be the deciding factor in many personal injury, products and premises liability, wrongful death, and criminal cases.