bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of the Effect of Style of Presentation on the Behaviour of Mature Students in a Seminar
Authors: Kniveton Bromley H.
Published: June 2007

With demographic changes predicted in the student population during the next few years the effects of different teaching styles on mature students merit attention. In the present study three different styles of seminar presentation were used with mature management students. These each took the form of a written presentation which was the basis for the subsequent seminar. In the first presentation no ideas as to the solution of a problem were offered. In the second brief presentation, a small number of ideas were offered, and in the third comprehensive presentation, more ideas were offered. It was found that a presentation increased the number of communication units—participants were basically more active in their discussion than when no ideas were given. However, brief presentations which left scope for students to incorporate their own ideas competitively were found to encourage negative expressive behaviour more than either of the other two styles of presentation. It is suggested that seminar styles which encourage competitive contributions may (by arousing more negative expressive behaviour) not be a suitable means of beginning a seminar series because group processes may, in the long run, be adversely influenced.
Correlates of Psychological Distress among Secondary School Teachers
Authors: Punch Keith F. , Tuettemann Elizabeth
Published: June 2007

Among 574 Western Australian secondary teachers the level of psychological distress was found to be twice that expected in the general population. Eight school‐related factors were found to be statistically related to stress as measured by the General Health Questionnaire, with relationships being stronger for female than for male teachers. Factors correlated with psychological distress were: perceived lack of efficacy/achievement, inadequate access to facilities, lack of collegial support, excessive societal expectations, lack of influence/autonomy, student misbehaviour and lack of praise/recognition. Differences between male and female teachers in both the pattern and the strength of the relationships suggest that teachers' responses to their working environment are sex‐related.
Attainment at Primary Schools: an analysis of variations between schools
Authors: Bondi Liz
Published: June 2007

This paper uses multi‐level modelling techniques to examine variations in the reading attainment of primary school children in a Scottish education authority. At the individual level, measures of attainment at ages 7 to 8 and 11 to 12 are linked to data on socio‐economic background. Differences between girls and boys decrease with age while socio‐economic effects increase with age. Controlling for the background characteristics of individuals, significant variations between primary schools are detected. These are of a magnitude similar to those observed among secondary schools. However, variations among primary schools do not appear to relate to socio‐economic composition, school size, school location or denominational status. The stability of effects associated with primary schools, and the cumulative effects of schools, require further investigation.
The Language of Consciousness and the Landscape of Action: tensions in teacher education*
Authors: Rudduck Jean
Published: June 2007

The recruitment crises which have buffeted the world of teacher education over the last few years have provided an opportunity for central policy‐makers to launch alternative structures and consider different patterns of responsibility. Within such a climate it is important that policy‐makers and others understand the distinctive contribution that higher education and schools make to both pre‐service and in‐service teacher education. The paper briefly reviews the situation and argues that teacher educators in universities and colleges do, and should, offer student teachers something different from what teachers alone can offer: a perspective that shapes consciousness in schools and classrooms and provides students with a variety of frameworks for making sense of what is happening. The development of a capacity for critical reflection should be supported by the development of competent and confident practice: these are complementary concerns which, in the present climate, are set in tension in a way that threatens the quality of experience that student teachers should expect in their period of preparation for a career in teaching.
Children's Language and Assessing Their Skill in Formulating Testable Hypotheses
Authors: Swatton Peter
Published: June 2007

The ability to formulate testable hypotheses' is now one of the assessment criteria for the recently established National Science Curriculum in England and Wales. This paper looks at this scientific process skill from two perspectives. Firstly, from a broad theoretical viewpoint, the nature and status of hypotheses in scientific reasoning are explored. Secondly, the responses of 11 year‐old schoolchildren to an instrument designed to assess this ability are discussed, with particular reference to the children's use of language. The final section of the paper draws out the most important implications for science education in this and other ‘process’ areas. The difficulties in judging, on the strength of written evidence alone, whether or not a child has demonstrated this skill are highlighted. In terms of pedagogy, the findings described in the paper strongly support the view that the formative aspects of assessment which can be fed back into teaching are most important, and that such evidence from teachers about the performance of individuals should exert a powerful moderating influence on the performance data generated by any external summative assessment system.
English Teacher Ideologies: an empirical study
Authors: Davies Chris
Published: June 2007

Abstract This paper describes an empirical study into English teacher attitudes to a variety of issues within their subject, in order to investigate one particular hypothesis about the nature of English subject ideology variation. The paper presents an attitude questionnaire, the results of which both confirm the hypothesis, and also suggest an additional dimension of tender/tough mindedness, similar to that explored in earlier studies by Eysenck, and Oliver & Butcher. The paper emphasises the high degree of idiosyncracy evident in the teachers' responses, and concludes by suggesting a particular relevance of a subject ideology perspective to the training of new teachers.
Careful Teaching: researching a special career
Authors: Corbett Jenny
Published: June 2007

In this paper I examine one specific stage of my career development, the period from 1977 to 1982, when I was teaching in a special care unit for young people with profound learning difficulties. Reflecting on what I learnt in this context, I discuss what constitutes ‘significant’ teaching and learning. In describing my own experience in a caring role, I evaluate what I gained from this as a teacher and researcher in higher education. As a female carer playing a role predominantly taken by women, I examine my own feelings in moving from a low‐status into a high‐status area of education.
Multilateral Evaluation: a case study of the national evaluation of records of achievement (PRAISE) project*
Authors: Broadfoot Patricia
Published: June 2007

The paper describes the evolution of a multilateral evaluation strategy within the PRAISE project. The account describes how the approach started with an initial commitment to ‘meta‐evaluation’ as a means of cross‐validating emerging data and its interpretation, but gradually evolved into a more explicit partnership where the overall research design now depends on the integration of both levels of evaluation. Having presented the case study, the paper uses it to help identify key issues in multilateral evaluation. These include: the need for a common set of ethical guidelines and the closely related issue of working practices and access to data; the issue of integrating the different purposes and audiences of different levels of evaluation; the role of funding agencies and, particularly, central government, in initiating such multilateral programmes. More generally the paper explores vertical versus horizontal models of collaboration and their implications for different episte‐mologies of educational research and evaluation. It concludes with an appraisal of the overall strengths and weaknesses of multilateral evaluation which may be identified at this relatively early stage of its development.
Value‐added Attacks: technical issues in reporting national curriculum assessments
Authors: Wiliam Dylan
Published: June 2007

In 1987 the British government announced its intention to introduce a national curriculum for all students of compulsory school age, with formal assessments being carried out at the ages of seven, 11, 14 and 16, and reported on a common 10‐point scale. The assumptions underlying the 10‐point scale are examined, as is the way in which criterion‐referencing is embodied in the assessment system. Implications of such a model for reporting the attainment of whole cohorts of students are examined and different ways of operationalising the idea of ‘value‐added’ and their relative fairness are explored. Finally, implications about reporting and publishing aggregated school results are drawn for schools and local education authorities.
Absenteeism in Secondary Education
Authors: Bos K. Tj. , Ruijters A. M. , Visscher A. J.
Published: June 2007

Despite the wide attention given to the problem of truancy, empirical data on the extent of this phenomenon are limited. This article reports on a research project concerning the extent of allowed and disallowed absenteeism of pupils in 36 schools in four large Dutch cities. Truancy was determined at eight levels (for instance per school, per class and per subject) during 3 school days and 8990 lessons. The results show that the extent of allowed absenteeism (4.7%) is on average higher than the extent of disallowed absenteeism (= truancy), that is 4.4%. The difference in the extent of truancy between schools is considerable. In schools with a division for lower vocational education more pupils play truant on average. This also holds for most of the older classes, Fridays, the first and the seventh to the tenth lesson and for job‐oriented and commercial subjects. Relatively low truancy percentages were found for subjects that are frequently considered ‘truancy subjects’. Most truants play truant for two lessons a day at most. On average 16% of a school's pupils play truant, though this percentage differs strongly between schools. Multiple regression analysis pointed out that the percentage of non‐Dutch pupils, together with the average class size account for 56% of the variance in truancy rate.
Parents' Views on Mixed and Single‐sex Secondary Schools
Authors: West Anne , Hunter Jan
Published: June 2007

Parents' attitudes towards single‐sex and mixed secondary schooling are examined in this paper. In two studies, statements about mixed and girls‐only schooling were read out to parents, who were asked whether or not they agreed with them. Parents were also asked if they knew why some parents preferred mixed schools for their sons. Few differences between the parents of girls and boys at primary schools emerged; at the secondary stage it was found that most parents who sent their daughters to girls‐only secondary schools felt that such schools allowed girls to gain more personal and academic self‐confidence. The responses of parents of girls and boys at mixed secondary schools to the statements about mixed schooling showed considerable agreement. However, those parents with sons at mixed schools were more likely than parents of girls to agree that the presence of girls had a ‘civilising’ influence on the boys. The comments relating to why parents might prefer a mixed rather than a boys‐only school for their sons indicated that the great majority of parents of both boys and girls felt that there were social advantages for boys being educated with girls. Methods to try to highlight educational rather than social issues in the context of choice of mixed and single‐sex schooling are discussed, together with some methodological implications for research examining issues relating to parental choice of secondary school.
What Role Do Governors Play as Representatives of Special Needs Issues in their Own Schools?
Authors: Baskind Sue , Thompson David
Published: June 2007

This paper resulted from an MSc dissertation written to define the role special needs governors play as special needs representatives on their school's governing bodies. The problem addressed was to assess whether these individuals understood the system that binds them and how they functioned within it. This may be considered especially important since formula funding and local management of schools (LMS) directs governing bodies to manage resources and devise curriculum policies unique to their own individual schools. The study found no evidence to suggest that governors were reluctant members of the school management team. However, it is possible that they may be taking too many decisions affecting special educational needs (SEN) pupils' educational opportunities, with little knowledge of their statutory duties or of individual SEN pupils' needs to be effective. However, the discussion challenges the governors' perception of their role and suggests strategies to inform and support the whole governing body via informal contacts and external agencies in order to carry out their statutory special needs duties effectively.
Supporting the Comprehension of Tabulated Data
Authors: Newton Douglas P.
Published: June 2007

The detection of pattern and co‐variation in tabulated data is expected in many areas of the curriculum. While students familiar with the convention may be able to do this, it is often at an incomplete and imprecise level. A study of some 11‐12 year‐old students' comprehension of tabulated data showed that requiring them to predict table entries tended to increase the completeness and precision of their later descriptions of the situation described by the data. Given the satisfaction of certain preconditions, this could be a strategy which lends itself to application in the classroom. The study is discussed in the context of the mental model analogy and inferencing theory.
The Contribution of Action Research to Development in Social Endeavours: a position paper on action research methodology
Authors: Somekh Bridget
Published: June 2007

In this invited paper, presented at the 1994 BERA conference, the author reviews key ideas arising from her own practice of action research and that of close colleagues over the past fifteen years, in particular John Elliott. The paper is divided into two parts. The first describes and comments upon the main characteristics of action research as perceived by this group; the second deals in rather more depth with a range of methodological and epistemological issues related to its practice. The latter include: the role of action research in teacher education and curriculum development; the context‐sensitive nature of action research and the resulting variations in its methodology in professional settings such as nursing, the police and commercial companies; the role of self in action research; the nature of practitioner knowledge; action research and writing; and action research and the structure‐agency debate.
Children Learning to Read — exploring home and school relationships
Authors: Cuckle Pat
Published: June 2007

It has long been accepted that parents can help their children with learning to read in a variety of ways before children start school and as early readers. A recent study explored parental involvement, including parents’ knowledge of and beliefs about reading processes, their reasons for helping, parents’ perceptions of their roles and the relationship between home and school. The research suggested that although the parents studied were competent helpers, they lacked confidence and would have liked more advice from the schools. Their roles tended to change from the preschool period to the early years of schooling, and they helped for differing reasons related to a particular ‘micro‐culture’ in the home.
A Deluge of Directives: conflict between collegiality and managerialism in the post‐ERA primary school
Authors: Webb Rosemary , Vulliamy Graham
Published: June 2007

The paper examines the impact of the plethora of innovations associated with the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA) on the management of whole‐school change in the primary school. Based upon qualitative data from a national sample of 50 schools in England and Wales, it documents the growing tensions between collegial and top‐down managerial approaches. These are evidenced in the changing nature of working collaboratively in primary schools, in the creation of new management structures, in the me of school development plans and in the growth of quality assurance mechanisms, particularly in relation to preparation for Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) inspections. There are conflicting interpretations of terms such as ‘collegiality’, ‘collaboration’, ‘teamwork’ and ‘whole‐school approaches’ and there have been subtle shifts in their meaning and in their realisation in practice in the pre‐and post‐ERA context.
Reflections on Youth Training: toward a new model of training experience?
Authors: Gleeson D. , Glover D. , Gough G. , Johnson M. , Pye D.
Published: June 2007

This paper draws on a study of trainee attitudes to youth training in the Central England region. It is part of an ongoing research project, the second stage of which analyses training provider and employers' attitudes. Drawing on a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches, this paper critically examines the apparent paradox of young people expressing positive attitudes about what they see as an imperfect scheme. Following on such discussion, the paper considers more effective ways of improving the youth training experience. Our conclusion is that while youth training has come a long way since the bad old days of the Youth Opportunities Scheme and the Youth Training Scheme, there remains significant room for improvement within existing limitations of the scheme. The research team sought to add value to the study by making a film of the research to enhance dissemination with end users, including schools, colleges, training providers, employers, careers service. Training and Enterprise Councils and others.
Look Back in Angoff: a cautionary tale
Authors: Sizmur Steve
Published: June 2007

The Angoff procedure for setting cut‐scores for criterion‐referenced tests has generated considerable interest in the UK. The method offers a means of harnessing teachers' experience of children's performance at different National Curriculum levels to the problem of setting level boundaries in tests with a continuum of marks. The research reported here examines, from several perspectives, the appropriateness of a cut‐score derived from the Angoff procedure for a reading test for 7‐year‐old children. This shows the recommended cut‐score to have been too low, and it appears that this could have been due to teachers' lack of experience with the type of test concerned. Suggestions are made as to how standard setting might draw on a range of information to produce an appropriate and rationally defensible cut‐score.
Sound Field Amplification and Listening Behaviour in the Classroom
Authors: McSporran Eileen , Butterworth Yvonne , Rowson Vivienne J.
Published: June 2007

The acoustical environment in a classroom is an important variable in the listening and psychoeducational function, both of children with hearing loss and children with normal hearing sensitivity. The present pilot study was designed to look at the listening and attending behaviour of targeted children in two primary classes before and after installation of a sound field amplification system. Evaluation across different listening categories, together with qualitative data collected from children and teachers, indicate the potential benefit and importance of such classroom equipment for listening and learning.
Editorial
Authors: Riddell Sheila , Vincent Carol
Published: June 2007

I believe that the main configurations of formal schooling will be unrecognisable by the mid 1990s in many respects: the powers of local education authorities, for example, the balance of public and private provision; the role of the central state … The transition will be as fundamental as that of 1780‐1840 (the birth of ‘mass’ schooling) or as that of 1865‐1880 (the creation of a civic education service). By the end of the century, the ‘growth’ of 1870‐1970 may look like a specific historical phase, with its typical educational forms oddly relative to my children's children. (Johnson, 1989, p. 92)
Differential Secondary School Effectiveness: comparing the performance of different pupil groups
Authors: Thomas Sally , Sammons Pam , Mortimore Peter , Smees Rebecca
Published: June 2007

This article reports the results of an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded study which focuses on the differential academic achievement of different groups of pupils. The paper describes the findings on the size and extent of school effects across 3 years (1990, 1991, 1992) for different groups of pupils (classified by gender, eligibility for free school means [FSM], ethnic group and by prior attainment). Pupils’ overall General Certificate of Secondary Education performance and their performance in selected subjects (English, English literature, French, history, mathematics and science) have been analysed using multilevel modelling, employing a total sample of 94 inner London secondary schools. A ‘value added’ approach is adopted, controlling for selected student background measures of prior attainment (at secondary transfer), gender, age, ethnicity and low income to provide statistical controls for differences between schools in the characteristics of their intakes. Differential school and departmental effects were identified for all pupil groups examined. However, the strongest evidence of differential effects was found for groups classified by prior attainment and ethnicity. Overall, the findings indicate that schools that appear to be more or less effective for a particular group of pupils, such as non‐FSM pupils, are likely to be more or less effective for all pupils. However, in some schools, substantial differences between groups were identified. The implications of these findings for the debate about the publication, presentation and interpretation of schools’ examination results and the extent to which the overall concepts of ‘effective’ or ‘ineffective’ schools can be applied, are discussed.
Gender Integration in the Infant Classroom: a case study
Authors: Jacklin Angela , Lacey Colin
Published: June 2007

This article is about gender association in the primary classroom and organisational strategies which may influence gender integration. It reports the findings of a small‐scale research project which explored the effects of a classroom innovation. Implemented by a class teacher, the innovation was designed to promote gender equality. The effects of strategies to increase gender integration in the infant classroom are discussed in relation to cross‐gender friendships as well as gender differentiation between subjects. The article argues that the way a teacher organises groups in the classroom can be an influential factor in the degree of gender integration which occurs.
Preparing Students for the New Work Order: the case of Advanced General National Vocational Qualifications
Authors: Helsby Gill , Knight Peter , Saunders Murray
Published: June 2007

Drawing upon data from a recent empirical study, this article examines the extent to which Advanced General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ) programmes fulfil the implied, and often contradictory requirements of the new post‐capitalist labour market. Arguing that the rhetoric of empowerment is employed in discourses surrounding both GNVQs and modern labour market needs, it suggests that this notion can be misleading and can mask practices which are in reality disempowering, encouraging conformity and self‐surveillance. In particular the atomisation of content encouraged by the GNVQ framework and specifications, coupled with the heavy workload and changing requirements, make it difficult for both students and teachers to plan coherently or to develop holistic understanding. Despite this, however, the article concludes that the programme is popular with both teachers and students and has the potential to provide a vehicle for meaningful learning and personal development.
The Myth of Rational Research
Authors: Thomas Gary
Published: June 2007

In its flight from ‘positivism’ educational inquiry still cleaves to a faith in the ordered and the rational. Educationists continue to believe in an order, accessible via rational inquiry and ordered reflection, governing human affairs and thought. This belief has three unwelcome consequences. First, it promotes the notion that certain rationalistic ingredients are obligatory in research: a technology of inquiry is thus constructed and maintained. Consequently, inquiry (even interpretative inquiry) is formulaic; it follows predictable ruts and leads often to uninteresting findings. Second, a belief in the ordered mind leads to a faith in certain models of mind, and in ‘personal theory’ which can be developed via particular and orthodox methods of finding out. Third, and partly because of this second belief, it leads to a notion of teaching as an explicitly articulated ‘know what’ rather than an implicitly understood ‘know how’ practice—leading, I argue, to a promotion of the notion that ‘know how’ can be enhanced via the technology of reflection. The result of all this is that education ignores and eschews less structured but arguably more productive methods of inquiry.
Families at a Disadvantage: class, culture and literacies
Authors: Tett Lyn , Crowther Jim
Published: June 2007

This paper addresses the issue of diverse literacies, and the problems of privileging a dominant form of literacy at the expense of those from non‐mainstream cultures. It uses data from a family literacy project to illustrate how the actual literacy practices of working‐class families and communities can be incorporated into learning programmes. It argues that whilst familiarity with the dominant forms of spoken and written language is a vital ingredient in adults’ and children's communicative functioning, it should not be the unchallenged objective of education. Instead opportunities to legitimate the vernacular literacies of the home and community should be sought. In so doing deficit views of families at a disadvantage can be replaced by views that positively value the home culture to the benefit of both the home and the school.
The Relative Importance of Class Size to Infant Teachers in England
Authors: Hall Kathy , Nuttall Wendy
Published: June 2007

This paper examines and compares the beliefs and attitudes of teachers of large and small infant classes in the north of England regarding class size with particular reference to its relative importance. Following an introduction which contex‐tualises the empirical study the details of the telephone and postal surveys are presented. The findings are analysed in relation to class size preferences, preferential treatment for some children and teachers, and the importance of class size relative to other factors, the latter being the main theme of the study. It seems that class size is not seen to be unidimensional in its influence on classroom events but that it interacts in complex ways with a range of other variables.
Professional Attitudes and Experience in Relation to Bilingual Children Attending Language Units
Authors: Crutchley Alison
Published: June 2007

A large‐cohort study looking at children with speech and language difficulties attending ‘language units’ across England identified a small subgroup of the cohort who were bilingual. Interview data were collected to try to shed light on differences found between this ‘bilingual’ subgroup and the rest of the cohort. Head‐teachers and language unit teachers were asked about levels of involvement of bilingual parents in school or unit life, about the level of provision available for bilingual children in the local education authority (LEA) and about the adequacy of this provision. Qualitative analysis of ‘themes’ indicated that differences existed between head and unit teachers in patterns of answers in all of these areas. However, relating these qualitative results to quantitative data from a questionnaire survey of English LEAs revealed that attitudes and knowledge also varied according to the location of the school (in a Greater London, metropolitan or non‐metropolitan LEA). It is thus suggested that these differences in attitude may be linked to the experience that unit and headteachers have of bilingual children and their families.
Large Can — Not Many Worms: an evaluation of the role of age‐standardised scores in the presentation of assessment data
Authors: Schagen Ian
Published: June 2007

Age‐standardised scores are a widely‐used method of reporting assessment results in a way that largely removes the effect of age on performance, and that presents scores on a fixed scale which can be easily understood and interpreted. Recent criticisms of age‐standardised scores are examined in this article, and found to consist either of points which are already well‐known and appreciated by test developers or which are invalid. Although there are issues which need to be explored carefully in this area, it seems clear that the use of age‐standardised scores is worthwhile, and that no other form of presentation is likely to replace them.
The Diameter Distribution of the Stem Villi Arteries Does Not Discriminate between Normal and Intra Uterine Growth Restricted Placentas
Authors: Guiot C. , Todros T. , Piantà P. G. , Sciarrone A. , Kosanke G. , Kaufmann P.
Published: June 2007

The distribution of the stem villi arteries and arterioles diameter was evaluated on histological sections from 6 normal (control) and 8 Intrauterine Growth Restricted (IUGR) placentas. No significant difference between the diameter distributions was found. This result can be due either to a similar pattern in vascularization or to the inadequacy of the diameter distribution in showing existing differences. Further investigation is needed to make a distinction between these two hypotheses. A multiparametric model is proposed, which predicts the diameter distribution that is expected when a few parameters (describing the vessel geometry and the tree branching structure) are varied in their normal range. The diameter distribution is shown to slightly change or not to change at all when important parameters, such as the vessel asymmetry, are changed. We conclude that the diameter distribution is insensitive to variation in certain placental structural parameters. A reliable analysis of the stem villi vasculature in normal and TUGR placentas cannot be based on the comparison of the respective diameter distributions alone.
Assessing Effects of HIV Heterogeneity and Macrophage on the HIV Pathogenesis in HIV‐Infected Individuals
Authors: Tan Wai-Yuan , Ye Zhengzheng
Published: June 2007

Model of HIV pathogenesis in HIV‐infected individuals under very general conditions. In this model, we have considered five different types of CD4(+) T cells, two different types of HIV (M‐tropic versus T‐tropic) as well as infected and un‐infected macrophage. This is a 9‐dimensional stochastic process. For this process, we have developed stochastic differential equations for different types of cells. By using these stochastic equations, we have generated some Monte Carlo data to study the stochastic behavior of the HIV pathogenesis and the HIV progression.

Through Monte Carlo studies, we have revealed an acute infection stage in the early stage of the HIV infection and have confirmed the basic role played by lymph nodes and some long‐lived cells such as macrophage in serving as reservoirs of HIV to escape elimination by the immune system during the long asymptomatic stage of HIV infection. The Monte Carlo results have shown that the HIV heterogeneity and diversity may be a major factor to determine the time period since infection for uninfected T cells to drop to below 200/mm3 of blood. The numerical results have also confirmed our previous findings (see [1]) which concluded that the probability distributions of T cells and free HIV can be classified into three periods over time: The latent period, the transition period and the pseudo‐steady period.
Physiological Interpretation of Solute Transport Parameters for Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Waniewski Jacek
Published: June 2007

A mathematical model for solute distribution within the tissue due to combined processes of diffusion and convective transport through the tissue, through the capillary wall, and by lymphatic absorption, during the exchange of the solute between an organ and external medium is applied for the description of the transport of small, middle and macro — molecules. The analytical solutions of the transport equations for the steady state are described. A parameter that characterizes the concentration profiles, the penetration depth, for combined diffusive and convective transport through the tissue is described as a function of the penetration depths for pure diffusive and pure convective transport components. The equation for the solute transport across the tissue surface is similar to a phenomenological formula widely used for the description of clinical and experimental peritoneal dwell studies. The phenomenological transport parameters may therefore be interpreted using the local transport coefficients for the tissue, the capillary wall, and lymphatic absorption. Theoretical estimations of those parameters are in good agreement with clinical data about solute transport in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
Wound Healing in the Corneal Epithelium: Biological Mechanisms and Mathematical Models
Authors: Gaffney Eamonn A. , Maini Philip K. , Sherratt Jonathan A. , Dale Paul D.
Published: June 2007

Corneal epithelium has a highly specialided wound‐healing response. The biological aspects of this repair process are reviewed, and methods of modelling it mathematically are described. A model which focuses on the source of epidermal growth factor (EGF) within a healing wound id described. By considering mathematical representations of a number of possible source terms, it is shown that the EGF presents in the tear film is insufficient to explain the observed rate of healing, and experimental approaches are suggested for distinguishing between other sources. Also, the simulation of exogenous addition of EGF using the miodel is described. An issue that has been the subject of considerable debate in the literature is the role of eyeball curvature. The model is used to show that this curvature is not significant for either the speed or form of healing in the epithelium. In conclusion, a comparison is made between wound healing in the corneal epithelium with that in the epidermis of the skin. Possible diredtions for future modelling work are considered.
Defibrillation in Models of Cardiac Muscle
Authors: Holden Arun V.
Published: June 2007

The propagation of electrical activity in cardiac tissue can be modelled by reaction diffusion equations, where a tensor of diffusion coefficients represents anisotropy due to fiber orintation, and excitation is represented by high‐order, stiff differential systems. The effects of external electrical stimulation, as in artifical pacemakers, or in defibrillators, requires bidomain models, in wich intra‐ and extracellular currents are treated separately.simplified approaches are taken to this problem to illustrate two methods of defibrillation: by a sinhle large pulse, that eliminates all propagating activity, and by a series of smaller amplitude perturbations, that drive out re‐entrant sources of excitation.
Mathematical Modelling of the Interleukin‐2 T‐Cell System: A Comparative Study of Approaches Based on Ordinary and Delay Differential Equation
Authors: Baker C. T. H. , Bocharov G. A. , Paul C. A. H.
Published: June 2007

Cell proloferation and differentiation phenomena are key issues in immunology, tumour growth and cell biology. We study the kinetics of cell growth in the immune system using mathematical models formulated in terms of ordinary and delay differential equations. We study how the suitability of the mathematical models depends on the nature of the cell growth data and the types of differential equations by minimizing an objective function to give a best‐fit parameterized solution. We show that mathematical models that incorporate a time‐lag in the cell division phase are more consistent with certain reported data. They also allow various cell proliferation characteristics to be estimated directly, such as the average cell‐boubling time and the rate of commitment of cells to cell division. Specifically, we study the interleukin‐2‐dependent cell division of phytohemagglutinin stimulated T‐cells — the model of whic can be considered to be a general model of cell growth. We also review the numerical techniques available for solving delau differential equations and calculating the least‐squares best‐fit parameterized solution.
Simple Modelling of Extracellular Matrix Alignment in Dermal Wound Healing I. Cell Flux Induced Alignment
Authors: Olsen Luke , Maini Philip K. , Sherratt Jonathan A. , Marchant Ben
Published: June 2007

We present a generic model to investigate alignment due to cell movement with spefic application to collagen fibre alignment in wound healing. In particular, alignment in two orthogonal directions is considered. Numerical simulation are presented to show how alignment is affected by key parameter min the model. from a travelling wave analysis of a simplified one‐dimensional version of the model we derive a first order ordinary differential equation to describe the time evolution of aligment. We conclude that in the wound healing context,faster healing wounds result in more aligment and hence more serve scarring. It is shown how the model can be extended to included orientation dependent Kinetics,multipkle cell types and several extracellular matrix materials.
Resonance and Anti‐Resonance in the Design of Chemotherapeutic Protocols
Authors: Agur Z.
Published: June 2007

Analytical and computational results suggest that one can control the growth of cell populations by exposing them to certain dosing frequencies of cell‐cycle phase‐specific cytotoxic agents. Thus, it has been shown theoretically that a resonance effect, manifesting itself in maximal population sizes, can be created, if the period of the drug pulse and that of the population are commensurable. Based on this theory a method (denoted The Z‐Method) is suggested for improve the efficacy of cancer therapy. The underlying idea of the Z‐method is to improve treatment efficacy by selecting treatment period that create resonance for the limiting normal cell population, and by avoiding resonance for the cancer cells. These theoretical results are supported by in vivo murine experiments, suggesting that intermittent delivrey of cell‐cycle phase‐specific drugs at intervals equivalent to the man cell‐cycle time, might minimize harmful toxicity without compromising therapeutic effects on target cells. A new implementation of the theory, to be denoted the anti‐resonance effect, is suggested in the present work. In essence, anti‐resonance is a practical method of preventing resonance in systems where cancer cell kill needs to be maximized and toxicity to normal cells is marginal. The idea here is to reduce the effective number of cells lines whose period will resonate with the treatment period, by creating a stochastic treatment protocol. An algorithm has been developed for computing the efficacy of specific treatment protocol. The algorithm is independent of the assumptions of the Z‐Method. Itsupports this method by showing theoretically that one can increase treatment success by generating a resonance/anti‐resonance relationship between the frequency of drug administration and those of the involved cell populations.
A Mathematical Model of Trophoblast Invasion
Authors: Byrne M. H. , Chaplain M. A. J. , Pettet G. J. , McElwain D. L. S.
Published: June 2007

In this paper we present a simple mathematical model to describe the initial phase of placental development during which trophoblast cells invade the uterine tissue as a cells invade the uterine tissue as a continuous mass of cells.The key physical variables involved in this crucial stage of mammalian development are assumed to be the invading trophoblast cells, the uterine tissue trophoblast derived proteases that degrade the uterine tissue, and protease inhibitors that neutralise the action of the protease.Numerical simulations presented here are in good qualitative agreement with experimental observations and show how changes in the system parameters influence the rate and degree of trophoblast invasion.In particular we suggest that chemotactic migration is a key feature of trophoblast invasion and that the rate at which proteases are produced is crucial to the successful implantation of the embryo.For example both insufficient and excess production of the proteases may result in premature halting of the trophoblasts. Such behaviour may represent the pathological condition of failed trophoblast implantation and subsequent spontaneous abortion.
Family History of Psychiatric Disorders and Alcohol and Substance Misuse in Patients with Bipolar I Disorder, Substance Use Disorder, or Both
Authors: Sbrana Alfredo , Bizzarri Jacopo V. , Rucci Paola , Gonnelli Chiara , Massei Jacopo G. , Ravani Laura , Endicott Jean , Maser Jack D. , Cassano Giovanni B.
Published: June 2007

Family history data were collected on first‐degree relatives of 78 patients with bipolar I disorder (BD) and substance use disorder (SUD), 47 with BD only, and 35 with SUD only. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was significantly higher in first‐degree relatives of patients with BD + SUD (64%) and BD (61%) compared with first‐degree relatives of SUD patients (20%). The prevalence of alcohol misuse was significantly higher in first‐degree relatives of patients with BD + SUD (23.1%) and SUD alone (28.6%) compared to first‐degree relatives of patients with BD (4.3%). Our findings suggest that BD and SUD do not share familial risk factors.
Persistent organic pollutants and mercury in the Himalaya
Authors: Loewen Mark D. , Sharma Subodh , Tomy Gregg , Wang Feiyue , Bullock Paul , Wania Frank
Published: June 2007

Persistent organic pollutants and mercury are important contaminants due to their persistence in the environment and potential toxic effects on ecosystems and humans. Concerns related to these contaminants are particularly pertinent in Asia where the use of pesticides and mercury emissions have been increasing dramatically due to changing agricultural practices and rapidly expanding industrialization. Based on studies in European and North American mountain regions, evidence is increasing that alpine regions function as regional convergence zones for selected organic pollutants due to an effect called orographic cold trapping. It is hypothesized that such an effect may be particularly pronounced in the Himalaya because of dramatic elevational temperature and precipitation gradients relative to contaminant source regions in its immediate vicinity, and because of the regional monsoon system that has been shown to deliver particles and inorganic air pollutants to higher altitudes. A review of studies of persistent organic pollutants and mercury in the Himalayan ecosystem reveals that measurements of these contaminants are sparse and rarely adhere to strict quality control procedures, making it difficult to judge whether relatively high concentrations reported for these materials are indeed an indication of efficient transfer of toxic contaminants to Himalayan ecosystems. Knowledge gaps are identified and suggestions are made for research that would allow for the testing of the hypothesis that the Himalaya is an important cold trap for semi-volatile organic contaminants and mercury.
New Labour, Social Exclusion and Educational Risk Management: The case of ‘gymslip mums'
Authors: Bullen Elizabeth , Hey Valerie
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT This article considers New Labour's education and social exclusion policies in the light of Giddens's exposition of Third Way welfare reform. It focuses on the teenage mother policy trajectory, treating it as a case study of the gender politics of both the Third Way and of Anthony Giddens‐a key Labour Government organic intellectual. The article examines how New Labour understands the risks of teenage pregnancy and motherhood and how its teenage mother policy functions as risk management in the context of redefined social justice policies. It identifies some dilemmas that arise for this policy as a result of the top‐down, masculinis and moralistic orientations that surround and influence it. It offers additional insights from Australian and US research on ‘youth transitions', teenage pregnancy and gender reform in schools. It highlights some of the limitations of New Labour's good policy intentions and points to matters it must consider more carefully if it is to adequately engage and assist vulnerable young women who are finding ways to survive in this age of uncertainty, redefinition and manufactured risk.
Drug‐using mothers: social, psychological and substance use problems of women opiate users with children
Authors: POWIS BEVERLY , GOSSOP MICHAEL , BURY CATHERINE , PAYNE KATHERINE , GRIFFITHS PAUL
Published: June 2007

The present study looks at patterns of drug use and alcohol use, social and economic circumstances, criminal involvement and health problems among a sample of 66 women opiate users with children. Data were collected using a structured interview. The women reported a wide range of substance use and other problems including depression. Many were heavy and regular drinkers. Most of the women were in a relationship with an opiate user: one‐third reported that their partner had been physically violent towards them. Almost all of these women were living in a state of poverty. Many of the mothers were in conflict regarding their dependence upon drugs and their fears about their children being taken into care. The women who were most severely dependent upon both heroin and alcohol felt that if they sought treatment this might help them to avoid having their children taken into care. At the same time they were afraid that, by approaching treatment, this might increase the risk of their children being taken from them. Services should seek to reduce the barrier to treatment presented by the anxieties of women with children as well as improving facilities for the care of women with children.