bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gender, ethnicity, and students' perceptions about science and science‐related careers in Fiji
Authors: Rennie Leonie J. , Dunne Mairead 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study examines the relationships between gender, ethnicity, and Fijian students' attitudes and perceptions about science, attributions of success and failure in science as school, science as a career, and the career‐related advice they received. Data were collected with a questionnaire administered to a stratified, random, one‐sixth sample of Form 5 (16‐year‐old) students in Fiji. Gender and ethnicity were found to have no consistent relationship with students' perceptions, attitudes, and attributions about science. However, students, particularly males, demonstrated strong sex‐stereotyping of science‐related careers, and different kinds of career advice were given to students on the basis of their gender and ethnicity. These, rather than students' attitudes and performance in science, are more likely to explain the patterns linking gender and ethnicity with the science‐related work force and higher education in Fiji.
Bringing pupils' learning closer to a scientific construction of knowledge: A permanent feature in innovations in science teaching
Authors: Gil‐Perez Daniel , Carrascosa‐Alis Jaime 
Published: October 2006

AbstractIn this article we intend to show that the idea of linking science learning to the way of doing science constitutes a permanent feature, although not always explicit, in innovations in science teaching. A thread which, in our opinion, has shown itself to be fruitful, even through its wrong avenues, and that is being reinforced nowadays by the emerging constructivist paradigm and by the implications of the contemporary philosophy of science in science education.
Software support for students engaging in scientific activity and scientific controversy
Authors: Cavalli‐Sforza Violetta , Weiner Arlene W. , Lesgold Alan M. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractComputer environments could support students in engaging in cognitive activities that are essential to scientific practice and to the understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge, but that are difficult to manage in science classrooms. The authors describe a design for a computer‐based environment to assist students in conducting dialectical activities of constructing, comparing, and evaluating arguments for competing scientific theories. Their choice of activities and their design respond to educators' and theorists' criticisms of current science curricula. They give detailed specifications of portions of the environment. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Teaching evolution using historical arguments in a conceptual change strategy
Authors: Jensen Murray S. , Finley Fred N. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA historically rich teaching intervention was developed for biological evolution with the intent of promoting a conceptual change from students' initial understanding to a more Darwinian understanding. The intervention was delivered in a small group setting to underprepared, entry–level biology students. Evaluation of the treatment, using pre–post testing, was used to document the general effectiveness of the intervention and specific changes in students' conceptions of evolution. Results indicate the use of historical materials in conjunction with a conceptual change strategy to be promising. Specific strengths and weaknesses in specific areas of biological evolution are documented. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.
“Developmental research” as a way to an empirically based “didactical structure” of science
Authors: Lijnse P. L. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractIn the past decades, much work has been done in science education on large–scale curriculum development, ranging from a “structure–of–the–discipline” approach to STS. At the same time, research on students' ideas has drawn attention to the underestimated problems of learning and teaching, which may largely explain the limited success of the curriculum efforts as far as cognitive learning is concerned. Proposed solutions are mainly inspired by a constructivist cognitive science perspective and are formulated as general teaching strategies that aim at a more or less forced process of “conceptual change.” However, in our view, “developmental research” is needed in which small–scale curriculum development is cyclically coupled to indepth classroom research of teaching–learning processes. Such research should resuit in worked out examples of successful ways of teaching, according to new conceptual curriculum structures. Designing such “didactical” structures constitutes a longer term research program, which asks for international exchange and cooperation. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The development and validation of an assessment of safety awareness of science teachers using interactive videodisc technology
Authors: Lomask Michal S. , Jacobson Larry , Hafner Laurin P. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA new assessment of science teachers' knowledge of school lab safety management was developed and tested. The assessment, called the Safety Simulator, is based on Interactive Videodisc (IVD) technology and was developed as part of the Beginning Educator Support and Training program for beginning teachers in Connecticut. The Safety Simulator contains two phases: 1) A “walk” through the lab room, designed to assess teacher knowledge of current regulations about safety equipment and storage of chemicals; 2) A General science lab activity, performed by four middle school students, designed to assess teacher knowledge of school safety management and his/her ability to monitor students' work. Reliability of scores for the four different categories of school lab safety (Physical facilities, Chemicals. Lab techniques and Students' behavior), examined by calculating the mean correlation coefficients among three different scorers, was found to be moderate to high. Evidence for content and construct validity were studied by examining job relatedness, safety expert judgment, and by comparing the performance of known groups. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Origins of life science teachers' beliefs underlying curriculum reform in Texas
Authors: Crawley Frank E. , Salyer Barbara A. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study explores the beliefs about reform of life science teachers in central Texas who were retained to teach Coordinated Thematic Science I. In particular, we were interested in identifying the beliefs that serve as the foundation for the grade 7 life science teachers' intentions to introduce physical science activities in the life science classes they teach. To accomplish this purpose, we selected four teachers, using purposeful sampling procedures. We also adapted an empirical model for investigating rational decisionmaking, the Theory of Planned Behavior, for use in an interview format. Two additional data sources were used to triangulate our findings set out in seven assertions developed from the 52 pages of transcribed interviews. Our results call attention to the need for all three levels of education—state, district, and school—to cooperate in implementing science curriculum reform in Texas. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Students' conceptual ecologies and the process of conceptual change in evolution
Authors: Demastes Sherry S. , Good Ronald G. , Peebles Patsye 
Published: October 2006

AbstractUsing conceptual change as a theoretical lens, the purpose of this study is to describe the structure of a learner's conceptual ecology within a specific content area (biological evolution) and to illustrate how this ecology influences the process of conceptual change. Data were gathered using participant observations in a high school Biology II classroom as well as a series of 17 open‐ended and structured interviews with each of four research participants. The interviews were designed to illustrate the participants' approaches to biology as well as to describe their changing conceptual frameworks for evolutionary theory. Interview techniques used include: concept mapping, drawing interviews, discussion of pre‐ and posttests, and sorting tasks. A learner's conceptual ecology for evolution was found to include prior conceptions related to evolutionary theory (both scientific and alternative), scientific and religious orientations, view of the biological world, and acceptance of evolutionary theory. However, the data demonstrate that the actions of these aspects of the conceptual ecology can vary among individuals and no single controlling mechanism was isolated. Most importantly, the data demonstrate that conceptual change has significant affective cornponents as evidence is evaluated by learners and this evaluation is often based on extralogical criteria. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Promoting values development through community service: A design
Authors: Delve Cecilia I. , Mintz Suzanné D. , Stewart Greig M. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA theoretical framework, from which service‐learning interventions can develop, enhances students' educational experiences, fosters values development, and encourages responsible citizenship. This chapter presents a developmental model for the delivery of community‐service interventions and concrete examples of students involved in service learning.
Building community for effective health promotion
Authors: Keeling Richard P. , Engstrom Eric L. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractHealth promotion on campuses has two audiences or targets: individuals and the community. Through strategies of leadership, consensus development, and community service, college and university communities can not only change social norms, but more critically, found and nurture a flexible, gentle network of caring and connectedness that pulls people toward each other and supports their growth toward greater health.
Evolving theory, informing practice
Authors: Wimbish Jennifer , Bumphus Walter G. , Helfgot Steven R. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractAfter a brief historical review of the relationship between theory and student affairs practice, and of traditional student development theory, some newer student development theories are examined. Examples of programs based on new theory are provided, as are guidelines on sources to which community college student affairs professionals can turn to look for emerging theory.
Careers, curricula, and the future of liberal learning: A program for action
Authors: Green Charles S. , Klug Hadley G. , Neider Lanny A. , Salem Richard G. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA program developed by a sociology department is offered as a model by which other liberal arts disciplines can reassert those values and goals that serve the intellectual and artistic development of men and women. The program, involving the combination of career with academic counseling, internships, and other features, has been grafted on to an existing, intellectually demanding curriculum.
Writing across the curriculum at research universities
Authors: Strenski Ellen 
Published: October 2006

AbstractGiven the strength of departments, the pressures on faculty to conduct and publish research and to train graduate students in their disciplinary specialties, and the enormous numbers of teaching assistants who are responsible for much of the undergraduate instruction, writing instruction at research universities often seems to be “in spite of the curriculum.” Nonetheless, it is possible to run successful WAC programs at such universities.
Mentoring faculty at the departmental level
Authors: Herr Kay U. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA discipline‐specific mentoring program in a department will
encourage the new colleague to grow and develop within that dis‐
ciplinary context. This, in turn, is essential for progress toward
and ultimate attainment of tenure and promotion. The successful
colleague retained by the institution is a manifestation of wise
stewardship of institutional resources and of service to ourselves as
persons.
Disciplinary differences in students' perceptions of success: Modifying misperceptions with attributional retraining
Authors: Menec Verena H. , Perry Raymond P. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractCollege students bring a variety of perceptions to the classroom about what it takes to succeed in a discipline. This chapter focuses on ways to modify potentially maladaptive perceptions into more adaptive ones, by focusing on a therapeutic technique referred to as attributional retraining.
The power of problem‐based learning in teaching introductory science courses
Authors: Allen Deborah E. , Duch Barbara J. , Groh Susan E. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractIn its use of complex, real‐world problems to introduce concepts and motivate learning in an active and cooperative learning environment, problem‐based learning provides a powerful alternative to the passive lecture tradition in introductory science courses in biology, physics, and chemistry.
Measuring covariation in RNA alignments: physical realism improves information measures
Authors: Lindgreen S. , Gardner P. P. , Krogh A. 
Published: October 2006

Abstract
Motivation: The importance of non-coding RNAs is becoming increasingly evident, and often the function of these molecules depends on the structure. It is common to use alignments of related RNA sequences to deduce the consensus secondary structure by detecting patterns of co-evolution. A central part of such an analysis is to measure covariation between two positions in an alignment. Here, we rank various measures ranging from simple mutual information to more advanced covariation measures.
Results: Mutual information is still used for secondary structure prediction, but the results of this study indicate which measures are useful. Incorporating more structural information by considering e.g. indels and stacking improves accuracy, suggesting that physically realistic measures yield improved predictions. This can be used to improve both current and future programs for secondary structure prediction. The best measure tested is the RNAalifold covariation measure modified to include stacking.
Availability: Scripts, data and supplementary material can be found at
Contact: stinus@binf.ku.dk
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Repseek, a tool to retrieve approximate repeats from large DNA sequences
Authors: Achaz Guillaume , Boyer Frédéric , Rocha Eduardo P. C. , Viari Alain , Coissac Eric 
Published: October 2006

AbstractSummary: Chromosomes or other long DNA sequences contain many highly similar repeated sub-sequences. While there are efficient methods for detecting strict repeats or detecting already characterized repeats, there is no software available for detecting approximate repeats in large DNA sequences allowing for weighted substitutions and indels in a coherent statistical framework. Here, we present an implementation of a two-steps method (seed detection followed by their extension) that detects those approximate repeats. Our method is computationally efficient enough to handle large sequences and is flexible enough to account for influencing factors, such as sequence-composition biases both at the seed detection and alignment levels.Availability: Contact: achaz@abi.snv.jussieu.fr
Maximum likelihood inference of imprinting and allele-specific expression from EST data
Authors: Seoighe Cathal , Nembaware Victoria , Scheffler Konrad 
Published: October 2006

Abstract
Motivation: In a diploid organism the proportion of transcripts that are produced from the two parental alleles can differ substantially due, for example to epigenetic modification that causes complete or partial silencing of one parental allele or to cis acting polymorphisms that affect transcriptional regulation. Counts of SNP alleles derived from EST sequences have been used to identify both novel candidates for genomic imprinting as well as examples of genes with allelic differences in expression.
Results: We have developed a set of statistical models in a maximum likelihood framework that can make highly efficient use of public transcript data to identify genes with unequal representation of alternative alleles in cDNA libraries. We modelled both imprinting and allele-specific expression and applied the models to a large dataset of SNPs mapped to EST sequences. Using simulations, matched closely to real data, we demonstrate significantly improved performance over existing methods that have been applied to the same data. We further validated the power of this approach to detect imprinting using a set of known imprinted genes and inferred a set of candidate imprinted genes, several of which are in close proximity to known imprinted genes. We report evidence that there are undiscovered imprinted genes in known imprinted regions. Overall, more than half of the genes for which the most data are available show some evidence of allele-specific expression.
Availability: Software is available from the authors on request.
Contact: cathal@science.uct.ac.za
Supplementary information:
Silencing of natural interferon producing cell activation by porcine circovirus type 2 DNA
Authors: Vincent Isabelle E. , Balmelli Carole , Meehan Brian , Allan Gordon , Summerfield Artur , McCullough Kenneth C. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryPorcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection of natural interferon producing cells (NIPCs) impairs the induction of interferon (IFN)‐α and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α by cytosine‐phosphorothioate‐guanine (CpG) oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), thereby preventing both their autocrine maturation and the paracrine maturation of myeloid dendritic cells (DCs). The present study shows that the PCV2‐mediated inhibition of NIPCs was mediated by viral DNA, although it was independent of virus replication. The inhibitory effect of PCV2 DNA was more diversified than if it had simply targeted CpG‐ODN‐induced cytokines (IFN‐α, TNF‐α, interleukin‐6, IL‐12). A broad spectrum inhibition was noted, affecting responses induced by toll‐like receptor (TLR)‐7 and TLR9 agonists, as well as viruses including pseudorabies virus, transmissible gastroenteritis virus and classical swine fever virus. From these results, it would appear that PCV2 DNA can induce a dominant negative signal influencing independent pattern recognition receptor‐induced activation cascades. Despite a concomitant internalization of PCV2 DNA and CpG‐ODNs, no colocalization was observed, indicating that PCV2 DNA and CPG‐ODNs may not target the same receptor. This study describes a novel modulation of the innate immune response, which would render the host more susceptible to secondary or concomitant microbial infections.
Signal‐Averaged P Wave Reflects Change in Atrial Electrophysiological Substrate Afforded by Verapamil Following Cardioversion from Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: REDFEARN DAMIAN P. , SKANES ALLAN C. , LANE JOANNE , STAFFORD PETER J. 
Published: October 2006

Background: Detailed analysis of signal‐averaged P waves (SAPW) can provide insights into atrial electrophysiology. Abbreviated dosing of verapamil prior to cardioversion improves outcome at 1 week postcardioversion. The mechanism by which verapamil manifests benefit is uncertain. We hypothesized the SAPW would reflect any change in atrial electrophysiologic substrate afforded by verapamil when compared with controls.
Methods: We investigated 23 patients attending external cardioversion of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) (6 female; mean age 68 years). Patients were randomized to verapamil 240 mg daily in three divided doses 3 days before cardioversion and 1 week after, or usual medication. SAPW recordings were performed during sinus rhythm (SR) immediately after cardioversion, at 24 hours and 1 week.
Results: The groups were comparable in terms of age, gender, left atrial size, and duration of AF. Eight of nine patients prescribed verapamil maintained SR at 1 week postcardioversion compared with 6 of 14 controls (P = 0.027). SAPW spectral analysis delivered higher energy for patients prescribed verapamil (median (IQ range)); 40.8 (33.4–95.1) versus 25.7 (19.0–38.0) for energy within 20–150 Hz, P20 (μV2· s; P = 0.03). There was no difference in P‐wave duration (PWD) or root mean square of the terminal 30 ms between the two groups. Early reinitiation occurred in patients with significantly lower P‐wave energy 19.6 (12.9–24.6) versus 39.9 (24.0–47.0) (P = 0.017).
Conclusions: Verapamil 240 mg daily for 3 days prior to cardioversion and 1 week after reduces early recurrence of AF. The SAPW observations indicate change in atrial electrophysiologic substrate might be responsible for benefit afforded by verapamil.
Effect of Percutaneous Interventions within the Coronary Sinus on the Success Rate of the Implantations of Resynchronization Pacemakers
Authors: KOWALSKI OSKAR , LENARCZYK RADOSŁAW , PROKOPCZUK JANUSZ , PRUSZKOWSKA‐SKRZEP PATRYCJA , ZIELIŃSKA TERESA , ŚREDNIAWA BEATA , MUSIALIK‐ŁYDKA AGATA , PLUTA SŁAWOMIR , KUKULSKI TOMASZ , SZULIK MARIOLA , POLOŃSKI LECH , KALARUS ZBIGNIEW 
Published: October 2006

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) becomes a “gold standard” in therapy of selected patients with advanced heart failure. We set out to evaluate the feasibility and safety of percutaneous interventions within coronary sinus (CS) and their effect on the success rate of left ventricular (LV) lead implantation during CRT.
Methods: The study analyzed eight consecutive patients with the indications for CRT, who needed additional procedures within CS to overcome technical problems during left ventricular (LV) electrode implantation. The analyzed group consisted of three subgroups: patients in whom percutaneous balloon angioplasty within CS was needed (n = 4); patients with acute instability of the lead, requiring stenting of the vein to fix the electrode (n = 2); and patients with the stenting of CS due to late dislocation of the lead (n = 2). Success rate, procedure duration, fluoroscopy, complications, and electrical parameters of leads were analyzed.
Results: Success rate of the procedures was 87.5%; additional interventions increased overall efficacy of CRT implantation at our center from 88% to 98% (P < 0.05). Procedure duration (155.0 minute) and fluoroscopy time (42.5 minute) remained acceptable for the patient and operator; however, both were higher than in the procedures performed routinely in our hospital. Electrical properties of the LV leads were stable and within normal ranges during the observation period. We noted two local dissections of CS during the procedure, which remained clinically silent.
Conclusion: Percutaneous interventions within CS seem to be feasible and safe treatment options, which can improve the short‐ and long‐term success rates of CRT.