Book reviews

Reviews of the following four books: Literacy teacher educators: preparing teachers for a changing world by Clare Kosnik, Jennifer Rowsell, Peter Williamson, Rob Simon and Clive Beck (eds.). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2013, ISBN: 978-9-462-09198-6. Achieving your Masters in Teaching and Learning by Mary McAteer, Fiona Hallett, Lisa Murtagh and Gavin Turnbull. Exeter: Learning Matters, 2010, ISBN 978-1-844-45214-9. Social pedagogy: heart and head by P. Stephens. Bremen, Germany: EHV, 2013, ISBN: 978-3-86741-830-0. Learning to teach using ICT in the secondary school: A companion to school experience, 3rd edition by Marilyn Leask and Norbert Pachler (eds.). Abingdon: Routledge, 2013, ISBN 978-0-415-51652-5

Revealing mammalian evolutionary relationships by comparative analysis of gene clusters

Many software tools for comparative analysis of genomic sequence data have been released in recent decades. Despite this, it remains challenging to determine evolutionary relationships in gene clusters due to their complex histories involving duplications, deletions, inversions, and conversions. One concept describing these relationships is orthology. Orthologs derive from a common ancestor by speciation, in contrast to paralogs, which derive from duplication. Discriminating orthologs from paralogs is a necessary step in most multispecies sequence analyses, but doing so accurately is impeded by the occurrence of gene conversion events. We propose a refined method of orthology assignment based on two paradigms for interpreting its definition: by genomic context or by sequence content. X-orthology (based on context) traces orthology resulting from speciation and duplication only, while N-orthology (based on content) includes the influence of conversion events

Enacting a pedagogy of multiliteracies: A study of six literacy teacher educators

This study examined the knowledge, dispositions, beliefs, experiences, and educational practices of six literacy teacher educators, from three countries, who enacted a multiliteracies approach to teaching. In this qualitative study three semi-structured interviews were conducted of each participant over a three year period. Four significant findings emerged. First, these literacy teacher educators held a broad, holistic, and evolving conceptualization of literacy that was not limited to a notion of literacy as a set of autonomous skills (e.g., reading and writing). This conceptualization included a range of multimodal communications: print-based literacies, arts-based experiences, and digital practices. Second, all of the literacy teacher educators designed coherent courses that were driven by a single overarching purpose (e.g., developing a broad and inclusive understanding of literacy and literacy practices). The overarching purpose was realized through17 specific goals and purposeful assignments. Third, all of the literacy teacher educators were challenged by government restrictions, particularly the participants from England and Australia. The final finding revealed these literacy teacher educators held a unique set of dispositional qualities: a positive and progressive attitude, persistence, and passion; and their attitudes, skills, and knowledge were developed over time and with assistance. Implications for literacy teacher educators include the need for incorporating multimodal forms of expression and communication; addressing issues of social justice; remaining connected to the local community and the practicum aspect of the program; and, creating coherent courses. Implications for preservice teacher education programs include universities creating opportunities for professional development for teacher educators particularly in multiliteracies practices and providing mentors; developing hiring practices that include a multiliteracies interest; and, developing support against deleterious teacher education reforms.Ph.D

Research in Teacher Education: Volume 4, No.1, April 2014

The Research in Teacher Education publication is published twice a year by the School of Education and Communities, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ. The periodical offers a forum for informed debate and discussion on all aspects of teacher education. The publication showcases work from the teacher education teams at the School of Education and Communities and the wider teacher education community in the UK. The definition of ‘research’, in its broadest sense includes any gathering of data, information and ‘facts’ designed to advance knowledge. While nurturing and publicising the creative talent within teacher education the periodical seeks to stimulate, provoke and extend discussion and debate with other professionals associated with this field. In addition to contributions from the team of teacher educators at the School, each edition of Research in Teacher Education will publish research findings, book reviews and/or opinion pieces from guest writers associated with the School of Education and Communities

Altered interhemispheric and temporal lobe white matter microstructural organization in severe chronic schizophrenia

Diffusion MRI investigations in schizophrenia provide evidence of abnormal white matter (WM) microstructural organization as indicated by reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) primarily in interhemispheric, left frontal and temporal WM. Using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), we examined diffusion parameters in a sample of patients with severe chronic schizophrenia. Diffusion MRI data were acquired on 19 patients with chronic severe schizophrenia and 19 age- and gender-matched healthy controls using a 64 gradient direction sequence, (b = 1300 s/mm(2)) collected on a Siemens 1.5T MRI scanner. Diagnosis of schizophrenia was determined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV) Structured Clinical Interview for DSM disorder (SCID). Patients were treatment resistance, having failed to respond to at least two antipsychotic medications, and had prolonged periods of moderate to severe positive or negative symptoms. Analysis of diffusion parameters was carried out using TBSS. Individuals with chronic severe schizophrenia had significantly reduced FA with corresponding increased radial diffusivity in the genu, body, and splenium of the corpus callosum, the right posterior limb of the internal capsule, right external capsule, and the right temporal inferior longitudinal fasciculus. There were no voxels of significantly increased FA in patients compared with controls. A decrease in splenium FA was shown to be related to a longer illness duration. We detected widespread abnormal diffusivity properties in the callosal and temporal lobe WM regions in individuals with severe chronic schizophrenia who have not previously been exposed to clozapine. These deficits can be driven by a number of factors that are indistinguishable using in vivo diffusion-weighted imaging, but may be related to reduced axonal number or packing density, abnormal glial cell arrangement or function, and reduced myelin