bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burden of Proof in Undue Influence: Common Law and Codes on Collision Course
Authors: Sim Disa
Published: December 2003

Before the case of Royal Bank of Scotland v Etridge (No. 2), the modern presumption of undue influence appeared to be a potent one that had to be rebutted on a balance of probabilities. While it is clear from Etridge that the House of Lords intended to curtail the force of the presumption, it is difficult to determine the precise extent to which the presumption retains evidential significance. This is because the House of Lords failed to indicate whether the revised presumption was now one of law, casting the evidential burden upon the alleged dominant party to disprove the finding of undue influence, or simply one of fact, shifting the tactical burden. This is unfortunate because whether the alleged dominant party bears the evidential or the tactical burden can have a decisive effect on the outcome in borderline cases. This debate would be inconsequential for jurisdictions whose codified evidence laws are based on the work of Sir James Fitzjames Stephen if not for the fact that some courts have hitherto erroneously assumed that there is no difference between the codified and common law presumptions of undue influence. After Etridge, these jurisdictions can no longer afford to make such an assumption and must grapple with the interface between the common law presumption and its statutory counterpart.
Eyewitness Evidence: Will the United States Guide for Law Enforcement Make Any Difference?
Authors: McKenzie Ian K.
Published: December 2003

The publication in the United States of Eyewitness Identification: A Guide for Law Enforcement Officers (TWGEYEE, 1999) is a significant development in seeking to deal with miscarriages of justice, based on erroneous identification, in all 50 states of the Union and at a Federal level. However, its development barely acknowledges the existence of more than 40 years of case law and legislation in England and Wales. In addition, the contents of the Guide are advisory only and failure to comply with them carries no sanction. This article compares the content of the Guide with the mostly mandatory requirements of English law. It argues that, in the face of some of the negative aspects of police culture and the problems associated with the external imposition of controls on policing, the Guide is not likely to be either accepted, or successful. In addition, it is argued that the parochialism of an approach that ignores both research and efforts and extant administrative controls in other comparable jurisdictions is both unwise and unscholarly.
Psychological Vulnerability to Completed Suicide: A Review of Empirical Studies
Authors: Conner Kenneth R. , Duberstein Paul R. , Conwell Yeates , Seidlitz Larry , Caine Eric D.
Published: December 2003

Retrospective research shows that close to 90 percent of suicides have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder; however, only a small proportion of individuals with psychopathology take their own lives. This article reviews the empirical literature on psychological vulnerability to completed suicide. A search of the MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases yielded 46 cohort or case‐control studies that used standardized or structured assessments of psychological dimensions. Five constructs have been consistently associated with completed suicide: impulsivity/aggression, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and self‐consciousness/social disengagement. Current knowledge of psychological vulnerability to completed suicide could inform social and neurobiological research, and thereby deepen understanding of suicide while potentially bridging these areas of study.
Childhood Maltreatment and College Students' Current Suicidal Ideation: A Test of the Hopelessness Theory
Authors: Gibb Brandon E. , Alloy Lauren B. , Abramson Lyn Y. , Rose Donna T. , Whitehouse Wayne G. , Hogan Michael E.
Published: December 2003

Few studies have examined the relation between childhood maltreatment and adult suicidality within the context of a coherent theoretical model. The current study evaluates the ability of the hopelessness theory of depression's (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989) etiological chain to account for this relation in a sample of 297 undergraduates. Supporting the model, emotional, but not physical or sexual, maltreatment was uniquely related to average levels of suicidal ideation across a 2.5‐year follow‐up. Further, students' cognitive styles and average levels of hopelessness partially mediated this relation. Although these results cannot speak to causality, they support the developmental model evaluated.
Group Intervention for Widowed Survivors of Suicide
Authors: Constantino Rose E. , Sekula L. Kathleen , Rubinstein Elaine N.
Published: December 2003

This study evaluates the effects of two group interventions, the Bereavement Group Postvention (BGP) and the Social Group Postvention (SGP), on the bereavement outcomes in widowed survivors of suicide. The goals were to determine if the group interventions would significantly decrease levels of depression, psychological distress, and grief, as well as significantly increase the level of social adjustment among widowed survivors of suicide. Sixty widowed survivors of suicide were randomized to either the BGP or SGP intervention for 1‐1/2 hour weekly sessions over an 8‐week period. Study participants were recruited through various media and community referrals and initiated telephone contact with the study investigators. Statistically significant changes were found on all measures when the SGP and the BGP were combined for analyses on posttreatment assessments at 3 to 5 days after completion of the group intervention, and 6 months and 12 months after the intervention. Participants experienced a significant reduction in overall depression, psychological distress, and grief, as well as an increase in social adjustment. Further research with tighter controls of confounding variables as well as the inclusion of a no‐treatment control group is indicated.
Evaluations of the Quality of Coping Reported by Prisoners Who Have Self‐Harmed and Those Who Have Not
Authors: Dear Greg E. , Slattery Justine L. , Hillan Roger J.
Published: December 2003

Yufit and Bongar (1992) argued that a deficiency in coping skills is an important risk factor for suicidal behavior. Dear, Thomson, Hall, and Howells (1998) found that prisoners who had self‐harmed in the past 3 days were less likely than a comparison group to have used problem‐solving or active cognitive coping strategies to handle the most significant stressor of the past week, but it was not clear whether this represented a difference in the quality of coping responses used. In this study, three groups of blind raters (prisoners, prison officers, and forensic psychologists) rated the coping responses of the participants in Dear et al.'s study. The coping responses of self‐harmers were judged less beneficial and more risky. Problem‐solving strategies were most often cited as contributing to beneficial outcomes and the catharsis strategies employed by self‐harmers were most often judged to be counterproductive. It remains unclear whether prisoners who self‐harmed routinely employ poor quality coping strategies or if they simply used poor quality coping on this occasion.
Confidential Death to Prevent Suicidal Contagion: An Accepted, but Never Implemented, Nineteenth‐Century Idea
Authors: Leonard Edward C.
Published: December 2003

Nineteenth‐century medical literature often admonished the popular press to limit reports of suicide, because of a belief that knowledge of another's suicide could stimulate some persons to kill themselves. An 1837 case report (perhaps the earliest attempt at a psychological autopsy in an American medical journal) is discussed, because it presciently clarifies the concept of psychological sensitization. Its study leads to documentation of two examples of falsified death certificates. The power to prevent publicity of suicide by not reporting it may have diminished efforts for newspaper restraint, as did editorial resistance and later acceptance of Emile Durkheim's (1897/1951) strongly expressed belief that reports of suicide did not cause an overall increase in suicide. Despite lack of success over the past two centuries, efforts to keep reports of self‐inflicted death confidential continue to flow from concern about suicidal contagion. Today, uncensored websites and books advocating suicide may limit the benefit of the U. S. Surgeon General's “call to action” to prevent suicide, which again supports voluntary media restraint in reporting suicide.
The Trajectory of Suicidal Behavior Over Time
Authors: Joiner Thomas E.
Published: December 2003

Some empirical work on genetic and prenatal factors in suicidality is presented. These factors may represent enduring predispositions that comprise risk for initial as well as later suicidal behavior. The existence of enduring predispositions does not preclude the possibility, however, that initial suicidal behavior sets processes into motion that spur later suicidal behavior. Based on past conceptual and empirical work, I suggest two psychological processes—cognitive sensitization and opponent processes—that may partly explain the link between past and future suicidal behavior.
Psychiatric Inpatients' Perceptions of Written No‐Suicide Agreements: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Davis Steven E. , Williams Ivan S. , Hays Larry W.
Published: December 2003

One hundred thirty‐five psychiatric inpatients admitted for suicidal danger were surveyed regarding their views on the benefits/limitations of written no‐suicide agreements. A survey instrument developed for this study revealed that these inpatients, for the most part, rated written no‐suicide agreements in a positive manner and in ways consistent with clinical opinion expressed in a number of qualitative/expert‐opinion articles. Positive views of no‐suicide agreements were not materially influenced by social desirability or age, nor were they moderated by gender, presence/absence of Axis II disorders, or admission suicidal danger. However, patient suicide attempt history (no attempts, one attempt, or more than one attempt) exerted a moderating effect on patients' ratings of the helpfulness of these contracts. Multiple attempters viewed written no‐suicide agreements as less helpful than those patients with a single or no prior attempts. The methodological problems and generalizability concerns associated with these results are discussed and future research needs are suggested.
Prevention of Youth Suicide: How Well Informed Are the Potential Gatekeepers of Adolescents in Distress?
Authors: Scouller Kylie M. , Smith David I.
Published: December 2003

Australia has one of the higher rates of suicide among young people. Although a role for doctors and teachers in the prevention of youth suicide has been suggested, no prior Australian study has assessed adequately the level of suicide knowledge held by these professionals. Knowledge about adolescent suicide was investigated using the Adolescent Suicide Behaviour Questionnaire, a 39‐item instrument developed for the purpose. The stratified random sample comprised 404 general practitioners and 481 teachers from 56 secondary schools. General practitioners and teachers scored, on average, 71% and 59% of the questionnaire items correct, respectively. There was wide individual variability: The number of items correct ranged from 4 to 38 for general practitioners and 0 to 34 for teachers. Strengths and deficits in knowledge across the two professions are discussed in terms of the potential gatekeeping role of these professionals in suicide prevention.
Mass Suicide: Historical and Psychodynamic Considerations
Authors: Mancinelli Iginia , Comparelli Anna , Girardi Paolo , Tatarelli Roberto
Published: December 2003

Mass suicide can be defined as the simultaneous suicide of all the members of a social group and is closely linked to the human dimension of existence, although the social and cultural context may vary. In fact, the term mass suicide can also be used to describe situations in which a particular population has reacted to oppression by denying all normal activities of sustenance, with the intention of bringing about a traumatic metamorphosis in a cultural context (colonization, exploitation by other populations), thus transforming a catastrophe in which a passive role is played into one constructed actively.

Therefore, mass suicides can be subdivided into two categories: (a) hetero‐induced, typical of defeated and colonized populations forced to escape from a reality that does not acknowledge their human dignity and (b) self‐induced, in which the motivation is related to a distorted evaluation of reality, without there being either an intolerable situation or a real risk of death. The mass suicides that have taken place in the last 20 years are all related to the establishment of religious sects; the mystic delirium created within the sect leads to the self‐destruction of the group as being interpreted as an act of self‐assertiveness.
United Kingdom Legislation on Pack Sizes of Analgesics: Background, Rationale, and Effects on Suicide and Deliberate Self‐Harm
Authors: Hawton Keith
Published: December 2003

Following increasing concern in the UK about the mortality and morbidity associated with self‐poisoning with analgesics, especially paracetamol (Tylenol, acetaminophen), legislation was introduced in 1998 to modify packs sold over‐the‐counter. The most important change was a reduction in the maximum size of packs. In this paper the background to the legislation, the rationale behind it, and its early impact are reviewed. The changes have had significant positive initial benefits on the mortality and morbidity associated with self‐poisoning with analgesics.
Can the Edinburgh Risk of Repetition Scale Predict Repetition of Deliberate Self‐poisoning in an Australian Clinical Setting?
Authors: Carter Gregory Leigh , Clover Kerrie Ann , Bryant Jennifer Lynn , Whyte Ian Macgregor
Published: December 2003

This study tested the ability of the Edinburgh Risk of Repetition Scale (ERRS) to identify patients at high risk for repeat deliberate self‐poisoning (DSP). Consecutive DSP patients (N = 1, 317) over a 3‐year period were followed‐up for 12 months. A statistically significant relationship between ERRS scores and repetition was observed; however, sensitivity and specificity were low. Logistic regression analysis revealed only “previous parasuicide” contributed significantly to repetition. The ERRS had limited value in identifying patients at high risk of repeat DSP in this clinical population.
Mental Health Professionals' Determinations of Adolescent Suicide Attempts
Authors: Wagner Barry M. , Wong Steven A. , Jobes David A.
Published: December 2003

The degree of ambiguity in the term suicide attempt was examined among 14 expert suicidologists, and 59 general mental health clinicians who either did or did not receive a standard definition of the term. The participants judged whether each of ten vignettes of actual adolescent self‐harm behaviors was a suicide attempt. Low levels of agreement were found within each group, although agreement was better for the most and least serious cases. Possible explanations were examined, including how professionals weight suicidal intent and medical lethality in their suicide attempt decisions, and the use of a “fuzzy,” natural language conceptualization of suicide attempts was proposed.
Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders as Risk Factors for Attempted Suicide Among Adolescents: A Case Control Study
Authors: Kelly Thomas M. , Cornelius Jack R. , Lynch Kevin G.
Published: December 2003

The objective of this research was to test substance‐related and non‐substance‐related psychiatric disorders as predictors of attempted suicide among adolescents. Ninety‐six psychiatrically disordered suicide attempters were matched one‐to‐one to 96 psychiatrically disordered non‐attempters on age, race, gender, and the presence/absence of major depression. Conditional logistic regression was used to test psychiatric risk factors for their power to predict attempted suicide among adolescents. Bipolar disorder, cocaine use disorders, and conduct disorder were found to be predictive of attempted suicide in univariate testing. Bipolar disorder, inhalant use disorders, cocaine use disorders, and hallucinogen use disorders were found to be predictive of attempted suicide, after adjusting for all other covariates. Loglinear analyses revealed high odds ratios associated with the comorbidities of alcohol use disorder with conduct disorder and drug use disorders with conduct disorder in both groups. Higher rates of cocaine use disorder/conduct disorder, hallucinogen use disorder/conduct disorder, and alcohol use disorder/conduct disorder were found among suicide attempters. Evaluation of these particular comorbid conditions should be part of the adolescent suicide risk assessment.
Association Between Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism and Family History of Attempted and Completed Suicide
Authors: Joiner Thomas E. , Johnson Frank , Soderstrom Ken
Published: December 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of the serotonin transporter gene to family history of suicidality. Forty‐seven volunteers responded to questionnaires about family history of suicide, and provided buccal swabs for analysis of the polymorphism. Allelic homozygocity (the short variant) was associated with family history of suicidality. These data, to be interpreted with the study's limitations in mind, suggest a link between the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism and suicide‐related variables, which should be the focus of future research.
Serum Cholesterol Levels and Suicide: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Lester David
Published: December 2003

A meta‐analysis was performed on studies exploring the link between low levels of serum cholesterol and increased risk of suicide. Follow‐up studies found that those with lower cholesterol levels do have a tiny but statistically significant increased risk of completing suicide. Individuals who have attempted suicide in the past have lower cholesterol levels, especially if they used violent methods for suicide. Cholesterol lowering studies, however, did not lead to a significant increase in completed suicide.
Alkaline Degradation of Dissolved Organic Matter
Authors: Brinkmann Thomas , Abbt‐Braun Gudrun , Frimmel Fritz H.
Published: December 2003

The degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) was studied in alkaline solution. The products were characterised using UV/vis spectroscopy, size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC), and by the analysis of low‐molecular‐weight organic acids (LMWOA). The degradation experiments were performed with water from a brown water lake or its isolated fulvic acid fraction and sodium hydroxide at different reaction times and temperatures. Depending on the wavelength and the reaction time, the UV/vis absorbance between 230 nm and 600 nm increased or decreased. The behaviour of model compounds during reactions in alkaline media was compared to the UV/vis spectroscopic behaviour of DOM. The release of LMWOA was described by kinetic data and compared to the data of model reactions. Evidence was given for the carboxylic esters playing a significant role in the release of LMWOA only during the beginning of the alkaline degradation. The results gained by SEC with on‐line UV and DOC detection showed that the average size of DOM was decreasing, and that a major part of the degradation products consisted of low‐molecular‐weight mono‐ and dicarboxylic acids.
Isochromosome 22 in trisomy 22 mosaic with five cell lines
Authors: Guzé Carol , Qin Naigeng , Kelly JoAnn , Yang Xiaojing , Bruni Roberta , Baker Debra , Hassan Rosetta
Published: December 2003

This report describes a full‐term male infant with trisomy 22 due to an isochromosome 22. Prenatal diagnosis with amniotic fluid showed two cell lines, one with an isochromosome 22 and the other with a deleted isochromosome 22. Subsequent cytogenetic analyses of cord blood, umbilical cord tissue, and placenta revealed additional cell lines. A normal cell line was found in umbilical cord tissue and two of three placental sites. The newborn had numerous dysmorphic features and died within 48 hrs of birth. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Infantile spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1)
Authors: Grohmann Katja , Varon Raymonda , Stolz Piroschka , Schuelke Markus , Janetzki Catrin , Bertini Enrico , Bushby Kate , Muntoni Francesco , Ouvrier Robert , Van Maldergem Lionel , Goemans Nathalie M. L. A. , Lochmüller Hanns , Eichholz Stephan , Adams Coleen , Bosch Friedrich , Grattan‐Smith Padraic , Navarro Carmen , Neitzel Heidemarie , Polster Tilman , Topaloğlu Haluk , Steglich Christina , Guenther Ulf P. , Zerres Klaus , Rudnik‐Schöneborn Sabine , Hübner Christoph
Published: December 2003

Autosomal recessive spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1) is the second anterior horn cell disease in infants in which the genetic defect has been defined. SMARD1 results from mutations in the gene encoding the immunoglobulin μ‐binding protein 2 (IGHMBP2) on chromosome 11q13. Our aim was to review the clinical features of 29 infants affected with SMARD1 and report on 26 novel IGHMBP2 mutations. Intrauterine growth retardation, weak cry, and foot deformities were the earliest symptoms of SMARD1. Most patients presented at the age of 1 to 6 months with respiratory distress due to diaphragmatic paralysis and progressive muscle weakness with predominantly distal lower limb muscle involvement. Sensory and autonomic nerves are also affected. Because of the poor prognosis, there is a demand for prenatal diagnosis, and clear diagnostic criteria for infantile SMARD1 are needed. The diagnosis of SMARD1 should be considered in infants with non‐5q spinal muscular atrophy, neuropathy, and muscle weakness and/or respiratory distress of unclear cause. Furthermore, consanguineous parents of a child with sudden infant death syndrome should be examined for IGHMBP2 mutations.
Febrile seizures impair memory and cAMP response‐element binding protein activation
Authors: Chang Ying‐Chao , Huang A‐Min , Kuo Yu‐Min , Wang Shan‐Tair , Chang Yung‐Yee , Huang Chao‐Ching
Published: December 2003

The long‐term effects of brief but repetitive febrile seizures (FS) on memory have not been as thoroughly investigated as the impact of single and prolonged seizure in the developing brain. Using a heated‐air FS paradigm, we subjected male rat pups to one, three, or nine episodes of brief FS on days 10 to 12 postpartum. Neither hippocampal neuronal damage nor apoptosis was noted within 72 hours after FS, nor was there significant hippocampal neuronal loss, aberrant mossy fiber sprouting, or altered seizure threshold to pentylenetetrazol in any FS group at adulthood. The adult rats subjected to nine episodes of early‐life FS, however, showed long‐term memory deficits as assessed by the Morris water maze. They also exhibited impaired intermediate and long‐term memory but spared short‐term memory in the inhibitory avoidance task. Three hours after inhibitory avoidance training, phosphorylation of cAMP response‐element binding (CREB) protein in the hippocampus was significantly lower in nine‐FS‐group rats than in controls. Furthermore, rolipram administration, which activated the cAMP–CREB signaling pathway by inhibiting phosphodiesterase type IV, reversed the long‐term memory deficits in nine‐FS‐group rats by enhancing hippocampal CREB phosphorylation. These results raise concerns about the long‐term cognitive consequences of even brief frequently repetitive FS during early brain development. Ann Neurol 2003;54:706–718
Differential scanning calorimetry investigation of formation of poly(ethylene glycol) hydrate with controlled freeze–thawing of aqueous protein solution
Authors: Hillgren Anna , Aldén Maggie
Published: December 2003

The formation of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrate during freeze–thawing of dilute lactate dehydrogenase solutions with the addition of 0.05–160 mg/mL PEG 6000 is investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetry. The freeze–thawing process is performed with a controlled temperature history. A moderate cooling rate to a low freezing temperature in combination with a low heating rate seems to create the most stable PEG hydrate. The maximum amount and the most stable hydrate phase are obtained when the freezing temperature is at or below −60°C. The enthalpy of melting for the hydrate at −15°C is dependent on the heating rate but not on the cooling rate if the freezing temperature is −60°C. The effect of the addition of reduced form nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to the PEG and protein solution indicates that competing interactions with the protein can increase the stability of the PEG hydrate. The amount of bound water in the PEG hydrate can be calculated directly from the melting enthalpy of the hydrate if an adequate temperature history is used. For solutions with >10 mg/mL PEG there are 1.7–2.7 water molecules bound per PEG unit. The PEG protection of the protein at freeze–thawing can be an effect of the amount of available PEG hydrate in relation to the amount of ice surface. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1626–1634, 2004
Eucalyptus tar pitch pretreatment for carbon material processing
Authors: Prauchner Marcos J. , Pasa Vânya M. D. , Otani Choyu , Otani Satika , de Menezes Sonia M. C.
Published: December 2003

Eucalyptus tar pitches are generated on a large scale in Brazil as byproducts of the charcoal manufacturing industry. They have a macromolecular structure consisting mainly of phenolic, guaiacylic, and siringylic units substituted and interlinked by aliphatic side chains rich in oxygenated polar groups (such as alcohol, ether, carbonyl, and carboxyl), similar to lignin. Under treatment around 250°C, the pitches undergo polymerization. C—O links are broken up, and, while side chains are released, the heavier fragments rich in aromatic rings react to form larger molecules. The presence of AlCl3 and CH2O makes polymerization at lower temperatures (150°C and 100°C, respectively) possible. AlCl3 acts as a Lewis acid, complexing to oxygen atoms and weakening C—O bonds. In turn, CH2O acts as a polymerizing agent, as in the preparation of resol phenolic resins. These pretreatments have made it possible to adjust the softening point in order to yield spinnable pitches susceptible to post spinning thermal stabilization, besides yielding pitches with improved thermal stability. These possibilities are important because they make Eucalyptus tar pitches potential carbon fiber precursors. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1604–1611, 2004
Preparation and characterization by radiation of hydrogels of PVA and PVP containing Aloe vera
Authors: Park Kyoung Ran , Nho Young Chang
Published: December 2003

In these studies, hydrogels for wound dressing were made from a mixture of Aloe vera, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) by freeze‐thaw, gamma‐ray irradiation, or a two‐step process of freeze‐thaw and gamma‐ray irradiation. Physical properties, such as gelation, water absorptivity, gel strength and degree of water evaporation were examined to evaluate the applicability of these hydrogels to wound dressing. The PVA:PVP ratio was 6:4, and the dry weight of Aloe vera was in the range of 0.4‐1.2 wt %. The solid concentration of PVA/PVP/Aloe vera solution was 15 wt %. Mixtures of PVA/PVP/Aloe vera were exposed to gamma irradiation doses of 25, 35 and 50 kGy to evaluate the effect of irradiation dose on the physical properties of the hydrogels. Gel content and gel strength increased as the concentration of Aloe vera in PVA/PVP/Aloe vera decreased and as irradiation dose increased and freeze‐thaw was repeated. Swelling degree was inversely proportional to gel content and gel strength. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1612–1618, 2004
Mechanical, surface, and thermal properties of polyamideimide–polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposites fabricated by sol–gel process
Authors: Park Young‐Wook , Lee Dong‐Sung , Kim Sang‐Hyun
Published: December 2003

Polyamideimide (PAI)–epoxysilane (coupling agent) composites were reacted with oligomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a condensation product of difunctional silane, by using the sol–gel process, and were then dried into films. After this procedure, the surface, mechanical, and thermal properties were measured. The study showed that PDMS existed in the PAI matrix by the use of FTIR. With respect to mechanical properties, the maximum elongation and toughness were increased in the PAI with silane groups, although the maximum tensile strength was slightly decreased. In this experiment, PAI–30 wt % epoxysilane composite had the best mechanical properties. The intensive dispersion of the silane groups on the surface of PAI was confirmed through XPS measurement. As a function of the siloxane contents, the TGA curve shows less thermal stability in terms of their initial weight loss. However, in an oxygen atmosphere at about 700°C, the series of PAI–siloxane composites indicated a significant increase in char concentration. In the end, PAI with a relevant amount of silane groups was improved in both toughness and surface properties. This experiment showed that PDMS added to PAI had better properties than those of classical materials. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1774–1783, 2004
Gel swelling properties of alginate fibers
Authors: Qin Yimin
Published: December 2003

This article described a study on the gel‐forming abilities of a number of different types of alginate fibers. The gelling abilities were assessed through the measurement on the release of calcium ions from the fibers and the absorption capacities in water and 0.9% saline solution. The effects of the chemical compositions of the alginate and the calcium and sodium contents of the fibers on the gelling abilities were studied. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1641–1645, 2004
Kinetics of microwave‐assisted polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone
Authors: Sivalingam G. , Agarwal Nitin , Madras Giridhar
Published: December 2003

The kinetics of polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone (CL) in bulk was studied by irradiating with microwave of 350 W and frequency of 2.45 GHz with different cycle‐heating periods (30–50 s). The molecular weight distributions were determined as a function of reaction time by gel permeation chromatography. Because the temperature of the system continuously varied with reaction time, a model based on continuous distribution kinetics with time/temperature‐dependent rate coefficients was proposed. To quantify the effect of microwave on polymerization, experiments were conducted under thermal heating. The polymerization was also investigated with thermal and microwave heating in the presence of zinc catalyst. The activation energies determined from temperature‐dependent rate coefficients for pure thermal heating, thermally aided catalytic polymerization, and microwave‐aided catalytic polymerization were 24.3, 13.4, and 5.7 kcal/mol, respectively. This indicates that microwaves increase the polymerization rate by lowering the activation energy. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1450–1456, 2004
Ultrasonic devulcanization of carbon black–filled ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber
Authors: Yun J. , Yashin V. V. , Isayev A. I.
Published: December 2003

The recycling of carbon black (CB)–filled ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber was carried out by using a newly built continuous ultrasonic grooved‐barrel reactor. Using this reactor, it was possible to increase by two times the output of devulcanized rubber in comparison with the coaxial reactor built earlier. The dynamic viscoelastic properties of virgin vulcanizates, devulcanized, and revulcanized EPDM rubbers were measured. The cure behavior of virgin and devulcanized rubbers was measured. The gel fraction and crosslink density of virgin vulcanizate and devulcanized EPDM rubbers, and the mechanical properties of virgin vulcanizates and revulcanized rubbers were determined. Similar to our previous findings using the coaxial reactor, the revulcanizates of unfilled EPDM rubbers of the present study showed higher mechanical properties than those of the virgin unfilled vulcanizates. However, a progressive decrease in the mechanical properties of CB‐filled EPDM revulcanizates with an increase of filler concentration, attributed to partial deactivation of filler, was observed. An improvement of mechanical properties of vulcanizates was achieved upon blending the devulcanized and virgin filled rubbers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1646–1656, 2004
Synthesis of hydroxyl‐terminated copolymer of styrene and 4‐vinylpyridine via nitroxide‐mediated living radical polymerization
Authors: Chen Zhijun , Wang Yuan , Feng Yan , Jiang Xiqun , Yang Changzheng , Wang Mu
Published: December 2003

The random copolymers of styrene (St) and 4‐vinylpyridine (4‐VP) with hydroxyl end group and low polydispersities were synthesized by nitroxide‐mediated living radical polymerization initiated by azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and 4‐hydroxyl‐2,2,6,6–tetramethylpiperidine‐oxyl (TEMPO‐OH). The experimental results have shown that all synthesized copolymers have narrow molecular weight distribution. The conversion of monomers and the molecular weight of copolymer increased with polymerization time. The copolymerization rate is affected by molar ratios of HTEMPO to AIBN. 1H‐Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra shows that one end of copolymers was capped by TEMPO‐OH moiety. The use of this method permits the copolymer with hydroxyl chain end and controllable molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1842–1847, 2004
Effect of a natural magnesium silicate treated with a new coupling agent on the properties of ethylene–propylene–diene rubber compounds
Authors: López Valentín J. , Rodríguez Díaz A. , Ibarra Rueda L. , González Hernández L.
Published: December 2003

The behavior of sepiolite (magnesium silicate with a microfibrillar morphology) as a filler in ethylene–propylene–diene compounds was studied. A new coupling agent, meta‐isopropenyl dimethyl benzyl isocyanate, was used. The effect of the filler modified by meta‐isopropenyl dimethyl benzyl isocyanate on the physical properties was improved with respect to other fillers and commercial silane coupling agents under the same conditions. In addition to a smoother surface, the flow behavior of compounds filled with sepiolite, on account of its fibrous morphology, was better than that obtained with other fillers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1489–1493, 2004
Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable low molecular weight aliphatic polyesters and their use in protein‐delivery systems
Authors: Zhou Shaobing , Deng Xianmo , Li Xiaohong , Jia Wenxiang , Liu Li
Published: December 2003

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(lactic‐co‐GA) (PLGA) with low molecular weights were synthesized by a one‐step polycondensation of lactic acid (LA) with glycolic acid (GA) molecules using stannous octoate as a catalyst at 160°C. A high yield (>80%) of all the polymers was obtained in the study. The PLA and PLGA copolymers were characterized by 1H‐NMR, GPC, and DSC measurements, etc. We elaborated HSA‐loaded microspheres based on PLA and PLGA copolymers with different monomer ratios (LA/GA = 85:15, 75:25, 65:35, and 50:50) by the solvent‐extraction method based on the formation of double w/o/w emulsion. Microspheres were characterized in terms of the morphology, size, and encapsulation efficiency (E.E.). The highest E.E. (69.3%) of HSA was obtained for HSA‐loaded PLGA (65/35) microspheres among all the formulations. In vitro matrix degradation and protein release of these microspheres were performed in phosphate‐buffer saline (PBS; 154 mM, pH 7.4). The degradation profiles were characterized by measuring the loss of the microsphere mass and the decrease of the polymer intrinsic viscosity. The release profiles were investigated from the measurement of the protein presented in the release medium at various intervals. It was shown that the matrix degradation and protein‐release profiles were highly LA/GA ratio‐dependent. It is suggested that these matrix polymers may be optimized as carriers in protein‐ and peptide‐delivery systems for different purposes. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1848–1856, 2004
Characterization of ramie yarn treated with sodium hydroxide and crosslinked by 1,2,3,4‐butanetetracarboxylic acid
Authors: Zhou L. M. , Yeung K. W. , Yuen C. W. M. , Zhou X.
Published: December 2003

Ramie yarns were treated with various concentrations of NaOH at room temperature and subsequently crosslinked with 1,2,3,4‐butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA). The microstructure and tensile properties of the treated yarns were characterized. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR were used to study the crystalline structure of the resultant ramie yarns. The results showed that the maximum change in the structure of the alkali‐modified ramie took place at 16% NaOH, which would completely transform cellulose I to cellulose II. At the same time, the crystallinity index and fiber orientation decreased to the minimum value while the absorption properties were enhanced. The average degree of polymerization (DP) of the treated ramie yarns slightly decreased after NaOH treatment. Tensile properties including tenacity, breaking elongation, and modulus of the treated yarns were also investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the breakage of the treated yarns. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1857–1864, 2004
Infrared spectroscopic studies of poly(methyl methacrylate) doped with a new sulfur‐containing ligand and its cobalt(II) complex during γ‐radiolysis
Authors: Sayyah S. M. , El‐Shafiey Z. A. , Barsoum B. N. , Khaliel A. B.
Published: December 2003

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy studies were performed for poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) samples doped with an organic ligand or its cobalt(II) complex after the extraction of the dopant during γ‐radiolysis. There were no drastic changes in the IR absorption band position, but noticeable changes in the intensities were found. The relative transmission of IR absorption bands, such as those at 750, 840, 1065, and 1388 cm−1, were measured according to the transmission of the carbonyl group band at 1717 cm−1. The degradation and recombination mechanism of different groups in the polymeric chain or backbone during radiolysis could be explained by the behavior of the relative transmission data for each group with increasing exposure dose. The tacticity of the PMMA samples was unchanged during radiolysis, and they were found to be syndiotactic. This was confirmed by the IR J values for different PMMA samples before and after irradiation. The protection efficiency of the organic ligand and its cobalt(II) complex was also investigated, and it was found that the organic ligand was more protective than the cobalt(II) complex for PMMA samples against γ‐rays. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1937–1950, 2004
Lignin–polypropylene composites. II. Plasma modification of kraft lignin and particulate polypropylene
Authors: Toriz G. , Ramos J. , Young R. A.
Published: December 2003

Indulin kraft lignin and polypropylene were subjected to plasma treatments in a rotating electrodeless plasma reactor at 13.56 MHz radio frequency, with the goal of improving the strength properties of the composites made from these materials. It was shown that efficient surface modification could be achieved by these plasma treatments, avoiding long reaction times and large volumes of reactants for modification by conventional wet chemistry. SiCl4‐plasma treatments of lignin at 100 and 200 W resulted in silicon implantation in the range of 4–10% that depended on the treatment time. However, the effect of power in the treatments was minimal, given that changes in silicon implantation were not observed for changes in this parameter. SiCl4‐plasma treatment of polypropylene at 80 W, 1 and 10 min, resulted in silicon implantation in the order of 10–15%, for the two different treatment times, showing that low power and short treatment times were sufficient to significantly alter the polypropylene surface. However at high power (250 W), the longer treatment time of polypropylene apparently led to formation of oligohalosilanes. Other plasma treatments in the rotating reactor such as plasma‐induced copolymerization of acryloyl chloride on both lignin and polypropylene, and plasma‐state polymerization of acryloyl chloride on polypropylene under pulsing conditions, resulted in thin film depositions. Evaluation of composites from these treated materials is described in the next contribution (Part III) from this series. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1920–1926, 2004
An improved fast encoding algorithm for vector quantization
Authors: Liu Li‐Juan , Shen Xu‐Bang , Zou Xue‐Cheng
Published: December 2003

In the current information age, people have to access various information. With the popularization of the Internet in all kinds of information fields and the development of communication technology, more and more information has to be processed in high speed. Data compression is one of the techniques in information data processing applications and spreading images. The objective of data compression is to reduce data rate for transmission and storage. Vector quantization (VQ) is a very powerful method for data compression. One of the key problems for the basic VQ method, i.e., full search algorithm, is that it is computationally intensive and is difficult for real time processing. Many fast encoding algorithms have been developed for this reason. In this paper, we present a reasonable half‐L2‐norm pyramid data structure and a new method of searching and processing codewords to significantly speed up the searching process especially for high dimensional vectors and codebook with large size; reduce the actual requirement for memory, which is preferred in hardware implementation system, e.g., SOC (system‐on‐chip); and produce the same encoded image quality as full search algorithm. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms some existing related fast encoding algorithms.
Metadata‐based modeling of information resources on the Web
Authors: Özel S. Ayse , Altingövde I. Sengör , Ulusoy Özgür , Özsoyoǧlu Gültekin , Özsoyoǧlu Z. Meral
Published: December 2003

This paper deals with the problem of modeling Web information resources using expert knowledge and personalized user information for improved Web searching capabilities. We propose a “Web information space” model, which is composed of Web‐based information resources (HTML/XML [Hypertext Markup Language/Extensible Markup Language] documents on the Web), expert advice repositories (domain‐expert‐specified metadata for information resources), and personalized information about users (captured as user profiles that indicate users' preferences about experts as well as users' knowledge about topics).

Expert advice, the heart of the Web information space model, is specified using topics and relationships among topics (called metalinks), along the lines of the recently proposed topic maps. Topics and metalinks constitute metadata that describe the contents of the underlying HTML/XML Web resources. The metadata specification process is semiautomated, and it exploits XML DTDs (Document Type Definition) to allow domain‐expert guided mapping of DTD elements to topics and metalinks. The expert advice is stored in an object‐relational database management system (DBMS).

To demonstrate the practicality and usability of the proposed Web information space model, we created a prototype expert advice repository of more than one million topics/metalinks for DBLP (Database and Logic Programming) Bibliography data set. We also present a query interface that provides sophisticated querying facilities for DBLP Bibliography resources using the expert advice repository.
Visible, less visible, and invisible work: Patterns of collaboration in 20th century chemistry
Authors: Cronin Blaise , Shaw Debora , Barre Kathryn La
Published: December 2003

We chronicle the use of acknowledgments in 20th century chemistry by analyzing and classifying over 2,000 specimens covering a 100‐year period. Our results show that acknowledgment has gradually established itself as a constitutive element of academic writing—one that provides a revealing insight into the structural nature of subauthorship collaboration in science. Complementary data on rates of coauthorship are also presented to highlight the growing importance of teamwork and the increasing division of labor in contemporary chemistry. The results of this study are compared with the findings of a parallel study of collaboration in both the social sciences and the humanities.
Does citation reflect social structure?: Longitudinal evidence from the “Globenet” interdisciplinary research group
Authors: White Howard D. , Wellman Barry , Nazer Nancy
Published: December 2003

Many authors have posited a social component in citation, the consensus being that the citers and citees often have interpersonal as well as intellectual ties. Evidence for this belief has been rather meager, however, in part because social networks researchers have lacked bibliometric data (e.g., pairwise citation counts from online databases), and citation analysts have lacked sociometric data (e.g., pairwise measures of acquaintanceship). In 1997 Nazer extensively measured personal relationships and communication behaviors in what we call “Globenet,” an international group of 16 researchers from seven disciplines that was established in 1993 to study human development. Since Globenet's membership is known, it was possible during 2002 to obtain citation records for all members in databases of the Institute for Scientific Information. This permitted examination of how members cited each other (intercited) in journal articles over the past three decades and in a 1999 book to which they all contributed. It was also possible to explore links between the intercitation data and the social and communication data. Using network‐analytic techniques, we look at the growth of intercitation over time, the extent to which it follows disciplinary or interdisciplinary lines, whether it covaries with degrees of acquaintanceship, whether it reflects Globenet's organizational structure, whether it is associated with particular in‐group communication patterns, and whether it is related to the cocitation of Globenet members. Results show cocitation to be a powerful predictor of intercitation in the journal articles, while being an editor or coauthor is an important predictor in the book. Intellectual ties based on shared content did better as predictors than content‐neutral social ties like friendship. However, interciters in Globenet communicated more than did noninterciters.
Malformations following methimazole exposure in utero: An open issue
Authors: Ferraris Silvio , Valenzise Mariella , Lerone Margherita , Divizia Maria Teresa , Rosaia Lucia , Blaid Dario , Nemelka Odette , Ferrero Giovanni Battista , Silengo Margherita
Published: December 2003

BACKGROUND

In hyperthyroidism‐complicated pregnancies, medical therapy is necessary to reach an euthyroid condition, and propylthiouracil (PTU) or methimazole (MMI) are used. These drugs are equally effective, but may cause fetal and neonatal hypothyroidism because they freely cross the placenta. Although PTU has not been significantly associated with embryo‐fetal anomalies, it has been suggested that MMI might be responsible for a specific embryopathy.

CASE(S)

Two cases of major congenital anomalies after MMI exposure during pregnancy are reported.

CONCLUSIONS

PTU should be the drug of choice, and the use of MMI should be restricted to cases with allergic reactions, intolerance, or poor response to PTU. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.