bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Importance of Systems in Improving Offender Outcomes: New Frontiers in Treatment Integrity
Authors: Taxman Faye S. , Bouffard Jeffrey A.
Published: May 2008

This paper uses a recent process evaluation of Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) block grant programs to illustrate the rationale for a systems approach to corrections-based treatment. First, the paper briefly discusses the history of treatment for the criminal justice offender and the origins of the “boundaryless” organization concept. Second, it presents results from a process evaluation of several jail-based drug treatment programs. These findings are then used to highlight the central components of “boundaryless” organizations and the respective policy and operational changes (e.g., assessment and treatment) needed to focus on improved offender outcomes, especially the client's completion of the treatment program. It provides a rationale for focusing on a systems approach as a means to use treatment as a crime prevention tool.
Police Accountability and Early Warning Systems: Developing Policies and Programs
Authors: Alpert Geoffrey P. , Walker Samuel
Published: May 2008

The identification of police officers who have potential problems has emerged as a popular approach for curbing police misconduct and achieving accountability. Early warning (EW) systems are data-driven programs whose purpose is to identify officers whose behavior is problematic and to subject those officers to some kind of intervention, often in the form of counseling or training. Because of their potential for providing timely data on officer performance and giving police managers a framework for correcting unacceptable performance, early warning systems are consistent with the new demands for performance evaluation raised by community policing and the effective strategic management of police departments. This article identifies essential components of EW systems and explains the characteristics, structure, and processes of a model program.
Does Race Influence Police Disciplinary Processes?
Authors: Hickman Matthew J. , Lawton Brian A. , Piquero Alex R. , Greene Jack R.
Published: May 2008

This article examines racial parity in the formal disciplinary system of the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD). Data drawn from a random sample of 499 Philadelphia police officers are linked to official data drawn from the PPD disciplinary database. Results suggest that about one third of the sample was charged with a disciplinary offense. When we examined the extent to which race influenced the various stages of the disciplinary process (charge, hearing, guilty), we failed to uncover a significant effect for race. This null effect was observed in both bivariate and multivariate settings. Implications for police practice and future research are addressed.
Using GIS to Analyze Complaints against Police: A Research Note
Authors: Lawton Brian A. , Piquero Alex R. , Hickman Matthew J. , Greene Jack R.
Published: May 2008

Police departments across the country have turned to geographic information systems (GIS) to identify crime patterns within their jurisdictions, design responses, and evaluate their performance. In addition, many agencies have adopted a geography-based, COMPSTAT-like process to hold police managers accountable for activity within their commands. However, a purely external and descriptive focus fails to take full advantage of all that a true GIS has to offer. This is particularly true when trying to understand complex police-citizen interactions. In this article, we demonstrate how police agencies can use GIS to shift some of their focus to more “internal” matters and take advantage of the inferential capabilities of the geography-based approach. We concentrate on citizen complaints against police in the city of Philadelphia over a two-and-a-half-year period (1998–2000). Data include the type of complaint, the location of the incident, the home address of the complainant, and a variety of census measures. Analytic tools used include ArcView GIS (Environmental Systems Research Institute, 1999) and CrimeStat (Levine, 1999). Future directions for police research and practice are discussed.
Law, Social Science, and Racial Profiling
Authors: Fagan Jeffrey
Published: May 2008

The term “racial profiling” describes race-based selection of citizens for interdiction by police and other legal actors. Several studies have examined whether police disproportionately stop minority citizens both in cars and on foot, and, once stopped, whether police are more likely to search or arrest them. Whether these contacts are racially motivated has been the focus of research, litigation, political mobilization, and internal scrutiny by police departments. This article reviews definitions of practices that are commonly described as racial profiling, contrasts these narrow views with the more complex legal standards that have evolved in case law, and assesses whether recent data collection efforts can generate reliable information about the extent and nature of racially disproportionate police contacts with citizens. Data analysis procedures are identified to respond to both legal and normative questions about whether racial disparities in police stops and searches rise to the level of “profiling” and cross the threshold of a violation of constitutional guarantees. The article concludes with a brief discussion of mechanisms for regulating and monitoring police-citizen contacts to address concerns of police and citizens on the racial dimensions of policing.
Too Many Missing Cases: Holes in Our Knowledge about Police Use of Force
Authors: Fyfe James J.
Published: May 2008

This paper argues that one of the primary responsibilities of a democracy is to report accurately on how often its own agents kill or injure its citizens. The United States fails this responsibility: there are available to citizens no systematic or meaningful national data describing the frequency and consequences of police use of force in this country. Instead there exist only some local data provided by unrepresentative police agencies or obtained by the media under court order, and some aggregate data and estimates that cannot be linked with specific agencies. The paper reviews existing data and offers suggestions that would provide both citizens and public officials with a clearer picture of the efforts of their police to minimize use of force.
Public Deliberation and Correctional Options in Maryland: The Results of a “Deliberative Focus Group” Process
Authors: Connelly Michael , Jones Greg , Kayani Lusungu , Wagner Kate
Published: May 2008

In a democracy, faced with unverifiable claims by individuals and groups to represent the “public interest,” public agencies, including those in criminal justice, must develop means to determine what the public, when well informed and aware of alternative viewpoints, would want the agencies to do. Polling and traditional focus groups are limited in their utility, and the agencies do not normally have resources to pursue more in-depth techniques. To build its knowledge base of public preferences for correctional options, Maryland's State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy (SCCSP) tested “Deliberative Focus Groups,” based on literature and practice in political theory. The cost-effective process delivered useful information and ideas for the SCCSP for future recommendations when alternative sanctions rise on the state's political agenda. The process also formed a model for other resource-challenged agencies in all policy areas to consider for their own future use.
Mandatory Minimum Firearm Penalties: A Source of Sentencing Disparity?
Authors: Farrell Jill
Published: May 2008

This paper capitalizes on information about firearm use available in a standard sentencing guideline worksheet to study who is ultimately convicted with a mandatory minimum firearm penalty in the state of Maryland. Findings show that the mandatory firearm penalty is applied in only 37% of all eligible cases, and it is associated with an additional 41 months of prison time. The penalty is not applied randomly, but appears to be part of an organized effort to punish more serious offenders convicted of more serious offenses. Race and gender are also significant predictors of being convicted under this penalty. It is possible that race and gender are only proxies for other unobserved characteristics, but this finding serves as an upper bound on the size of the gender and race effect in prosecutorial discretion, and demonstrates the potential for disparity in the charge bargaining stage of the sentencing process.
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, but What Role Does Gender Play in Probation Recidivism?
Authors: Olson David E. , Alderden Megan , Lurigio Arthur J.
Published: May 2008

Over the past decade, women have accounted for an increasing proportion of arrestees, probationers, and prison inmates. The growing number of women in the criminal justice system, and their unique characteristics and needs, has prompted a call for correctional programs to be more gender responsive and gender specific. Furthermore, gender has frequently been identified as a correlate of recidivism in correctional populations, yet due to relatively small sample sizes, conclusions and analytic methods have been somewhat limited. Using data collected from a sample of adult probationers discharged from supervision in Illinois, the current study examined the factors that predict recidivism for men and women, including variables such as demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, offense types, and sentence conditions. Results showed that a number of factors were associated with the recidivism of both male and female offenders, whereas others were associated with recidivism in one group or the other. The implications of these findings are that female probationer recidivism appears to be influenced by some different factors. Females may respond better to certain types of probation services, and they may also be overclassified in terms of risk.
Community Meetings as a Tool in Inmate Reentry
Authors: McGarrell Edmund F. , Banks Duren , Hipple Natalie
Published: May 2008

Like most U.S. urban areas, Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana, is experiencing increasing numbers of former inmates returning to the community. Concerned with the issue of inmate reentry, Indianapolis criminal justice officials, neighborhood leaders, and service providers decided to hold group meetings with individuals who had been released from prison within the last 60 days to convey a deterrence message coupled with social support. The meetings were patterned after an approach that had been successfully employed with gang members in Boston and Indianapolis. This article has two key goals. The first is to describe the problem-solving approach employed by Indianapolis officials, which involved analysis of inmate reentry and reoffending rates as a way of developing an intervention (community meetings). The second goal is to present evaluation findings on the impact of the meetings. Although there was some evidence of a longer period before rearrest for inmates attending the meetings, the multivariate analyses suggested that the meetings did not have a significant impact on the rate of reoffending. The results should be considered within the context of the relatively low dosage of a single meeting with a group of former inmates with extensive involvement in criminal activity. Although the meetings alone did not prove to have an impact on reoffending, they may prove to be a tool that could be used as part of a broader strategy that includes intervention prior to release from prison and follow-up after the meeting.
Applying a Crime Seriousness Scale to Measure Changes in the Severity of Offenses by Individuals Arrested in Florida
Authors: Burton Susan E. , Finn Matthew , Livingston Debra , Scully Kristen , Bales William D. , Padgett Kathy
Published: May 2008

Florida has experienced consistent and significant declines in total crime rates and violent crime rates since 1989; however, the perception among citizens, law enforcement, and the courts is that individuals are arrested today for committing more serious and violent crimes than in the past. Florida's Statistical Analysis Center analyzed Computerized Criminal History data on over eight million felony arrest events and almost three million arrestees from 1984 to 2002 to examine trends in offender seriousness to assess the legitimacy of these views. In addition to calculating individual arrest histories based on counts of arrest events, a seriousness scale was developed and applied to annual cohorts to capture a more accurate representation of the relative seriousness of individuals' police encounters over time. We found increases in the frequency of arrest events in individual careers but decreases in the seriousness and level of violence of arrestees' crimes, especially over the past decade. Additionally, Florida's change in punishment policy in 1994 from an indeterminate to a determinate, “get tough” approach was examined in relation to changes in arrestee seriousness. Recommendations are made for other states to replicate the methodologies and analysis reported here, and for further research to be conducted on the impact of changing punishment policies on the seriousness of individuals arrested.
Toward a Better Benchmark: Assessing the Utility of Not-at-Fault Traffic Crash Data in Racial Profiling Research
Authors: Alpert Geoffrey P. , Smith Michael R. , Dunham Roger G.
Published: May 2008

As studies on racial profiling and biased policing have begun to proliferate, researchers are debating which benchmark is most appropriate for comparison with police traffic stop data. Existing benchmark populations, which include populations estimated from census figures, licensed drivers, arrestees, reported crime suspects, and observed drivers and traffic violators, all have significant limitations. This article offers a new, alternative benchmark for police traffic stops, a benchmark that has not been previously applied or tested in a racial profiling research setting. The analysis presented compares traffic observation data, gathered at selected, high volume intersections during an ongoing racial profiling study in Miami-Dade County, Florida, to not-at-fault driver demographic data from two-vehicle crashes at those same intersections. Findings indicate that non-responsible drivers in two-vehicle crashes appear to represent a reasonably accurate estimate of the racial composition of drivers on the roadways at selected intersections and within areas of varying racial composition. The implications of this finding for racial profiling research are discussed, and suggested areas for future inquiry are identified.
A Measurement Model Approach to Estimating Community Policing Implementation
Authors: Wilson Jeremy M.
Published: May 2008

Considerable resources in the form of public expenditures, effort, and scholarship are focused on community policing, yet little attention has been given to the measurement of its implementation. This study explores the utility of measurement models to improve the estimation of community policing implementation utilizing the 1997 (n = 462) and 1999 (n = 497) waves of the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics survey of large, municipal police organizations (i.e., 100 or more full-time equivalent sworn officers). Overall, the evidence suggests a second-order model is consistent with the data and is invariant across waves. Use of such models, which have many desirable properties, could assist in measuring community policing and how its implementation changes over time, comparing implementation across specific police organizations at one or multiple points in time, and delineating the role community policing has as both an exogenous (e.g., its impact on effectiveness) and endogenous (e.g., which factors influence implementation) phenomenon.
Felons in Possession: Examining the Impact of a Public Service Advertising Campaign and Sentence Enhancements
Authors: Holsinger Alexander M. , Novak Kenneth J.
Published: May 2008

This paper examines the penetration impact of a multifaceted, deterrence-oriented public service advertisement campaign conducted in Kansas City. The campaign was designed to inform people with felonies about mandatory minimum sentencing related to being caught in possession of firearms. People under correctional supervision in the community completed self-report surveys regarding their awareness of federal sentence enhancements, their beliefs about future behaviors, and the impact such enhancements may have on future offending. Results from the survey of felons in the community indicate a high level of awareness of this campaign, and that the sentence enhancements significantly impacted their perceptions of criminal sanctioning.
Measuring Judicial and Prosecutorial Discretion: Sex and Race Disparities in Departures from the Federal Sentencing Guidelines
Authors: Farrell Amy
Published: May 2008

The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 sought to abolish disparities in criminal sentences by mandating the development of sentencing guidelines that based criminal sentences on the severity of a defendant's criminal conduct and past criminal record. Though the Federal Sentencing Guidelines were designed to reduce disparities in sentencing, research on the application of the Guidelines has consistently shown that women receive more lenient sentences than men. This paper presents data on downward departure decisions for federal sentences in 1996–1997 and suggests that the decisions by both judges and prosecutors to grant departures from the Guidelines result in continued gender disparities in the application of federal sentences. While gender disparities in granting departures are the primary emphasis of the analysis, the paper identifies important interactive effects of race and gender in departure decisions. These findings are discussed in light of recent legislative and judicial efforts to reduce discretion in granting departures from the Guidelines.
Quality of Operations at Private and Public Prisons: Using Trends in Inmate Misconduct to Compare Prisons
Authors: Camp Scott D. , Daggett Dawn M.
Published: May 2008

A model-based approach was used to develop performance measures from inmate misconduct data to compare public and private prisons. The performance measures indicated the impact of different prisons upon raising or lowering the probability of inmate misconduct. Data for all misconduct and for two categories of misconduct, violent and drug, were generated for the 36-month period between January 1999 and December 2001 for all prisons within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and one low-security private prison under contract to BOP. The private prison performed within the lower range of performance for low-security prisons within BOP.
Sentencing Decisions in Three U.S. District Courts: Testing the Assumption of Uniformity in the Federal Sentencing Process
Authors: Spohn Cassia
Published: May 2008

Studies of the federal sentencing process typically focus on sentencing decisions at the national level. These studies assume, either explicitly or implicitly, that there is little interdistrict variation in case processing policies and procedures and that findings regarding sentence outcomes at the national level therefore reflect the reality of decisionmaking in each of the U.S. District Courts. This study uses data on offenders sentenced in three U.S. District Courts to test the assumption of national uniformity in the federal sentencing process. The results of the analysis revealed that the odds of incarceration did not vary among the three districts and that sentence length did not vary at all between Nebraska and Minnesota, but varied by eight months between Nebraska and Southern Iowa and between Minnesota and Southern Iowa. There were, on the other hand, significant interdistrict differences in sentence discounts for downward departures and departures for substantial assistance. Further analysis revealed that most of the interjurisdictional differences in prison sentences were generated by cases in which offenders received substantial assistance departures.
Matching Drug Treatment to Those in Need: An Analysis of Correctional Service Delivery in Illinois and Ohio
Authors: Winterfield Laura , Castro Jennifer
Published: May 2008

An ever-increasing number of prisoners need substance abuse treatment, yet state and federal governments continue to cut funding for prison programs. Given this increased need coupled with reduced service availability, two crucial questions arise: (1) Are limited drug treatment resources being targeted to those with the greatest need? and, (2) Is the most being made of these scarce resources by providing continuity of care? Through an analysis of pre- and post-release data collected from 576 prisoners in Illinois and Ohio, this study examines the degree to which prisoners with self-reported drug problems receive in-prison substance abuse treatment services, and then receive post-release treatment. The study also identifies several individual-level predictors of successful treatment matching and continuity. Although the study finds some evidence of treatment matching, its extent is far less than desirable, and there is minimal continuity of treatment from prison to the community. Collectively, the results suggest that differences in offender motivation and readiness for treatment as well as deficiencies in correctional service delivery play a major role in the success of treatment matching. Suggestions are offered for improvements in correctional policy and practice and for future research on these topics.
Developing and Implementing Automated Risk Assessments in Parole
Authors: Meredith Tammy , Speir John C. , Johnson Sharon
Published: May 2008

This article describes the efforts undertaken during the past five years for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to develop a method for assessing parolee risk to inform the supervision level assignments of Georgia's 23,000 active parolees. The project resulted in an actuarial risk assessment method based on the analysis of over 6,000 parolees. Historically, officers conducted pencil-and-paper assessments on all new parolees entering supervision and reassessments every six months thereafter. The new instruments are automated—offender risk is derived through the execution of computerized programs that access both prison and parole data systems. Parolee risk scores are updated daily, incorporating the dynamics of daily correctional supervision progress or failure, and are provided to parole officers through web-based reports and e-mail.
Gun Availability and Crime in West Virginia: An Examination of NIBRS Data
Authors: Haas Stephen M. , Jarvis John P. , Jefferis Eric , Turley Erica
Published: May 2008

The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data afford unique opportunities to inform crime analytic efforts. Recently reported relationships between the availability of firearms and violent crime constitute one such effort. While available criminological literature concerning the relationships between guns and crime are methodologically varied and equivocal, few studies have examined the issue of the prevalence of illegal versus legal guns and their impacts on reported violent crime. Inspired by an earlier effort to examine this question (Stolzenberg & D'Alessio, 2000), this study attempts to replicate these findings through county-level analyses of West Virginia National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data. Moreover, additional proxy indicators are used to identify significant clusters of illegal guns and examine the relationship between illegal guns and violent crime. Particular attention is paid to the spatial distribution of the variables and the potentially confounding effect of spatial correlation of crime rates across contiguous counties. The results indicate that counties with high concentrations of both legal and illegal guns are associated with violent crime, gun crime, and knife crime. These findings partially substantiate results from previous studies.
Enhanced Hole‐Transporting Behavior of Discotic Liquid‐Crystalline Physical Gels
Authors: Hirai Yuki , Monobe Hirosato , Mizoshita Norihiro , Moriyama Masaya , Hanabusa Kenji , Shimizu Yo , Kato Takashi
Published: May 2008

Discotic liquid‐crystalline (LC) physical gels have been prepared by combining the self‐assembled fibers of a low‐molecular‐weight gelator and semiconducting LC triphenylene derivatives. The hole mobilities of the discotic LC physical gels measured by a time‐of‐flight method become higher than those of LC triphenylenes alone. The introduction of the finely dispersed networks of the gelator in the hexagonal columnar phases may affect the molecular dynamics of the liquid crystals, resulting in the enhancement of hole transporting behavior in the LC gel state.
Toughening of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate)/glass fiber blends with ethylene–butyl acrylate–glycidyl methacrylate copolymer and maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene–octene rubber
Authors: Cheng Hongyuan , Tian Ming , Zhang Liqun
Published: May 2008

The aim of this study was to improve the toughness of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/glass fiber (GF) blends through the addition of ethylene–butyl acrylate–glycidyl methacrylate copolymer (EBAGMA) and maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene–octene (POE‐g‐MAH) individually. The morphology and mechanical properties of the ternary blend were also examined in this study. EBAGMA was more effective in toughening recycled PET/GF blends than POE‐g‐MAH; this resulted from its better compatibility with PET and stronger fiber/matrix bonding, as indicated by scanning electron microscopy images. The PET/GF/EBAGMA ternary blend had improved impact strength and well‐balanced mechanical properties at a loading of 8 wt % EBAGMA. The addition of POE‐g‐MAH weakened the fiber/matrix bonding due to more POE‐g‐MAH coated on the GF, which led to weakened impact strength, tensile strength, and flexural modulus. According to dynamic rheometer testing, the use of both EBAGMA and POE‐g‐MAH remarkably increased the melt storage modulus and dynamic viscosity. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed that the addition of EBAGMA lowered the crystallization rate of the PET/GF blend, whereas POE‐g‐MAH increased it. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Description of the model transesterification reaction within the framework of a strange diffusion concept
Authors: Naphadzokova L. K. , Kozlov G. V. , Zaikov G. E.
Published: May 2008

There is a principal difference between the descriptions of general reagent diffusion and diffusion defining the course of a chemical reaction. The latter process is described within the framework of a strange (anomalous) diffusion concept and is controlled by the active (fractal) reaction duration. The exponent α, which defines the active duration in comparison with the real time, is dependent on the reagent structure. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Singlet oxygen generation and adhesive loss in stimuli‐responsive, fullerene‐polymer blends, containing polystyrene‐block‐polybutadiene‐block‐polystyrene and polystyrene‐block‐polyisoprene‐block‐polystyrene rubber‐based adhesives
Authors: Phillips J. Paige , Deng Xiao , Todd Meredith L. , Heaps David T. , Stevenson Steven , Zhou Hui , Hoyle Charles E.
Published: May 2008

The adhesive properties, as measured by bulk tack and peel strength analysis, were found to decrease in polystyrene‐block‐polybutadiene‐block‐polystyrene (SBS) and polystyrene‐block‐polyisoprene‐block‐polystyrene (SIS) PSA films containing common singlet oxygen generators, acridine, rose bengal, and C60 fullerene, when irradiated with a tungsten halogen light in air. The addition of the singlet oxygen quencher, β‐carotene, to the C60 fullerene samples was found to significantly deter the rate of adhesive loss in the fullerene‐SBS and ‐SIS PSA nanocomposites. The presence of oxygen was essential to the mechanism of adhesive loss and, in combination with the effects of singlet oxygen generators and a singlet oxygen scavenger, strongly supports a singlet‐oxygen mediated process. FTIR investigations of fullerene‐SBS and ‐SIS systems suggest the initial formation of peroxides which, upon further irradiation, lead to the generation of carbonyl‐containing compounds of a ketonic type after crosslinking. Rates of SBS and SIS C‐H abstraction were comparable and found to decrease when the high‐pressure, mercury xenon irradiation source was filtered to allow only light of λ > 390 nm. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Fabrication of DBSA‐doped polyaniline nanorods by interfacial polymerization
Authors: Ding Shihai , Mao Hui , Zhang Wanjin
Published: May 2008

An interfacial polymerization was used to fabricate dodecybenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA)‐doped polyaniline (DBSA‐PANI) nanorods with diameter range from 40 nm to 1 μm. The molar ratio of aniline to ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS), the concentrations of DBSA and reaction temperature had an effect on the morphology and size of products. It was found that lower concentration of DBSA and lower temperature will be helpful to the formation of rod‐like PANI nanostructures with a relative small diameter. UV–vis and FTIR measurements were used to characterize the chemical structure of the obtained samples. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Liquid crystalline epoxy resin modified cyanate ester/epoxy resin systems
Authors: Yu Yingfeng , Gan Wenjun , Liu Xiaoyun , Li Shanjun
Published: May 2008

Liquid crystalline epoxy resin (LCE) modify cyanate ester/epoxy resin blend systems were studied by scanning electron microscope, polarizing optical microscope, thermogravimetric analyzer, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal mechanical analysis, and rheometers. With the addition of LCE resin, the blends showed both an enhanced curing rate and increased glass transition temperature of cured samples. The phase structures of the blends changed from homogenous to liquid crystalline phase when the content of LCE was increased. At the same time, the mechanical properties were also improved and thermal expansion coefficients were lowed down. The thermal degradation temperatures showed little differences, while the residue char yields were slightly increased with the addition of LCE. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Water and salt permeability of reinforcement polymer‐gel composite membrane
Authors: EL Sayed A. Mounir , Yamauchi A. , Darwish N. A. , Abd EL‐Mageed A. A. , Halim S. F.
Published: May 2008

The charged mosaic polymer membrane (CMM) without reinforcement and the composite charged mosaic polymer membrane (CCMM) with reinforcement were investigated in terms of salt and water transport (permeability). The composite charged mosaic polymer membrane (CCMM) with reinforcement showed a unique transport behavior such as preferential material transport Lp and ω. Water permeability coefficient, Lp and salt permeability coefficient, ω were estimated by taking account of active layer thickness of composite polymer gel. The Lp and ω values of CCMM with reinforcement were larger than those of CMM without reinforcement. On the other hand, the reflection coefficient of CCMM, σ, showed negative value, which suggested preferential material transport to solvent transport. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Water vapor permeability of the polyurethane/TiO2 nanohybrid membrane with temperature sensitivity
Authors: Zhou Hu , Chen Yi , Fan Haojun , Shi Huanhuan , Luo Zhaoyang , Shi Bi
Published: May 2008

A novel thermal‐sensitive polyurethane (TSPU)/TiO2 nanohybrid membrane was successfully prepared via in situ process and used for controllable water vapor permeation. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were employed to reveal the nanohybrid mechanism between TSPU and TiO2 and the thermal sensitive characteristics of TSPU/TiO2 nanohybrid membranes. FTIR analysis demonstrates that the highly active nano‐TiO2 particles produced by the hydrolysis of the nanoprecursor (tetrabutyl titanate) have reacted with the active groups of TSPU. And some new peaks assigned to the TiOC, TiC, and TiOTi bonds occur in the FTIR spectra of TSPU/TiO2 nanohybrid membrane; these chemical bonds are believed to contribute to the higher mechanical properties of nanohybrid samples. DSC study indicates that nanohybridization does not disrupt the intrinsic phase‐separated structures and thermal‐sensitive characteristics of pure TSPU, the difference in behavior is the phase transition temperature (defined as switch temperature, Ts) of the reversible phase shifting from 50.1 to 53.4°C. SEM analysis shows that the nano‐TiO2 particles are evenly distributed in TSPU and the size of the nano‐TiO2 is lower than 100 nm. In addition, the water vapor permeability (WVP) of nanohybrid membrane is found to depend on the TiO2 content. To be specified, when TiO2 content is lower than 5.0 wt %, the nanohybrid samples show lower WVP at low temperatures and higher WVP at high temperatures than pure TSPU. Especially, when the temperature exceeds the Ts, for example from 50 to 60°C, the WVP of pure TSPU show improvement by 114%, whereas the WVP of the nanohybrid TSPU with 5.0 wt % TiO2 content shows improvement by 145%, the latter shows more sensitivity to thermal stimuli. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Vibration Causes Acute Vascular Injury in a Two‐Step Process: Vasoconstriction and Vacuole Disruption
Authors: Govindaraju Sandya R. , Bain James LW. , Eddinger Thomas J. , Riley Danny A.
Published: May 2008

Hand–arm vibration syndrome is a vasospastic and neurodegenerative occupational disease. In the current study, the mechanism of vibration‐induced vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) injury was examined in a rat‐tail vibration model. Tails of male Sprague Dawley rats were vibrated continuously for 4 hr at 60 Hz, 49 m/s2 with or without general anesthesia. Ventral tail arteries were aldehyde fixed and embedded in epoxy resin to enable morphological analysis. Vibration without anesthesia caused vasoconstriction and vacuoles in the SMC. Anesthetizing rats during vibration prevented vasoconstriction and vacuole formation. Exposing tail arteries in situ to 1 mM norepinephrine (NE) for 15 min induced the greatest vasoconstriction and vacuolation. NE induced vacuoles were twice as large as those formed during vibration. When vibrated 4 hr under anesthesia after pretreatment with NE for 15 min, the SMC lacked vacuoles and exhibited a longitudinal banding pattern of dark and light staining. The extracellular matrix was filled with particulates, which were confirmed by electron microscopy to be cellular debris. The present findings demonstrate that vibration‐induced vasoconstriction (SMC contraction) requires functioning central nervous system reflexes, and the physical stress of vibration damages the contracted SMC by dislodging and fragmenting SMC vacuoles. Anat Rec, 291:999–1006, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Variability and Conservation in Late Chondrichthyan Development: Ontogeny of the Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata)
Authors: Maxwell Erin E. , Fröbisch Nadia B. , Heppleston Audrey C.
Published: May 2008

The ontogeny of the northwestern Atlantic batoid, Leucoraja ocellata, is described with special focus on the development of skate specific morphologies and the development of the fins. The results show that the sequence of events involving the early outgrowth of the paired fins and the initial development of the pharyngeal region is remarkably constant in skates, holocephalians, and sharks. However, differences exist in timing of the reshaping of the mandibular arch region, development of branchial filaments, median fins, denticles, and the order of branchial cleft formation. Despite the similarities of early events related to development of the branchial region and initial outgrowth of the fins, later stages are increasingly characterized by taxon‐specific morphologies making a universal staging table for chondrichthyans less applicable. The staging table presented in this study represents an important resource for future studies on batoid embryology. Anat Rec, 291:1079–1087, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
In‐Vitro Anti‐HIV and Antitumor Activity of New 3,6‐Disubstituted [1,2,4]Triazolo[3,4‐b][1,3,4]thiadiazoles and Thiadiazine Analogues
Authors: Al‐Soud Yaseen A. , Al‐Masoudi Najim A. , Loddo Robert , La Colla Paola
Published: May 2008

A series of [1,2,4]triazolo[3,4‐b][1,3,4]thiadiazoles (7–15) and the thiadiazine analogues 16–18 have been synthesized under microwave irradiation (MWI). All synthesized compounds are evaluated for their antiviral activity against the replication of HIV‐1 and HIV‐2 activity in MT‐4. However, compounds 12 and 18 showed EC50 = 2.11 and 1.97 μg/mL. The results suggest that these compounds can be considered as a new lead in the development of antiviral agents. Compounds 4–18 were tested in vitro against a panel of tumor cell lines. All compounds are inactive against all the tumor sub‐lines, except 10 which exhibited activity against CD4+ human acute T‐lymphoblastic leukaemia of CC50 = 64 μM.
The Development of HKI‐272 and Related Compounds for the Treatment of Cancer
Authors: Wissner Allan , Mansour Tarek S.
Published: May 2008

The development of HKI‐272 and EKB‐569 for the treatment of cancer is described. These compounds function as irreversible inhibitors of some members of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases. In particular, they target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, also known as ErbB‐1) and human epidermal growth factor receptor‐2 (HER2, also known as ErbB‐2). Both, HKI‐272 and EKB‐569 are 4‐anilino‐3‐cyano quinoline derivatives that contain a 4‐(dimethylamino)crotonamide Michael‐acceptor group at the 6‐position. These compounds inhibit the function of the target enzymes by forming a covalent interaction with a conserved cysteine residue located in the kinase domains of these proteins. The potential advantages of using irreversible inhibitors for this purpose are discussed. We summarize the recent findings concerning some somatic mutations in EGFR and their relevance with respect to the irreversible inhibitors. In particular, we highlight the findings that these irreversible inhibitors retain activity against tumors that have acquired a resistance to the reversible binding inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib. The promising interim clinical trial results for HKI‐272 and EKB‐569 in treating colon, lung, and breast cancers are summarized.
A new paradigm for teaching Histology laboratories in Canada's first distributed medical school
Authors: Pinder Karen E. , Ford Jason C. , Ovalle William K.
Published: May 2008

To address the critical problem of inadequate physician supply in rural British Columbia, The University of British Columbia (UBC) launched an innovative, expanded and distributed medical program in 2004–2005. Medical students engage in a common curriculum at three geographically distinct sites across B.C.: in Vancouver, Prince George and Victoria. The distribution of the core Histology course required a thorough revision of our instructional methodology. We here report our progress and address the question “How does one successfully distribute Histology teaching to remote sites while maintaining the highest of educational standards?” The experience at UBC points to three specific challenges in developing a distributed Histology curriculum: (i) ensuring equitable student access to high quality histological images, (ii) designing and implementing a reliable, state‐of‐the‐art technological infrastructure that allows for real‐time teaching and interactivity across geographically separate sites and (iii) ensuring continued student access to faculty content expertise. High quality images—available through any internet connection—are provided within a new virtual slide box library of 300 light microscopic and 190 electron microscopic images. Our technological needs are met through a robust and reliable videoconference system that allows for live, simultaneous communication of audio/visual materials across the three sites. This system also ensures student access to faculty content expertise during all didactic teaching sessions. Student examination results and surveys demonstrate that the distribution of our Histology curriculum has been successful. Anat Sci Ed 1:95–101, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.
Perceptions of anatomy education—A student's view
Authors: Joslin Sarah
Published: May 2008

Changes in anatomy education over the last two decades have, in large part, led to less emphasis on gross anatomy in the medical curriculum. This has led many to question whether streamlined anatomy courses truly provide adequate preparation for medical practice. Rather than wondering about the effects of these changes, we should be actively seeking answers and promoting understanding between professors, clinicians, and students about what anatomy education is and what it should be. Anat Sci Ed 1:133–134, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.
An explorative learning approach to teaching clinical anatomy using student generated content
Authors: Philip Christo T. , Unruh Kenneth P. , Lachman Nirusha , Pawlina Wojciech
Published: May 2008

Translating basic sciences into a clinical framework has been approached through the implementation of various teaching techniques aimed at using a patient case scenario to facilitate learning. These techniques present students with a specific patient case and lead the students to discuss physiological processes through analysis of provided data supported by independent learning and research. However, no literature exists that describes a reverse teaching methodology in which students are given disease diagnosis and then asked to construct a patient case. This article discusses an explorative learning approach introduced in the gross anatomy course in which students were asked to use clinical skills and reasoning to create a patient case. The online knowledge‐sharing portal utilizing MediaWiki provided a necessary base for students in completing their task. Teams were given 4 weeks to complete their written online project with weekly feedback provided by 3rd year teaching assistants using the Wiki discussion page. A survey was performed to assess competence regarding a patient write up and oral presentation. Skills that the teams acquired through the completion of this project will benefit future patient interactions. This project also emphasized and reinforced the importance of effective communication, leadership, and teamwork. This study shows that a clinical anatomy project that incorporates explorative learning can be an effective way of introducing students to the skills needed for patient write ups and oral presentations. Furthermore this approach to learning allows students to excel during their clinical years and to correlate anatomy to clinical diagnoses. Anat Sci Ed 1:106–110, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.
The anatomy of self‐defense
Authors: Sparks Stein Pamela , Richardson April D. , Challman Sandra D.
Published: May 2008

The following study describes a creative application of anatomical principles in the instruction of self‐defense. Undergraduates at the University of Kentucky were invited to a special lecture that featured a series of self‐defense moves introduced by a local police officer. Following a demonstration of each self‐defense tactic, the students were briefed on the anatomy of both the victim and the assailant that contributed to the overall effectiveness of each move. This approach was unique in that students learned critical knowledge of self‐defense while reinforcing anatomical principles previously introduced in class. Moreover, this integration of topics prompted students to think about their response to potentially dangerous situations on campus. Anat Sci Ed 1:130–132, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.
Functional anatomy of the cardiovascular system: Professional development for PreK‐3 teachers using a “Train and equip” method results in learning opportunities for students
Authors: Burns E. Robert
Published: May 2008

Preadolescent students are interested in learning the structure and function of the human body. However, their teachers are not trained in this content. The purpose of this project was to expand a successful outreach effort in the health sciences for grade 7–12 teachers to include PreK‐3 teachers. A “Healthy Hearts” workshop was offered to train the teachers in relevant content and also to give them a resource kit of supplies and equipment to facilitate the transference of the training into educational opportunities for their students. The workshop included many role‐playing activities and use of all items in the resource kit. A total of 25 workshops were conducted in 14 different community locations with 716 PreK‐3 teachers attending from 169 communities representing 59 (79%) of the state's 75 counties. African American (AA) teacher participation was 35%, twice the state AA population rate and 3.5× the AA public school teacher rate. Pre to Posttest scores increased an average of 15%. The results of the evaluation measures regarding the workshop and the transference of the training and use of resource kit items into learning opportunities for students were excellent. Universities have the capability, perhaps the responsibility, to provide the much‐needed professional development training to PreK‐12 teachers. Anatomists in medical and nonmedical school settings are well positioned to participate in this process and help close the gap between the interest young children have in learning about the human body and the lack of teacher training in this content. Anat Sci Ed 1:119–125, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.
Quantitative analysis of indexed publications on seventeen model organisms in nine countries, from 1974 to 2006
Authors: Winter Carlos E.
Published: May 2008

Developed countries have an even distribution of published papers on the seventeen model organisms. Developing countries have biased preferences for a few model organisms which are associated with endemic human diseases. A variant of the Hirsch‐index, that we call the mean moh‐index (“model organism h‐index”), shows an exponential relationship with the amount of papers published in each country on the selected model organisms. Developing countries cluster together with low mean moh‐indexes, even those with high number of publications. The growth curves of publications on the recent model Caenorhabditis elegans in developed countries shows different formats. We also analyzed the growth curves of indexed publications originating from developing countries. Brazil and South Korea were selected for this comparison. The most prevalent model organisms in those countries show different growth curves when compared to a global analysis, reflecting the size and composition of their research communities.