bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Artificial Social Intelligence
Authors: Bainbridge William Sims , Brent Edward E. , Carley Kathleen M. , Heise David R. , Macy Michael W. , Markovsky Barry , Skvoretz John
Published: July 2003

Sociologists have begun to explore the gains for theory and research that might be achieved by artificial intelligence technology: symbolic processors, expert systems, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and classifier systems. The first major accomplishments of artificial social intelligence (ASI) have been in the realm of theory, where these techniques have inspired new theories as well as helping to render existing theories more rigorous. Two application areas for which ASI holds great promise are the sociological analysis of written texts and data retrieval from the forthcoming Global Information Infrastructure. ASI has already been applied to some kinds of statistical analysis, but how competitive it will be with more conventional techniques remains unclear. To take advantage of the opportunities offered by ASI, sociologists will have to become more computer literate and will have to reconsider the place of programming and computer science in the sociological curriculum. ASI may be a revolutionary approach with the potential to rescue sociology from the doldrums into which some observers believe it has fallen.
Scientific Careers: Universalism and Particularism
Authors: Long J. Scott , Fox Mary Frank
Published: July 2003

Science is an institution with immense inequality in career attainments. Women and most minorities, as groups, have lower levels of participation, position, productivity, and recognition than do white men. Research in the sociology of science has focused on the degree to which different outcomes have resulted from universalistic and from particularistic processes. In this paper we 1) depict the career attainments of women and minorities in science, 2) consider the meaning and measurement of universalism compared to particularism, 3) analyze the causes of differential attainment with a view to assessing evidence for violations of universalism, 4) propose conditions under which particularism is likely to occur, and 5) consider methodological problems that affect this research.
Social Structure and the Phenomenology of Attainment
Authors: Breiger Ronald L.
Published: July 2003

Reviews of recent research on the transmission of socioeconomic advantage have decried the increasing “narrowness” of the field. This chapter focuses on an alternative proposition, namely, that there is now a large enough body of work seeking fundamentally to reorient the field of social attainment studies that it is useful to identify commonalities as well as distinctive features. Conceptualization and operationalization of “social structure” in recent stratification research is the point of departure. Special attention is given to contemporary efforts to formulate a new phenomenology of attainment. In light of the many connections that are illuminated when these diverse strands are brought together, it is worthwhile to review them within the same scope and to discuss the prospect that they will form into a single specialty area within sociology.
Class Voting in Capitalist Democracies Since World War II: Dealignment, Realignment, or Trendless Fluctuation?
Authors: Manza Jeff , Hout Michael , Brooks Clem
Published: July 2003

Over the last two decades, many social scientists have argued that the stable class politics of industrial capitalism is giving way to newer types of social and attitudinal cleavages. Some scholars have gone further to associate what they see as significant declines in the anchorings provided by class with the rise of new political movements, parties, and even politicians standing for office completely outside traditional party systems. Advances in class theory and statistical methods coupled with the availability of high quality data have led others to reexamine the issue. They have suggested that these arguments reflect a misreading of the empirical evidence and/or exaggerate the significance of these developments. We conclude that despite the absence of a clear consensus in the field, theories asserting a universal process of class dealignment are not supported.
The Easterlin Effect
Authors: Pampel Fred C. , Peters H. Elizabeth
Published: July 2003

The Easterlin effect posits cyclical changes in demographic and social behavior as the result of fluctuations in birth rates and cohort size during the post-World War II period. Large cohort size reduces the economic opportunities of its members and reduces income relative to smaller parental generations. Low relative economic status in turn leads to lower fertility, higher rates of female labor force participation, later marriage, higher divorce and illegitimacy, and increasing homicide, suicide, and alienation. Cycles in birth rates and cohort size suggest that the small baby bust cohorts entering adulthood in the 1990s will enjoy higher relative income, more traditional family structures, and lower levels of social disorganization.

Of interest to economists and sociologists, the Easterlin effect has generated a large literature in the several decades since it was first proposed. Our review of the empirical studies notes the diversity of support across behaviors, time periods, and nations. Up to 1980, changes in wages, fertility, and social disorganization closely matched cohort size, but individual-level studies found little influence of relative income within cohorts. Further, the correspondence of the trends ends in the 1980s and appears in few countries other than the United States. Our review emphasizes both the contingent nature of the Easterlin effect and the way in which conditions have changed in recent decades to reduce the salience of cohort size for social and demographic behavior.
Unauthorized Immigration to the United States
Authors: Espenshade Thomas J.
Published: July 2003

This paper surveys research on the size of the undocumented immigrant population in the United States, the causes and consequences of illegal migrant flows, public attitudes toward unauthorized migrants, and the history of attempts to control the volume of undocumented migration. It concludes that there are powerful push and pull factors that create and sustain the volume of unauthorized migration, that there is little evidence that undocumented migrants have negative labor market consequences despite what the general public thinks, that US policy has been largely powerless to make a permanent dent in undocumented immigration, and that the current level of clandestine US immigration may not be far from what society might view as socially optimal.
Modeling Internal Organizational Change
Authors: Barnett William P. , Carroll Glenn R
Published: July 2003

Organizational change can be usefully conceptualized in terms of both its process and its content. Process refers to how change occurs. Content describes what actually changes in the organization. Theories and analyses of organizational change seek to explain why organizations change as well as what the consequences are of change. Empirical evidence on both questions is fragmentary and occasionally contradictory. Models that consider both process and content show the greatest potential for resolving this situation. Such models can be used to test social science theories as well as to evaluate programs of organizational change promulgated by consultants and practitioners. Basic organizational theory would be enhanced by greater attention to organizational change.
Rags to Rags: Poverty and Mobility in the United States
Authors: Corcoran M.
Published: July 2003

Early arguments over the “culture of poverty” assumed considerable intergenerational transmission of poverty but differed over whether this was due to cultural inadequacies of the poor or to structural barriers and discrimination faced by the poor. These arguments subsided by the 1970s when quantitative social stratification studies such as Blau & Duncan (1967) found that intergenerational socioeconomic mobility was considerable and that there was little evidence for a “vicious cycle of poverty.” In the 1980s the issue of intergenerational poverty reemerged when research on new longitudinal datasets suggested that both intragenerational and intergenerational poverty were more persistent than analyses based on cross-sectional data had suggested. Four new theoretical perspectives were developed to explain intergenerational poverty: the resources model, the correlated disadvantages model, the welfare culture model, and Wilson’s (1987) underclass model. This review summarizes and evaluates recent empirical research on the extent to which being raised in poor families, in non-intact families, in welfare-dependent families, and/or in underclass neighborhoods facilitates or hinders children’s adult attainments. The review assesses how well each of the four new models are supported by this research.
From Class Consciousness to Culture, Action, and Social Organization
Authors: Fantasia Rick
Published: July 2003

For much of the post war period in the United States, sociological research on class consciousness has tended to be limited to and by survey methods, with the result that class consciousness has been viewed as a static, individuated phenomenon, abstracted from social action and the context of class practices. However, in recent years a body of work has developed, often based upon the concept of class formation rather than the ideationally bound concept of class consciousness, that holds more promise. By drawing upon historical, ethnographic, and participant observation techniques, this work challenges conventional approaches and points toward promising new directions for future research. This article reviews recent examples of sociological research that has sought to ground consciousness in cultural practices, in collective action, and in forms of social organization.
Here and Everywhere: Sociology of Scientific Knowledge
Authors: Shapin Steven
Published: July 2003

The sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) is one of the profession’s most marginal specialties, yet its objects of inquiry, its modes of inquiry, and certain of its findings have very substantial bearing upon the nature and scope of the sociological enterprise in general. While traditional sociology of knowledge asked how, and to what extent, “social factors” might influence the products of the mind, SSK sought to show that knowledge was constitutively social, and in so doing, it raised fundamental questions about taken-for-granted divisions between “social versus cognitive, or natural, factors.” This piece traces the historical development of the sociology of scientific knowledge and its relations with sociology and cultural inquiry as a whole. It identifies dominant “localist” sensibilities in SSK and the consequent problem it now confronts of how scientific knowledge travels. Finally, it describes several strands of criticism of SSK that have emerged from among its own practitioners, noting the ways in which some criticisms can be seen as a revival of old aspirations toward privileged meta-languages.
World-Systems Analysis
Authors: Chase-Dunn Christopher , Grimes Peter
Published: July 2003

This is a review of recent research on world-systems. We cover studies of the current system and studies that compare the contemporary global system with earlier, smaller intersocietal systems. Research on the cycles and secular trends found in the modern world-system is discussed at length. This includes an examination of economic cycles of various lengths as well as their links with broader cycles like the rise and fall of hegemonic core powers, international financial crises, and the cycle of global war. We also survey recent studies of core-periphery hierarchy.
Immigration and Ethnic and Racial Inequality in the United States
Authors: Waters Mary C. , Eschbach Karl
Published: July 2003

This review examines research about current levels and recent changes in ethnic and racial stratification in the United States. Research about ethnic inequality emphasizes that economic stagnation and restructuring are troubling impediments to progress toward equality, and it shows evidence that employers may still use racial and ethnic queues in hiring. A number of issues arise with respect to the incorporation of the new waves of immigrants who have arrived since immigration law reform in 1965. We discuss patterns of adaptation of new immigrants, including available evidence on the ethnic enclave economy and substitution in the labor market of immigrants for native minorities. We summarize new theories and hypotheses about the fate of the children of recent immigrants, and we point to topics in this area needing further research.
A Biographical Essay on Judith Blake's Professional Career and Scholarship
Authors: Bourque Linda B.
Published: July 2003

Judith Blake was born and raised primarily in New York City; she received her BS degree magna cum laude from Columbia University in 1951 and her PhD in 1961. She had a remarkable and sustained record of scholarly contributions, which can be divided into five interrelated periods differentiated by a combination of substantive emphases, methodological approaches, and time periods. Blake was the founding Chair of the Group in Demography at the University of California, Berkeley, which became the first demography department in the United States. She subsequently was the first incumbent of the Fred N. Bixby Chair in Population Policy at the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, with a joint appointment in sociology. Blake served on numerous university and professional committees and boards and was elected President of the Population Association of America in 1981, the association’s fiftieth anniversary. At the time of her death (1993), Blake was Editor of the Annual Review of Sociology. Judith Blake was a dynamic and creative researcher and teacher who left a strong legacy in her research, the students she taught, and the friends and colleagues she influenced.
General Schema Theory for Genetic Programming with Subtree-Swapping Crossover: Part II
Authors: Poli Riccardo , McPhee Nicholas Freitag
Published: July 2003

This paper is the second part of a two-part paper which introduces a general schema theory for genetic programming (GP) with subtree-swapping crossover (Part I (Poli and McPhee, 2003)). Like other recent GP schema theory results, the theory gives an exact formulation (rather than a lower bound) for the expected number of instances of a schema at the next generation. The theory is based on a Cartesian node reference system, introduced in Part I, and on the notion of a variable-arity hyperschema, introduced here, which generalises previous definitions of a schema. The theory includes two main theorems describing the propagation of GP schemata: a microscopic and a macroscopic schema theorem. The microscopic version is applicable to crossover operators which replace a subtree in one parent with a subtree from the other parent to produce the offspring. Therefore, this theorem is applicable to Koza's GP crossover with and without uniform selection of the crossover points, as well as one-point crossover, size-fair crossover, strongly-typed GP crossover, context-preserving crossover and many others. The macroscopic version is applicable to crossover operators in which the probability of selecting any two crossover points in the parents depends only on the parents' size and shape. In the paper we provide examples, we show how the theory can be specialised to specific crossover operators and we illustrate how it can be used to derive other general results. These include an exact definition of effective fitness and a size-evolution equation for GP with subtree-swapping crossover.
Taking Institutions Seriously: How Regime Analysis can be Relevant to Multilevel Environmental Governance
Authors: Vogler John
Published: July 2003

This article starts with the observation that in the study and practice of global environmental governance (GEG) institutions and organizations are often conflated. For regime theorists they are not the same thing and the argument is advanced that, despite its failings, the regime/institutional approach continues to have significant analytical advantages. However, the benefits of regime analysis can only be realized if it avoids becoming an arena for inter-governmental rational choice theorizing and takes institutions seriously. One way of doing this is to utilize John Searle's “general theory of institutional facts.” Searle's work provides the inspiration for a re-consideration of the bases, components, domain and explanation of global environmental regimes. It is argued that it could yield a new institutional approach which overcomes some of the problems of existing regime analyses in ways appropriate to the study of multilevel environmental governance.
Life Protective or Carcinogenic Challenge? Global Forests Governance under Advanced Capitalism
Authors: Humphreys David
Published: July 2003

John McMurtry and David Korten argue that by systemically depleting its social and environmental hosts, global capitalism has reached a carcinogenic stage. While there are life-protective forces in global governance, many are rendered ineffective by the routine functioning of global capitalism. The article applies this analysis to forests at two levels: the global forests regime (that is, public international law that seeks to govern forest use); and the broader structures and processes of global governance that affect forest use. The set of interactions between the two constitutes global forest governance. It is argued that in global forest governance carcinogenic life degrading forces prevail over healthy life conservation forces. The result is worldwide forest degradation. In this respect global forest governance represents a pathogenic invasion of the world's forests.
Local Coverage of the 2000 Election in North Carolina
Authors: Roselle Laura
Published: July 2003

This article analyzes television broadcasts to determine whether an intent to engage in projects designed to increase issue coverage and citizen involvement leads to a difference in coverage. The findings show that differences in coverage between two CBS affiliates in central North Carolina (WRAL, Raleigh, and WFMY, Greensboro) can be attributed less to WRAL’s participation in the civic journalism project Your Voice Your Vote than to the acceptance of the 5/30 standard to allocate 5 minutes per day to candidate-centered discourse for 30 days before the election. This case study of CBS affiliates in neighboring markets highlights many of the issues that are central to understanding the debate about improving local television election coverage.
Framing the Press and the Publicity Process
Authors: Esser Frank , D’Angelo Paul
Published: July 2003

This study examines meta-coverage in Campaign 2000, defined as (a) coverage of the behaviors, products, and performance of the news media and (b) coverage of candidates’ use of paid media, communication personnel, and other forms of strategic communication. Using a new model of press framing, a content analysis was conducted on 284 stories aired from September 4 to November 6 on ABC and NBC evening news programs. Results show that 55 stories contained enough press designators and 75 stories contained enough publicity designators to qualify for framing analysis. A small percentage (12%) contained overlapping press and publicity designators, resulting in 116 stories that qualified for framing analysis. Results showed 11 script structures corresponding to three frames called conduit, strategy, and accountability, which contained different degrees of cynicism. A frame-by-topic matrix indicated that press and publicity frames occurred most frequently in stories about politics and processes.
Effects of Political Information in the 2000 Presidential Campaign
Authors: Kaid Lynda Lee
Published: July 2003

Growing use of the Internet in political campaigns raises questions about the relative impact of traditional media and the Internet on voters. This experimental study tested the effectiveness of exposure to advertising, debates, and news from the 2000 presidential campaign on television and via the Internet. Results suggested that Internet exposure resulted in higher evaluations for both Bush and Gore but that the debates were the only format in which substantial differences were observed. Traditional television and Internet exposures also resulted in differences in the stimulation of information seeking and political behaviors. However, the Internet did not demonstrate universal superiority over television in lessening levels of political cynicism.
A modified theory for the flow mechanism in a regenerative flow pump
Authors: Song J. W. , Engeda A , Chung M. K.
Published: July 2003

The regenerative flow pump (RFP) and regenerative flow compressor (RFC) are turbomachines capable of developing high pressure ratios in a single stage. They are also known by other names, such as peripheral, side channel, turbine, traction and vortex compressor/pump. Even though the efficiency of RFP/RFC is usually less than 50 per cent based on past design experience, they have found wide applications in automotive and aerospace fuel pumping, booster systems, water supply, agricultural industries, shipping and mining, chemical and food stuffs industries, and regulation of lubrication and filtering. RFCs have been proposed for use in hydrogen gas pipelines and as helium compressors for cryogenic applications in space vehicles. RFTs are used as accessory drives on aircraft and missiles. With the aim of improving the performance and efficiency of an RFP, this paper proposes an improved and modified theoretical model that can explain the change in the circulatory velocity caused by variation in channel area. All previous works concentrated on the fully developed flow region in the RFP and this work expands consideration to the developing region. Furthermore, in order to make the above-suggested model a closed problem, several loss models were assumed and the results of predictions were compared with experimental and CFD data.
Photo-Induced Stevens–Johnson Syndrome Due to Sulfasalazine Therapy
Authors: Borrás-Blasco Joaquín , Navarro-Ruiz Andrés , Matarredona Jaime , Devesa Pedro , Montesinos-Ros Amparo , González-Delgado Mercedes
Published: July 2003

OBJECTIVE:

To report a case of photo-induced Stevens–Johnson Syndrome (SJS) due to sulfasalazine therapy.

CASE SUMMARY:

Photo-induced SJS associated with sulfasalazine therapy occurred in a 34-year-old white man diagnosed as having seronegative symmetrical polyarthritis with no predisposing factors. According to his medical record, the patient had received methotrexate, levofolinate calcium, deflazacort, and diclofenac sodium as needed. Two months prior to admission, methotrexate and diclofenac sodium were suspended and treatment with sulfasalazine was started. The patient presented to our emergency department because of severe erythema confined to sun-exposed areas; annular lesions on the extremities and the mucosa were affected. Nikolsky's sign was present. A skin biopsy was compatible with SJS, and the clinical diagnosis was SJS induced by sulfasalazine. Administration of sulfasalazine was suspended, which resulted in an improvement in the skin lesions and general state of health. The patient was discharged without further symptoms.

DISCUSSION:

The observed reaction to sulfasalazine was considered phototoxic, as lesions appeared like a burn rash reaction in sun-exposed areas when sulfasalazine treatment was started and the reaction progressed to SJS. It seems that there was a correlation between the time course of the reaction and the administration of sulfasalazine. An objective causality assessment revealed that the adverse effect was possible.

CONCLUSIONS:

To our knowledge, this is the first report of photo-induced SJS due to sulfasalazine therapy. Clinicians should be aware of this infrequent but severe reaction. If clinical evaluation leads to the suspicion of SJS, sulfasalazine should be discontinued immediately.
Effect of Tenofovir on Didanosine Absorption in Patients with HIV
Authors: Fulco Patricia Pecora , Kirian Margaret A
Published: July 2003

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the pharmacokinetic interaction between tenofovir and didanosine when used in combination as a highly active antiretroviral therapy regimen.

DATA SOURCES:

Literature retrieval was accessed through MEDLINE (1966–January 2003) using the terms tenofovir and didanosine. Abstracts from recent meetings, including the International AIDS Society, Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, were reviewed for relevant abstracts and poster presentations.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

Pharmacokinetic studies evaluating the concurrent use of tenofovir and didanosine have been performed in healthy volunteers. Tenofovir 300 mg administered concurrently with 400 mg didanosine results in a 48–64% increase in the didanosine maximum plasma concentration and AUC with no significant alterations in the tenofovir pharmacokinetic parameters. Tenofovir 300 mg and didanosine 250 mg has been compared with didanosine 400 mg alone. The results demonstrated equivalent didanosine AUCs.

CONCLUSIONS:

When used concurrently, tenofovir significantly increases the maximum plasma concentration and the AUC of didanosine. Additional data in HIV-infected patients are needed to determine the long-term toxicities of this combination therapy. Didanosine dose reduction should be considered when these 2 agents are used concurrently.
Calfactant Sterility in Multiple Doses from Single-Use Vials
Authors: Reiter Pamela D , Sims Cheri , Harmes Lisa , Paisley Jan , Rosenberg Adam A , Valuck Robert J
Published: July 2003

BACKGROUND:

Calfactant is an exogenous surfactant used to treat and prevent respiratory distress syndrome in the newborn infant. It is available in single-use preservative-free vials, but contains enough volume to provide multiple doses to small infants.

OBJECTIVE:

To measure the preservation of calfactant sterility at 12- and 24-hour intervals following initial violation of vial contents and to extrapolate cost savings associated with product conservation.

METHODS:

A prospective sterility study was performed using calfactant suspension obtained from vials prescribed for infants who had received their dose in the delivery room or the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). After initial vial entry, test vials were stored in the NICU pharmacy satellite under refrigeration (temperature range 2.2–7.2 °C). Re-entry of test vials and sample removal was performed 12 and 24 hours after initial entry with an 18- or 20-gauge needle. All samples were removed by a neonatal respiratory therapist and placed into 3-mL latex-free, Leurlok plastic syringes and examined by 3 culture media: MacConkey agar, blood agar, and thioglycollate broth.

RESULTS:

A total of 89 surfactant samples from 45 vials were cultured; 45 at a mean time of 13.36 hours (range 11–41) and 44 at a mean time of 25.8 hours (range 22–60) after initial vial entry. These samples represented the technique of multiple respiratory therapists. All samples were negative for bacterial growth at 24 and 48 hours (β = 0.9).

CONCLUSIONS:

Results from this short-term sterility study represent an initial step in the evaluation of multiple doses of surfactant from a single-use vial. The data suggest that 1–2 re-entries into a vial of calfactant, within 24 hours after the initial breach, can be a safe and economical method of providing more than a single dose of surfactant to infants weighing <1 kg. We encourage each institution to reproduce these findings before applying this concept to their patients.
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Conversion in Nonsurgical Inpatients
Authors: Carroll Douglas N , Hudson Edward B
Published: July 2003

OBJECTIVE:

To provide venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis according to national consensus guidelines while minimizing associated medication costs.

METHODS:

Patients admitted to our institution who were receiving VTE prophylaxis with the low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) enoxaparin were identified and evaluated for potential conversion to low-dose unfractionated heparin (LDUH). Patients admitted for general medical conditions were targeted for a potential conversion. Factors that excluded patients from conversion were any surgical intervention or evidence of bleeding. For all eligible patients, the treating physician was contacted through written recommendations in an effort to achieve conversion to an LDUH regimen.

RESULTS:

Throughout a 10-month period, 463 patients were identified as receiving enoxaparin for VTE prophylaxis. Of these, 112 (24%) were candidates for an LDUH regimen. A total of 88 pharmacy recommendations were provided, of which 59 (67%) were accepted. This conversion program resulted in the avoidance of 250 days of enoxaparin prophylaxis and $8495 of associated medication costs.

CONCLUSIONS:

Clinical pharmacy programs directed at converting patients from a more costly LMWH regimen for VTE prophylaxis to an LDUH regimen can significantly reduce medication costs while adhering to consensus guidelines.
Rubber seed oil modified with maleic anhydride and fumaric acid and their alkyd resins as binders in water‐reducible coatings
Authors: Aigbodion A. I. , Okieimen F. E. , Ikhuoria E. U. , Bakare I. O. , Obazee E. O.
Published: July 2003

Rubber seed oil (RSO) was modified with different amounts of maleic anhydride, and RSO alkyds (50% oil length) were modified to various extents by the incorporation of different amounts of maleic anhydride and fumaric acid. All the resins were evaluated as water‐reducible binders. Modification with maleic anhydride increased the acid and saponification values of RSO but reduced the iodine value. RSO modified with maleic anhydride exhibited lower amounts of volatile organic compounds (<20 g/L) than the corresponding RSO alkyds (34–87 g/L). The alkyd samples were superior to the modified RSO in chemical resistance. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3256–3259, 2003
In vitro degradation and cytotoxicity of alkyl 2‐cyanoacrylate polymers for application to tissue adhesives
Authors: Hee Park Dae , Bum Kim Sung , Ahn Kwang‐Duk , Yong Kim Eui , Jun Kim Young , Keun Han Dong
Published: July 2003

To investigate the in vitro degradability and cytotoxicity of long alkyl cyanoacrylate polymers [polycyanoacrylates (PCAs)], we synthesized five kinds of alkyl cyanoacrylates (ethyl, 2‐octyl, n‐octyl, ethylhexyl, and ethyl cyanoacryloyllactate). In vitro degradation in buffer solutions and cell cultures for cytotoxicity were performed with PCAs prepared by various polymerization methods. Lower alkyl homologues such as ethyl cyanoacrylate revealed a higher tissue toxicity than higher alkyl homologues. The amounts of formaldehyde released from various PCAs were not proportional to the rate of degradation. The apparent form of the cyanoacrylate polymers greatly affected the degradation rate, as the powdery polymers degraded much more quickly than the films. A new biodegradable polymer, prepared from ethyl 2‐cyanoacryloyllactate, degraded more quickly than the others. The amount of formaldehyde released from the polymer degradation was high because it degraded rapidly. It was observed from cell culture experiments that the viability of the cells was higher with a lower release of formaldehyde because the alkyl side groups were bigger. Therefore, octyl cyanoacrylate polymers demonstrated lower amounts of formaldehyde by degradation and higher cell viability, and these monomers may be desirable for use as tissue adhesives. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3272–3278, 2003
Effects of poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(vinyl chloride‐ co‐vinyl acetate) low‐profile additives on properties of cured unsaturated polyester resins. I. Volume shrinkage characteristics and internal pigmentability
Authors: Huang Yan‐Jyi , Chen Tzong‐Shyang , Huang Jyh‐Gau , Lee Fuh‐Huah
Published: July 2003

Three series of self‐synthesized poly(vinyl acetate)‐based low‐profile additives (LPAs) with different chemical structures and molecular weights, including poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl chloride‐co‐vinyl acetate), and poly(vinyl chloride‐co‐vinyl acetate‐co‐maleic anhydride), were studied. Their effects on the volume shrinkage characteristics and internal pigmentability for low‐shrink unsaturated polyester (UP) resins during cure were investigated. The experimental results were examined with an integrated approach involving measurements of the static phase characteristics of the ternary styrene/UP/LPA system, the reaction kinetics, the cured sample morphology, and microvoid formation by using differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and image analysis. Based on the Takayanagi mechanical model, factors leading to both good volume shrinkage control and acceptable internal pigmentability for the molded parts were explored. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3336–3346, 2003
Graft polymerization of acrylonitrile onto starch‐coated polyethylene film surfaces
Authors: Fanta George F. , Felker Frederick C. , Salch John H.
Published: July 2003

Starch‐coated polyethylene (PE) films were prepared by immersing PE in a hot, jet cooked solution of starch. They were allowed to react with acrylonitrile (AN) in the presence of ceric ammonium nitrate initiator, and the graft polymerization that occurred produced starch‐g‐polyacrylonitrile (PAN) coatings that contained about 25 wt % grafted PAN. The starch‐g‐PAN coatings tightly adhered to the PE film surfaces. When grafted starch coatings were wetted with water and the surfaces vigorously rubbed, less than 20% of the coating was removed. The fact that PAN‐grafted coatings were not removed with boiling water provided further evidence for their strong adherence. When starch was removed from the coating by acid hydrolysis, the residual grafted PAN still remained adsorbed on the PE surface. Because the grafted coating was completely removed by treatment with refluxing 0.7N sodium hydroxide, there is apparently no chemical bonding between starch‐g‐PAN and PE. The dimensional changes associated with the evaporation of water from these PAN‐grafted coatings caused the films to curl during drying. Because the final shape of these coated films depends upon the presence or absence of water in the surrounding environment, these films may be considered to be a type of stimulus‐responsive polymer. Attempts to graft polymerize methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate onto starch‐coated PE surfaces, under conditions similar to those used with AN, were unsuccessful. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3323–3328, 2003
Influence of the molecular weight on the thermal and mechanical properties of ethylene/norbornene copolymers
Authors: Ekizoglou Nikos , Thorshaug Knut , Cerrada María L. , Benavente Rosario , Pérez Ernesto , Pereña José M.
Published: July 2003

A series of ethylene‐norbornene copolymers were synthesized using Me2Si(Me4Cp)(NtBu)TiCl2 as the metallocene catalyst and methylaluminoxane (MAO) as the cocatalyst, with the same molecular characteristics except the molecular weight, to evaluate its influence on the determination of the glass transition temperature (Tg). The polymers were characterized using wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry, microhardness measurements, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The value of the Tg, for the same norbornene content and determined from the last three mentioned methods, increases significantly up to a limit of Mn about 6–10 × 104 (g/mol). Above this value, Tg remains practically constant. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3358–3363, 2003
Copolymerization of carbon dioxide and ethyl vinyl ether at subcritical and supercritical conditions
Authors: Yokoyama Chiaki , Kawase Yasuo , Shibasaki‐Kitakawa Naomi , Smith Richard L.
Published: July 2003

The copolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ethyl vinyl ether (EVE) at subcritical and supercritical conditions was studied in the presence and absence of an aluminum triacetylacetonate [Al(acac)3] catalyst. The experiments took place at 313–423 K and 4–15 MPa and for reaction times of 12–120 h. We confirmed that CO2 could copolymerize with EVE with or without the Al(acac)3 catalyst, regardless of whether the vessel wall material was Teflon or stainless steel. With the Al(acac)3 catalyst, a maximum yield of 3.2% polymer was obtained at 338 K, 6 MPa, and 45 h. The maximum value of the average CO2 fraction was about 50% (100% of the theoretical) at 338 K, 15 MPa, and 45 h. Results confirmed the mechanism and pathways proposed earlier by Soga et al. (1973). There was a trade‐off between yield and the CO2 fraction incorporated into the polymer as conditions changed from subcritical to supercritical. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3167–3174, 2003
PNA‐positive glycoconjugates are negatively correlated with the access of neural crest cells to the gut in chicken embryos
Authors: Franchi De Freitas Patrícia , De Fátima Ferreira Fabiana , Ditzel Faraco Cloris
Published: July 2003

Neural crest cells give rise to many derivatives, including the neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system, adrenomedulary cells, and melanocytes, and migrate through precise pathways that differ according to their axial level and/or state of specification. The migratory routes taken by neural crest cells are reported to be regulated by extracellular matrix molecules. We examined the possible influence of glycoconjugates on the establishment of barriers to neural crest access to ventral regions leading to the gut, by labeling stage‐16–28 white Leghorn (WL) and Silky (SK) embryos with peanut agglutinin (PNA) at vagal, thoracic, and sacral levels. We observed a transitory expression of glycoconjugates that correlate with a barrier to the entrance of neural crest cells into the gut at the thoracic level, which is not present at vagal and sacral levels. In later stages, neural crest cells of melanocytic lineage were observed entering the gut in embryos of the SK chicken, a mutant with an altered pattern of pigmentation. The ventral regions occupied by melanoblasts in SK embryos were free of PNA labeling, while in WL embryos, in which PNA‐positive molecules are strongly expressed, melanoblasts were restricted to peripheral regions. We suggest that PNA‐binding glycoconjugates are good molecular marker for barriers that control the access of neural crest cells to the gut. Anat Rec Part A 273A:705–713, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lens structure in MIP‐deficient mice
Authors: Al‐Ghoul Kristin J. , Kirk Tyler , Kuszak Adam J. , Zoltoski Rebecca K. , Shiels Alan , Kuszak Jer R.
Published: July 2003

In this study we used correlative light, scanning, and transmission (freeze‐etch) electron microscopy to characterize lens structure in normal mice and compare it with that in mice deficient in the major intrinsic protein (MIP) of fiber cells. Grossly, wild‐type lenses were transparent and had typical Y sutures at all of the ages examined. These lenses had fibers of uniform shape (hexagonal in cross section) arranged in ordered concentric growth shells and radial cell columns. In addition, these fibers had normal opposite end curvature and lateral interdigitations regularly arrayed along their length. Ultrastructural evaluation of these fibers revealed anterior and posterior end segments characterized by square array membrane on low‐amplitude wavy fiber membrane. Approximately 13% of the equatorial or mid segments of these same fibers were specialized as gap junctions (GJs). In contrast, heterozygote lenses, while initially transparent at birth, were translucent by 3 weeks of age, except for a peripheral transparent region that contained fibers in the early stages of elongation. This degradation in clarity was correlated with abnormal fiber structure. Specifically, although the mid segment of these fibers was essentially normal, their end segments lacked normal opposite end curvature, were larger than normal, and had a distinct non‐hexagonal shape. As a result, these fibers failed to form typical Y sutures. Furthermore, the nuclear fibers of heterozygote lenses were even larger and lacked any semblance of an ordered packing arrangement. Grossly, homozygote lenses were opaque at all ages examined, except for a peripheral transparent region that contained fibers in the early stages of elongation. All fibers from homozygote lenses lacked opposite end curvature, and thus failed to form any sutures. Also, these fibers were essentially devoid of interlocking devices, and only 7% of their mid segment was specialized as GJs. The results of this study suggest that MIP has essential roles in the establishment and maintenance of uniform fiber structure, and the organization of fibers, and as such is essential for lens function. Anat Rec Part A 273A:714–730, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dynamic expression of Krüppel‐like factor 4 (Klf4), a target of transcription factor AP‐2α during murine mid‐embryogenesis
Authors: Ehlermann Julia , Pfisterer Petra , Schorle Hubert
Published: July 2003

Krüppel‐like factor 4 (Klf4) belongs to the family of transcription factors that are thought to be involved in the regulation of epithelial and germ cell differentiation, based on their expression in postproliferative cells of the skin, gut, and testes. Gene ablation experiments suggest that Klf4 plays a role in keratinocyte differentiation, since mice lacking Klf4 fail to establish proper barrier function and, as a consequence, die postnatally due to dehydration. Recent studies have shown that Klf4 is also expressed in postnatal male mice, in postmeiotic sperm cells undergoing terminal differentiation into sperm cells. However, prior to the current study, the expression pattern of Klf4 during early and mid‐embryogenesis had not been examined. Here we demonstrate that Klf4 transcripts can be detected from embryonic day 4.5 (E4.5) on in the developing conceptus, and that Klf4 expression before E10 is restricted to extraembryonic tissues. The embryo proper displays a highly dynamic and changing Klf4 signal from E10 of murine development on. In addition to being expressed in a stripe of mesenchymal cells extending from the forelimb bud rostrally over the branchial arches to the developing eye, Klf4 is also expressed in the mesenchyme surrounding the nasal pit at day E11.5. In addition, Klf4 has been detected in the apical ectodermal ridge and adjacent mesenchymal cells in the limb buds, and in mesenchymal cells of the developing body wall in trunk areas. These findings suggest that Klf4 plays an important role in regulating cellular proliferation, which underlies the morphogenetic changes that shape the developing embryo. Anat Rec Part A 273A:677–680, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Smad 3 regulates proliferation of the mouse ovarian surface epithelium
Authors: Symonds Daniel , Tomic Dragana , Borgeest Christina , McGee Elizabeth , Flaws Jodi A.
Published: July 2003

Smad 3 is a signaling intermediate for the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) family; however, little is known about the role this protein plays in the regulation of the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). Using a transgenic mouse model, we found that in the absence of Smad 3 there was a distinct morphological alteration of OSE cells. Wild‐type (WT) OSE was flat with thin cells, while Smad 3‐deficient (Smad 3 −/−) OSE was thick with plump cuboidal cells. WT OSE had less immunostaining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) than Smad 3 −/− OSE. However, there were no differences in the number of apoptotic cells or Bax and Bcl‐2 levels between WT and Smad 3 −/− OSE. Although WT mice had higher levels of serum estradiol than Smad 3 −/− mice, WT and Smad 3 −/− mice had similar levels of progesterone. These data suggest that Smad 3 regulates OSE morphological appearance and proliferation in the absence of high serum estradiol levels or alterations in progesterone levels. Anat Rec Part A 273A:681–686, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The HGF/SF antagonist NK4 reverses fibroblast‐ and HGF‐induced prostate tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo
Authors: Davies Gaynor , Mason Malcolm D. , Martin Tracey A. , Parr Christian , Watkins Gareth , Lane Jane , Matsumoto Kunio , Nakamura Toshikazu , Jiang Wen G.
Published: July 2003

Our study examined the in vitro and in vivo responses of a newly discovered HGF/SF antagonist, NK4, on HGF/SF‐promoted growth of human prostate cancer cells (PC‐3). Nude mice were s.c. injected with either PC‐3‐ and/or HGF/SF‐producing fibroblasts (MRC5), and tumor size was measured over a 4‐week period. rh‐HGF/SF and/or NK4 were introduced by osmotic minipumps. An in vitro study found that NK4 significantly suppressed HGF/SF‐induced invasion (HGF/SF; p < 0.01 vs. HGF/SF+NK4) and migration (HGF/SF; p < 0.05 vs. HGF/SF+NK4). Similarly, NK4 also suppressed the invasion (MRC5; p < 0.01 vs. MRC5+NK4) and migration (MRC5; p < 0.05 vs. MRC5+NK4) induced by MRC5 cells. NK4 also suppressed HGF/SF‐ and MRC5‐induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the HGF/SF receptor Met as assessed by immunoprecipitation. Using a nude mouse model, prostate tumor volume (mm3) was significantly increased in both HGF/SF‐ (HGF/SF; p < 0.05 vs. control) and MRC5‐ (MRC5; p < 0.01 vs. control) treated groups compared to the control. In contrast, NK4 alone significantly reduced the growth of prostate tumors (NK4; p < 0.01 vs. control). In addition, NK4 also suppressed both HGF/SF‐ (HGF/SF; p < 0.01 vs. HGF/SF+NK4) and MRC5‐ (MRC5; p < 0.05 vs. MRC5+NK4) induced tumor growth in vivo by significantly reducing (p < 0.05) the degree of tumor angiogenesis using a recently discovered family of tumor endothelial markers (TEMs) by Q‐RT‐PCR analysis. In conclusion, NK4 suppresses both HGF/SF‐ and MRC5‐induced invasion/migration of PC‐3 cells in vitro. Furthermore, the HGF/SF antagonist NK4 significantly reduces prostate tumor growth in vivo by inhibiting the degree of tumor angiogenesis as determined by TEM‐1 and TEM‐8. Finally, our study provides evidence of the therapeutic potential of NK4 in prostate cancer development by antagonising HGF/SF‐mediated events. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Persistence and load of high‐risk HPV are predictors for development of high‐grade cervical lesions: A longitudinal French cohort study
Authors: Dalstein Véronique , Riethmuller Didier , Prétet Jean‐Luc , Le Bail Carval Karine , Sautière Jean‐Loup , Carbillet Jean‐Pierre , Kantelip Bernadette , Schaal Jean‐Patrick , Mougin Christiane
Published: July 2003

Oncogenic HPV types are the major cause of worldwide cervical cancer, but only a small proportion of infected women will develop high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or cancer (CIN2/3+). We performed a prospective study including 781 women with normal, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL) cytology, and infected or not by high‐risk (HR) HPV tested by Hybrid Capture II. Women were followed up every 6 months for a median period of 22 months. Among the HR‐HPV‐positive women at entry, more than half cleared their virus in 7.5 months; the clearance rate was greater for low viral loads than for high loads and also was higher in women with an initial ASCUS/LGSIL smear than in women with normal cytology. The incidence of cytologic abnormalities strongly depended on baseline viral load and HR‐HPV persistence. Maintenance of cytologic abnormalities was associated with the outcome of HR‐HPV status (negative<transient<persistent) but not with baseline load. Progression to CIN2/3+ was achieved only in women with persistent HR‐HPV infection. The risk of CIN2/3+ also was increased with initial high loads (≥100 pg/mL). Conversely, women who were consistently HR‐HPV negative or transiently HR‐HPV positive, whatever the cytology at baseline was, did not develop CIN2/3+ during follow‐up. Age seemed to affect only the rate of incident HR‐HPV infection. In conclusion, our data suggest that women repeatedly tested positive for HR‐HPV are at risk of developing CIN2/3+, even when initial cytology is normal. A high viral load could be used as a short‐term marker of progression toward precancerous lesions, although lower load does not inevitably exclude progressive disease. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.