bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparing a trainee for the MRCPsych examinations
Authors: Mindham Richard
Published: September 2007

Since the formation of the College in 1971 and the introduction of the examination for membership of the College in 1973, preparation of candidates for the examination has been subject to a wide range of influences which have shaped all aspects of psychiatric training. Possibly the most important factor has been the consensus that membership of the College should mark the end of general training and the beginning of specialist training in psychiatry. This is in contrast to some similar diplomas which may be required as an entry qualification to postgraduate medical training (e.g. MRCP) or others which may mark the end of specialist training and be awarded only shortly before achieving consultant status (e.g. MRCPath).
Management of depressive disorder in adolescents
Authors: Harrington Richard
Published: September 2007

Historically, depressive disorders in adolescents have been conceptualised as variants of the nonspecific class of childhood emotional or neurotic disorder, which encompassed depressive, anxiety, hysterical and obsessional disorders. Over the past decade, however, the field has shifted towards greater diagnostic refinement. Research evidence has shown that severe depressive disorders differ from other mental disorders in this age group in their epidemiology, outcome and correlates (Harrington & Wood, 1995). Treatment therefore includes not only general techniques of clinical management, but also a variety of treatments targeted at the symptoms of depressive disorder.
The management of bulimia nervosa and other binge eating problems
Authors: Fairburn Christopher G.
Published: September 2007

This article is about the management of eating disorders in which binge eating is a prominent feature. These disorders include bulimia nervosa, the most common eating disorder, and ‘binge eating disorder’, a provisional new diagnosis included in DSM–IV. In addition, binge eating is seen in anorexia nervosa and in many atypical eating disorders.
Clinical assessment of personality
Authors: Casey Patricia R.
Published: September 2007

The importance of personality is recognised tacitly by the development of the multiaxial classifications of ICD–10 (World Health Organization, 1992) and DSM–IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1993). The separation of axis 1 or current mental state diagnosis from axis 2, on which personality is described, is a recognition that personality is separate from other aspects of the patient's diagnostic status. Nevertheless, many clinicians are sceptical that personality can be assessed reliably and some hold that the diagnosis should be abandoned as being merely judgemental and pejorative (Lewis & Appleby, 1988). There is some basis for scepticism in respect of reliability in view of the evidence that even with operational criteria the clinical assessment of personality is not transportable, and the level of agreement between practising clinicians is much less than that achieved during field trials (Mellsop et al, 1982).
Clinical management of patients across cultures
Authors: Bhugra Dinesh , Bhui Kamaldeep
Published: September 2007

Clinical management of patients across cultures challenges the clinician's familiar tried and tested strategies. The relationship between the patient and the psychiatrist is often examined in isolation from a number of premises which both patient and professional bring to the encounter: previous experience of other cultures, contact with less familiar cultures, past experiences and socioeconomic status are some of the determinant influences. There are a number of ways in which the clinician can facilitate therapeutic effectiveness. However, a trusting relationship must first emerge such that the patient has faith in the treatment recommendations. Special difficulties can arise in the context of pharmacological, social, psychotherapeutic and psychological interventions. Community, out-patient, in-patient and emergency settings each require that consideration be given to the context of the assessment and treatment process, as well as the content and immediate outcome. The clinician must plan the assessment and intervention carefully. The rationale and goals of treatment should be discussed and agreed by participants in the therapeutic interaction. Special groups have unique cultural and historical obstacles to receiving health care. Potential problems are highlighted in this paper and suggestions made for managing conflicts when they arise.
Psychiatric disorder, stress and burn-out
Authors: Guthrie E. , Black D.
Published: September 2007

This paper will focus primarily on the most recent research studies involving doctors in the UK. We will not discuss the treatment of doctors who are psychiatrically unwell as this is covered in other papers elsewhere in this issue. Before reviewing specific studies, we will consider the measurement of psychiatric disorder, stress and burn-out.
Treatment of massive trauma due to war
Authors: Somasundaram Daya
Published: September 2007

Treatment of trauma has been already covered in this journal (Adshead, 1995) and elsewhere (Davidson, 1992; Kleber & Brom, 1992; Wilson & Raphael, 1993). However, there are situations where the trauma can become extensive and chronic, sometimes called Type II trauma (Terr, 1991), necessitating additional therapeutic considerations. Such situations are not uncommon in the world today, frequently occurring during wars that are typically ‘low-intensity’ conflicts involving poor, Third World countries. It has been estimated that there have been over 150 such wars since 1945, in which 90% of all casualties are civilians. According to Summerfield (1996), what predominates is the use of terror to exert social control, if necessary by disrupting the social, economic and cultural structures. The target is often population rather than territory and psychological warfare is the central element. Atrocities, including civilian massacres, reprisals, bombing, shelling, mass displacements, disappearances and torture are the norm. The consequences for mental health, not to mention the social, economic, cultural and other costs, can be substantial.
Maternal mental illness and mother-child relations
Authors: Foreman David M.
Published: September 2007

Interest in the relationship between mother-child interactions and mental health has two sources: awareness of the importance of correct parenting in personal development; and the exploration of postnatal mental illness.
Prevention and management of false memory syndrome
Authors: Merskey Harold
Published: September 2007

As with most issues in medicine, the prevention and management of a problem is best understood when the origins are known. The term ‘false memory syndrome’ (FMS) came into use in March 1992 with the foundation of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF), a non-profit-making organisation established in the USA by a group of families in which one or more of the parents was accused. The parents in these families were reacting to a phenomenon which developed in a characteristic form in the preceding decade and had become common enough by 1991 for a number of them to realise that they were not alone, and to join in setting up the Foundation with a professional and scientific advisory board.
Commentary
Authors: Stern Richard
Published: September 2007

“Hypochondriasis is a condition in which there are no established effective treatments” (Fallon et al, 1991).

Warwick's paper shows how recent advances have completely altered the previous therapeutic nihilism expressed in the above quotation. Physicians and surgeons have long been aware that medical and surgical problems turn out to have no organic cause. Joyce et al (1986) from New Zealand examined 105 people with abdominal pain who had been admitted to a surgical ward. They found that the most common surgical diagnosis was non-specific abdominal pain, closely followed by appendicitis. Those with non-specific abdominal pain contained a very interesting group of patients: they were predominantly female, did not have any physical findings, and were more anxious and conformed to the pattern of patients showing fear of illness. This group presented, in the words of the New Zealand team:

“a caricature of the female ‘non-organic’ abdominal pain patient… whose health is the greatest difficulty of her life, who fears she may suddenly fall ill, who denies having silly thoughts about health yet thinks there is something seriously wrong with her body, who admits to no problems or personal worries other than her illness, and for whom illness may be construed as a punishment. These patients also deny feeling irritable towards other people and yet lose patience with them, while being unable to express angry feelings.”
Gender dysphoria
Authors: Snaith Philip
Published: September 2007

Gender dysphoric disorders are currently attracting a great amount of attention. Generally, this attention is appropriately scientific and not condemnatory. This is possibly because of changing attitudes, but also because of the dissemination of information about what may be done to help people with these disorders. People are coming forward to request such help. Whether the surge of applicants to gender identity clinics (GICs) is due entirely to the change in attitude or whether there is a true increase in incidence of these disorders is at present undetermined. The fact, however, remains that prior to the second half of the present century little professional attention was paid to gender dysphoria (Bullogh, 1975).
Sleep disorders in children and adolescents
Authors: Stores Gregory
Published: September 2007

The scientific study of sleep and its disorders is essentially just a few decades old, but during that time impressive advances have been made in the biological knowledge of sleep. There has been recognition and treatment of a wide range of sleep disorders from which many people in all sections of the population suffer. The common adverse consequences of persistent sleep disturbance (at personal, educational, social and occupational levels) for members of the public at large have become clear (Dement & Mitler, 1993), as have the special risks of such problems to which certain groups are exposed – notably people with chronic psychiatric or physical disorders or learning disabilities.
Sleep disorders in the elderly
Authors: Jagus Christopher E. , Benbow Susan M.
Published: September 2007

Sleep disorders are common among elderly people, affecting about 50% compared with about 26% of younger adults. About two-thirds of residents in long-term care have sleep disturbance (Karacan & Williams, 1983; Becker & Jamieson, 1992). This high prevalence of sleep disorders results in excessive daytime napping, fatigue, cognitive impairment, increased psychiatric morbidity and increased prescribing of hypnotics, with an associated increase in mortality (Kripke et al, 1979). Karacan & Williams (1983) quote figures varying from 26 to 100% for the prescribing of hypnotics to residents in institutional care. This has major implications. There is a risk of both accidental and deliberate overdose. There may be interactions with other drugs and a hangover effect can impair daytime functioning. Excessive sedation can make the patient difficult to rouse in an emergency. Dependence may occur and the drugs may further disrupt sleep. They also increase the likelihood of sleep apnoea.
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing
Authors: MacCulloch M. J.
Published: September 2007

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) was described by Shapiro (1989a,b) as a new method for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In May 1987, while walking in the park, Shapiro noticed that her own disturbing thoughts changed then disappeared “without any conscious effort” (Shapiro, 1995) when they had been temporally paired with diagonal upward to and fro eye movements. Over the next six months Shapiro worked with approximately 70 people to develop a procedure based on the temporal pairing of distressing images and thoughts with various eye movements. Shapiro began to develop strategies to unblock stalled emotional processing, which was initiated by EMDR in non-patients. She successfully tried the method on a Vietnam veteran suffering from severe PTSD and then embarked upon a trial of EMDR on a mixed group of victims of rape, molestation and Vietnam combat trauma. Initially, EMDR achieved wide recognition as a new breakthrough treatment for PTSD. This was, in part, because of very positive early reports (e.g. Wolpe & Abrams, 1991), but also because the EMDR effect appeared to occur with unprecedented speed, often in cases of PTSD that had previously resisted treatment by many other methods over a long period.
Clinical governance and continuing professional development
Authors: Wattis John , McGinnis Peter
Published: September 2007

Clinical governance can be defined as:

“a framework through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish” (NHS Executive, 1998).
Neurosurgery for mental disorder: past and present
Authors: Fenton George W.
Published: September 2007

Carlyle Jacobsen and John Fulton, at Yale in the early and mid-1930s, investigated primate frontal lobe function. Following bilateral frontal lobecotomy, monkeys and chimpanzees developed a delayed-response deficit, being unable to perform tasks when there was a significant delay between the stimulus and the required response. There were accompanying behavioural changes, with the animals becoming more placid and lethargic and losing their characteristic inquisitive initiative. They became distractible, with difficulty in maintaining an attention set. They had great difficulty in adapting to changes in the directions of an already learned task, tending to perseverate.
Giving presentations
Authors: Sensky Tom
Published: September 2007

All forms of teaching, including giving a lecture or a seminar, are intended to fulfil one or more particular aims. In planning a presentation, it is helpful to begin by defining the intended aims of the presentation and associated objectives. The aims and objectives will help to determine what methods to use, and what teaching aids might be appropriate. For example, if the main aim of a presentation is to provoke thought and discussion among the audience on a controversial topic, a didactic talk in a large auditorium to a widely dispersed audience is less likely to fulfil this aim than a facilitated interactive discussion in a smaller room with seating not fixed in rows.
Evidence-based pharmacotherapy for obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: Fineberg Naomi
Published: September 2007

The development of effective pharmacotherapy has revolutionised the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), and has generated an explosion of interest in this previously poorly understood area of psychiatry. Once considered a rare, refractory form of learnt behaviour, we now recognise OCD to be a common, treatable illness, with a distinctive pathophysiology and pharmacology. Wide-ranging epidemiological surveys have demonstrated a surprisingly high lifetime prevalence amounting to 2–3% of the general population worldwide (Robins et al, 1984). Yet only a fraction of sufferers come forward for treatment and often the diagnosis is missed.
Self-directed, problem-based learning for undergraduate psychiatry
Authors: Guthrie Elspeth , O'Neill Paul
Published: September 2007

Medical undergraduate training is currently going through a momentous period of change (Tosteson, 1990). New methods of learning and evaluation are being introduced which will radically alter medical training over the next few years. These changes are in part a response to the way medicine itself is being transformed. Medical educators can no longer hope to equip medical students, upon qualification, with enough basic knowledge and skills to last them throughout their medical careers. Today's students are embarking upon a process of learning which will continue throughout their medical lives. Medical practice will be very different, when today's students become tomorrow's hospital consultants and general practitioners.
Training psychiatrists in Britain to work in developing countries
Authors: Mubbashar Malik Hussain , Humayun Asma
Published: September 2007

The economically developing countries face a perpetual challenge to provide essential health care. The available health care delivery systems are primitive and lack organisation and resources. Mental health care suffers even more acutely for want of attention, widespread ignorance and prejudice. The services in this field are inadequate and often inappropriate. The urge for a qualitative change has led to a focus on higher training of specialist doctors.
What the probation officer expects from the psychiatrist
Authors: Harding John , Cameron Angus
Published: September 2007

The origins of the probation service can be traced back to the late-Victorian era and the introduction of the so-called police court missionaries who supervised offenders on conditional release from the court. The service grew slowly, but mushroomed in the 1970s and 1980s when several major acts widened the scope of the service by introducing parole, aftercare of discharged prisoners, community service by offenders, and extended the scope of probation and bail hostels. Since the beginning of this decade the probation service has been working in an ever-changing legal and philosophical context. Public protection and the prevention of crime are our primary aims. Legislation and ministerial directives have necessitated increasing involvement of probation offices in work with offenders with mental disorder, and have brought into greater focus the relationship of the probation service with psychiatry.
Encountering Plautus in the Renaissance: A Humanist Debate on Comedy*
Authors: Hardin Richard F.
Published: September 2007

Historians of comedy can profit from a study of the sixteenth-century debates regarding the merits of Plautus (ca. 254–184 BCE), most of whose works were unknown before the late fifteenth century. Early performances and editions led to contemporary theories regarding laughter, language, and morality, often in the context of a comparison with the plays of Terence (d. 159 BCE), who was sometimes viewed as superior by upper-class audiences. From the conflicting opinions of Andrea Navagero and Francesco Florido, to the neoclassical strictures of Daniel Heinsius, this study pursues learned opinion on Plautus as he became a principal author in the European canon. Plautus’s variances from Aristotelian and Horatian precepts created a lively and lasting ferment in discussions of comedy.
An object-oriented particle tracking code for pyrite oxidation and pollutant transport in mine spoil heaps
Authors: Gandy C. J. , Younger P. L.
Published: September 2007

A physically based contaminant transport model, POTOMAC (Pyrite Oxidation products Transport: Object-oriented Model for Abandoned Colliery sites), has been developed to simulate the pyrite oxidation process in mine spoil heaps and the subsequent transport of the reaction products. This is believed to represent the first particle tracking model created using object-oriented technology and has proved capable of simulating the large time scales (on the order of centuries) required for this application. The model conceptualises a spoil heap as a series of ‘columns’, each representing a portion of the unsaturated zone, where active weathering and precipitation of secondary minerals takes place. The columns are then connected to a saturated zone, beneath the water table, where the contaminants are transported to the heap discharge. A form of particle tracking, the ‘random walk method’, is used to transport both the oxidant, oxygen, and the products, ferrous iron and sulfate. The subsequent oxidation of ferrous iron and precipitation of ferric oxyhydroxide is incorporated to provide an iron ‘sink’, where iron is effectively removed from the transport process. The application of POTOMAC to a case study, the Morrison Busty spoil heap in County Durham, UK, has produced encouraging results.
The potential of nutrient reuse from a source-separated domestic wastewater system in Indonesia – Case study: ecological sanitation pilot plant in Surabaya
Authors: Malisie A.F. , Prihandrijanti M. , Otterpohl R.
Published: September 2007

Human excreta (faeces and urine) contribute only a small volume in domestic wastewater but are one of the main causes of water pollution. On the other hand, they contain very valuable nutrients to be reused as anthropogenic fertiliser through proper collection, treatment and hygienisation processes. To know the potential of nutrient recovery and reuse in Indonesia, a pilot scale source separation domestic wastewater system has been built in Surabaya and, so far, has shown promising results. Using urine diverting toilets, up to 86% nitrogen, 21% phosphorus and 69% potassium from urine and 12% of nitrogen, 68% of phosphorus and 20% of potassium from the faecal matter can be recovered.

The separated urine was stored for 6 months before usage as fertiliser for hygienic reasons, while the separated faecal matter was composted with worms (vermicomposting). In order to investigate the fertilising effect, a preliminary cultivation experiment has been carried out on young rose plants using different fertilisers for 2 months.
Economic considerations and decision support tool for wastewater reuse scheme planning
Authors: Hochstrat R. , Joksimovic D. , Wintgens T. , Melin T. , Savic D.
Published: September 2007

The reuse of upgraded wastewater for beneficial uses is increasingly adopted and accepted as a tool in water management. However, funding of schemes is still a critical issue. The focus of this paper is on economic considerations of water reuse planning. A survey of pricing mechanisms for reclaimed water revealed that most schemes are subsidised to a great extent. In order to minimise these state contributions to the implementation and operation of reuse projects, their planning should identify a least cost design option. This also has to take into account the established pricing structure for conventional water resources and the possibility of gaining revenues from reclaimed water pricing. The paper presents a case study which takes into account these aspects. It evaluates different scheme designs with regard to their Net Present Value (NPV). It could be demonstrated that for the same charging level, quite different amounts of reclaimed water can be delivered while still producing an overall positive NPV. Moreover, the economic feasibility and competitiveness of a reuse scheme is highly determined by the cost structure of the conventional water market.
Determination of Trace Concentrations of Elements in High Purity Tellurium by Radio Frequency Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectrometer (RF‐GDOES)
Authors: Anil G. , Reddy M.R.P. , Prasad D. S. , Munirathnam N.R. , Prakash T.L.
Published: September 2007

A method was established for the determination of trace impurities in high purity tellurium (Te) 99.9999 (6N) by radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (RF‐GDOES). The optimized parameters are power, argon pressure, pre‐integration time, analysis time and selection of wavelength. Nine elements Se, Ca, Mg, Si, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb were analysed in 6N Te, out of which only three elemental peaks (Se, Ca, and Mg) were detected and the remaining six elements (Si, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb) were below detection levels. Finally, the method was evaluated by the analysis of the above traces using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) and was found to be satisfactory. The detection limits for most of the elements were below 10 ng/g and R.S.D. was around 10 %, which indicated that this method could fully satisfy the requirements for the trace analysis in high purity Te metal.
Digestion of Titanium Bearing Geologic Materials Involving Microwaves
Authors: Tripathi Anju , Chattopadhyay Partha
Published: September 2007

An environmentally friendly and rapid digestion procedure involving 10 mL of acid mixture (HNO3 : HCl : HF = 2:2:1) for 0.1 g of sample in closed vessel microwave digester following heating program : 250W for 10 min., hold time 2 min., 600 W for 17 min, and Ventilation time 10 min was developed. The operating parameters were varied and optimized by factorial design approach using “Steepest Ascent” method. The validity of the recommended digestion procedure were examined by analyzing several well characterized standard reference materials such as diabase (W2), basalt (BIR‐1, JB‐3, BHVO‐1), granite (G2), gabbro (JGb‐1), Mn‐nodule (Nod‐A‐1, Nod‐P‐1), sediment (STSD‐4, LKSD‐2), limestone (KH‐2), soil (SAu‐1), ilmenite (IGS‐31), rutile (IGS‐32), Zircon (IGS‐35) and titanium dioxide (SRM‐154b) employing both inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectrometry (ICP‐AES) and well known spectrophotometric method. An excellent agreement between the methods and the certified values of standard reference materials suggest that the digestion procedure can be used for quality control and allied purposes.
Potentiometric Membrane Sensor for the Selective Determination of Pethidine in Pharmaceutical Preparations and Biological Fluids
Authors: Shalaby Abdalla , El‐Tohamy Maha , El‐Maamly Magda , Aboul‐Enein Hassan Y.
Published: September 2007

The construction and general performance characteristics of a novel potentiometric PVC membrane sensor based on pethidine‐phosphomolybdate as electroactive material for the determination of pethidine are described. This sensor exhibits fast, stable and near‐Nernstain response 55.24±0.1, over the concentration range 1.10‐2‐1.10‐5M for pethidine‐phosphomolybdate over pH 2‐7. No interferences are caused by many organic, inorganic cations, alkaloids and amino acids. The sensor proved useful for determining pethidine in pure forms, pharmaceutical injections and monitoring the content uniformity assay of ampoules. The designed sensor also show good accuracy for the determination of pethidine in biological fluids.
An Investigation on Calcium (II) Oxalate as Solubility and Universal Standard
Authors: Antonilli Marco , Bottari Emilio , Festa Maria Rosa , Gentile Lorella
Published: September 2007

The investigation on calcium (II) oxalate is carried out in order to study its solubility in different ionic media. In the same conditions the protonation constants of oxalate and the stability of complex species have been determined. As the stoichiometric composition of the solid calcium (II) oxalate prepared for the investigation was accurately checked, the salt CaC2O4 · H2O is proposed as universal (chelometry, redox, acidimetry) standard. Results of titrations support this possibility.
Energy‐Dispersive and X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy of New Quininium‐Plastic Membrane Electrodes
Authors: Shoukry Adel F. , Maraffie Hayat M. , Al‐Shatti Laila A.
Published: September 2007

New quininium (Qn) plastic membrane electrodes of the conventional type were constructed and characterized. They are based on incorporation of Qn‐reineckate (QnRn) ion‐pair, Qn‐phosphotungstate (Qn3‐PT), or Qn‐phosphomolybdate (Qn3PM) ion associate into a poly(vinyl chloride) membrane. The electrodes are selective for Qn and have been successfully used for the determination of Qn2SO4 in pharmaceutical tablets. Nevertheless, they showed, as almost all other ion‐selective electrodes, limited life times. Energy dispersive‐ (EDS) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as electron microscopy were applied to investigate the cause of this limitation in the life times of the electrodes. The results indicated that the electrodes lose their activity after prolonged soaking as a result of leaching of the ion exchanger from the membranes into the test solution in addition to deformation at the surface of the expired electrode.
Craniofacial variation and population continuity during the South African Holocene
Authors: Stynder Deano D. , Ackermann Rebecca Rogers , Sealy Judith C.
Published: September 2007

We assess craniometric variation in 153 individually dated human crania from South Africa with the aim of investigating genetic continuity/discontinuity during the Holocene. Evidence from the archaeological record is used to pinpoint likely episodes of genetic discontinuity. Craniometric data are then used to assess the likelihood of genetic change having occurred. Two periods of possible genetic discontinuity are identified: i)c. 4,000 BP, when an increase in overall population size, shifts in site organization and diet, and reduced mobility, were accompanied by reductions in stature; ii)c. 2,000 BP, when the herding of domesticates and the use of pottery vessels were introduced into the region. Results indicate that there was a decrease in cranial size and concomitant size‐related changes in craniofacial shape betweenc.4,000 BP and 3,000 BP. This was followed almost immediately by a recovery in craniofacial size and a return to pre‐4,000 BP craniofacial shape atc. 3,000 BP. This recovery continued gradually, extending into the herder period without any major shifts in morphology at 2,000 BP. It is suggested that the fluctuations in craniofacial size/shape were related to changes in environmental factors. Results obtained are consistent with long term continuity in South African Later Stone Age populations during the Holocene. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dental indicators of health and stress in early Egyptian and Nubian agriculturalists: A difficult transition and gradual recovery
Authors: Starling Anne P. , Stock Jay T.
Published: September 2007

Although agriculture is now the globally predominant mode of food production, studies of the skeletal remains of early agriculturalists have indicated high levels of physiological stress and poor health relative to hunter‐gatherers in similar environments. Previous studies identifying this trend in different regions prompt further research of the causes and effects of subsistence transitions in human societies. Here, 242 dentitions from five ancient Egyptian and Nubian populations are examined: 38 individuals from Jebel Sahaba (Upper Paleolithic), 56 from Badari (Predynastic), 54 from Naqada (Predynastic), 47 from Tarkhan (Dynastic), and 47 from Kerma (Dynastic). These populations span the early period of agricultural intensification along the Nile valley. Skeletal remains were scored for the presence of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) of the dentition, an established indicator of physiological stress and growth interruption. The prevalence of LEH was highest in the “proto‐agricultural” (pastoralist) Badari population, with a gradual decline throughout the late Predynastic and early Dynastic periods of state formation. This suggests that the period surrounding the emergence of early agriculture in the Nile valley was associated with high stress and poor health, but that the health of agriculturalists improved substantially with the increasing urbanization and trade that accompanied the formation of the Egyptian state. This evidence for poor health among proto‐ and early agriculturalists in the Nile valley supports theories that agricultural intensification occurred as a response to ecological or demographic pressure rather than simply as an innovation over an existing stable subsistence strategy. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Knuckle walking signal in the manual digits of Pan and Gorilla
Authors: Matarazzo Stacey
Published: September 2007

This article examines the curvature of the manual proximal and middle phalanges of species belonging to Pan, Gorilla, Ateles, Macaca, Pongo, Hylobates, and Cebus to determine whether middle phalangeal curvature, when considered in conjunction with proximal phalangeal curvature, yields a locomotor signal. Prior studies have demonstrated the discriminatory power of proximal phalanges for separating suspensory species (including knuckle walkers) from pronograde quadrupedal species, but less emphasis has been placed on the distinguishing phalangeal characteristics of taxa within the suspensory category. This study demonstrates, first, that middle phalanges discriminate suspensory from nonsuspensory species, although not as cleanly as proximal phalanges. Finer discrimination of locomotor signals, including subtle differences among animals employing different modes of suspension, is possible through a comparison of the curvatures of the proximal phalanges and corresponding middle phalanges. Their relative curvature differs in quadrupeds, brachiators, and knuckle walkers. Knuckle walkers (Pan and Gorilla) have relatively little curvature of the middle phalanges coupled with marked curvature of the proximal phalanges, whereas brachiators (Ateles and Hylobates) display marked curvature of both proximal and middle phalanges, and pronograde quadrupeds (Cebus and Macaca) have relatively straight proximal and moderately curved middle phalanges. Quadrumanous climbers (Pongo) have a unique combination of traits, whereby curvature is high in both proximal and middle phalanges, but less so in the latter than the former. These differences, predictable on the basis of the biomechanical forces to which digits are subjected, may open a new venue for future research on the locomotor repertoire of prebipedal ancestors of hominins. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Morphological variation in adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) of the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire
Authors: Zihlman Adrienne L. , Stahl Daniel , Boesch Christophe
Published: September 2007

Twenty five adult chimpanzee skeletons (Pan troglodytes verus) of known age and sex (15 females, 10 males) from a long‐term study site in Taï National Park, Cote d'Ivoire present new data on variation. These skeletons provide a rare opportunity to measure the cranium and postcranium from the same individuals. We compare measurements and indices of the Taï sample with those of relatively complete Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii skeletons from Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Measurements of Pan paniscus are included as an outside comparison. The Taï and Gombe samples are analyzed by sex; combined sex samples are compared between the two groups, and the two sexes to each other. Taï females and males do not differ in most long bone lengths or in pelvic dimensions, but do differ significantly in cranial capacity, facial measurements, clavicle length, scapular breadth, and femur length. Gombe females and males differ significantly in some facial measurements and in scapular breadth. In combined sex samples, Taï individuals have lower cranial capacity, longer palate and mandible, and greater dimensions in the trunk and limb lengths. Taï females account for most of the variation; males differ from each other only in greater length of humerus and femur. The Taï skeletons provide new data for assessing individual variation and sexual dimorphism within and between populations and species. The combination of cranial and postcranial data provides a clearer picture of chimpanzee intraspecific and interspecific variation than can be gained from either data set alone. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prey foraging of red titi monkeys,Callicebus cupreus, in comparison to sympatric tamarins,Saguinus mystaxandSaguinus fuscicollis
Authors: Nadjafzadeh Mirjam N. , Heymann Eckhard W.
Published: September 2007

We compared the prey capture strategies of red titi monkeys,Callicebus cupreus, with those of sympatric mustached,Saguinus mystax, and saddleback tamarins,Saguinus fuscicollis,to examine whether animal prey is important in niche differentiation between these Neotropical primates. We collected data on strata and substrate use during foraging, on prey searching and capturing, and on prey type of twoC. cupreusgroups and one group each ofS. mystaxandS. fuscicollisduring a 5‐month field study in northeastern Peruvian Amazonia. Our results showed thatC. cupreusdiffered both fromS. mystaxandS. fuscicollisin prey capture strategies: (1)C. cupreusused lower forest strata for prey search and capture thanS. mystaxand higher forest strata thanS. fuscicollis.(2)C. cupreuscaptured prey on a higher variety of substrates thanS. mystaxand more often on open microhabitats compared toS. fuscicollis. (3)C. cupreuscaptured prey more often directly thanS. mystaxand rarely by manual search, in contrast toS. fuscicollis. (4)C. cupreusfed exclusively on arthropods and focused on Hymenoptera, in contrast to both tamarin species that focused on Orthoptera and included vertebrates in their diet. These findings indicate that animal prey plays a role in niche differentiation betweenC. cupreusandS. fuscicollis/S. mystaxand might facilitate the coexistence of these three sympatric species. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Shell thickness and chemical structure of polyurea microcapsules prepared with haxamethylene diisocyanate uretidione and isocyanurate
Authors: Takahashi Tadatsugu , Taguchi Yoshinari , Tanaka Masato
Published: September 2007

To investigate the dependence of the shell thickness on both the microcapsule size and the concentration of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) and to analyze the chemical structure of the polyurea shell, polyurea microcapsules were prepared by using the reaction between HMDI uretidione/isocyanurate and ethylene diamine (EDA) in an oil‐in‐water emulsion. In the experiment, the concentrations of hexamethylane diisocyanate and EDA were changed. The shell thickness was correlated well with the mean size and the concentration of HMDI on the surface area per unit volume of microcapsule. From the solid‐state 13C NMR spectroscopy analysis, the uretidione and isocyanurate ring structures were found to be not changed before and after the reaction. From the wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction analysis, it was suggested that the chemical structure of the polyurea shell was amorphous. From the FTIR spectra analysis, it could be concluded that polyurea microcapsules were prepared by the reaction between HMDI uretidione/isocyanate and EDA. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
Surface characteristics of ionically crosslinked chitosan membranes
Authors: Karakeçili Ayşe Gönen , Satriano Cristina , Gümüşderelioğlu Menemşe , Marletta Giovanni
Published: September 2007

In this study, homogenous dense chitosan membranes were prepared by solution‐casting procedure. Then the membranes were ionically crosslinked by sulfuric acid. The surfaces of chitosan membranes before and after crosslinking were characterized by using FTIR‐ATR, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic‐force microscopy (AFM) techniques. The XPS data suggest that the surface composition of crosslinked membrane does not change significantly with respect to uncrosslinked membrane and the most important evidence is a certain amount of sulfur, coming from the crosslinker. The result from FTIR‐ATR data shows the effectiveness of the crosslinking procedure by the shift in amide I and amide II bands. The investigation of membrane surfaces by AFM indicates that the crosslinking procedure modifies the surface morphology of chitosan. After crosslinking, the surface topography becomes more homogenous and relatively flat. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
Trichloroacetic acid‐imprinted polypyrrole film and its property in piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance and electrochemical sensors to application for determination of haloacetic acids disinfection by‐product in drinking water
Authors: Suedee Roongnapa , Intakong Wimon , Lieberzeit Peter A. , Wanichapichart Pikul , Chooto Pipat , Dickert Franz L.
Published: September 2007

A molecularly trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) imprinted non‐crosslinked polypyrole (TCAA‐MIPpy) has been successfully prepared and evaluated in its properties for both piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and electrochemical means of detection, and application of such sensors for determination of haloacetic acid concentrations in water. Haloacetic acid selectivity was demonstrated in gravimetric or in electrochemical sensors via either cyclic voltammetric or inter‐digitated conductometric (IDC) analyses studies upon comparison with nonimprinted polypyrrole and TCAA‐imprinted polypyrrole. The measurement results with all these systems revealed that the prepared molecularly imprinted polymer can recognize TCAA well from structurally similar compounds. The TCAA‐MIPpy incorporated with only the IDC transduction system produced the specific signal for TCAA detection in aqueous environment, which is useful for the quantifying TCAA disinfection by‐product in water. The analytical application for determination of TCAA in real‐life samples was readily achieved with the incorporation of TCAA‐MIPpy in the IDC analysis system, the results revealing the high sensitivity and selectivity of the method. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
The factors of speeds and loads on the tribological properties of PVA‐H/HA composites
Authors: Wu Gang , Wang Chengtao , Zhang Wenguang
Published: September 2007

Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Hydroxy apatite (HA) composite prepared from aqueous solution of the polymer and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) by freezing and thawing method are developing to repair or replace articular cartilage. In the present study, the tribological behaviors of this composite were investigated in a three‐factor, three‐level designed experiment using an improved four‐ball tester. Factors include sliding velocity, applied load, and HA content of composite. Friction coefficient of the PVA‐H/HA was found to depend significantly on load and sliding velocity, while HA content had small effects on the friction coefficient of PVA‐HA composite. We also found that wear loss of PVA‐H/HA increased sharply with the increasing loads and HA content of specimen. Increased HA content from 0.5% to 1.5% resulted in an increasing of 355% in wear loss, while increasing sliding velocity slightly decreases wear loss of specimen. We also found some correlation between friction coefficient and wear loss of specimen under the given condition. These results may be useful in the tribological design of PVA‐H/HA composite for both low wear and low friction using as artificial cartilage substitutes. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
Polypeptide/layered silicate nanocomposites using fish‐based collagen peptide: Effect of crosslinking and chain extension of the collagen peptide
Authors: Teramoto Naozumi , Uchiumi Daisuke , Niikura Ayako , Someya Yoshihiro , Shibata Mitsuhiro
Published: September 2007

Collagen peptide (ColP), which was extracted from fish scale with hot water was mixed with glutaraldehyde (GA) in water in the presence of sodium montmorillonite (MMT), and subsequent heat treatment gave the ColP crosslinked by GA (GA‐ColP)/MMT composite films. Also, the ColP was chain extended by the use of a water‐soluble carbodiimide and 1‐hydroxybenzotriazole to give a chain‐extended collagen peptide (CE‐ColP). The composite films based on the CE‐ColP and MMT were prepared by solution‐casting method. The XRD and TEM analyses of their composites revealed that the exfoliated nanocomposites whose silicate layers are finely dispersed are formed for CE‐ColP/MMT, and that the degree of exfoliation decreases with the increasing feed amount of GA for GA‐ColP/MMT. Although GA‐ColP/MMT films were very brittle, CE‐ColP/MMT films were relatively tough. Storage moduli of the CE‐ColP/MMT films were higher than that of CE‐ColP film, and increased with increasing inorganic content. The 10% weight loss temperature of GA‐ColP (325°C) was higher than that of CE‐ColP (302°C), and the addition of MMT to GA‐ColP and CE‐ColP resulted in a slight rise of the degradation temperature. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
Influence of nanoclay on properties of HDPE/wood composites
Authors: Lei Yong , Wu Qinglin , Clemons Craig M. , Yao Fei , Xu Yanjun
Published: September 2007

Composites based on high density polyethylene (HDPE), pine flour, and organic clay were made by melt compounding and then injection molding. The influence of clay on crystallization behavior, mechanical properties, water absorption, and thermal stability of HDPE/pine composites was investigated. The HDPE/pine composites containing exfoliated clay were made by a two‐step melt compounding procedure with the aid of a maleated polyethylene (MAPE). The use of 2% clay decreased the crystallization temperature (Tc), crystallization rate, and the crystallinity level of the HDPE/pine composites, but did not change the crystalline thickness. When 2% MAPE was added, the crystallization rate increased, but the crystallinity level was further lowered. The flexural and tensile strength of HDPE/pine composites increased about 20 and 24%, respectively, with addition of 1% clay, but then decreased slightly as the clay content increased to 3%. The tensile modulus and tensile elongation were also increased with the addition of 1% clay. The impact strength was lowered about 7% by 1% clay, but did not decrease further as more clay was added. The MAPE improved the state of dispersion in the composites. Moisture content and thickness swelling of the HDPE/pine composites was reduced by the clay, but the clay did not improve the composite thermal stability. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
Morphological, thermal, and mechanical studies of film elaborated with the blend low‐density polyethylene and chemical‐modified banana starch
Authors: Torres Apolonio Vargas , Zamudio‐Flores Paul Baruk , Salgado‐Delgado René , Bello‐Pérez Luis Arturo
Published: September 2007

Films were prepared by extrusion acetylated and oxidized banana starches at different concentration mixed with low‐density polyethylene. Morphological, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of the films were tested. Irregularities in the films prepared with native and oxidized banana starches were observed by scanning electron microscopy. This pattern is maybe due to the incompatibility between both polymers. However, films elaborated with acetylated banana starch showed a smooth surface. The tensile strength and elongation at break decreased when starch level in the blend increased. An inverse pattern was showed for elastic module. The effect on mechanical properties was more notorious in those films elaborated with the acetylated and oxidized banana starches. Two thermal transitions were observed by differential scanning calorimetry, the principal transition at ∼ 111°C was due to disorganization of the low‐density polyethylene. Enthalpy value associated to that principal transition was higher in the films elaborated with acetylated banana starch, showing higher compatibility between both polymers. The use of biodegradable polymers such as chemically modified banana starch might be feasible for elaboration of films with adequate mechanical properties. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007