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Connection and reunion is central to adoption, though complicated by geographical, cultural and linguistic differences in the intercountry adoption space. Drawing from narrative interviews, this study investigated perspectives on connection from the perspectives of adult adopted persons and adoptive parents in Australia, from families of origin in Taiwan and from professionals in both countries. Two primary themes characterising perspectives were found: openness to the possibilities of connection was the predominant theme among adoptees and adoptive parents, and concerns about disrupting the status quo was most common among birth mothers. These two perspectives are both distinct and at times simultaneously held. While connection in adoption is inherently personal and relational, due to the complex, sensitive and evolving nature of connections in adoption, developing and negotiating connections relies strongly on statutory and institutional policies and practices. The article concludes by discussing implications for policies and practices related to openness in intercountry adoption. Key practitioner message: • The study identified how connection is narrated and openness practiced by adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents and professionals in Taiwan–Australia adoptions; • Adoption practice should take account of different narratives of connection and life changes that may impact upon openness and interest in reunion; • The study underscores how statutory and institutional policies and practices affect the narration of connection beyond the personal and relational. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid‐state white light‐emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) show promising advantages of simple solution fabrication processes, low operation voltage, and compatibility with air‐stable cathode metals, which are required for lighting applications. To date, white LECs based on ionic transition metal complexes (iTMCs) have shown higher device efficiencies than white LECs employing other types of materials. However, lower emission efficiencies of red iTMCs limit further improvement in device performance. As an alternative, efficient red CdZnSeS/ZnS core/shell quantum dots were integrated with a blue iTMC to form a hybrid white LEC in this work. By achieving good carrier balance in an appropriate device architecture, a peak external quantum efficiency and power efficiency of 11.2 % and 15.1 lm W−1, respectively, were reached. Such device efficiency is indeed higher than those of the reported white LECs based on host–guest iTMCs. Time‐ and voltage‐dependent electroluminescence (EL) characteristics of the hybrid white LECs were studied by means of the temporal evolution of the emission‐zone position extracted by fitting the simulated and measured EL spectra. The working principle of the hybrid white LECs was clarified, and the high device efficiency makes potential new white‐emitting devices suitable for solid‐state lighting technology possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT 4-Isopropenyl phenol ( 4-IPP) is a versatile dual functional intermediate that can be prepared readily from bisphenol-A ( BPA). Through etherification with epichlorohydrin to the phenolic group of 4-IPP, it can be converted into 4-isopropenyl phenyl glycidyl ether ( IPGE). On further reaction with carbon dioxide in the presence of tetra-n-butyl ammonium bromide ( TBAB) as the catalyst, IPGE was transformed into 4-isopropenylphenoxy propylene carbonate ( IPPC) in 90% yield. Cationic polymerization of IPPC with strong acid such as trifluoromethanesulfonic acid or boron trifluoride diethyl etherate as the catalyst at −40 °C gave a linear poly(isopropenylphenoxy propylene carbonate), poly( IPPC), with multicyclic carbonate groups substituted uniformly at the side-chains of the polymer. The cyclic carbonate groups of poly( IPPC) were further reacted with different aliphatic amines and diamines resulting in formation of polymers with hydroxy-polyurethane on side-chains. Syntheses, characterizations of poly( IPPC) and its conversion into hydroxy-polyurethane crosslinked polymers were presented. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 802-808 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a scalable approach for preparation of blood-inert materials and shape-reproducible electrospun polymeric mats. A mainchain polybenzoxazine (PBz) is used as the raw material and the surface energy measure with cured PBz plain film which is slow compared to the value of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE). It states that it is noteworthy that the cured PBz electrospun fiber mat shows a more amphiphobic characteristic equated to plan crosslinked PBz film.

ABSTRACT A diallyl-containing bisphenol, 1,1-bis(3-allyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6 H -dibenzo [c,e][1,2] oxaphosphorin-6-yl) ethane ( 1), was prepared by a two-step procedure. Then, a diallyl-containing diamine, 1,1-bis(3-allyl-4-(4-aminophenoxy)-phenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6 H-dibenzo [c,e][1,2] oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane ( 3), was prepared from the nucleophilic substitution of ( 1) with 4-fluoronitrobenzene, followed by the reduction by Fe/HCl. A flexible polyimide ( 4) with curable diallyl linkages was prepared from the condensation of ( 3) and 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride in m-cresol in the presence of isoquinoline. Curing polyimide ( 4) at 300 °C leads to thermosetting polyimide ( 5). We discussed the amounts of allyl group on Tg, coefficient of thermal expansion, and thermal stability of thermosetting polyimides, and found that thermal properties and dimensional stability of thermosetting polyimides increase with the amounts of cured allyl moieties. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 513-520 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We have developed a sequence-dependent synthesis of the amino-functionalized poly(ether sulfone) P2. The amino groups of P2 act as reactive sites toward epoxy resins. After curing P2 with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and cresol novolac epoxy (CNE), we obtained the flexible, light-yellow, transparent, epoxy thermosetting films P2/DGEBA, and P2/CNE, respectively, having glass transition temperatures ( Tg) of 258 and 274°C, respectively. In addition, we also prepared a flexible film after condensation of the amino groups of P2 with the anhydride groups of 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA); after imidization at 300°C for 1 h, the resulting P2/ODPA thermosetting film possessed a value of Tg of 340°C. These three thermosetting films also exhibited flame retardancy with a UL-94 VTM-0 grade. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40980. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In an effort to develop a green process for the production of elastomeric polyurethane-urea (PUaE) through a nonisocyanate route, a highly practical method was found using diphenyl carbonate (DPC) instead of diisocyanate as the carbonylation agent. The transesterification of aliphatic diamines in a solvent such as tetramethylene sulfone (TMS) with DPC results in a new process obtaining new segmented PUaE with high molecular weights and excellent mechanical performance. The key to the present success lies in the timing and sequence of the diamine addition forming initial carbamate intermediates in situ and then in shifting the equilibrium toward polyurea product formation by phenol removal from the TMS solution so that high-molecular-weight polyurea could be formed favorably. The most optimized polyurea films made in this study has a ηinh of 0.64, with high-performance characteristics showing tensile strength of greater than 30 MPa and elongation exceeding 400% with decomposition temperature (5%) of >280 °C. Well-defined soft- and hard-segment domains were observed for the products as determined by atomic force microscope. This new improved process to produce segmented polyurea thereby complies fully with the principles of green chemistry using readily available chemicals. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 2781-2790 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A propargyl ether-containing benzoxazine (4) was prepared from a potassium carbonate-catalyzed nucleophilic substitution of propargyl bromide and a phenolic OH-containing benzoxazine (3), which was prepared from 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-aminophenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6H -dibenz <1,2> oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane (1) by a three-step procedure. The curing reactions of (4) were monitored by IR and DSC. A reaction mechanism was proposed based on the observation. Benzoxazines (3) and (4) were applied as epoxy curing agents. The microstructure and the structure-property relationship of the resulting thermosets are discussed. The double-strand structure in (4)-cured epoxy thermosets afforded higher crosslinking density, and led to higher thermal properties. In addition, the (4)-cured epoxy thermosets possess half the amount of highly polar hydroxyl groups than those of the (3)-cured epoxy thermosets, resulting in a lower dielectric constant, dissipation factor, and water absorption. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 1359-1367 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A new phosphinated acetoxybenzoic acid, 1-(4-acetoxyphenyl)-1-(4-carboxylphenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6H-dibenz<1,2> oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane (3), was prepared by a three-step procedure. Phosphinated copolyesters based on the acidolysis and polycondensation of (3) with poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were prepared. The crystallinity of copolyesters decreased gradually with the content of (3), as shown in wide-angle X-ray diffractograms and differential scanning calorimetry thermograms. Dynamic mechanical analysis and thermal mechanical analysis show Tg increased with the content of (3). UL-94 flame retardant test shows that the flame resistance of PET was enhanced with the content of (3), and a copolyester with UL-94 V-0 grade can be achieved with a phosphorus content as low as 1.43 wt %. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 424-434 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Four novel diamines (9-12) were prepared by a two-step procedure from phosphinated phenols (1-4) that were prepared from acid-fragmentation of four bisphenols, including bisphenol A, 4,4′-isopropylidenebis(2,6-dimethylphenol), cis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane, and 9,9′- bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene, followed by nucleophilic addition of 9,10-dihydro-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO). Copolyimides based on (9-12)/4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA)/dianhydride were prepared. The structure-property relationship on the copolyimides was discussed. Due to the structural similarity, (9)/ODA-based copolyimides were compared with (10)/ODA-based copolyimides, while (11)/ODA-based copolyimides were compared with (12)/ODA-based copolyimides. The dimethyl substitutents cause (10)/ODA-based copolyimides to display higher Tg, modulus, dimensional stability, contact angle, and better solubility than (9)/ODA-based copolyimides. (12)/ODA-based copolyimides that exhibit fluorene moieties display higher Tg and thermal stability, but a lower contact angle and poorer solubility than (11)/ODA-based copolyimides that exhibit cyclohexane moieties. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 390-400 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT High-performance and flexible poly(pyrrolone imide)s (PPyIs) were firstly prepared by the reaction of dianhydrides with an unsymmetric phosphinated triamine, 1-(3,4-diaminophenyl)-1-(4-aminophenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6H -dibenz <1,2> oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane (1), which was prepared by a facile, one-pot procedure from the reaction DOPO, 4-aminoacetophenone in excess o-phenylenediamine in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid. Thermal properties of the resulting PPyIs were evaluated and compared with those of phosphinated polyimides with a similar structure. All of the prepared PPyIs films are tough and creasable. They display higher Tg (374-412 °C), lower coefficient of thermal expansion (34-46 ppm/°C), and better thermal stability ( Td 5 wt %: 456-477 °C, 800 °C char yield: 59-63%) than analogous phosphinated polyimides. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2709-2715 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternaria species produce and excrete dimethyl coprogen siderophores to acquire iron. The Alternaria alternata gene AaNPS6, encoding a polypeptide analogous to fungal nonribosomal peptide synthetases, was found to be required for the production of siderophores and virulence on citrus. Siderophores purified from culture filtrates of the wild-type strain did not induce any phytotoxicity on the leaves of citrus. Fungal strains lacking AaNPS6 produced little or no detectable extracellular siderophores and displayed an increased sensitivity to H2O2, superoxide-generating compounds ( KO2 and menadione) and iron depletion. Δ nps6 mutants were also defective for the production of melanin and conidia. The introduction of a wild-type AaNPS6 under the control of its endogenous promoter to a Δ nps6 null mutant at least partially restored siderophore production and virulence to citrus, demonstrating a functional link between iron uptake and fungal pathogenesis. Elevated sensitivity to H2O2, seen for the Δ nps6 null strain could be relieved by exogenous application of ferric iron. The expression of the AaNPS6 gene was highly up-regulated under low-iron conditions and apparently controlled by the redox-responsive yeast transcriptional regulator YAP1. Hence, the maintenance of iron homeostasis via siderophore-mediated iron uptake also plays an important role in resistance to toxic reactive oxygen species ( ROS). Our results demonstrate further the critical role of ROS detoxification for the pathogenicity of A. alternata in citrus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An allyl-containing diphenol, 1-(3-allyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-hydoxyphenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6H -dibenz[c,e][1,2]oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane (1), was prepared from a one-pot reaction of 9,10-dihydro-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide, 4-hydroxyacetophenone, and 2-allylphenol in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate. Then, an allyl-containing dietheramine, 1-(4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl)-1-(3-allyl 4-(4-aminophenoxy)-phenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6H-dibenz[c,e][1,2] oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane (3), was prepared from the nucleophilic substitution of (1) with 4-fluoronitrobenzene, followed by the reduction of the dinitro groups by Fe/HCl. A flexible polyetherimide (PEI) (4) with a curable characteristic was prepared from the condensation of (3) and 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA) in m-cresol in the presence of isoquinoline. Curing PEI (4) at 300 °C leads to PEI (5), which exhibits much a higher Tg value (307 °C) and a lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) (29 ppm/°C) than PEI (4) ( Tg = 253 °C, CTE 52 ppm/°C). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A benzoxazine ( P-bapf) based on 9,9-bis(4-aminophenyl)fluorene (BAPF), phenol, and formaldehyde was successfully prepared using two-pot and one-pot procedures. In the two-pot approach, BAPF initially reacted with 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, leading to 9,9-bis(4-(2-hydroxybenzylideneimino)phenyl)fluorene. The imine linkages of 9,9-bis(4-(2-hydroxybenzylideneimino)phenyl)fluorene were then reduced by sodium borohydride, forming 9,9-bis(4-(2-hydroxybenzylamino)phenyl)fluorene. Finally, paraformaldehyde was added to induce ring closure condensation, forming benzoxazine ( P-bapf). In the one-pot approach, P-bapf was obtained directly by reacting BAPF, phenol, and paraformaldehyde in various solvents. Among the solvents, we found that using toluene/ethanol (2/1, v/v) as a solvent leads to the best purity and yield. No gelation was observed in the preparation. The structure of the resulting benzoxazine was confirmed by 1H, 13C, 1H1H and 1H13C NMR spectra. P-bapf exhibits a photoluminescent emission at 395 nm under an excitation of 275 nm. After curing, the resulting P-bapf thermoset exhibits Tg as high as 236 °C, and the Tg can be further increased to 260 °C by copolymerization with an equal equivalent of cresol novolac epoxy. The 5% degradation temperature of the P-bapf thermoset reaches as high as 413 °C (N2) and 431 °C (air). The refractive index at 589 nm is as high as 1.70, demonstrating a high refractive index characteristic of fluorene linkage. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, protection and deprotection procedures of amino groups are required in preparing propargyl ether-containing benzoxazines. In this study, we report a facile, deprotection-free preparation of a propargyl ether-containing phosphinated benzoxazine (2) from the nucleophilic substitution of a phenolic OH-containing phosphinated benzoxazine (1) and propargyl bromide in the catalysis of potassium carbonate. The structure of (2) was characterized and confirmed by a high-resolution mass spectrum, 1H, 13C, 1H-1H, 1H-13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, and X-ray single crystal diffractogram. infrared (IR) and differential scanning calorimetry were used to monitor the ring-opening of benzoxazine and crosslinking of propargyl ether. The microstructure and the structure-property relationship of the resulting homopolymers and copolymers are discussed. The Tg of homopolymer of (2) is 208 °C by dynamic mechanical analysis, the coefficient of thermal expansion is 43 ppm/°C, and Td 5% (N2) is 393 °C, respectively, which are higher than those of the homopolymer of (1). Similar trends were observed in the copolymerization system. The results demonstrate the beneficial effect of crosslinking afforded by the propargyl ether group is higher than that by the phenolic OH group. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reveal a route for the preparation of phosphinated bisphenol, 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6H-dibenz <1,2> oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane (2), via a one-pot reaction of 1,1,1-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane and 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene 10-oxide (DOPO) in the catalysis of p-toluenesulfonic acid. A two-step reaction mechanism, acid-fragmentation of 1,1,1-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane followed by nucleophilic addition of DOPO, is proposed for the synthesis. Based on (2), a dicyanate ester derivative, 1,1-bis(4-cyanatophenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6H-dibenz <1,2> oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane (3) was prepared and co-cured with a commercially available dicyanate ester, the dicyanate ester of bisphenol A (BACY). Experimental data show that incorporating (3) into BACY enhances the flame retardancy and dielectric properties with little penalty to the thermal properties. A thermoset with Tg 274 °C, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) 49 ppm/°C, Dk 3.04 (1 GHz), Td (5%,) N2: 435 °C, air: 424 °C, and UL-94 V-0 rating can be achieved via this approach. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Fungi respond and adapt to different environmental stimuli via signal transduction systems. We determined the function of a yeast SLT2 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase homologue ( AaSLT2) in Alternaria alternata, the fungal pathogen of citrus. Analysis of the loss-of-function mutant indicated that AaSLT2 is required for the production of a host-selective toxin, and is crucial for fungal pathogenicity. Moreover, the A. alternata slt2 mutants displayed hypersensitivity to cell wall-degrading enzymes and chemicals such as Calcofluor white and Congo red. This implicates an important role of AaSLT2 in the maintenance of cell wall integrity in A. alternata. The A. alternata slt2 mutants were also hypersensitive to a heteroaromatic compound, 2-chloro-5-hydroxypyridine, and a plant growth regulator, 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid. Developmentally, the AaSLT2 gene product was shown to be critical for conidial formation and hyphal elongation. Compared with the wild-type, the mutants produced fewer but slightly larger conidia with less transverse septae. The mutants also accumulated lower levels of melanin and chitin. Unlike the wild-type progenitor, the A. alternata slt2 mutants produced globose, swollen hyphae that did not elongate in a straight radial direction. All defective phenotypes in the mutant were restored by transformation and expression of a wild-type copy of AaSLT2 under the control of its endogenous promoter. This study highlights an important role of the AaSLT2 MAP kinase-mediated signalling pathway, regulating diverse physiological, developmental and pathological functions, in the tangerine pathotype of A. alternata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on preparing soluble, high- Tg polyetherimides (PEIs) with good flame retardancy. To achieve this goal, a phosphinated aminophenol, 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-aminophenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6H-dibenz〈c,e〉〈1,2〉oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane ( 1), was prepared. Then, an asymmetric etherdiamine, 1-(4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl)-1-(4-aminophenyl)-1-(6-oxido-6H-dibenz〈c,e〉〈1,2〉oxaphosphorin-6-yl)ethane ( 3), was prepared from the nucleophilic substitution of ( 1) with 4-chloronitrobenzene, followed by catalytic hydrogenation. Light colored, tough, and foldable PEIs ( 5) with good thermal stability, organo-solubility, and good flame retardancy were synthesized from the condensation of ( 3) with various aromatic dianhydrides in N, N-dimethylacetamide, followed by thermal imidization. Properties of the resulting PEIs were evaluated and compared with those of symmetric PEIs ( 5′) and polyimides ( 5″). The structure-property relationships were discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two flame‐retardant epoxy curing agents, 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐yl‐tris(4‐hydroxyphenyl)methane (1) and 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐yl‐ (4‐aminophenyl)‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)methane (2), were prepared by a facile, economic, one‐pot procedure. The structures of the curing agents were confirmed by IR, high‐resolution mass, 1‐D, and 2‐D NMR spectra. A reaction mechanism was proposed for the preparation, and the effect of electron withdrawing/donating effects on the stabilization of the carbocation was discussed. (1‐2) served as curing agents for diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), dicyclopentadiene epoxy (HP‐7200), and cresol novolac epoxy (CNE). Properties such as glass transition temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal decomposition temperature, and flame retardancy of the resulting epoxy thermosets were evaluated. The resulting epoxy thermosets show high Tg, low thermal expansion, moderate thermostability, and excellent flame retardancy. The bulky biphenylene phosphinate pendant makes polymer chains difficult to rotate, explaining the high Tg and low thermal expansion characteristic. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7898–7912, 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover page of the journal "Advanced Materials Interfaces" is presented.