bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observations on Changes in Kazak Pastoral Use in Two Townships in Western China: A Loss of Traditions
Authors: Bedunah Don , Harris Richard
Published: September 2007

We provide observations regarding changes in pastoral use within two Kazak areas in the People's Republic of China to illustrate how very different pastoral use can be in similar areas within the same cultural group. The first area is Jianshe Township of Aksai Kazak Autonomous County, in western Gansu Province. The second area is Kurti Township in Fuyun County, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. In both townships, livestock production from extensive rangelands was the primary economic activity. Our main reason for examining rangeland issues arose from a general view among county officials that overgrazing was threatening rangeland sustainability. Kazak pastoralists were traditional users in the study areas, at least for most of the twentieth century. By the time of our study, the largely Kazak-owned herds in Jianshe had given way to a Han majority, and traditional pastoral practices had been largely replaced by inexperienced contract herders who originated from other regions of China. The change to contract herders with little livestock experience may be a serious threat to sustainable grazing management as traditional ecological knowledge has been lost. In Kurti Township, Kazaks have maintained more traditional movement of livestock, with some herders moving 400 km between winter and summer pastures. However, even in this area the traditional Kazak pastoral culture is threatened from both within (Kazaks themselves) and from outside (policies from Beijing) by attempts to settle herders. In this township, agriculture has become important along rivers, herders are securing rights over irrigated lands to produce hay crops, and many complain of the long distances between pastures and want to become settled.
“No more Potsdam!” Konrad Adenauer's Nightmare and the Basis of his International Orientation
Authors: Dülffer Jost
Published: September 2007

The years of Adenauer's chancellorship 1949-1963 were an extremely violent and anxiety laden period in recent history. Adenauer himself tried to combine as basic aims Western integration and German unification, but the latter more and more became a matter of lip-service for the time being for domestic reasons. The article focused on his Potsdam complex which meant the fear that the Western allies and the Soviet Union might find a solution of the German question without unification or in a kind of neutralism. In the course of the 1950ies and especially during the Berlin Wall crisis 1958-1962, Adenauer's course became more and more isolated because he tried to prevent all talks on relaxation of tensions, but also on the German question: both might lead to a status minor and the FRG especially. The author demonstrates how this process of isolation in the domestic as well as in the international field diminished the authority of the first chancellor of the FRG. He nevertheless continued to adhere to the necessary dichotomy of the Cold War camps with being able to formulate a diverging line. It is suggested that these questions of alternatives to the Cold War, given the mutual anxiety of the two camps should be used as a starting point for further research.
Translating Economics into Politics in Cold War Germany
Authors: C. Van Hook James
Published: September 2007

Economics and economic history have a fundamental role to play in our understanding of Cold War Germany. Yet, it is still difficult to establish concrete links between economic phenomena and the most important questions facing post 1945 historians. Obviously, one may evaluate West Germany's “economic miracle,” the success of western European integration, or the end of communism in 1989 from a purely economic point of view. To achieve a deeper understanding of Cold War Germany, however, one must evaluate whether the social market economy represented an adequate response to Nazism, if memory and perspective provided the decisive impulse for European integration, or if the Cold War ended in Europe because of changes in western nuclear strategy. Economic history operates in relation to politics, culture, and historical memory. The parameters for economic action are often as determined by the given political culture of the moment, as they are by the feasibility of alternative economic philosophies.
On the Road to a German “Postnationalism”? Athletic Competition between the Two German States in the Era of Konrad Adenauer
Authors: H. Geyer Martin
Published: September 2007

Sports have always been used to promote the nation state and the invention of national traditions with national symbols such as flags and national hymns playing an important role. This article looks at the peculiar situation of the post-war period when two Germanys established themselves also in the field of sports, yet cooperated in some athletic disciplines, and, most important of all, at the Olympic Games until 1968. This raised a great number of delicate political questions, particularly the politics of the nonrecognition of the GDR which strove hard to establish itself internationally by way of the international sports movement. Konrad Adenauer and the German Sports Organization clashed on this issue which brought to the fore the question of a German and an emerging West-German identity. In order to describe this negotiation of the nation state in the realm of sports, this article tries to make fruitful use of the term postnationalism in order to understand the ambiguities of identity of Germans towards their nation state. It also takes a brief look at the Olympic Games of 1972, which epitomizes more than anything else the peculiar postnationalism of the Federal Republic.
Reindeer Herding in Transition: Historical and Modern Day Challenges for Alaskan Reindeer Herders
Authors: Finstad Greg L. , Kielland Knut K. , Schneider William S.
Published: September 2007

The people of northwestern Alaska have had a long relationship with local populations of Rangifer tarandus. During the last 200 years this relationship has changed from one of subsistence to overexploitation of caribou (the name for wild reindeer in North America), to commercial livestock production of semi domesticated reindeer and now may be returning to a subsistence economy based on caribou. Reindeer were introduced to Alaska in 1892 because of the disappearance of caribou, a subsistence resource. Until recently, reindeer meat and velvet antler production generated significant employment and revenue important to the economies of rural Alaskan communities. However, from 1976 to 1996 the Western Arctic Caribou Herd (WACH) increased from about 75,000 to 463,000 animals. Concurrently, winter range use of the WACH shifted westward onto traditional reindeer ranges of the Seward Peninsula for the first time in over 100 years. This event has produced socio-economic and ecological consequences for the region. Many reindeer herders have lost 75-100 percent of their herds through commingling and out-migration with wild caribou. This loss, amounting to over 17,000 reindeer, represents a potential economic value of millions of dollars. Many herders have adopted new technologies, such as satellite telemetry and intensive herding to salvage what is left of their herds. Here we discuss the role of grazing animals and patterns of human resource use in an Arctic system. We then discuss our findings on the effects and changes in management practices brought about by caribou incursion in the context of the regional economy on the Seward Peninsula.
The Performative Machine: Transfer of Ownership in a Northwest Russian Reindeer Herding Community (Kola Peninsula)
Authors: Konstantinov Yulian , Vladimirova Vladislava
Published: September 2007

The article is based on longitudinal fieldwork with reindeer herders in the Kola Peninsula, northwest Russia. Its main ethnographic focus is SKhPK 'Tundra' (sel'sko khoziastvennaia proizvoditel'naia kooperatsiia - agricultural producing cooperative) of Lovozero. The main argument is that a state of communal affairs under the dominance of the state farm (sovkhoz), during the Soviet period, privileged domestic economies of the farm workers to be supported by the collective assets of the farm. The authors see this state of 'private-in-the-collective' arrangement as 'sovkhoism' and view the present variety of rural organisational forms in Russia as greater or lesser departures from it.
Neo-Entrepreneurship as an Adaptation Model of Reindeer Herding in Finland
Authors: Heikkinen Hannu
Published: September 2007

Reindeer herding is an old and impressively adapted livelihood supporting a unique cultural continuity of both Sámi and Finnish populations in northern Finland. Through centuries both have adapted to the changing social, cultural and ecological circumstances. This article focuses on reindeer herders as active conformists who try to adapt personally and communally to changing environments. The main focus is on the adaptation models of full-time reindeer herders and especially on the rather new cultural trait that is called neo-entrepreneurship in this article as distinct from traditional reindeer husbandry as economic behaviour. The current discourse in Finland concerning reindeer herding has focused on resolving conflicts between herding and the other land use forms, such as forestry, tourism, nature conservation, hydropower and infrastructure development (Raitio 2001; Heikkinen 2003; Jokinen 2005). This article focuses instead on reindeer herders as active conformists who try to adapt personally and communally to changing economic, cultural and ecological environments.
Confined and Sustainable? A Critique of Recent Pastoral Policy for Reindeer Herding in Finnmark, Northern Norway
Authors: Marin Andrei F.
Published: September 2007

Recently, an increasing number of development plans and strategies for pastoral communities have failed to ensure the sought sustainability, especially in ecosystems characterised by fluctuating environmental conditions. Many of these strategies are centred on a policy of confining, controlling and settling the nomadic herders. This article illustrates some of the principles and pitfalls of this approach with the case of semi-nomadic reindeer herding in Northern Norway. It juxtaposes the management views advocated by the herders with those expressed and implied by the recent state policies for reindeer herding. The focus is placed on the changes in land tenure and resource access. On the one hand, the state policy is founded on the assumptions of the tragedy-of-the-commons theory and argues for a formalised individual tenure regime as the only arrangement able to prevent/redress the alleged environmental degradation. On the other hand, the herders argue for a complex, and at times paradoxical, tenure and management regime, one that ensures both tenure security and flexibility, an adaptation of customary principles to the present situation. Our conclusion supports increasing evidence from elsewhere that gaps between the policy prescriptions and the pastoral management strategies have often resulted in negative social and environmental consequences. We argue for the need to include the experience and expectations of the herders in the design of legitimate and enduring co-management regimes as the only sustainable alternative.
Conversations with Ole K. Sara, Retired Head of the Reindeer Administration in Norway
Authors: Paine Robert
Published: September 2007

In these conversations of March 2001 and 2002, Ole K. Sara, the first Saami to head the national administration of Norwegian Saami reindeer pastoralism, reflects - candidly - on how crucial issues were handled: resolved or avoided? If resolved, to whose end? A crucial point here is how Sara was aware of how he had responsibilities to two constituencies simultaneously: government and pastoralists.
Reconversion de populicultures et biodiversité | Conversion of poplar plantations and biodiversity
Authors: Boesch Anne , Pellet Jérôme , Maibach Alain
Published: September 2007

The effects of poplar plantations on biodiversity are still unclear. In the current context of converting these plantations into more natural forests, it might be even more important to predict the effects of different conversion strategies on biological richness. Our study evaluated the impacts of the two conversion strategies clear-cutting and non-intervention on three aspects of biodiversity: floristic richness and composition, presence of invasive plants, and presence of woodpeckers. The floristic species richness in clear-cut sites was not significantly higher than in non-intervention sites. In the study, the non-intervention appears more adequate because of its higher resistance to invasive plant species, and by the fact that the non-intervention allows the maintenance of higher loads of dead wood (either standing or on the ground), thus allowing saproxylophagous as well as holedwelling species to find food and shelter at the same location.
Further evidence for the validity of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm
Authors: Giancola Peter R. , Parrott Dominic J.
Published: September 2007

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) as a measure of direct physical aggression. Hypotheses were generated from recent theory pertinent to the categorization and measurement of aggressive behavior as well as widely supported effects of alcohol intoxication and gender on aggression. Participants were 328 (163 men and 165 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age who completed self‐report personality inventories designed to assess one's propensity toward direct physical aggression, verbal aggression, trait anger, and hostility. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on the TAP, in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Direct physical aggression was operationalized as the shock intensities (i.e., first trial shock intensity, mean shock intensity, proportion of highest shock) administered to the fictitious opponent. Although all self‐report measures were significantly associated with the three TAP indices, the associations involving physical aggression were strongest. In addition, self‐report measures of physical aggression consistently predicted higher levels of aggression on the TAP indices in men, compared with women, and in intoxicated, relative to sober, participants. Taken as a whole, this pattern of findings provides further evidence for the validity of the TAP as a measure of direct physical aggression for men and women. Aggr. Behav. 34:214–229, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Organic Bioelectronics
Authors: Berggren M. , Richter‐Dahlfors A.
Published: September 2007

During the last two decades, organic electroactive materials have been explored as the working material in a vast array of electronic devices, promising low‐cost, flexible, and easily manufactured systems. The same materials also possess features that make them unique in bioelectronics applications, where electronic signals are translated into biosignals and vice versa. Here we review, in the broadest sense, the field of organic bioelectronics, describing the electronic properties and mechanisms of the organic electronic materials that are utilized in specific biological experiments.
Simultaneous fault diagnosis in chemical plants using a multilabel approach
Authors: Yélamos Ignacio , Graells Moisès , Puigjaner Luis , Escudero Gerard
Published: September 2007

One of the main limitations of current plant supervisory control systems is the reliability and the correct management of simultaneous faults, which is crucial for supporting the plant operators' decision making. In this work, a MultiLabel approach that makes use of support vector machines as the learning algorithm is employed to arrange a novel fault diagnosis system (FDS). The FDS is trained to address a difficult control case study from industry widely studied in the literature, the Tennessee Eastman process. Successful results have been obtained when diagnosing up to four simultaneous faults. These results are very promising since they have been obtained by just using simple training sets consisting of single faults, thus proving a very high learning capacity. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2007
Association of the SLC1A1 glutamate transporter gene and obsessive‐compulsive disorder
Authors: Stewart S. Evelyn , Fagerness Jesen A. , Platko Jill , Smoller Jordan W. , Scharf Jeremiah M. , Illmann Cornelia , Jenike Eric , Chabane Nadia , Leboyer Marion , Delorme Richard , Jenike Michael A. , Pauls David L.
Published: September 2007

Context: Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating illness with putative glutamatergic abnormalities. Two separate proximal haplotypes in the glutamate transporter gene, SLC1A1, were recently reported to be associated with OCD among males, but replication is required. Objectives: This study examines SLC1A1 as a candidate gene for OCD and explores gender influences. It was hypothesized that a significant association between SLC1A1 and OCD would be replicated in an independent sample of males but not females. Design: Family‐based association candidate gene study. Setting: Participants were recruited from tertiary care OCD specialty clinics. Participants: OCD probands and their first degree relatives. Main outcomes measures: Association of OCD with genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and related haplotypes. Results: Association between OCD and the three‐marker haplotype rs12682807/ rs2072657/ rs301430, with overtransmission of A/T/T, was observed in both genders combined (global P = 0.0015) and in males (global P = 0.0031). Single‐marker associations with OCD in the region (rs3780412 and rs2228622) demonstrated modest significance (permuted P = 0.045). Conclusions: This study identifies a significant association between the SLC1A1 glutamate transporter gene and OCD in a haplotype overlapping with that recently reported. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Autism‐related routines and rituals associated with a mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier SLC25A12 polymorphism
Authors: Silverman Jeremy M. , Buxbaum Joseph D. , Ramoz Nicolas , Schmeidler James , Reichenberg Abraham , Hollander Eric , Angelo Gary , Smith Christopher J. , Kryzak Lauren A.
Published: September 2007

Evidence for a genetic association between autism and two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2056202 and rs2292813, in the mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier (SLC25A12) gene led us to ask whether any of the four previously identified familial traits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) varied by these SNPs. In 355 ASD cases from 170 sibships we examined levels of the four traits in these SNPs using ANCOVA models. The primary models selected unrelated affected cases and used age and sex as covariates. An ancillary set of models used all affected siblings and included “sibship” as a random effects independent variable. We found significantly lower levels of routines and rituals associated with the presence of the less frequent A allele in rs2056206. No other significant differences were observed. The rs2056202 polymorphism may be associated with levels of routines and rituals in autism and related disorders. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Consistency of hand preference across low‐level and high‐level tasks in Capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella)
Authors: Lilak Alayna L. , Phillips Kimberley A.
Published: September 2007

Numerous studies investigating behavioral lateralization in capuchins have been published. Although some research groups have reported a population‐level hand preference, other researchers have argued that capuchins do not show hand preference at the population level. As task complexity influences the expression of handedness in other primate species, the purpose of this study was to collect hand preference data across a variety of high‐ and low‐level tasks to evaluate how task complexity influences the expression of hand preference in capuchins. We tested eleven captive brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) to determine if they show consistent hand preferences across multiple high‐ and low‐level tasks. Capuchins were expected to display high intertask consistency across the high‐level tasks but not the low‐level tasks. Although most individuals showed significant hand preferences for each task, only two of the high‐level tasks that involved similar hand motions were significantly positively correlated, indicating consistency of hand preference across these tasks only. None of the tasks elicited a group‐level hand preference. High‐level tasks elicited a greater strength of hand preference than did low‐level tasks. No sex differences were found for the direction or strength of hand preference for any task. These results contribute to the growing database of primate laterality and provide additional evidence that capuchins do not display group‐level hand preferences. Am. J. Primatol. 70:254–260, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mapping functional connectivity in patients with brain lesions
Authors: Guggisberg Adrian G. , Honma Susanne M. , Findlay Anne M. , Dalal Sarang S. , Kirsch Heidi E. , Berger Mitchel S. , Nagarajan Srikantan S.
Published: September 2007

Objective

The spatial distribution of functional connectivity between brain areas and the disturbance introduced by focal brain lesions are poorly understood. Based on the rationale that damaged brain tissue is disconnected from the physiological interactions among healthy areas, this study aimed to map the functionality of brain areas according to their connectivity with other areas.

Methods

Magnetoencephalography recordings of spontaneous cortical activity during resting state were obtained from 15 consecutive patients with focal brain lesions and from 14 healthy control subjects. Neural activity in the brain was estimated using an adaptive spatial filtering technique. The mean imaginary coherence between brain voxels was then calculated as an index of functional connectivity.

Results

Imaginary coherence was greatest in the alpha frequency range corresponding to the human cortical idling rhythm. In healthy subjects, functionally critical brain areas such as the somatosensory and language cortices had the highest alpha coherence. When compared with healthy control subjects, all lesion patients had diffuse or scattered brain areas with decreased alpha coherence. Patients with lesion‐induced neurological deficits displayed decreased connectivity estimates in the corresponding brain area compared with intact contralateral regions. In tumor patients without preoperative neurological deficits, brain areas showing decreased coherence could be surgically resected without the occurrence of postoperative deficits.

Interpretation

Resting state coherence measured with magnetoencephalography is capable of mapping the functional connectivity of the brain, and can therefore offer valuable information for use in planning resective surgeries in patients with brain lesions, as well as investigations into structural‐functional relationships in healthy subjects. Ann Neurol 2007
Moisture curing kinetics of isocyanate ended urethane quasi‐prepolymers monitored by IR spectroscopy and DSC
Authors: Daniel‐da‐Silva Ana Luísa , Bordado João Carlos Moura , Martín‐Martínez José Miguel
Published: September 2007

The study of the kinetics of the curing of isocyanate quasi‐prepolymers with water was performed by infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The influence of the free isocyanate content, polyol functionality, and of the addition of an amine catalyst (2,2′‐dimorpholinediethylether) in the reaction kinetics and morphology of the final poly(urethane urea) was analyzed. A second‐order autocatalyzed model was successfully applied to reproduce the curing process under isothermal curing conditions, until gelation occurred. A kinetic model‐free approach was used to find the dependence of the effective activation energy (Ea) with the extent of cure, when the reaction was performed under nonisothermal conditions. The dependence of Ea with the reaction progress was different depending on the initial composition of the quasi‐prepolymer, which reveals the complexity of the curing process. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008
New type of phenolic resin—The curing reaction of bisphenol A based benzoxazine with bisoxazoline and the properties of the cured resin. III. The cure reactivity of benzoxazine with a latent curing agent
Authors: Kimura Hajime , Matsumoto Akihiro , Ohtsuka Keiko
Published: September 2007

The curing reaction of a bisphenol A based benzoxazine [2,2‐bis(3,4‐dihydro‐3‐phenyl‐1,3‐benzoxazine) propane (Ba)] and bisoxazoline with a latent curing agent and the properties of the cured resins were investigated. With a latent curing agent, the ring‐opening reaction of the benzoxazine ring occurred more rapidly, and then the phenolic hydroxyl group generated by the ring‐opening reaction of the benzoxazine ring also reacted with the oxazoline ring more rapidly. The cure time of molten resins from Ba and bisoxazoline with a latent curing agent was reduced, and the cure temperature was lowered, in comparison with those of resins from Ba and bisoxazoline without a latent curing agent. The melt viscosity of molten resins from Ba and bisoxazoline with a latent curing agent was kept around 50 Pa s at 80°C even after 30 min, and molten resins from Ba and bisoxazoline with a latent curing agent showed good thermal stability below 80°C. However, above 170°C, the curing reaction of Ba with bisoxazoline with a latent curing agent proceeded rapidly. Cured resins from Ba and bisoxazoline with a latent curing agent showed good heat resistance, flame resistance, mechanical properties, and electrical insulation in comparison with cured resins from Ba and bisoxazoline without a latent curing agent. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Synthesis and characterization of melt‐processable polyimides derived from 1,4‐bis(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)benzene
Authors: Zuo H. J. , Chen J. S. , Yang H. X. , Hu A. J. , Fan L. , Yang S. Y.
Published: September 2007

A series of molecular‐weight‐controlled imide resins end‐capped with phenylethynyl groups were prepared through the polycondensation of a mixture of 1,4‐bis(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)benzene and 1,3‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)benzene with 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride in the presence of 4‐phenylethynylphthalic anhydride as an end‐capping agent. The effects of the resin chemical structures and molecular weights on their melt processability and thermal properties were systematically investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that the molecular‐weight‐controlled imide resins exhibited not only meltability and melt stability but also low melt viscosity and high fluidability at temperatures lower than 280°C. The molecular‐weight‐controlled imide resins could be thermally cured at 371°C to yield thermoset polyimides by polymer chain extension and crosslinking. The neat thermoset polyimides showed excellent thermal stability, with an initial thermal decomposition temperature of more than 500°C and high glass‐transition temperatures greater than 290°C, and good mechanical properties, with flexural strengths in the range of 140.1–163.6 MPa, flexural moduli of 3.0–3.6 GPa, tensile strengths of 60.7–93.8 MPa, and elongations at break as high as 14.7%. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008
Morphology and mechanical properties of styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene triblock copolymer/high‐density polyethylene composites
Authors: Yu Xiju , Zheng Zhen , Lu Jiaming , Wang Xinling
Published: September 2007

The morphology and mechanical properties of a styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene triblock copolymer (SEBS) incorporated with high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) particles were investigated. The impact strength and tensile strength of the SEBS matrix obviously increased after the incorporation of the HDPE particles. The microstructure of the SEBS/HDPE blends was observed with scanning electron microscopy and polar optical microscopy, which illustrated that the SEBS/HDPE blends were phase‐separation systems. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis was also employed to characterize the interaction between SEBS and HDPE. The relationship between the morphology and mechanical properties of the SEBS/HDPE blends was discussed, and the toughening mechanism of rigid organic particles was employed to explain the improvement in the mechanical properties of the SEBS/HDPE blends. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Effect of the molecular structure of ethene–propene and styrene–butadiene copolymers on their compatibilization efficiency in low‐density polyethylene/polystyrene blends
Authors: Starý Zdeněk , Fortelný Ivan , Kruliš Zdeněk , Šlouf Miroslav
Published: September 2007

The effect of the molecular structure of styrene–butadiene (SB) block copolymers and ethene–propene (EPM) random copolymers on the morphology and tensile impact strength of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE)/polystyrene (PS) (75/25) blends has been studied. The molecular characteristics of SB block copolymers markedly influence their distribution in LDPE/PS blends. In all cases, an SB copolymer is present not only at the interface but also in the bulk phases; this depends on its molecular structure. In blends compatibilized with diblock copolymers, compartmentalized PS particles can also be observed. The highest toughness values have been achieved for blends compatibilized with triblock SB copolymers. A study of the compatibilization efficiency of SB copolymers with the same number of blocks has shown that copolymers with shorter PS blocks are more efficient. A comparison of the obtained results with previous results indicates that the compatibilization efficiency of a copolymer strongly depends both on the blend composition and on the properties of the components. The compatibilization efficiency of an EPM/SB mixture is markedly affected by the rheological properties of the copolymers. The addition of an EPM/SB mixture containing EPM with a higher viscosity leads to a higher improvement or at least the same improvement in the tensile impact strength of a compatibilized blend as the same amount of neat SB. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Influence of nonionic polymers on the rheological and electrical properties of Egyptian bentonite
Authors: Mostafa Bassem A. , Assaad Faiz F.
Published: September 2007

The rheological properties of Egyptian bentonite suspensions in the presence of nonionic polymers were investigated. Two different types of nonionic polymers were studied: poly(ethylene glycol) (molecular weight = 6000 g/mol) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (molecular weight = 40,000 g/mol). The rheological properties (plastic viscosity, apparent viscosity, and yield point) of concentrated clay suspensions (6–8% w/w) at different temperatures after 24 h were determined. As the nonionic polymer concentrations increased, the rheological properties of the bentonite suspensions showed a slight increase, especially at an 8% clay content. The electrical properties (electrophoretic mobility and ζ potential) of Egyptian bentonite in the presence of different nonionic polymers were measured with a ζ meter. The results showed that the ζ potential of this bentonite was higher with 200 mg/L poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) than with 1000 mg/L poly(ethylene glycol). Potential energy profiles for bentonite suspensions for these nonionic polymers were constructed to show that the net energy barrier for bentonite suspensions followed repulsion or attraction between particles. These profiles showed that the potential energy profile of a bentonite suspension with 200 mg/L poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) produced a high repulsion potential energy between clay surfaces; that is, the suspension stability improved. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Monitoring of cure‐induced strain of an epoxy resin by fiber Bragg grating sensor
Authors: Harsch Margit , Karger‐Kocsis József , Herzog Florian
Published: September 2007

In this study, we present a method to detect cure‐induced strain in an epoxy resin (EP) with a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor. By embedding the optical fiber into the EP resin the characteristics during isothermal cure (gel point, vitrification) could be precisely detected due to changes in the fiber strain. In a follow up dynamic temperature scan the coefficient of thermal expansion and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the fully cured EP were determined by the FBG sensor technique. All results obtained by the fiber optical method showed a very good agreement with those deduced by independent techniques, viz. rheological measurements, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermomechanical analysis. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Radiation‐induced graft copolymerization of acrylic acid/acrylonitrile onto LDPE and PET films and its biodegradability
Authors: El‐Arnaouty M. B. , Abdel Ghaffar A. M. , El Shafey H. M.
Published: September 2007

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid/acrylonitrile (AAc/AN) comonomer onto low‐density poly(ethylene) (LDPE) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films using direct radiation grafting technique has been investigated. The effect of different reaction conditions on the grafting yield was studied. The structure of the grafted films at different compositions was characterized by FTIR, TGA, SEM, and XRD. Biodegradation of grafted LDPE and PET was investigated by burial method in two types of Egyptian soils (agricultural and desert soils). The bacteria responsible for biodegradation were isolated and characterized, and the capacities for the growth on these polymers as substrates were compared. The isolates from agricultural soil were characterized as Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes, Bacillus, Proteus, and Enterobacter, whereas the isolates from desert soil were characterized as Alcaligenes, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas. The highest degradation rate was found to be achieved using agricultural soil. It is found that the isolated strains belonging to the genus Pseudomonas were mainly responsible for the degradation of both polymers. It has also been found that the increase of AAc ratio in the composition increases the hydrophilicity of the films and the degradation rate. PET polymer is generally found to be more resistant to the biodegradation than LDPE in the two types of soils tested. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Water‐repellent finishing of cotton fabrics by ultraviolet curing
Authors: Ferrero F. , Periolatto M. , Sangermano M. , Songia M. Bianchetto
Published: September 2007

Cotton fabrics were water‐repellent‐finished by radical ultraviolet curing of silicone and urethane acrylates with different formulations. The fabrics were impregnated with undiluted resins and with toluene solutions or water emulsions. Moreover, cationic ultraviolet‐curable systems were also investigated, such as an epoxy‐functional polysiloxane and mixtures of an epoxy resin with hydroxyl‐containing silicone additives. The gel content and polymerization yield were considered for the ultraviolet‐curing process evaluation. Water‐resistance properties were determined in terms of the contact angle, wettability, moisture adsorption, and water vapor permeability measurements, whereas the morphology and surface composition of treated fabrics were examined with scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Weak interaction, marginal miscibility, and ring‐band spherulites in blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) with polyesters
Authors: Li Shu Hsien , Woo E. M.
Published: September 2007

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, optical microscopy (OM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques were used to probe phase behavior and interactions in blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and polyesters [poly(trimethylene adipate) (PTA) and poly(pentamethylene adipate) (PPA)] of relatively low crystallizability. DSC thermal analysis and OM characterization proved that PVDF was miscible with PTA and PPA with a low lower critical solution temperature. Small negative values of the interaction parameters (χ12 = −0.13 for a PVDF/PPA blend) were obtained with the melting‐point depression method. FTIR spectroscopy results revealed that interactions between CF2 of PVDF and the CO group of the polyester were weak, in agreement with the thermal analysis results. An increase in the coarseness and/or ring‐band spacing further provided supportive evidence that miscibility did exist between the polyester and PVDF constituents in the blends. Pattern changes in ring‐band spherulites of the miscible blends further substantiated the favorable, though weak, interactions between the PVDF and polyester constituents. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Tribological behavior of short‐fiber‐reinforced polyimide composites under dry‐sliding and water‐lubricated conditions
Authors: Chen Jiansheng , Jia Junhong , Zhou Huidi , Chen Jianmin , Yang Shiyong , Fan Lin
Published: September 2007

Polyimide composites reinforced with short‐cut fibers such as carbon, glass, and quartz fibers were fabricated by the polymerization of monomer reactants process. The mechanical properties of the composites with different fiber contents were evaluated. The friction and wear properties of the polyimide and its composites were investigated under dry‐sliding and water‐lubricated conditions. The results indicated that the short‐carbon‐fiber‐reinforced polyimide composites had better tensile and flexural strengths and improved tribological properties in comparison with glass‐fiber‐ and quartz‐fiber‐reinforced polyimide composites. The incorporation of short carbon fibers into the polyimide contributed to decreases in the friction coefficient and wear rate under both dry and water‐lubricated conditions and especially under water lubrication because of the boundary lubrication effect of water. The polyimide and its composites were characterized by plastic deformation, microcracking, and spalling under both dry and water‐lubricated conditions, which were significantly abated under the water‐lubricated condition. The glass and quartz fibers were easily abraded and broken; the broken fibers transferred to the mating metal surface and increased the surface roughness of mating stainless steel, which led to the wear rate increasing for the glass‐fiber‐ and quartz‐fiber‐reinforced polyimide composites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008
Semiflexible random thermotropic copolymers from 8‐(3‐hydroxy phenyl) octanoic acid and 3‐chloro‐4‐hydroxy benzoic acid/3,5‐dibromo‐4‐hydroxy benzoic acid
Authors: Mitra Sumi , Pillai C. K. S
Published: September 2007

Two series of semiflexible random thermotropic copolymers containing 8‐(3‐hydroxy phenyl) octanoic acid (HPOA) with either 3‐chloro‐4‐hydroxy benzoic acid or 3,5‐dibromo‐4‐hydroxy benzoic acid were prepared by melt polycondensation techniques. The copolyesters were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dilute solution viscometry, hot‐stage polarized light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. Studies revealed that the amount of HPOA as a disruptor incorporated into the backbone of substituted 4‐hydroxy benzoic acids had a detrimental effect on the liquid‐crystalline behavior. Mesophase‐transition temperatures were observed between 210 and 250°C, and the optical textures were of typical nematic phases. The degree of crystallinity decreased with an increase in the HPOA content. The thermal stability of the copolymers was in the range of 310–370°C. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008
Ethynedithiol‐based polyeneoligosulfides as active cathode materials for lithium‐sulfur batteries
Authors: Trofimov B. A. , Myachina G. F. , Rodionova I. V. , Mal'kina A. G. , Dorofeev I. A. , Vakul'skaya T. I. , Sinegovskaya L. M. , Skotheim T. A.
Published: September 2007

Ethynedithiol‐based polyeneoligosulfides have been synthesized in 96% yield by the reaction of sodium acetylides (HCCNa, NaCCSNa) and elemental sulfur through the NaCsp bond in liquid ammonia with the following spontaneous polymerization of ethynedithiols (HSCCSH) formed by the hydrolysis. The polyeneoligosulfides synthesized are brown powders (up to 77% sulfur content, mp 128–184°C), partially soluble in organic solvents. They are high‐resistance semiconductors (10−13 to 10−14 S cm−1), possess paramagnetic (1017 to 1018 spin g−1) and redox properties. The oligosulfides obtained, being redox systems capable of reversible redox processes, provide high values of discharge capacity (345–720 mA h g−1) of rechargeable lithium‐sulfur batteries. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
When does a referent public problem affect financial and political support for public action?
Authors: Bonini Nicolao , Ritov Ilana , Graffeo Michele
Published: September 2007

In three studies we examined the willingness to support action to remedy a public problem. In Study 1 and Study 2, people were asked whether they would financially contribute to solution of a public problem. In Study 3, people were asked whether they would sign a petition to support a public action. The aim was to test whether the willingness to support solution of a public problem is affected by the type of problem that is used as the referent. We hypothesized that the willingness to support a public action is lower when evaluated in the context of a high‐ as opposed to a low‐importance referent problem (importance contrast effect). We also hypothesized that the importance contrast effect is tied to the perceived relatedness between the target and referent problems. The importance contrast effect should be found only when the two problems relate to different category domains. The findings bear out this prediction. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Retinoic acid‐mediated differentiation protects against nitrofen‐induced apoptosis
Authors: Aidlen Jeremy T. , Nazarey Pradeep P. , Kinane T. Bernard , Donahoe Patricia K. , Schnitzer Jay J. , Kling David E.
Published: September 2007

BACKGROUND: Nitrofen is a diphenyl ether that induces a spectrum of birth defects subsequent to administration to pregnant rodents, in which the molecular etiology of these defects are poorly characterized. Because previous reports showed that nitrofen induced apoptosis in undifferentiated P19 teratocarcinoma cells, we hypothesized that undifferentiated fetal cells have greater susceptibility to nitrofen‐induced apoptosis than their differentiated derivatives. METHODS: To investigate this hypothesis, cell lines including P19 and F9 were differentiated with retinoic acid into neuronal and endodermal derivatives respectively. Apoptosis was characterized by caspase‐3 cleavage and Terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays. RESULTS: Both differentiated cell‐types had reduced nitrofen‐induced caspase‐3 cleavage and DNA fragmentation compared with the naive controls, strongly suggesting that differentiation of these cells protects against nitrofen‐induced apoptosis. In addition, resistance to apoptotic induction was proportional to the expression levels of the differentiation marker, p27 (kip1) while direct proportionality was not observed for the antiapoptotic protein Bcl‐2. CONCLUSIONS: These studies show that nitrofen may induce its associated birth defects via a mechanism involving apoptosis of undifferentiated fetal cells. Birth Defects Res (Part B), 2007. ©2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Protein secondary structure analyses from circular dichroism spectroscopy: Methods and reference databases
Authors: Whitmore Lee , Wallace B. A.
Published: September 2007

Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy has been a valuable method for the analysis of protein secondary structures for many years. With the advent of synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) and improvements in instrumentation for conventional CD, lower wavelength data are obtainable and the information content of the spectra increased. In addition, new computation and bioinformatics methods have been developed and new reference databases have been created, which greatly improve and facilitate the analyses of CD spectra. This article discusses recent developments in the analysis of protein secondary structures, including features of the DICHROWEB analysis webserver. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 89: 392–400, 2008.

This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Recanalization of systemic venous baffles by radiofrequency perforation and stent implantation
Authors: Asgar Anita W. , Mirò Joaquim , Ibrahim Reda
Published: September 2007

Complete transposition of the great arteries has been historically managed by the Mustard (atrial switch) operation. This procedure is associated with longterm complications such as baffle occlusion, which also precludes the insertion of a permanent transvenous pacemaker. Transcatheter techniques have allowed the successful angioplasty and stenting of stenotic baffles but complete occlusions continue to pose a therapeutic challenge. We report the use of a novel technique, a radiofrequency perforation wire for the management of complete occlusion of systemic venous baffles post‐Mustard operation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Management of cerebrovascular accidents during cardiac catheterization
Authors: De Marco Federico , Antonio Fernandez‐Diaz José , Lefèvre Thierry , Balcells Jordi , Araya Mario , Routledge Helen , Rosas Andrés , Louvard Yves , Dumas Pierre , Morice Marie‐Claude
Published: September 2007

Ischemic cerebrovascular events are a rare complication of cardiac catheterization. Consequently a unique standard of management for these events is yet to be defined. Immediate cerebral angiography followed by local thrombolysis is an effective strategy and we report six cases for which this approach was successfully employed. In contrast the use of immediate neuroimaging by means of MRI or CT scan in two cases delayed the implementation of appropriate therapy. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.