bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In vitro Enzymatic Degradation of Nanoparticles Prepared from Hydrophobically‐Modified Poly(γ‐glutamic acid)
Authors: Akagi Takami , Higashi Mariko , Kaneko Tatsuo , Kida Toshiyuki , Akashi Mitsuru
Published: June 2005

Summary: Amphiphilic poly(γ‐glutamic acid) (γ‐PGA) was prepared by the introduction of L‐phenylalanine ethylester (L‐PAE) as a side chain. This γ‐PGA‐graft‐L‐PAE formed monodispersed nanoparticles in water. The particle size of the γ‐PGA nanoparticles could be controlled by the degree of L‐PAE grafting. The hydrolytic degradation and enzymatic degradation by γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (γ‐GTP) of these γ‐PGA nanoparticles was studied by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hydrolysis ratio of γ‐PGA was found to decrease upon increasing the hydrophilicity of the γ‐PGA. The degradation of the γ‐PGA backbone by γ‐GTP resulted in a dramatic change in nanoparticle morphology. With increasing time, the γ‐PGA nanoparticles reduced in size and finally disappeared completely.

Time‐course of the changes in the morphology of the γ‐PGA nanoparticles following incubation with γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase.

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Time‐course of the changes in the morphology of the γ‐PGA nanoparticles following incubation with γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase.
Morphological Characterization of PMMA/PAN Composite Particles in Nano to Submicro Size
Authors: Chen Wenping , Zhu Meifang , Song Song , Sun Bin , Chen Yanmo , Adler Hans‐Jürgen P.
Published: June 2005

Summary: It is necessary to use a selective staining agent to enhance image contrast for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) morphological characterization of polymer composite particles. However, the typical selective staining agents osmium tetraoxide and ruthenium tetraoxide are neither suitable for poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite particles. In this study, it was found that phosphotungstic acid (PTA) solution with 6.4 pH value is unsuitable for PMMA, but it can stain PAN. Therefore, it can be a selective staining agent in the TEM for PMMA/PAN composite particles. By controlling different thermodynamic and kinetic polymerization parameters, PMMA/PAN and PMMA/P(AN‐MMA) composite particles with nano to submicro sizes having different morphological structures were synthesized. TEM micrographs of all these composite particles with their predicted morphology have been compared, and the experimental results are completely consistent with the predictions.

TEM micrograph of PMMA/PAN composite particles.

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TEM micrograph of PMMA/PAN composite particles.
The Anisotropy of Fibrillar Silicate/Rubber Nanocomposites
Authors: Tian Ming , Cheng Lijun , Liang Wenli , Zhang Liqun
Published: June 2005

Summary: Fibrillar silicate (FS)/rubber nanocomposites were successfully prepared by directly mixing modified FS with rubber matrix. It is found that FS could be separated into nano‐fibrils with diameters less than 100 nm by the shear forces during mixing. The stress‐strain characteristics of these composites are similar to those for short micro‐fiber/rubber composites (SFRC). Nevertheless, these FS/rubber composites have some outstanding advantages over the conventional SFRC, even though the reinforcing effect of FS is restricted due to its small shape aspect ratio. More importantly, the differences in mechanical properties of the composites in the two different directions show that SBR/FS and NBR/FS composites both exhibit obvious anisotropy, which strongly depends on the preparation process, FS concentration, and rubber matrix. These factors were thoroughly investigated in this paper, and it can be concluded that the anisotropy of the composites was due to the orientation of nano‐fibrils.

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Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Long Glass Fiber Reinforced PA6 Composites Prepared by a Novel Process
Authors: Han Ke‐qing , Liu Zheng‐jun , Yu Mu‐huo
Published: June 2005

Summary: Long glass fiber reinforced PA6 (LGF/PA6) prepregs were prepared by impregnating PA6 oligomer melt into reinforcing glass fiber followed by subsequent solid‐state polymerization (SSP) to obtain LGF/PA6 composite pellets. A conventional injection‐molding machine suitable for short glass fiber reinforced composites was applied to the processing of the prepared composites, which reduced the fiber length in the final products. Mechanical properties, thermal property, and fiber length distribution of injection molding bars were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the impact fracture surfaces and the surfaces of glass fiber after the SSP. It was found that the LGF/PA6 composites were of favorable mechanical properties, especially the impact strength, although the average length of glass fiber was rather short. By this novel process, the content of glass fiber in composite could be high up to 60 wt.‐% and the maximum level of heat distortion temperature (HDT) was close to the melting temperature of PA6. SEM images indicated the favorable interfacial properties between the glass fiber and matrix. The glass fiber surfaces were further observed by SEM after removing the matrix PA6 with a solvent, the results showed that PA6 macromolecules were grafted onto the surface. Furthermore, the grafting amount of PA6 was increased with SSP time.

SEM images of impact fracture surfaces of LGF/PA6 composites (left) and of glass fiber surfaces after removing PA6 with 5 h SSP (right).

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SEM images of impact fracture surfaces of LGF/PA6 composites (left) and of glass fiber surfaces after removing PA6 with 5 h SSP (right).
Synthesis and cationic photopolymerization of electroactive monomers containing functional groups
Authors: Lazauskaitė Rūta , Gražulevičius Juozas Vidas
Published: June 2005

The synthesis and cationic photopolymerization of different cationically polymerizable monomers containing electroactive groups are reviewed with 98 references. The preparation of various compounds containing electron‐donor or electron‐acceptor moieties and photopolymerizable functional groups is described. After a short discussion of basic principles of cationic polymerization, photoinduced cationic polymerizations of various cationically polymerizable monomers containing both electron‐donor or electron‐acceptor chromophores and the functional groups such as epoxy, vinyl, thiiranyl, oxetanyl and others are reviewed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toughening of nylon‐6 with epoxy‐functionalized acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymer
Authors: Sun S. L. , Tan Z. Y. , Xu X. F. , Zhou C. , Ao Y. H. , Zhang H. X.
Published: June 2005

Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) functionalized acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) copolymers have been prepared via an emulsion polymerization process. The epoxy‐functionalized ABS (e‐ABS) particles were used to toughen nylon‐6. Molau tests and FTIR results showed the reactions between nylon‐6 and e‐ABS have taken place. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) displayed the compatibilization reaction between epoxy groups of e‐ABS and nylon‐6 chain ends (amine or carboxyl groups), which improve disperse morphology of e‐ABS in the nylon‐6 matrix. The presence of only a small amount of GMA (1 wt %) within the e‐ABS copolymer was sufficient to induce a pronounced improvement of the impact strength of nylon‐6 blends; whereas further increase of the GMA contents in e‐ABS resulted in lower impact strength because of the crosslinking reaction between nylon‐6 and e‐ABS, resulting in agglomeration of the ABS particles. SEM results showed shear yielding of the nylon‐6 matrix and cavitation of rubber particles were the major toughening mechanisms. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2170–2180, 2005
Study on correlation of morphology of electrospun products of polyacrylamide with ultrahigh molecular weight
Authors: Zhao Y. Y. , Yang Q. B. , Lu X. F. , Wang C. , Wei Y.
Published: June 2005

Polyacrylamide (PAAm) with ultrahigh molecular weight of 9 × 106 g/mol has been processed by means of electrospinning, to afford products with a variety of morphologies, including polymer colloids, beaded fibers, smooth fibers, and ribbons. These morphologies can be controlled by a minute change of solution concentration in a small concentration range (0.3–3.0 wt %), because of the high molecular weight of the polymer. Under our experimental conditions, no electrospun product was obtained at the concentrations below 0.3 wt %. Beaded fibers and smooth fibers formed at the concentrations between 0.3 and 0.7 wt %. At concentrations between 0.7 and 2.0 wt %, smooth fibers and ribbons coexisted. At concentrations above 2.0 wt %, ribbons were the only product. Special morphologies such as triangular beads, helical fibers, and zigzag ribbons were also observed. With a lower molecular weight PAAm, branched fibers were found in the product. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2190–2195, 2005
Self‐organization and luminescent properties of nanostructured europium (III)–block copolymer complex thin films
Authors: Cong Yang , Fu Jun , Cheng Ziyong , Li Jian , Han Yanchun , Lin Jun
Published: June 2005

We introduce a simple method to create nanosized, ordered, and highly luminescent thin film of Eu (III)–block copolymer complex. Micelles of polystyrene–block‐poly(4‐vinylpyridine) (PS‐b‐P4VP) in P4VP‐selective solvents (ethanol/N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) mixture) serve as nanoreactors for the synthesis of Eu(III)–block copolymer complex with the presence of 1,10‐phenanthroline (Phen) as cooperative ligand. The resulted quaternary complexes were characterized by FT‐IR spectra,15N NMR spectra, and elemental analysis, indicative of a composition of Eu(III)–(PS‐b‐P4VP)–Phen–5DMF. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy investigations reveal that the Eu(III)–(PS‐b‐P4VP)–Phen–5DMF complex can self‐organize into hexagonally ordered thin films when dip‐coated from the solution onto silicon or silica glass substrates. Such ordered thin films can emit red fluorescence of Eu3+with strong intensity and long lifetime. This method can be easily extended to prepare other ordered luminescent rare earth–polymer complexes thin films. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2181–2189, 2005
Selected Effect of the Ions and the Neutrals in the Plasma Treatment of PTFE Surfaces: An OES‐AFM‐Contact Angle and XPS Study
Authors: Vandencasteele Nicolas , Fairbrother Howard , Reniers François
Published: June 2005

Summary: Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surfaces were treated by oxygen and nitrogen species generated either in a remote (filtered) RF plasma or in an ion gun. In the first case, the majority of the species reaching the surface are neutral molecules, whereas in the second case, ions are the reactive agent. In this paper, we show that ions alone do not lead to a significant grafting of new functions on the PTFE surface. The XPS analysis of the treated surface show identical behaviour with oxygen and nitrogen ion treatment, and the evolution of the C1s peak shape suggest a progressive sputtering, leading to defluorination of the surface. The nitrogen plasma treatment lead to a subsequent grafting that is attributed mostly to the “excited neutrals”, but we suggest here that the ions could play a significant role in the activation process of the surface. The exposure of PTFE to an oxygen plasma lead to chemical etching of the surface, different from the physical sputtering induced by the ion treatment, that lead to a super‐hydrophobic behavior of the surface attributed to an increase in the surface roughness.

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Higher spins and stringy AdS5 × S5
Authors: Bianchi M.
Published: June 2005

In this lecture I review recent work done in collaboration with Beisert et al. [1‐3] (For a concise summary see [4].). After a notational flash on the AdS/CFT correspondence, I will discuss higher spin (HS) symmetry enhancement at small radius and how this is holographically captured by free N = 4 SYM theory. I will then derive the spectrum of perturbative superstring excitations on AdS in this particular limit and successfully compare it with the spectrum of single‐trace operators in free 𝒩 = 4 SYM at large N, obtained by means of Polya(kov)'s counting. Decomposing the spectrum into HS multiplets allows one to precisely identify the 'massless' HS doubleton and the lower spin Goldstone multiplets which participate in the pantagruelic Higgs mechanism, termed “La Grande Bouffe”. After recalling some basic features of Vasiliev's formulation of HS gauge theories, I will eventually sketch how to describe mass generation in the AdS bulk à la Sückelberg and its holographic implications such as the emergence of anomalous dimensions in the boundary 𝒩 = 4 SYM theory.
The SU(2) sector in AdS/CFT
Authors: Minahan J.A.
Published: June 2005

In the large N limit of 𝒩 = 4 Super Yang‐Mills,
the mixing under dilatations of the SU(2) sector, single trace
operators composed
of L complex scalar fields of two types,
is closed to all orders in perturbation theory.
By relying on the AdS/CFT correspondence, and by examining the currents for semiclassical strings,
we present evidence which implies that
there are small mixings that contradict the closure
of the SU(2) sector in the strong coupling limit.
These mixings first appear to second
order in the
λ/L2 expansion.
Quantum strings and Bethe equations
Authors: Arutyunov G.
Published: June 2005

I briefly review the recently proposed construction of the Bethe ansatz which
diagonalizes the Hamiltonian for quantum strings
on AdS5 × S5 at large tension and restricted to the large
charge states from a closed 𝔰𝔲(2) subsector.
New aspects of 𝒩 = 2 theories
Authors: Gheerardyn J.
Published: June 2005

We review some recent observations in theories with eight supercharges. We point out that such theories can be generalized by starting from the equations of motion rather than from an action. We show that vector multiplets constructed in such a way can have more general Fayet‐Iliopoulos terms and that the scalar fields of hypermultiplets can be coordinate functions on more general target spaces. Although our discussion holds in five dimensions, the results can easily be extended to other dimensions.
New phases of thermal SYM and LST from Kaluza‐Klein black holes
Authors: Harmark T. , Obers N.A.
Published: June 2005

We review the recently found map that takes any static and neutral Kaluza‐Klein black hole, i.e. any static and neutral black hole on Minkowski‐space times a circle ℳ︁d × S1, and maps it to a corresponding solution for a non‐ and near‐extremal brane on a circle. This gives a precise connection between phases of Kaluza‐Klein black holes and the thermodynamic behavior of the non‐gravitational theories dual to near‐extremal branes on a circle. In particular, for the thermodynamics of strongly‐coupled supersymmetric Yang‐Mills theories on a circle we predict the existence of a new non‐uniform phase and find new information about the localized phase. We also find evidence for the existence of a new stable phase of (2,0) Little String Theory in the canonical ensemble for temperatures above its Hagedorn temperature.
Strings and D‐branes in holographic backgrounds
Authors: Israël D.
Published: June 2005

We review recent progress in the study of non‐rational (boundary) conformal field theories and their applications to describe exact holographic backgrounds in superstring theory. We focus mainly on the example of the supersymmetric coset SL(2, ℝ)/U(1), corresponding to the two‐dimensional black hole, and its dual N = 2 Liouville. In particular we discuss the modular properties of their characters, their partition function as well as the exact boundary states for their various D‐branes. Then these results are used to construct the corresponding quantities in the CFT of the NS5‐brane background, with applications to Little String Theories.
Non‐extremal instantons and wormholes in string theory
Authors: Bergshoeff E. , Collinucci A. , Gran U. , Roest D. , Vandoren S.
Published: June 2005

We construct the most general non‐extremal spherically symmetric
instanton solution of a gravity‐dilaton‐axion system with SL(2, R) symmetry,
for arbitrary euclidean spacetime dimension D≥ 3. A subclass of these
solutions
describe completely regular wormhole geometries, whose size is
determined by an invariant combination of the SL(2, R) charges.

Our results can be applied to four‐dimensional effective actions of type II
strings compactified on a Calabi‐Yau manifold, and in particular to the
universal
hypermultiplet coupled to gravity. We show that these models contain
regular wormhole solutions, supported by regular
dilaton and RR scalar fields of the universal hypermultiplet.
On the thermodynamics of Gödel black holes
Authors: Klemm D. , Vanzo L.
Published: June 2005

After a brief review of Gödel‐type universes in string theory, we discuss some intriguing properties of black holes immersed in such backgrounds. Among these are the upper bound on the entropy that points towards a finite‐dimensional Hilbert space of a holographically dual theory, and the minimum black hole temperature that is reminiscent of the Hawking‐Page transition. Furthermore, we discuss several difficulties that are encountered when one tries to formulate a consistent thermodynamics of Gödel black holes, and point out how they may be circumvented.
An extremal black hole from matrices
Authors: Toumbas N.
Published: June 2005

We study extremal charged black hole solutions in two dimensional type 0A string theory using the low energy effective gravity theory, and then attempt to identify them in the exact matrix model description of the theory. In particular, we identify a static Fermi sea configuration of matrix eigenvalues corresponding to a charged black hole, and derive some asymptotic properties of the black hole space‐time from the matrix model. We argue that the horizon of the black hole is replaced by the endpoint of th e Fermi surface.
Supergravity with Fayet‐Iliopoulos terms and R‐symmetry
Authors: Proeyen A.
Published: June 2005

The simplest examples of gauged supergravities are N = 1 or N = 2 theories with Fayet‐Iliopoulos (FI) terms. FI terms in supergravity imply that the R‐symmetry is gauged. Also the U(1) or SU(2) local symmetries of Kähler and quaternionic‐Kähler manifolds contribute to R‐symmetry gauge fields. This short review clarifies the relations.
Telomeres, cell senescence and human ageing
Authors: von Zglinicki Thomas , Martin‐Ruiz Carmen M. , Saretzki Gabriele
Published: June 2005

Telomeres in most human cell types shorten during DNA replication in vitro because of various factors including the inability of DNA polymerases to fully copy the lagging strand, DNA end processing and random damage, often caused by oxidative stress. Short, uncapped telomeres activate replicative senescence, an irreversible cell cycle arrest and are thus a major cause of cell ageing in vitro. We will review how uncapped telomeres initiate a signalling cascade toward senescence, and why oxidative stress is a major cause of telomere shortening. Telomeres in most human cells shorten during ageing in vivo as well, suggesting two distinct possibilities. (1) Telomere shortening could be among the causes for ageing in vivo: Short telomeres might lead to senescence of (stem) cells in a tissue‐specific fashion, and this might contribute to age‐related functional attenuation in this tissue and even to systemic effects. Evidence for this is mostly indirect. (2) Telomere length could be a biomarker of ageing and age‐related morbidity: Short telomeres might indicate a history of high stress and damage in the individual and could thus act as risk markers for age‐related disease residing in a completely different tissue. There is evidence to support this possibility, although it is mostly correlative and is often derived from underpowered studies.
Prenatal diagnosis of echogenic lung: evolution and outcome
Authors: Illanes S. , Hunter A. , Evans M. , Cusick E. , Soothill P.
Published: June 2005

Objectives

Despite the feasibility of detecting lung lesions by antenatal ultrasound, there are problems in correlating the prenatal diagnosis with the final histology and in predicting the outcome. In order to better describe these factors, we reviewed the outcome of fetuses that had been diagnosed with echogenic lung in a referral fetal medicine unit.

Methods

We searched the database of a tertiary fetal medicine unit for all cases of fetal echogenic lung seen since 1994 and studied the maternal and neonatal records found.

Results

There were 48 cases of echogenic lung diagnosed at a median gestational age of 21 (range, 19–29) weeks, including 43 (90%) cases of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) and 5 (10%) of pulmonary sequestration (PS). The evolution of the fetal abnormality after diagnosis was: in 22 (45.8%) cases the lesion disappeared; in 17 (35.5%) cases the lesion remained stable and six (12.5%) cases became severe. Three (6%) women underwent termination of pregnancy. The lesions were equally distributed between the two sides of the thorax. Mediastinal shift was associated with a threefold increase in the possibility of clinical deterioration (17% vs. 5%), and the disappearance of the lesion was twice as likely to occur when the lesion was classified as microcystic as when it was macrocystic (67% vs. 36%). Features of hydrops were found in 9 (21%) fetuses and in six (13%) cases progressed and resulted in intrauterine or neonatal death. Sixty‐four percent of cases with lesions that disappeared during the pregnancy had an abnormal computed tomography (CT) scan, and the prenatal diagnosis correlated with histology in 36% of these cases. Of the cases in which the lesions remained stable, 70.5% had an abnormal CT scan and the prenatal diagnosis correlated with the histology in 67% of the cases.

Conclusions

Prenatally diagnosed echogenic lung has a good prognosis in the absence of hydrops. The ability to correctly assess echogenic lung lesions and the need for surgery by prenatal ultrasound is limited. Copyright © 2005 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coordinate‐free kinematic analysis of overconstrained mechanisms with mobility one
Authors: Lerbet J.
Published: June 2005

We propose to analyse some classical overconstrained mechanisms by using explicitely the relations of singularity and not only the closure equation A1ˆ...ˆAn = e. Using the fact that their configuration space manifold is such that the constraint jacobian is permanently not of full rank, we apply our earlier developed analysis strategy for singularities to analyse overconstrained mechanisms. By theorem 1, the holonomic constraints A1ˆ...ˆAn = e are linearized and formulated in an appropriate form on the Lie algebra ... This gives a redundant set of linear equations which is solved. The used method is coordinate‐free and the solution of the Bennett and Bricard mechanisms is given as illustration of the method.
The transient response of a crack in a functionally graded strip under an in‐plane impact load
Authors: Li‐Cheng Guo , Lin‐Zhi Wu , Yu‐Guo Sun , Tao Zeng , Li‐Chen Wang
Published: June 2005

The transient response of a functionally graded strip with an embedded or edge crack perpendicular to the boundary is studied under an in‐plane impact load. By means of integral transform methods, the present problem is changed into a singular integral equation which can be solved numerically in the Laplace domain. It is found that the singular terms for the edge crack are different from those for the embedded crack. The influences of parameters such as the nonhomogeneity constant and the geometry parameters on the dynamic stress intensity factors (DSIFs) are studied.
U-series isochron dating of immature and mature calcretes as a basis for constructing Quaternary landform chronologies for the Sorbas basin, southeast Spain
Authors: Candy Ian , Black Stuart , Sellwood Bruce W.
Published: June 2005

Immature and mature calcretes from an alluvial terrace sequence in the Sorbas basin, southeast Spain, were dated by the U-series isochron technique. The immature horizons consistently produced statistically reliable ages of high precision. The mature horizons typically produced statistically unreliable ages but, because of linear trends in the dataset and low errors associated with each data point, it was still possible to place a best-fit isochron through the dataset to produce an age with low associated uncertainties. It is, however, only possible to prove that these statistically unreliable ages have geochronological significance if multiple isochron ages are produced for a single site, and if these multiple ages are stratigraphically consistent. The geochronological significance of such ages can be further proven if at least one of the multiple ages is statistically reliable. By using this technique to date calcretes that have formed during terrace aggradation and at the terrace surface after terrace abandonment it is possible not only to date the timing of terrace aggradation but also to constrain the age at which the river switched from aggradation to incision. This approach, therefore, constrains the timing of changes in fluvial processes more reliably than any currently used geochronological procedure and is appropriate for dating terrace sequences in dryland regions worldwide, wherever calcrete horizons are present.
Dependence, independence or inter-dependence? Revisiting the concepts of ‘care’ and ‘dependency’
Authors: FINE MICHAEL , GLENDINNING CAROLINE
Published: June 2005

Research and theory on ‘dependency’ and ‘care-giving’ have to date proceeded along largely separate lines, with little sense that they are exploring and explaining different aspects of the same phenomenon. Research on ‘care’, initially linked to feminism during the early 1980s, has revealed and exposed to public gaze what was hitherto assumed to be a ‘natural’ female activity. Conversely, disability activists and writers who have promoted a social model of disability have seen the language of and the policy focus upon ‘care’ as oppressive and objectifying. ‘Dependency’ is an equally contested concept: sociologists have scrutinised the social construction of dependency; politicians have ascribed negative connotations of passivity; while medical and social policy discourse employs the term in a positivist sense as a measure of physical need for professional intervention. Autonomy and independence, in contrast, are promoted as universal and largely unproblematic goals. These contrasting perspectives have led social theory, research and policies to separate and segregate the worlds of ‘carers’ from those for whom they ‘care’. Drawing on the work of Kittay and others, this paper explores the ways in which sociological perspectives can develop new understanding of the social contexts of ‘care’ and ‘dependence’.
Income mobility in old age in Britain and Germany
Authors: ZAIDI ASGHAR , FRICK JOACHIM R. , BÜCHEL FELIX
Published: June 2005

The increases in human longevity and early retirement in recent decades have posed new challenges for policy makers, and require a comprehensive understanding of the processes that influence the economic resources of older people. This paper examines the income mobility experienced by older people living in Britain and Germany during the 1990s, and identifies the influential personal attributes and lifecourse events. The analysis uses British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) panel data. The comparative perspective yields insights about the different income experiences of older people in the two markedly different welfare regimes. It is found that old-age income mobility has been more pronounced in Britain than in Germany, and that in both countries its occurrence was strongly associated with changes in living arrangements, with the employment status of co-residents, and with widowhood among women. Unemployment during working life associated significantly with negative late-life income mobility. Among those on low incomes, a high share of income from an earnings-related pension had a significant and positive effect in both countries. To reduce downward income mobility in old age, particularly among widows, there is a need to strengthen the social safety-net. Policies are required to encourage flexible living arrangements in old age, as well as to give greater protection in later life from unemployment during working life, especially in Germany.
Traumatic events and meaning in life: exploring variations in three age cohorts
Authors: KRAUSE NEAL
Published: June 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between traumatic events that arise across the lifecourse and a sense of meaning in later life. In the process, three important issues are evaluated. First, analyses are performed to see if traumatic events at six different points in the lifecourse are associated with a sense of meaning in life. Second, an effort is made to see if current emotional support helps reduce the deleterious effects of trauma on meaning, and whether current levels of negative inter-personal contacts exacerbate the effects of trauma on meaning in life. Third, the relationship between trauma and meaning is assessed in three age cohorts: the young-old, the old-old and oldest-old. Findings from a nationwide United States survey reveal that trauma arising between the ages of 18 and 30 years is associated with a diminished sense of meaning in life, and that current emotional support reduces the effects of trauma on meaning, whereas negative inter-personal contacts tend to intensify the pernicious effects of trauma on meaning in life. Further analyses suggest that the relationships among trauma, emotional support, and negative inter-personal contacts emerge primarily in the oldest-old cohort.
Investigating the potential spread of infectious diseases of sheep via agricultural shows in Great Britain
Authors: WEBB C. R.
Published: June 2005

The rate at which infectious diseases spread through farm animal populations depends both on individual disease characteristics and the opportunity for transmission via close contact. Data on the relationships affecting the contact structure of farm animal populations are, therefore, required to improve mathematical models for the spatial spread of farm animal diseases. This paper presents data on the contact network for agricultural shows in Great Britain, whereby a link between two shows occurs if they share common competitors in the sheep class. Using the network, the potential for disease spread through agricultural shows is investigated varying both the initial show infected and the infectious period of the disease. The analysis reveals a highly connected network such that diseases introduced early in the show season could present a risk to sheep at the majority of subsequent shows. This data emphasizes the importance of maintaining rigorous showground and farm-level bio-security.
Crohn's disease in people exposed to clinical cases of bovine paratuberculosis
Authors: JONES P. H. , FARVER T. B. , BEAMAN B. , ÇETINKAYA B. , MORGAN K. L.
Published: June 2005

Mycobacterium aviumsubspeciesparatuberculosis(Map), the cause of ruminant paratuberculosis, has been proposed as the causative agent of Crohn's disease. The objective of this study was to determine whether exposure to clinical cases of bovine paratuberculosis was a risk factor for Crohn's disease. A questionnaire was sent to dairy farmers living on premises where the occurrence or absence of clinical cases of bovine paratuberculosis had previously been determined. The prevalence of Crohn's disease was found to be similar to that reported in other studies in the United Kingdom and showed no association with bovine paratuberculosis. There was, however, a univariate association with geographical region. Ulcerative colitis showed univariate associations with age, frequency of contact with cattle and with smoking. The results do not support the hypothesis thatMapplays a causative role in the aetiology of Crohn's disease.
Contact rates and exposure to inter-species disease transmission in mountain ungulates
Authors: RICHOMME C. , GAUTHIER D. , FROMONT E.
Published: June 2005

The risk for a pathogen to cross the species barrier depends on the rate of efficient contacts between the species. However, contact rates between species have rarely been estimated from observations. Here we estimate contact rates and exposure of chamoisRupicapra rupicapraand Alpine ibexCapra ibexexposed to domestic pasteurellosis and brucellosis carried by sheep or cattle herds summering in mountain pastures. We use field observation data on animal positions treated in a geographic information system (GIS). Comparing 10 pastures, we show that the management of domestic herds influences the risk of inter-species transmission. Exposure to direct transmission of pasteurellosis is high when herds are not guarded nor enclosed, whereas exposure to indirect transmission of brucellosis is increased on epidemiological dangerous points such as salt deposits. Our preliminary results need further investigation, but they underline the importance of both herd management and pathogen transmission mode when the aim is to reduce the risk of contamination of wild populations by a pathogen associated with domestic pathogens.
Molecular epidemiology and diversity ofSalmonellaserovar Typhimurium in pigs using phenotypic and genotypic approaches
Authors: GEBREYES W. A. , ALTIER C. , THAKUR S.
Published: June 2005

For epidemiological investigations of the most common and non-host-adaptedSalmonellaserotypes, such as Typhimurium, highly discriminatory approaches are essential. In the present study, we evaluated three genotyping methods; amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and repetitive palindromic extragenic–PCR (Rep–PCR) using 40 isolates. AFLP showed the highest discriminatory index (0·939), resolution and throughput. To determine clonality ofSalmonellaTyphimurium isolates and epidemiological relatedness in different commercial pig production units, we employed AFLP in combination with antimicrobial resistance pattern and phage typing.Salmonellaserovar Typhimurium isolates (n=196) obtained from a longitudinal study of 18 pig farms over a 3-year period were studied. Using this approach, 16 distinct clonal types were identified. We found two common multidrug- resistant patterns including AmCmStSuTe and AmKmStSuTe. Two commonly multidrug- resistant phage types that are of known public health importance, DT104 and DT193, were also common. AFLP differentiated distinct clones within DT104, a phage type previously reported to be clonal. Fourteen of the clonal types were unique to one of the two production systems, showing diversity between independent commercial pig production systems located in the same geographical area. Clonal types obtained from nursery farms and corresponding finishing units were, however, similar.
INTRODUCTION TO “THE FORMATION OF A JAPANOCENTRIC WORLD ORDER”
Authors: Momoki Shiro
Published: June 2005

Traditionally, East Asians have tended to hold a strong national, or state-centric, view. In the modern university system established in the Meiji period in Japan, Japanese history was defined as National History, and strictly differentiated from Asian history, as National (i.e. Japanese) literature was differentiated from Chinese literature. Imperial Japan used the theory of expansionism to justify its hegemony in Asia, but that theory collapsed with the close of World War II. Political complications, furthermore, made it difficult for Japanese historians to have contacts with their fellow Asian scholars. Under these circumstances the tradition of National History was reinforced among the academic circle of Japanese historians. Predominant in this version of Japanese history was the image of early modern Japan as a self-contained, “mono-ethnic” state, in “sea-locked isolation”, and the Tokugawa bakufu's sakoku (national seclusion) policy was the symbol of that isolation. Internationally renowned studies on Japan's foreign relations by scholars such as Kobata Atsushi and Iwao Seiichi did not attract much attention in Japan.
THE GLOBALIZATION OF CHINESE BUDDHISM: CLERGY AND DEVOTEE NETWORKS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Authors: Ashiwa Yoshiko , Wank David L.
Published: June 2005

The article examines the globalization of China's Buddhism. Such new modern values as science and progress, along with competition from Christianity stimulated a modern reform of Buddhism in China in the early twentieth century that was then carried abroad through emigration and other transnational movement. This paper examines the ongoing interactions among Buddhists across difference nation-state spaces that have constituted the spread of this Buddhism. We show how transnational networks of clergy and devotees are constituted through affiliations of kinship, loyalty and region. These, in turn, faciliate allocations of personnel, money, and legitimacy that have not only institutionalized Buddhism in Southeast Asian and North American overseas Chinese communities but also supported its revival in late twentieth century China.
YAMAUBA: REPRESENTATION OF THE JAPANESE MOUNTAIN WITCH IN THE MUROMACHI AND EDO PERIODS
Authors: Reider Noriko T.
Published: June 2005

This paper discusses the nature of the yamauba and the transformation of its image over time through an examination of its appearance in literature, folktales and art, focusing on, but not limited to, the early modern period. Literally, “yamauba” means an old woman who lives in the mountains, an appellation indicating a creature living on the periphery of society. Medieval Japanese literature equates the yamauba to a female oni (ogre/demon), sometimes devouring human beings who unwittingly cross her path. She is, however, not entirely negative or harmful. She is also credited with nurturing aspects, though these attributes are not always at the forefront of her character. Indeed, the emphasis on attributes imparted to that character changes significantly over time. A portrayal of the yamauba in the medieval period is predominantly of a witch-like white-haired hag, but by the end of the seventeenth century, the yamauba had come to be considered the mother of Kintarō, a legendary child with Herculean strength. By the eighteenth century, with a help of favorable depictions of the yamauba in puppet and Kabuki plays, she is portrayed by ukiyo-e artists as an alluring, beautiful woman who dotes on her son. The paper concludes that the yamauba remains a familiar figure in present-day Japanese society, and is still identified as a character of the disenfranchised “other.”
CHRISTIANITY AND THE OTHER: FRIEDRICH SCHLEGEL'S AND F. W. J. SCHELLING'S INTERPRETATION OF CHINA
Authors: Bernier Lucie
Published: June 2005

Every culture is self-centred and distinguishes itself from others which are inadvertently positioned off-centre. Thus ancient Greece called the non-Greeks barbarians, and the ancient Chinese called their own country the Celestial Empire and considered those who did not practise their culture as barbaric. In the modern age, Europe distinguished itself from the non-West principally by two features: Christianity and capitalism. Generally, it is considered that Christianity produced capitalism (Max Weber), so that the former can really be considered the foundation of Western Culture. In my paper, I demonstrate that Christianity is used to measure and construct non-European peoples and cultures within the western perception of the philosophy of history. Christianity is given supreme value, and related religions are considered to be corrupted in varying degrees, with non-theistic cultures bringing up the very rear.
RURALISM IN CHINA: REINTERPRETATION OF POST-COLLECTIVE DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Chang Kyung-Sup
Published: June 2005

This paper reinterprets the societal nature of Chinese rural development by introducing the concept of ruralism. By ruralism, extending Edward Said's epistemology, I denote all those social, cultural, political, and economic ideas and actions about rural peoples and places that have been devised and implemented by urban-based elite groups to justify urban-centered programs of economic and social transformation and necessitate self-negating changes (and non-changes) in rural people's everyday life. Ruralism has much more to do with the interests of urban economic, political, and social groups than with the realities of rural people's life. However, it exerts a formidable self-fulfilling power by inducing and coercing rural people to comply with the specific ways of thinking, acting, and relating described or, more precisely, prescribed therein. Ironically, communist China, which had been built through an agrarian social revolution, presents a particularly pertinent case of ruralist (under)development. The suppression of nonagricultural activities and geographic mobility, the compulsory concentration in grain production, and the forced social, political, and economic autarky (or self-reliance in euphemism) all presupposed a stagnant, introverted, and austere mode of existence on the part of Chinese peasants. Therefore, many of the particular characteristics of peasant life in the collective era were ruralist inventions and reinventions which Chinese peasants were neither accustomed to nor pleased with. In many respects, post-Mao rural reform has been a process of undoing – and thereby unlearning – the ruralist policies and practices of the collective era. Such undoing, more unexpectedly than expectedly, came to release the enormous developmental potential of autonomous peasant families in agricultural, industrial, and tertiary economic activities. But the undoing of ruralism is in no sense complete, and even new elements of ruralism have been added during the reform process.
Formation of methane on Mars by fluid‐rock interaction in the crust
Authors: Lyons James R. , Manning Craig , Nimmo Francis
Published: June 2005

Recent spectroscopic detections of CH4 in the atmosphere of Mars are the first definitive observations of an organic compound on that planet. The relatively short photochemical lifetime of CH4 (∼300 years) argues for a geologically young source. We demonstrate here that low‐temperature alteration of basaltic crust by carbon‐bearing hydrothermal fluid can produce the required CH4 flux of 1 × 107 moles year−1, assuming conservative values for crustal permeability and oxygen fugacity as implied by Martian basaltic meteorites. The crustal thermal disturbance due to a single dike ∼1 × 1 × 10 km intruded during the past 104 years is capable of driving the alteration, if all carbon is supplied by magmatic degassing from a dike with only 50 ppm C. Atmospheric methane strongly suggests ongoing magmatism and hydrothermal alteration on Mars.
Kelvin wave signatures in ECMWF meteo fields and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) ozone columns
Authors: Timmermans R. M. A. , van Oss R. F. , Kelder H. M.
Published: June 2005

This study investigates the vertical structure of the Kelvin wave signals previously found in total ozone column measurements from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) instrument. For this, zonal wind and temperature measurements from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re‐Analysis data set are analyzed by using the same bidimensional spectral method as was used to analyze the GOME total ozone columns. These fields are available on 60 levels from the surface to 0.1 hPa. For the three high Kelvin wave activity periods identified in the GOME data we found spectral features in the ECMWF fields associated with Kelvin waves with zonal wave numbers 1 or 2 and periods around 15–20 days. These characteristics correspond to the characteristics of the Kelvin waves detected in GOME. The signals are significant throughout the lower stratosphere between ∼100 and 10 hPa and, depending on the period, are largest around 15, 45, or 65 hPa. There is a good correlation between the Kelvin wave signals in the ECMWF zonal wind and temperature and the GOME total ozone column. The induced fluctuations in zonal wind and temperature are, respectively, up to 8 m/s and 2 K. From these induced zonal wind fluctuations, expected total ozone column fluctuations of around 1 DU are calculated, corresponding to the ozone fluctuations found in the GOME data. The results indicate that the analyzed total ozone column fluctuations are mainly caused by transport effects in the lower stratosphere. This study shows that combined use of ECMWF Re‐Analysis data and GOME ozone columns provides a possibility to study the three‐dimensional structure of Kelvin wave activity.
Abrupt transitions in gravity currents
Authors: Amy L. A. , Hogg A. J. , Peakall J. , Talling P. J.
Published: June 2005

Pyroclastic flows and snow avalanches sometimes exhibit a rapid deceleration of their dense flow fronts and detachment of their dilute clouds. This behavior is also inferred for submarine flows and could explain stepped thickness patterns in their deposits. A similar “abrupt transition” process occurs in particle‐laden, lock release laboratory currents with relatively high concentrations. New experiments on nonparticulate, solute‐driven density currents were run to investigate the cause of abrupt transitions. Abrupt transitions occur in laboratory currents with Reynolds numbers (Re) less than 1000 and are interpreted, supported by theoretical scaling analysis, to signify a change in dynamic regime. Currents with high Re, which do not show abrupt transitions, undergo a downstream change in dynamic regime from (1) inertial slumping to (2) inertial‐buoyancy spreading to (3) viscous‐buoyancy spreading. In low Re currents that undergo abrupt transitions, however, the duration of the second regime is very short, and hence they appear to pass directly from the quickly moving slumping phase into the slowly moving viscous phase. Scaling analysis indicates that an abrupt transition should occur in currents below a critical value of Re of ∼10–5000 for currents with different initial aspect ratios. Given that natural flows typically have greater Reynolds numbers, we suggest that abrupt transitions in laboratory and natural currents are likely to be dynamically different. This work has important implications for the physical modeling of gravity flows.
Fire‐induced albedo change and its radiative forcing at the surface in northern Australia
Authors: Jin Y. , Roy D. P.
Published: June 2005

This paper investigates the impact of fire on surface albedo and the associated radiative forcing over 56% of continental Australia encompassing the fire‐prone northern tropical savanna. Fire‐affected areas and albedos are derived for the 2003 fire season using daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) surface reflectance data. Near‐infrared and total shortwave albedos are observed to generally decrease after fire occurrence. Regionally, the total shortwave albedo drops by an average of 0.024, with increasing reductions as the dry season progresses and larger reductions in grasslands than woody savannas. These fire‐induced albedo changes exert a positive forcing at the surface that increases from March to November. A mean “instantaneous” shortwave surface radiative forcing of 0.52 Wm−2 is estimated for the study region.