bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preparation and anti‐icing property of a lotus‐leaf‐like superhydrophobic low‐density polyethylene coating with low sliding angle
Authors: Yuan Zhiqing , Bin Jiping , Wang Xian , Liu Qilong , Zhao Dejian , Chen Hong , Jiang Haiyun 
Published: April 2012

AbstractA lotus‐leaf‐like superhydrophobic low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) coating with low sliding angle was prepared by a facile method. The water contact angle and sliding angle of the as‐prepared superhydrophobic LDPE coating were 156 ± 1.7° and 1°, respectively. The anti‐icing property of the as‐prepared LDPE coating with low sliding angle was investigated in a climatic chamber with a working temperature of −5°C. The results showed that the superhydrophobic LDPE coating with low sliding angle can largely prevent ice formation on the surface, showing excellent anti‐icing property. The as‐prepared superhydrophobic LDPE coating with good anti‐icing property will be perfectly desirable for outdoor equipments to reduce ice formation on their surfaces in cold seasons. This work will provide a new way to fabricate anti‐icing coating and thus find applications in a variety of fields. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
Rheological and thermal properties of epoxy nanocomposites reinforced with alkylated multi‐walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Heo Gun‐Young , Park Soo‐Jin 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe effects of functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on thermal and chemorheological behaviors of an epoxy‐based nanocomposite system were investigated. Chemical functionalization of MWCNTs by acid modification (A‐MWCNTs) and chemical amidation (D‐MWCNTs) was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. It was found that the D‐MWCNTs had a significant effect on the chemorheological behaviors of the epoxy‐based nanocomposite. Compared to the epoxy/A‐MWCNT nanocomposite, the epoxy/D‐MWCNTs nanocomposite showed a significant increase in gel time, as obtained from isothermal rheology measurements. Also, the storage modulus of the diglycidylether of bisphenol F (DGEBF)/D‐MWCNTs nanocomposite was higher than that of the DGEBF/D‐MWCNTs nanocomposite and gradually increased with an increase of frequency. This could be interpreted by the relatively strongly interconnected structure of the D‐MWCNTs in the DGEBF epoxy resin, which arises from the functionalized alkyl groups of the D‐MWCNTs in dispersion phases with the DGEBF epoxy resin. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Action principle for non‐abelian twisted self‐duality
Authors: Samtleben H. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe dynamics of abelian vector and antisymmetric tensor gauge fields can be described in terms of twisted self‐duality equations. The latter play an important role in exposing the duality symmetries of the theory. In this contribution I review recent progress in the construction of action principles for these equations and in particular their non‐abelian generalizations.
Graphene oxide/PEDOT:PSS and reduced graphene oxide/PEDOT:PSS hole extraction layers in organic photovoltaic cells
Authors: Park Yensil , Soon Choi Kyoung , Young Kim Soo 
Published: April 2012

AbstractA comparison was made between the use of graphene oxide (GO)/poly(ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/PEDOT:PSS as a hole extraction layer (HEL) in organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. Hydrazine hydrate (HYD) and the thermal method were adopted to change the GO to rGO. The OPV cell with the GO (∼2 nm)/PEDOT:PSS HEL exhibits a power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as 3.53% under 100 mW/cm2 illumination and air mass conditions, which is higher than that of the OPV cell without the HEL, viz. 1.78%. The device with the PEDOT:PSS/GO HEL shows a similar PCE of 3.48%. However, the PCE of the OPV cell with the rGO/PEDOT:PSS HEL is not high as those of the cells with the HYD‐rGO/PEDOT:PSS and T‐rGO/PEDOT:PSS, viz. 3.3 and 3.37%, respectively. The work function of GO was 4.7 eV, but those of HYD‐rGO and T‐rGO were 4.2 and 4.5 eV, respectively, suggesting that the decrease of the barrier height between GO and active materials is higher than that in rGO case.
Second harmonic generation in periodically poled LiNbO3 waveguides formed by oxygen‐ion implantation
Authors: Huang Qing , Liu Peng , Liu Tao , Zhang Lian , Zhou Yu‐Fan , Wang Xue‐Lin 
Published: April 2012

AbstractPlanar and channel waveguides were fabricatied in periodically poled lithium niobate crystals by 6 MeV O‐ion implantation. Single‐pass second harmonic generation was carried out. A conversion efficiency of 34.5%/(W · cm2) was achieved in the channel waveguide, and 1.11 mW second harmonic light at 492.5 nm was generated. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The role of precipitation size distributions in km‐scale NWP simulations of intense precipitation: evaluation of cloud properties and surface precipitation
Authors: Van Weverberg Kwinten , van Lipzig Nicole P.M , Delobbe Laurent , Vogelmann Andrew M. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractWe investigate the sensitivity of simulated cloud properties and surface precipitation to assumptions regarding the size distributions of the precipitating hydrometeors in a one‐moment bulk microphysics scheme. Three sensitivity experiments were applied to two composites of 15 convective and 15 frontal stratiform intense precipitation events observed in a coastal midlatitude region (Belgium), which were evaluated against satellite‐retrieved cloud properties and radar‐rain‐gauge derived surface precipitation. It is found that the cloud optical thickness distribution was well captured by all experiments, although a significant underestimation of cloudiness occurred in the convective composite. The cloud‐top‐pressure distribution was improved most by more realistic snow size distributions (including a temperature‐dependent intercept parameter and non‐spherical snow for the calculation of the slope parameter), due to increased snow depositional growth at high altitudes. Surface precipitation was far less sensitive to whether graupel or hail was chosen as the rimed ice species, as compared to previous idealized experiments. This smaller difference in sensitivity could be explained by the stronger updraught velocities and higher freezing levels in the idealized experiments compared to typical coastal midlatitude environmental conditions. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Reduction of FeO in EAF Steelmaking Slag by Blends of Metallurgical Coke and End‐of‐Life Tyre
Authors: Dankwah James R. , Koshy Pramod , O'Kane Paul , Sahajwalla Veena 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe reduction of FeO‐containing slag by blends of metallurgical coke and end‐of‐life tyres (RT) have been investigated through experiments conducted in a laboratory‐scale horizontal tube furnace. Composite pellets of EAF slag (47.1% FeO) with coke, RT, and blends of coke/RT (in four different proportions) were rapidly heated at 1550°C under high purity argon gas and the off gas was continuously analyzed for CO and CO2using an online infrared (IR) gas analyzer. The extent of reduction after 10 min, level of carburization and desulfurization, and the total amount of CO2 emissions were determined for each carbonaceous reductant. The results indicate that the extent of reduction, level of carburization and desulfurization of the reduced metal are significantly improved when coke is blended with RT. Blending of coke with RT resulted in a decrease in direct CO2 emissions from the reduction reactions.
The Effects of Strain Rate and Temperature on the Deformation Behavior of Cold‐Rolled TRIP800 Steel
Authors: Polat Aytekin 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn the present study, the influences of temperature and strain rate on the deformation behavior of cold‐rolled TRIP800 steel were investigated. Microstructural observation and tensile tests were performed and volume fractions of retained austenite were measured at various temperatures and strain rates. The results reveal that both temperature and strain rate affect the volume fractions of retained austenite that transforms into martensite. The strain‐induced transformation of retained austenite is retarded with increasing temperature and the retained austenite becomes more stable against straining. The amount of retained austenite that transforms into martensite is not influenced significantly by strain rate. The variation in mechanical properties with temperature and strain rate was related to the effects of dynamic strain aging, tempering of banite, high temperature softening, and the volume fractions of retained austenite.
6‐Gingerol inhibits fungal alpha amylase: Enzyme kinetic and molecular modeling studies
Authors: Tintu Ignatius , Dileep Kalarickal Vijayan , Remya Chandran , Augustine Anu , Sadasivan Chittalakkottu 
Published: April 2012

AbstractAlpha amylases are hydrolytic enzymes that are widespread in nature, being found in animals, microorganisms, and plants. These enzymes hydrolyze starch molecules into reducing sugars. Alpha amylases from microbial sources have several applications in industrial sectors. This enzyme is an effective target for the development of anti‐fungal agents. The binding affinity and enzyme inhibitory properties of 6‐gingerol toward alpha amylase have been determined. Molecular modeling and docking has been carried out, in order to get the molecular level interactions. Enzyme inhibition studies proved that 6‐gingerol is a competitive inhibitor of fungal alpha amylase. It was inferred that 6‐gingerol is a potent natural inhibitor of alpha amylase.
Comparative Study of Ruthenium(II) and Ruthenium(III) Complexes with the Ligand dmbpy (dmbpy = 4, 4′‐Dimethyl‐2, 2′‐bipyridine)
Authors: Seok Won K. , Ran Jo Myeong , Kim Nayeon , Yun Hoseop 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe complex cis‐[RuIII(dmbpy)2Cl2](PF6) (2) (dmbpy = 4, 4′‐dimethyl‐2, 2′‐bipyridine) was obtained from the reaction of cis‐[RuII(dmbpy)2Cl2] (1) with ammonium cerium(IV) nitrate followed by precipitation with saturated ammonium hexafluoridophosphate. The 1H NMR spectrum of the RuIII complex confirms the presence of paramagnetic metal atoms, whereas that of the RuII complex displays diamagnetism. The 31P NMR spectrum of the RuIII complex shows one signal for the phosphorus atom of the PF6– ion. The perspective view of each [RuII/III(dmbpy)2Cl2]0/+ unit manifests that the ruthenium atom is in hexacoordinate arrangement with two dmbpy ligands and two chlorido ligands in cis position. As the oxidation state of the central ruthenium metal atom becomes higher, the average Ru–Cl bond length decreases whereas the Ru–N (dmbpy) bond length increases. The cis‐positioned dichloro angle in RuIII is 1.3° wider than that in the RuII. The dihedral angles between pair of planar six‐membered pyridyl ring in the dmbpy ligand for the RuII are 4.7(5)° and 5.7(4)°. The observed inter‐planar angle between two dmbpy ligands in the RuII is 89.08(15)°, whereas the value for the RuIII is 85.46(20)°.
Does Obesity Affect Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Esophagectomy for Cancer? A Meta‐analysis
Authors: Kayani Babar , Okabayashi Koji , Ashrafian Hutan , Harling Leanne , Rao Christopher , Darzi Ara , Kitagawa Yuko , Athanasiou Thanos , Zacharakis Emmanouil 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackgroundThe incidence of esophageal carcinoma and the global prevalence of obesity are both increasing. As a result, there is an increased number of esophagectomies being performed on obese patients. The identification of specific complications in obese patients undergoing esophagectomy may allow improved risk assessment and postoperative management to reduce morbidity and mortality. This meta‐analysis aimed to determine whether obese patients are at increased risk of postoperative complications, mortality, and compromised survival compared to non‐obese patients following esophageal resection.MethodsA Medline, Embase, Ovid, and Cochrane database search was performed on all articles between January 1980 and January 2012 comparing post‐esophagectomy outcomes between obese and non‐obese patients. This study was conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration and the Quality of Reporting of Meta‐Analyses guidelines.ResultsThere was no significant difference between obese and non‐obese patients with respect to extent of tumor resection, cardiorespiratory complications, anastomotic leakage, reoperation rates, wound infection, or postoperative mortality. Meta‐regression analysis showed that diabetes in obese patients was associated with a significant impact on the risk of anastomotic leakage (coefficient = −7.94 [−15.24–0.65, P = 0.03) and atrial fibrillation (coefficient = −6.94 [−12.79–1.10], P = 0.02). Overall, obese patients had significantly better long‐term survival than non‐obese patients (Hazard Ratio = 0.78 [0.64–0.96], P = 0.02).ConclusionsIn patients who are eligible for surgery, obesity alone does not increase risk of postoperative complications or mortality and should not be an independent contraindication for esophagectomy. However, the presence of diabetes mellitus in conjunction with obesity may be associated with increased risk of anastomotic leakage and atrial fibrillation. Because of the adverse physiological remodeling in obesity, surgeons should maintain a low threshold for the investigation and management of complications and ensure meticulous management of co‐morbidities. Obesity may also improve long‐term postoperative survival after esophageal surgery, although further studies with higher levels of evidence are necessary to fully determine any advantageous effects of obesity following oncological esophageal surgery.
Brief Report: Insight into Illness and Social Attributional Style in Asperger’s Syndrome
Authors: Didehbani Nyaz , Shad Mujeeb U. , Kandalaft Michelle R. , Allen Tandra T. , Tamminga Carol A. , Krawczyk Daniel C. , Chapman Sandra B. 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
A number of psychiatric illnesses have been recognized to have some level of insight deficits, including developmental disorders, such as Asperger’s Syndrome (ASP). However insight into illness has not been empirically investigated in ASP and little research has examined how individuals with ASP view their deficits. This is the first study to assess insight and the relationship between insight and externalizing bias (EB) in ASP. Participants with ASP (n = 21) and healthy controls (n = 24) were recruited. Attributional style was assessed with the internal, personal, and situational attribution questionnaire. Insight was assessed with both a clinician-administered and a self-administered measure. Results revealed that EB was negatively correlated with insight as assessed with the clinician-administered but not the self-administered measure of insight.
,,Großstadt - Stadt (nur) der Großen?!‘‘ - Stadtplanung und das schwierige Leben von Eltern und Kindern in der Großstadt
Authors: Süßmeier Herbert J. 
Published: April 2012

Einleitung
Moderne Großstädte bieten viele Attraktionen. Für Kinder und Familien beinhalten die heutigen Großstädte allerdings eine Reihe von Nachteilen, die sie in ihrer gesunden Entwicklung und lebendigen Entfaltung behindern. Offenbar haben diese Nachteile bisher noch nicht genügend Publizität erreicht, um entscheidende Korrekturen der Städteplanung zu erwirken. Am Beispiel des im Rahmen des „Gesunde-Städte-Projekts“ entstandenen Films „Großstadt - Stadt der Großen“ wird gezeigt, wo aus der Sicht der Betroffenen in München der ’Weltstadt mit Herz’ bei Kindern „der Schuh drückt“
Unit-linked assurance policies: category B
Authors: Fine A. E. M. 
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this note is to summarize and draw attention to the references in the actuarial literature to Category B unit-linked assurance policies.2. The designation ‘Category B’ was first used by A. T. Grant and G. A. Kingsnorth. In paragraph 53 of their paper the authors define this type of unit-linked policy as one where the policy is linked to a unit trust and dividends distributed by the unit trust are retained for the benefit of the life office and corresponding adjustments are made in the premium scale and in the form of benefit. It is stated that the more usual type of contract in this category takes the form of an endowment assurance under which the sum assured is payable in the units of a unit trust, the amount deemed invested in units each year being equal to the sum assured divided by the original term of the policy. At maturity the policy-holder receives the units (or their cash value) subject to any deduction for capital gains tax.
Proposals for the statutory basis of valuation of the liabilities of long-term insurance business
Authors: Bews R. P. , Seymour P. A. C. , Shaw A. N. D. , Wales F. R. 
Published: April 2012

1.1. Section 78 of the Insurance Companies Act 1974 makes provision for Regulations to be made for the valuation of assets and liabilities. Regulations relating to the valuation of assets, although not published at the time of writing, are expected to be laid before Parliament in the near future.It is expected that the corresponding Regulations for the valuation of liabilities will be issued later in 1975.1.2. The Department of Trade has consulted interested bodies, including the Faculty and the Institute, with regard to proposals for the content of the Valuation of Liabilities Regulations and with its permission part of the relevant Consultative Note is reproduced in Appendix I.
Bonus distribution with high equity backing
Authors: Kennedy S. P. L. , Froggatt H. W. , Hodge P. E. T. , King A. S. 
Published: April 2012

1.1. This paper is based on the report of a working party set up by the Institute Research Committee and which met for two years from December 1972. The original objectives of the working party were:(a) to identify current philosophies of bonus distribution in a fund with a high equity content.(b) to review the methods used for valuing assets and liabilities and the inter-relationship between the respective methods; and to consider the effect of the current philosophies of bonus distribution on those methods.(c) to investigate methods of valuing assets and liabilities and to carry out research into methods appropriate to modern conditions.1.2. The working party was not satisfied that it had satisfactorily achieved its objectives but, nevertheless, felt that it should report the progress it had made. The full report is available from the Institute Library together with synopses of some forty papers that were considered relevant. This paper omits the two sections of the report which reviewed current methods of valuation for publication of assets and liabilities and expands other sections in the light of recent events.
Long-term sickness and invalidity benefits: Forecasting and other actuarial problems
Authors: Haberman S. 
Published: April 2012

It is proposed to discuss the actuarial problems associated with the management of long-term sickness and invalidity benefits. The emphasis is on benefits provided by social security schemes (with particular reference to National Insurance benefit in the UK), but the main points are relevant to private sector benefits including permanent health insurance (PHI).The plan of the paper is as follows. We describe in Section 2 the nature of long-term invalidity benefit provided by the British social security system and then consider in Section 3 the problems associated with defining disability. A discussion of the differences between the incidence of morbidity and the making of an insurance claim leads to consideration of selection and moral hazard (Section 4). We then examine in Section 5 the methodology for analysing costs and estimating future costs with particular reference to the development within the Government Actuary's Department (GAD) of a model based on an incidence and survivorship approach to invalidity benefit and the debate aroused by CMI Report No. 7 on the same topic5. The paper then presents an analysis of recent trends in disability claim rates (Section 6) and incidence and termination rates (Sections 7 and 8) based on invalidity benefit within the British social security system, as well as PHI and the experience of other countries. Attempts are then made in Section 9 to explain these trends and the upward trend in financial costs for disability benefits experienced by many social security systems. The paper concludes with an examination of two areas of current interest, viz. sex differences in morbidity rates and claim rates (Section 10) and the relationship between claim rates and the prevailing level of unemployment (Section 11).
A short note on the construction of life tables and multiple decrement tables
Authors: Waters H. R. , Wilkie A. D. 
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this short note is to explain a simple method of constructing a life table, given an explicit function for the force of mortality, μx, for all x. A similar method can be applied to the construction of multiple decrement tables, given explicit functions for the separate forces of transition, μbx, μcx, etc, from one ‘active’ status (a) to various ‘dead’ statuses (b, c, etc) for all x.Although numerical results for the examples discussed in this note could be calculated equally well by more direct methods than the ones described herein, results for more complicated examples involving multiple status tables, in which transition back and forth between statuses is possible, cannot in general be calculated by such direct methods, and our methods provide a practical way by means of which numerical results for these more complicated cases can be calculated.
Notes on the Financial Times-Actuaries Equity Share Indices in 1990
Authors: Brumwell J. C. H. 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTContinuing process of updating company classifications.Ninety-six constituents deleted during 1990—many as a result of strengthened casualty rule. Only 74 replaced—reflecting difficulty in finding suitable new non-industrial constituents.Agencies, Overseas Traders and Publishing & Printing groups discontinued at the end of the year, but Business Services, Electricity and Media introduced. Leisure renamed Hotels & Leisure.
A marketing audit of the actuarial profession
Authors: Milne R. J. H. , Bagot G. M. , Buchanan A. C. , Goodman A. R. , Gupta A. K. , Horn I. G. , Lee S. F. , Porch R. , Thomson I. J. 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTThis paper presents the results of research into the marketing of the actuarial profession including a SWOT analysis, public awareness and image of the profession amongst target groups (general public, undergraduates, journalists, company directors, pension scheme trustees and insurance intermediaries), and the desire to allocate more resources to the profession's public awareness and image. The paper also contains an analysis of the national press coverage achieved by the profession and reports on developments in North America where a task force on strengthening the actuarial profession has been set up.
Systems, data and the actuary
Authors: Roberts J. , Greenwood N. J. , Harsant J. D. , Sturmey M. G. 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTThe paper was prepared by an informal working party as an introduction to an open forum discussion. It considers from several viewpoints the relationship between the actuary and the computer, both in its function as a calculating tool and as a data processing and storage medium. The paper considers in detail the requirements of the Appointed Actuary for adequate data, the problems of allocating and pricing for computer costs and the increasing uses of computer modelling in financial reporting. The place of computer literacy in actuarial education, future developments and standards are also considered.
Notes on the Financial Times—Actuaries United Kingdom Share Indices in 1991
Authors: Brumwell J. C. H. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractContinuing process of updating company classifications.Sixty constituents deleted during 1991—more as a result of casualty rule than those taken over.Only forty eight replaced—reflecting difficulty in finding suitable new non-industrial constituents.No end of the year group changes at the end of the year—for the first time since end-1988.