bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Leaching of PVP from polyacrylonitrile/PVP blending membranes: A comparative study of asymmetric and dense membranes
Authors: Wan Ling‐Shu , Xu Zhi‐Kang , Wang Zhen‐Gang 
Published: April 2006

AbstractPoly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) (PVP) has been often used as an additive to improve the structure and performances of asymmetric membrane. In this work, we examined the leaching of PVP from polyacrylonitrile/PVP asymmetric membranes regarding the effect of leaching time, PVP content, and the molecular weight of PVP. Also, comparative studies of dense membranes were performed. It was found that the water contact angle on the dense membrane surface is very low compared with that on the asymmetric membrane surface. Results from X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy‐attenuated total reflection (FTIR‐ATR) showed that more amount of PVP exists at the surface layer of the dense membrane than at the asymmetric one. If the dense membrane was immersed into water for several hours and then dried in the air, the water contact angle increases and closes to that on the asymmetric membrane surface. Although leaching time was extended from 2 h to 15 days, PVP leaches out little from the asymmetric membrane. The leaching of PVP mainly occurs during the phase‐inversion process. Furthermore, the surface features were examined by atomic force microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. In comparison with PVP K30, more PVP K90 remains in the asymmetric membrane based on the FTIR‐ATR spectra. However, it can be concluded from the results of XPS that at the most outer surface of the asymmetric membrane (e.g., in depth about 1∼2 nm), the residual PVP K90 is almost the same with PVP K30. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1490–1498, 2006
Using trajectories from a bivariate growth curve as predictors in a Cox regression model
Authors: Dang Qianyu , Mazumdar Sati , Anderson Stewart J. , Houck Patricia R. , Reynolds Charles F. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractAn important research objective in most psychiatric clinical trials of maintenance treatment is to find predictors of recurrence of illness. In those trials, patients are first admitted into an open treatment period also called acute treatment. If they respond to the treatment and are considered to have stable remission from the illness, they enter the second phase of the trial where they are randomized into different arms of the ‘maintenance treatments’. Often, more than one response variable is measured longitudinally in the acute treatment phase to monitor treatment responses. Trajectories of these response measures are believed to have predictive ability for recurrences in the maintenance phase of the trial. By using a bivariate growth curve from two such longitudinal measures, we developed a method to use the estimated trajectories of each subject in a Cox regression model to predict recurrence in the maintenance phase. To adjust for the parameter estimation errors, we applied a full likelihood approach based on the conditional expectations of the predictors. Simulation studies indicate that the estimation error corrected estimators for the Cox model parameters are less biased when compared to the naive regression estimators without accounting for these errors. The uniqueness of this method lies in estimating trajectories from bivariate unequally spaced longitudinal response measures. An illustrative example is provided with data from a maintenance treatment trial for major depression in an elderly population. Visual Fortran®90 programs were developed to implement the algorithm. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new discipline in the era of knowledge economy: material flow science and technology
Authors: Xu Shou Bo 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe paper puts forward a new Chinese concept of ‘Wu Liu’ (material flow) which is different from the concepts of logistics and physical distribution popular in the West and Japan in four aspects: characteristics, contents, properties and applications. The paper points out that the research on material flow science and technology in China has lagged far behind, especially in the application aspect of material flows which is not in line with the position that material flow holds as the third biggest backbone industry group of the national economy. The paper also discusses issues in researching material flow in economic development, social development, as well as natural sciences. At the end, a framework of material flow science and technology is proposed which includes four components: disciplines supporting material flow science and technology, engineering and technological disciplines supporting material flow science and technology, theoretical disciplines supporting material flow science and technology, and other disciplines supporting material flow science and technology. About forty disciplines are related to material flow science and technology which need to be either built or enhanced. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrating knowledge management and ERP in enterprise information systems
Authors: Xu Lida , Wang Chengen , Luo Xiaochuan , Shi Zhongzhi 
Published: April 2006

AbstractKnowledge is considered as an enterprise's invisible assets. Surviving in today's highly competitive and ever expanding global economy requires efficiently managing corporate knowledge. Increasing requirements for extended enterprises have stimulated the integration of knowledge management (KM) function into ERP systems for knowledge asset management. So far enterprise information systems such as ERP systems are developed and implemented for mainly managing physical assets of an enterprise since 1990s. Due to the fact that both types of assets need to be properly managed, the integration of KM and ERP becomes a strategic initiative for providing competitive advantages to enterprises. This paper discusses how to deploy KM and ERP concurrently in the framework of enterprise information systems, with a discussion of the interaction of KM and ERP systems in systems perspectives. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A knowledge management system for ERP implementation
Authors: Li Yuan , Liao Xiu Wu , Lei Hong Zhen 
Published: April 2006

AbstractAn enterprise resource planning (ERP) is an enterprise‐wide application software package that integrates all necessary business functions into a single system with a common database. Its implementation is a complex process in terms of technology preparation and organizational change management. Although the importance of knowledge management (KM) in ERP implementation has been recognized, how to conduct knowledge management has not received deserved attention till now. The main objective of this paper is to develop a KM system to manage the knowledge of ERP implementation process. To accomplish this, the article first identifies the types of knowledge in ERP implementation. It then summarizes various KM activities based on a six‐stage model. At last, it proposes a KM system that consists of cooperative working platform, consulting platform, individual KM platform, organizational KM platform, and knowledge transfer platform. This system can effectively manage knowledge and provide support for the successful implementation of an ERP system. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Theory and practice of systems methodology in ERP implementation
Authors: Zhang Li , Li Yue Chuan 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe application and evolution of MRP II/ERP can be roughly divided into three stages: the introduction stage, the growth stage, and the maturity stage. A successful ERP implementation requires knowledge on both ERP systems and business management. In implementing ERP, the business processes of those enterprises adopted ERP systems need to be examined. It is important to understand the ERP system itself and the business processes involved with the ERP systems and the enterprises‐adopted ERP systems. In order to resolve issues that may appear in the process of implementing ERP system, this paper proposes that a systematic analysis of those significant factors involved with implementing ERP systems is a necessity, especially if such analysis is conducted in the framework of systems science. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhancing competitive edge through knowledge management in implementing ERP systems
Authors: Li Ling , Zhao Xiping 
Published: April 2006

AbstractUsing data from 170 manufacturing companies, we identified five facilitators for knowledge management in an ERP environment. Additionally, we examined the relationship between knowledge management and manufacturing companies' competitive advantages in the E‐business environment. The result of the study suggests that adopting organizational preparation for KM, employee education and learning, information and data network, knowledge sharing process and knowledge scanning as knowledge management facilitators will have a synergistic positive effect on firms' competitive advantages. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kinematical studies of the flows around free or surface-mounted obstacles; applying topology to flow visualization
Authors: Hunt J. C. R. , Abell C. J. , Peterka J. A. , Woo H. 
Published: April 2006

In flows around three-dimensional surface obstacles in laminar or turbulent streamsthere are a number of points where the shear stress or where two or more component,s of the mean velocity are zero. In the first part of this paper we summarize and extend the kinematical theory for the flow near these points, particularly by emphasizing the topological classification of these points as nodes or saddles. We show that the zero-shear-stress points on the surface and on the obstacle must be such that the sum of the nodes ΣNand the sum of the saddles Σssatisfy\[ \Sigma_N -\Sigma_S = 0. \]If the obstacle has a hole through it, such as a passageway under a building,\[ \Sigma_N -\Sigma_S =-2. \]If the surface is a junction between two pipes,\[ \Sigma_N -\Sigma_S =-1. \]We also consider, in two-dimensional plane sections of the flow, the points where the components of the mean velocity parallel to the planes are zero, both in the flow and near surfaces cutting the sections. The latter points are half-nodes N′ or half-saddles S′. We find that\[ (\Sigma_N +{\textstyle\frac{1}{2}}\Sigma_{N^{\prime}}-(\Sigma_{S^{\prime}}+{\textstyle\frac{1}{2}}\Sigma_{S^{\prime}}) = 1-n, \]where n is the connectivity of the section of the flow considered.In the second part new flow-visualization studies of laminar and turbulent flows around cuboids and axisymmetric humps (i.e. model hills) are reported. A new method of obtaining a high resolution of the surface shear-stress lines was used. These studies show how enumerating the nodes and saddle points acts as a check on the inferred flow pattern.Two specific conclusions drawn from these studies are that:for all the flows we observed, there are no closed surfaces of mean streamlines around the separated flows behind three-dimensional surface obstacles, which con-tradicts most of the previous suggestions for such flows (e.g. Halitsky 1968);the separation streamline on the centre-line of a three-dimensional bluff obstacle does not, in general, reattach to the surface.
In search of economic development in Kenya: Colonial legacies & post-independence realities
Authors: Fahnbulleh Miatta 
Published: April 2006

The post-colonial period in Africa saw nationalist aspirations for development entangled with the quest for industrialisation. However, the national experiences of industrial and economic development in this era have been marked by varying degrees of disappointment. Kenya, like much of Africa, has failed to engender the levels of industrial growth and subsequent levels of development to which it aspired. Much of the explanations for Africa's disappointing record of industrial development have focused on two central factors: the structural constraints on industrial development and the policies that were pursued.
In many ways, these factors are inherently linked to a colonial legacy. Africa's disappointing record of industrial and economic development cannot be divorced from its historical context. It is thus necessary to consider the extent to which the structures that were in place at the end of colonialism predetermined the pattern of development that would emerge in the post-independence era.
When evaluating the post-independence experience of industrial development, two specific colonial legacies stand out as decisive: ‘colonial under-development’ and the ‘policy inheritance’. This article argues that although these legacies were profound, it was ultimately the dynamics of post-independence realities that determined the path of development.
Negotiating Ethnicity: Identity politics in contemporary Kenya
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Authors: Lynch Gabrielle 
Published: April 2006

Ethnic identities are best understood as complex and contested social constructs, perpetually in the process of creation (c.f. Berman, 1998). It is with the perpetual processes of evolution, devolution, change and conformity of ethnic identities, often perceived to be cultural givens, that this paper concerns itself. Ethnicity is a politically relevant signifier in contemporary Kenya, and drawing on evidence from Kenya's Rift Valley Province and Western Province, the paper looks at the ways in which ‘modern’ Kenyans can, and do, contest, revive, create, negotiate and renegotiate their ethnic identity. The paper reveals how ethnic communities can both contract and/or expand, and how individual actors and groups can draw on selective memories and histories to justify their ‘migration’ from one community to another; while the relevant content of ethnic units is open to both debate and contestation.
The paper provides detailed evidence of the fact and nature of ethnic construction, deconstruction and creation in the Kenyan postcolony and reveals how processes of ethnic negotiation and renegotiation are ultimately fuelled by the desire to stake claims to, and access resources controlled by the Kenyan state and external agents. Ultimately, the negotiation and renegotiation of ethnicity is inexorably intertwined with common perceptions of how political representation and redistribution actually works in Kenya, and with the perceived opportunities for advancement in both domestic and/or international arenas and forums.
Class relations: AIDS & socioeconomic privilege in Africa
Authors: Bujra Janet 
Published: April 2006

A critical consideration of the way social class is defined in studies of HIV/ AIDS in Africa exposes the inadequacies of ‘indexical’ accounts in which class is reduced to a statistical category (the predominant mode of analysis in epidemiological research). It compares this to relational accounts which view class as a set of dynamic interactions between groups struggling to assert or defend social positions relating to livelihoods. Arguing that class relations frame both the transmission and the response to the AIDS epidemic in Africa, it looks at the evidence which can be drawn from both indexical and relational accounts of the particular significance of class in this situation, noting its crucial intersection with gender relations and taking Tanzania as its key case.
This paper was originally presented to the African Studies Association Biennial conference: Goldsmiths College, University of London: 13-15 September 2004.
Ecological morphospace of New World ants
Authors: Weiser Michael D. , Kaspari Michael 
Published: April 2006

Abstract. 1. Here the quantitative relationships between ecology, taxonomy, and morphology of ant workers are explored. The morphospace for worker ants taken from 112 genera and 12 subfamilies of New World ants is described.2. Principal components analysis was used to characterise a morphospace based on 10 linear measurements of ant workers. Additionally, strongly covarying measures were removed to generate a simplified morphological space that uses three common and ecologically relevant traits: head size, eye size, and appendage length.3. These morphological traits are then associated with diet and foraging substrate. For example, workers in predaceous genera tend to be small, with relatively small eyes and limbs; omnivores, while small, have proportionately large eyes and limbs. Ants that forage on surface substrates are larger and have proportionately larger eyes than subterranean foragers.
Effects of leaf nitrogen content on oviposition site selection, offspring performance, and intraspecific interactions in an omnivorous bug
Authors: Groenteman Ronny , Guershon Moshe , Coll Moshe 
Published: April 2006

Abstract.  1. Oviposition site preference and its relation to offspring performance have received much attention in studies of herbivorous insects. Although this relationship is of great ecological significance, its presence in predacious and omnivorous insects has hardly been explored. When selecting an oviposition site, omnivores are expected to respond to both prey availability and, even more strongly, to plant traits that affect both females and their offspring.2. In this study, females of Orius albidipennis (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) showed a strong preference for oviposition at the vein origin site of cotton leaves. It appears that this site is a limited resource for ovipositing females, because they defend it against conspecific intruders. This defensive behaviour was significantly more pronounced on nitrogen‐rich than nitrogen‐poor plants.3. The females' defensive behaviour on nitrogen‐rich leaves corresponds with offspring performance; the nymphs developed faster and enjoyed higher survival on nitrogen‐rich than on nitrogen‐poor leaves. At the between‐plant level, oviposition preference was not significantly correlated with offspring performance, and egg hatching rate did not differ significantly between nitrogen treatments.4. Oviposition site selection by this omnivorous bug appears, however, to be correlated positively with offspring performance at the within‐leaf level. This is supported by the significantly higher hatching success of eggs deposited at the preferred vein origin site as compared with those deposited on other parts of the leaf.
Detection and avoidance of an entomopathogenic fungus by a generalist insect predator
Authors: Meyling Nicolai V. , Pell Judith K. 
Published: April 2006

Abstract.  1. Increasing evidence suggests that insects can assess their environment based on cues related to mortality risks to themselves or their offspring. Limited knowledge is available on such abilities in relation to entomopathogenic fungi, which can cause significant mortality in insect populations. In laboratory bioassays, the ability of the generalist predator Anthocoris nemorum L. (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) to detect the presence of its natural enemy, the fungal pathogen Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) was investigated.2. Behavioural observations were conducted on adults of A. nemorum foraging in choice and non‐choice arenas treated with conidia suspensions of B. bassiana or just the carrier (control). The arenas consisted either of nettle leaves or soil. Additionally, behaviours in response to sporulating nettle aphid cadavers compared with uninfected aphids or paper balls were evaluated on nettle leaves. An oviposition experiment was also conducted in choice arenas on conidia‐treated and untreated nettle leaves.3. Males and females detected and avoided contact with leaf surfaces inoculated with B. bassiana. Females that were forced to enter fungus‐treated leaf surfaces were very reluctant to do so. When females encountered cadavers sporulating with B. bassiana they rapidly withdrew compared with harmless paper ball dummies. Soil inoculated with B. bassiana did not affect A. nemorum behaviour or residence time compared with control soil. Females inserted significantly more eggs in control leaf areas compared with areas treated with B. bassiana conidia.4. All results suggest that A. nemorum detects and avoids the pathogen B. bassiana when it forages on host plants with which it is adapted but not on soil surfaces. The adaptive significance of detection of entomopathogenic fungi is discussed.
The effect of summer management of perennial ryegrass‐dominant swards on plant and animal responses in the autumn when grazed by sheep. 1. Tissue turnover and sward structure
Authors: HEPP C. , MILNE J. A. , ILLIUS A. W. , ROBERTSON E. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractAn experiment was conducted lo compare the effects of the grazing by ewes and weaned lambs on aftermath and previously continuously grazed perennial ryegrass‐dominant swards, at two sward heights (4 and 8 cm) in (he autumn, on changes in structure and growth of the swards. The experiment had a factorial design, was replicated twice and was conducted from mid‐August to early November with measurements being made on three occasions in the autumn. Aftermath swards had lower tiller population densities and lower herbage masses than those that had been previously continuously grazed, the differences being greatest in August. On an area basis net growth rates of herbage on aftermaths were lower than those on previously continuously grazed swards in August and September but not in October. Growth rates of herbage were higher on the taller sward, but the senescence rates were similar at the two sward heights. It was concluded that autumn swards may be managed at taller sward heights than summer swards without increasing senescence of the sward and a consequent reduction in efficiency of utilization. The effects of previous sward management on tissue turnover in the autumn were not long lasting.
The effect of summer management of perennial ryegrass‐dominant swards on plant and animal responses in the autumn when grazed by sheep. 2. Herbage intake and grazing behaviour
Authors: HEPP C. , MILNE J. A. , ILLIUS A. W. , BEATTIE M. M. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe effects on herbage intake and ingestive behaviour by ewes and weaned lambs of grazing aftermath and previously continuously grazed perennial ryegrass‐dominant swards at two different sward heights (4 and 8 cm) in the autumn were studied. The experiment had a factorial design, was replicated twice and was conducted from mid‐August to early November. There were six ewes and six weaned lambs per treatment plot and measurements were made in three periods. The effects of previous treatment of swards on herbage intake by ewes and weaned lambs were greatest in August, with herbage intakes being significantly lower on the aftermath swards. Differences disappeared by October. The lowest herbage intakes were obtained on the aftermath sward at the lowest sward height, with ewes being more affected under those conditions than lambs. Grazing time and biting rate increased with a reduction in sward height and were higher on aftermath swards. However, these increases did not compensate for reductions in estimated bite size on the aftermath swards. It was concluded that the effects of the sward management treatments in the summer on tissue turnover of the sward and herbage intake in the autumn were considerable in the early part of the autumn but had largely disappeared by the end of the autumn period.