bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Isotopic variations in precipitation at Bangkok and their climatological significance
Authors: He Yuanqing , Pang Hongxi , Theakstone W. H. , Zhang Zhonglin , Lu Aigang , Gu Juan 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe stable isotopic composition of precipitation from low to mid latitudes contains information about changes of some climatic factors, such as temperature, precipitation and atmospheric circulation patterns. However, the isotopic variations in the area are very complicated because of the combined influences of these factors. Proper interpretation of the patterns of isotopic variations for palaeoclimate reconstructions in this area requires a detailed understanding of these complex stable isotope controls. The isotopic data (δ18O and δ2D) in precipitation at the International Atomic Energy Agency–World Meteorological Organization Bangkok station were collected and analysed because of the relatively long and unbroken isotopic records and the particular geographical location. The isotopic variations at Bangkok have strong seasonal patterns owing to distinct source regions in different seasons. In summer, the remote sources of water there can influence the δ18O values significantly, which is verified by the simple Rayleigh model. In winter, the mixing of isotopically distinct air masses with different origins, i.e. the continental and oceanic air masses, accounts for the isotopic variations. In the transition periods of the Asia–Australia monsoon, namely in May and October, the local vapour contribution may play a role in the isotopic ratios. On the interannual time‐scale, the influences of El Niño–southern oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) on isotopic composition are examined. The indications are that both the ENSO and IOD indices have a significant correlation with the δ18O ratios, and that the δ18O ratio in summer rains is significantly more enriched (depleted) during the warm (cold) phase of ENSO/IOD events. All the results suggest that it is useful for us in understanding the water cycling process and may be helpful in palaeoclimate reconstruction in this monsoon region. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
River suspended sediment modelling using a fuzzy logic approach
Authors: Kisi Ozgur , Karahan M. Emin , Şen Zekai 
Published: April 2006

AbstractCorrect estimation of sediment volume carried by a river is very important for many water resources projects. Conventional sediment rating curves, however, are not able to provide sufficiently accurate results. In this paper, a fuzzy logic approach is proposed to estimate suspended sediment concentration from streamflow. This study provides forecasting benchmarks for sediment concentration prediction in the form of a numerical and graphical comparison between fuzzy and rating‐curve models. Benchmarking was based on a 5‐year period of continuous streamflow and sediment concentration data of Quebrada Blanca Station operated by the United States Geological Survey. The benchmark results showed that the fuzzy model was able to produce much better results than rating‐curve models. The fuzzy model proposed in the study is site specific and does not simulate the hysteresis effects. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Overview of the European and North American studies on HPV testing in primary cervical cancer screening
Authors: Cuzick Jack , Clavel Christine , Petry Karl‐Ulrich , Meijer Chris J.L.M. , Hoyer Heike , Ratnam Samuel , Szarewski Anne , Birembaut Philippe , Kulasingam Shalini , Sasieni Peter , Iftner Thomas 
Published: April 2006

AbstractSeveral studies suggest that HPV testing is more sensitive than cytology in primary cervical screening. These studies had different designs and were reported in different ways. Individual patient data were collected for all European and North American studies in which cytology was routinely performed and HPV testing was included as an additional parallel test. More than 60,000 women were included. The sensitivity and specificity of HPV testing were compared with routine cytology, both overall and for ages <35, 35–49 and 50+. The age‐specific prevalence of high risk HPV (hr‐HPV) was also analysed. HPV testing was substantially more sensitive in detecting CIN2+ than cytology (96.1% vs. 53.0%) but less specific (90.7% vs. 96.3%). The sensitivity of HPV testing was similar in all studies carried out in different areas of Europe and North America, whereas the sensitivity of cytology was highly variable. HPV sensitivity was uniformly high at all ages, whereas the sensitivity of cytology was substantially better in women over the age of 50 than in younger women (79.3% vs. 59.6%). The specificity of both tests increased with age. Positivity rates for HPV testing in women without high‐grade CIN were region dependent. These results support the use of HPV testing as the sole primary screening test, with cytology reserved for women who test HPV positive. Large demonstration projects are needed to fully evaluate this strategy. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
“A gold mine and a tool for democracy”: George Gallup, Elmo Roper, and the business of scientific polling, 1935–1955
Authors: Igo Sarah E. 
Published: April 2006

Abstract“Scientific” public opinion polls arrived on the American scene in 1936. Examining the work of opinion surveyors George Gallup and Elmo Roper, this essay tracks the early career of a new social scientific technology, one that powerfully shaped conceptions of “the public.” Pollsters described their craft as a democratic one that could accurately represent the U.S. populace. Yet, their assumptions about that same public—and the techniques they employed to measure it—undermined such claims, and even risked calling the polling profession into question. To understand why Gallup and Roper fell short of their stated ambitions, one must turn not only to the state of midcentury sampling methods but also to the corporate sponsors and commercial pressures underlying their enterprise. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The historiography of Swedish sociology and the bounding of disciplinary identity
Authors: Larsson Anna , Wisselgren Per 
Published: April 2006

AbstractBounding a scientific discipline is a way of regulating its cognitive direction as well as its relations to neighboring disciplines and extra‐academic authorities. In this process of identity making, disciplinary history often is a crucial element. In this article, focusing on the historiography of Swedish sociology and the reception of Gustaf Steffen, Sweden's first professional sociologist, it is argued that Steffen's marginalized role in the traditional accounts should be understood not only with reference to his supposed theoretical shortcomings, but also in the historical context of the early postwar reestablishment of sociology as an academic discipline and its prevalent need for a new disciplinary identity, strategically adjusted to the contemporary institutional and political settings. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
“A new deal for the drug addict”: The Addiction Research Center, Lexington, Kentucky
Authors: Campbell Nancy D. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis article describes the social organization of knowledge production in the formative moments of the substance abuse research enterprise. It describes the institutional arrangements and material conditions of a U.S. Public Health Service laboratory that was housed in a facility run jointly with the federal Bureau of Prisons. The Addiction Research Center (ARC) in Lexington, Kentucky, was dedicated to elucidating the basic underlying mechanisms of drug addiction. The ARC was housed on the rural campus of a prison‐hospital called “Narco,” one of two “narcotics farms” in Lexington, Kentucky, and Fort Worth, Texas. For its studies on drug effects, the ARC had access to a pool of drug‐experienced human subjects drawn from the ranks of convicted felons. Given their unparalleled access to human subjects, the scientists who worked at the ARC made conceptual contributions still acknowledged today. Based on archival work as well as dozens of oral history interviews with individuals who began their research careers at Lexington, the article presents an analytic, intellectual history of the early work of Abraham Wikler, whose lifelong pursuit of the underlying mechanisms of opiate addiction led him to hypothesize the role of conditioning in relapse, as an exemplar of the kind of scientific research that depended on closely listening to and observing “post‐addicts,” as subject participants were called. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation and standardisation of small‐scale canning methods for small white beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) canned in tomato sauce
Authors: van der Merwe Daleen , Osthoff Garry , Pretorius Apie J 
Published: April 2006

AbstractCanning and evaluation procedures should be standardised to ensure that beans selected, based on canning quality, meet the requirements set by the market and processors. For the purpose of evaluating the canning qualities of small white beans in tomato sauce, three small‐scale canning techniques were evaluated, one of which was found to deliver a product with quality parameters similar to those of international standards. Using South African small white bean cultivars and the selected method, Teebus, the cultivar used by industry as the standard to indicate acceptable canning quality, displayed better visual appearance and less split beans than with the other two methods. The percentage washed drained weight and texture values of Teebus were also in agreement with international standards. The evaluation procedure for the small white beans after canning was also optimised, by comparing two procedures, which identified texture, visual appearance (scale 1 to 10), splits (scale 1 to 10), hydration coefficient, clumping, size and colour as the statistically most suitable quality parameters. With the aid of the developed method, it was possible to define standard values for South African ‘choice’ and ‘standard’ grade beans, which previously was based only on ‘visual inspection’ by a trained inspection panel. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Poly(ε‐caprolactone) Biomaterial Sterilized by E‐Beam Irradiation
Authors: Filipczak Katarzyna , Wozniak Magdalena , Ulanski Piotr , Olah Laszlo , Przybytniak Grazyna , Olkowski Radoslaw M. , Lewandowska‐Szumiel Malgorzata , Rosiak Janusz M. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractSummary: The effects of ionizing radiation (electron beam) on poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) were studied by analyzing changes in viscosity‐average and weight‐average molecular weight and radius of gyration, and by performing sol‐gel analysis and swelling tests. Samples were irradiated under various conditions: solid and molten PCL in the presence or absence of air. The overall efficiency of crosslinking is higher for samples irradiated in the molten state than in the solid state, and is reduced in the presence of oxygen. Based on three kinds of experiments (molecular weight dependence on the dose in the pre‐gelation region, sol‐gel analysis, and swelling study), radiation‐chemical yields of intermolecular crosslinking and scission were determined and are discussed in terms of the mechanism of radiation‐induced reactions in PCL. Properties of the gels formed by high‐dose irradiation and mechanical properties of irradiated PCL were analyzed. Irradiation causes an increase in the compression modulus of PCL. This process occurs at the pre‐gelation stage and continues in the gel‐containing system. We have demonstrated, for the first time, that irradiation of solid PCL is accompanied by a pronounced post‐effect, which manifests itself by changes in the average molecular weight. EPR data indicate that this effect, at least in part, is caused by the presence of long‐lived radicals trapped in the crystalline regions. Irradiation with the sterilizing dose does not cause a statistically significant change in the biocompatibility of PCL after subsequent storage for 79 d, as determined by preliminary osteoblast vitality tests.Changes in the molecular weight upon irradiation and subsequent storage of poly(ε‐caprolactone).imageChanges in the molecular weight upon irradiation and subsequent storage of poly(ε‐caprolactone).
EIS characterisation of the layer of corrosion products on various substrates in differing atmospheric environments
Authors: Rodriguez J. J. Santana , Álvarez C. Motesdeoca , González J.E. González 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe layer of corrosion products forming on zinc in atmospheric environments of varying aggressivity have been characterised and compared with previous results obtained for carbon steel. The characteristics of said layers have been linked to the nature of the products found. Likewise, we have found that EIS is a useful tool towards characterising the layers of corrosion products of carbon steel and zinc. The equivalent circuit which gives the best fit of impedance data for both metals is type R(C(R(C(R(CR))))), where the Nyquist diagrams are composed of two time constants. It is observed that the value of the capacitance of the corrosion product layer (Cpc) diminishes as the time of exposure increases, which is directly related with an increase in the thickness of the corrosion product layer. Also, it is observed that when the nature of the corrosion products doesn't vary with the time of exposure, the decrease of the charge transfer resistance is related with the increase in the thickness of the corrosion product layer.
Unmodified and Modified Surface Sisal Fibers as Reinforcement of Phenolic and Lignophenolic Matrices Composites: Thermal Analyses of Fibers and Composites
Authors: Faulstich de Paiva Jane Maria , Frollini Elisabete 
Published: April 2006

AbstractSummary: The study and development of polymeric composite materials, especially using lignocellulosic fibers, have received increasing attention. This is interesting from the environmental and economical viewpoints as lignocellulosic fibers are obtained from renewable resources. This work aims to contribute to reduce the dependency on materials from nonrenewable sources, by utilizing natural fibers (sisal) as reinforcing agents and lignin (a polyphenolic macromolecule obtained from lignocellulosic materials) to partially substitute phenol in a phenol‐formaldehyde resin. Besides, it was intended to evaluate how modifications applied on sisal fibers influence their properties and those of the composites reinforced with them, mainly thermal properties. Sisal fibers were modified by either (i) mercerization (NaOH 10%), (ii) esterification (succinic anhydride), or (iii) ionized air treatment (discharge current of 5 mA). Composites were made by mould compression, of various sisal fibers in combination with either phenol‐formaldehyde or lignin‐phenol‐formaldehyde resins. Sisal fibers and composites were characterized by thermogravimetry (TG) and DSC to establish their thermal stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the morphology of unmodified and modified surface sisal fibers as well as the fractured composites surface. Dynamic mechanical thermoanalysis (DMTA) was used to examine the influence of temperature on the composite mechanical properties. The results obtained for sisal fiber‐reinforced phenolic and lignophenolic composites showed that the use of lignin as a partial substitute of phenol in phenolic resins in applications different from the traditional ones, as for instance in other than adhesives is feasible.Micrograph of the impact fracture surface of phenolic composite reinforced with mercerized sisal fiber (500 X).magnified imageMicrograph of the impact fracture surface of phenolic composite reinforced with mercerized sisal fiber (500 X).
The relative weights of Internet shopping fundamental objectives: Effect of lifestyle differences
Authors: Wang Eric T.G. , Yeh His‐Yin , Jiang James J. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractInternet commerce should be viewed as a new way of value creation and provision. To attract consumers to visit Web sites, a critical question is: What are their major concerns in Internet shopping? Nine fundamental objectives to describe the bottom line concerns to Internet consumers have been proposed in the literature. From the perspective of the means–end chain theory and by focusing on the shopping goods, this study proposed that different weights on these nine fundamental concerns are assigned by different lifestyle individuals. Based on the results of a survey of 181 on‐line respondents who provided consistent data, this study indicated that privacy, safety, and product quality were the most critical concerns of on‐line consumers, contradicting the conventional wisdom that cost and convenience are the key concerns for consumers shopping on‐line. Furthermore, for those consumers with active style, privacy factor received significantly more concern than safety and product quality. Respondents who preferred variety and excited lifestyle put more weights on these three Internet fundamental objectives than consumers with other lifestyles. However, principle lifestyle individuals put more weight on other factors, such as shopping enjoyment, environmental impacts, time to receive products, and less weight on cost and convenience. Implications are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of Flash banners on multiattribute decision making: Distractor or source of arousal?
Authors: Day Rong‐Fuh , Shyi Gary C.‐W. , Wang Jyun‐Cheng 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe role of peripheral flash advertisements in decision making as a distractor or a source of arousal was examined. Participants were asked to perform multiattribute decision making in a display environment with or without banners of advertisement flashing occasionally in the peripheral region of the display. The flash banners accelerated the speed of decision making, although the participants rarely made eye movements in response to the banners or fixated their eyes on them. It was interesting to note that the participants' pupil sizes increased with the presence of flash banners. These findings suggest that rather than distracting participants' attention, flash banners appear to elevate the general level of arousal of the participants, which in turn led to making faster on‐line decisions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Investigating initial trust toward e‐tailers from the elaboration likelihood model perspective
Authors: Yang Shu‐Chen , Hung Wan‐Chiao , Sung Kai , Farn Cheng‐Kiang 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis study investigates initial trust formation in Internet shopping from the perspective of the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) by conducting a 2 2 factorial laboratory experiment. Based on data collected from 160 respondents, the results indicate that display of third‐party seals and product information quality positively affects consumers' trust toward an e‐tailer through assurance perception and result demonstrability, respectively. Besides, one's product involvement and trait anxiety play moderating roles. As predicted in ELM, consumers with high involvement and low anxiety build their trust via central route exclusively, whereas consumers with low involvement or high anxiety build their trust via peripheral route exclusively. The results suggest that customizing the persuasive arguments for different consumers is a critical strategy for initial on‐line trust building. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Why on‐line customers remain with a particular e‐retailer: An integrative model and empirical evidence
Authors: Tsai Hsien‐Tung , Huang Heng‐Chiang , Jaw Yi‐Long , Chen Wen‐Kuo 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis article formulates and empirically tests a conceptual framework that considers the antecedents of switching barriers and overall satisfaction, and their roles as drivers of customer retention in on‐line settings. To test the proposed hypotheses, structural equation modeling based on data obtained from a large on‐line retailing store in Taiwan is used. The results suggest that perceived switching costs and community building exert the greatest impact on repurchase intentions through switching barriers and overall satisfaction. Furthermore, relational orientations significantly moderate the link between switching barriers and repurchase intentions. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Uniform stabilization of a nonlinear structural acoustic model with a Timoshenko beam interface
Authors: Dalsen Marié Grobbelaar‐Van 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis paper is concerned with a nonlinear model which describes the interaction of sound and elastic waves in a two‐dimensional acoustic chamber in which one flat ‘wall’, the interface, is flexible. The composite dynamics of the structural acoustic model is described by the linearized equations for a gas defined on the interior of the chamber and the nonlinear Timoshenko beam equations on the interface. Uniform stability of the energy associated with the interactive system of partial differential equations is achieved by incorporating a nonlinear feedback boundary damping scheme in the equations for the gas and the beam. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The point source method for inverse scattering in the time domain
Authors: Russell Luke D. , Potthast Roland 
Published: April 2006

AbstractMany recent inverse scattering techniques have been designed for single frequency scattered fields in the frequency domain. In practice, however, the data is collected in the time domain. Frequency domain inverse scattering algorithms obviously apply to time‐harmonic scattering, or nearly time‐harmonic scattering, through application of the Fourier transform. Fourier transform techniques can also be applied to non‐time‐harmonic scattering from pulses. Our goal here is twofold: first, to establish conditions on the time‐dependent waves that provide a correspondence between time domain and frequency domain inverse scattering via Fourier transforms without recourse to the conventional limiting amplitude principle; secondly, we apply the analysis in the first part of this work toward the extension of a particular scattering technique, namely the point source method, to scattering from the requisite pulses. Numerical examples illustrate the method and suggest that reconstructions from admissible pulses deliver superior reconstructions compared to straight averaging of multi‐frequency data. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Long‐circulating liposomal contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Ayyagari Ananta Laxmi , Zhang Xiaodong , Ghaghada Ketan B. , Annapragada Ananth , Hu Xiaoping , Bellamkonda Ravi V. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractContrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE‐MRI) is a dynamic technique for imaging vasculature. However, the currently used gadolinium (Gd) chelates, such as Gd‐DTPA, restrict the time window for image acquisition due to their rapid elimination from blood and their rapid diffusion into the extravascular space, which prevents their use in steady‐state imaging, particularly for MR angiography (MRA). The goal of this study was to prepare long‐circulating polyethylene glycol‐bearing ((PEG)ylated) liposomes encapsulating Gd chelate, and characterize and demonstrate their utility for MRA. The liposomes were prepared by hydrating a mixture of lipids with gadodiamide (Omniscan®). The liposomes were sized down to around 100 nm by extruder and exhaustively dialysed to remove the unencapsulated gadodiamide. The Gd liposomes exhibited a significant sustained (>4 hr) contrast enhancement of the vasculature with improved spatial details in a rat model with little leakage relative to Gd‐DTPA controls as shown by MRI. We suggest that such long‐circulating liposomal formulations allow for high spatial resolution imaging without the confounding effects of clearance and extravascular diffusion of the agent complicating the data and image analysis. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.