bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of different forms of poly o‐toluidine/poly vinyl chloride composites on dielectric properties in the microwave field
Authors: John Honey , Joseph Rani , Mathew K. T. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractIn this paper we report the preparation and dielectric properties of poly o‐toluidine:poly vinyl chloride composites in pellet and film forms. The composites were prepared using ammonium persulfate initiator and HCl dopant. The characterization is done by TGA and DSC. The dielectric properties including dielectric loss, conductivity, dielectric constant, dielectric heating coefficient, absorption coefficient, and penetration depth were studied in the microwave field. An HP8510 vector network analyzer with rectangular cavity resonator was used for the study. S bands (2–4 GHz), C band (5–8 GHz), and X band (8–12 GHz) frequencies were used in the microwave field. Comparisons between the pellet and film forms of composites were also included. The result shows that the dielectric properties in the microwave field are dependent on the frequency and on the method of preparation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2253–2260, 2007
Synthesis, characterization, and application of a new chelating resin functionalized with dithiooxamide
Authors: Dutta S. , Das A. K. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractChloromethylated polystyrene‐divinylbenzene has been functionalized with dithiooxamide. The resulting chelating resin (DTOA) has been characterized by elemental analyses, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and metal ion sorption capacities. It has been used for the preconcentration and separation of Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) prior to their determination by FAAS. Parameters such as the amount of the resin, effect of pH, equilibration rate, sorption and desorption of metal ions, and effect of diverse ions have been studied. The maximum sorption capacities found are 0.97, 0.12, 0.08, and 0.12 mmol g−1 for Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) at pH 6.0, 5.5, 1.0, and 5.5, respectively. The preconcentration factors are 100, 100, 50, and 50 for Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II), respectively. Recoveries of the metal ions were 96 ± 5, 97 ± 6, 96 ± 5, and 96 ± 5 at 95% confidence level, whereas the limits of detection are 2.0, 1.3, 2.5, and 25.0 μg L−1 for Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II), respectively. The calibration curves were linear up to 12 μg mL−1 (R2 = 1.000), 2 μg mL−1 (R2 = 0.998), 2 μg ml−1 (R2 = 1.000), and 5 μg mL−1 (R2 = 0.979) for Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II), respectively. The reliability of the method has been tested by analyzing certified samples. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2281–2285, 2007
Study on superabsorbent composite. VIII. Effects of acid‐ and heat‐activated attapulgite on water absorbency of polyacrylamide/attapulgite
Authors: Wang Wenji , Zhang Junping , Chen Hao , Wang Aiqin 
Published: November 2006

AbstractA novel superabsorbent composite, polyacrylamide/attapulgite, from acrylamide (AM) and attapulgite (APT), was prepared by free‐radical polymerization, using N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator. The effects of hydrochloric acid (HCl) concentration, acidification time, and acidification temperature while acidifying APT and temperature and APT heat‐activation on water absorbency of the superabsorbent composite in distilled water and in 0.9 wt % NaCl solution were studied. The water absorbency first decreases with increasing the HCl concentration while acidifying APT, and then increases with further increasing the HCl concentration. Prolongation of acidification time is of benefit to the increase of water absorbency. At a given HCl concentration, water absorbency for the composite increases with increasing acidification temperature. An important increase in water absorbency was observed after incorporating heat‐activated APT into the polymeric network, reaching a maximum of 1964 g g−1 with the APT heat‐activated at 400°C. Acid‐ and heat‐activation can influence chemical composition, crystalline structure, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and specific surface area of APT according XRF, XRD, FTIR analysis, and physicochemical properties test, and then on water absorbency of corresponding PAM/APT superabsorbent composite. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2419–2424, 2007
Oxidative graft polymerization of aniline on the modified surface of polypropylene films
Authors: Zhong Wenbin , Deng Jianping , Wang Yongxin , Yang Wantai 
Published: November 2006

AbstractA novel method for preparing electrically conductive polypropylene‐graft‐polyacrylic acid/polyaniline (PP‐g‐PAA/PANI) composite films was developed. 1,4‐Phenylenediamine (PDA) was introduced on the surface of PP‐g‐PAA film, and then, chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline on PP‐g‐PAA/PDA film was carried out to prepare PP‐g‐PAA/PANI electrically conductive composite films. After each step of reaction, the PP film surface was characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Static water contact angles of the PP, PP‐g‐PAA, and PP‐g‐PAA/PANI films were measured, and the results revealed that graft reactions took place as expected. The morphology of the PP‐g‐PAA film and the PP‐g‐PAA/PANI composite film were observed by atomic force microscopy. The conductivity and the thickness of the PP‐g‐PAA/PANI composite films with 1.5 wt % PANI were around 0.21 S/cm and 0.4 μm, respectively. The PANI on the PP‐g‐PAA/PANI film was reactivated and chain growing occurred to further improve the molecular weight of PANI. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2442–2450, 2007
Association of paternal age with prevalence of selected birth defects
Authors: Archer Natalie P. , Langlois Peter H. , Suarez Lucina , Brender Jean , Shanmugam Ram 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBACKGROUND: Unlike maternal age, the effect of paternal age on birth defect prevalence has not been well examined. We used cases from the Texas birth defect registry, born during 1996–2002, to evaluate the association of paternal age with the prevalence of selected structural birth defects. METHODS: Poisson regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with paternal age for each birth defect, adjusting for maternal age, race/ethnicity, and parity. RESULTS: Relative to fathers ages 25–29 years, fathers 20–24 years of age were more likely to have offspring with gastroschisis (PR 1.47, 95% CI: 1.12–1.94), and fathers 40+ years old were less likely to have offspring with trisomy 13 (PR 0.40, 95% CI: 0.16–0.96). No association was seen between paternal age and prevalence of anencephaly and encephalocele. A selection bias was observed for the other birth defects in which cases of younger fathers were more often excluded from study. CONCLUSIONS: In studies of birth defect risk and paternal age, the source of information may affect the validity of findings. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The prognostic significance of perineural invasion in prostatic cancer biopsies
Authors: Harnden Patricia , Shelley Michael D. , Clements Hayley , Coles Bernadette , Tyndale‐Biscoe R. Sandy , Naylor Brian , Mason Malcolm D. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractMen with clinically localized prostate cancer are faced with a wide range of treatment options, and only Gleason grading is universally used as a histopathological prognostic factor for this disease. The significance of perineural invasion in diagnostic biopsies is controversial. Opinion about whether or not it should influence treatment decisions is currently almost equally divided. To address this, the authors performed a systematic review of studies that examine the association between perineural invasion and prostate cancer recurrence. MEDLINE, Embase, and the Web of Knowledge were searched from January 1990 to December 2005. Outcomes analyzed were the development of biochemical or clinical recurrence. Twenty‐one articles on the association of perineural invasion in biopsies and prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy (n = 10) or radiotherapy (n = 11) were found but none on its significance in the context of watchful waiting. Structured data extraction was performed to allow comparisons between articles and to identify sources of heterogeneity to explain discrepancies in results. The considerable variation in study design, execution, and reporting precluded meta‐analysis and quantitative risk estimation, but the weight of evidence suggested that perineural invasion in biopsies was a significant prognostic indicator, particularly in specific patient groups defined by presenting serum prostate‐specific antigen levels and biopsy Gleason scores. Immediate treatment rather than watchful waiting may be more appropriate for patients with localized prostatic cancer and perineural invasion. However, the data are limited, and well‐designed studies that use predefined stringent protocols are required to provide robust estimates of risk to aid in treatment planning. Cancer 2007. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Origins and migratory routes of murine Cajal‐Retzius cells
Authors: García‐Moreno Fernando , López‐Mascaraque Laura , De Carlos Juan A. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe first layer that appears in the cortical neuroepithelium, the preplate, forms in the upper part of the cortex immediately below the pial surface. In mice, this layer exists between embryonic days (E) 10 and 13, and it hosts different cell populations. Here, we have studied the first cell population generated in the preplate, the Cajal‐Retzius cells. There is considerable confusion regarding these cells with respect to both their site of generation and the migratory routes that they follow. This perhaps is due largely to the different opinions that exist regarding their characterization. We have studied the site of origin of these cells, their migratory routes, and the molecular markers that may distinguish them by injecting tracers into early embryos, culturing them in toto for 24 hours, and then performing immunohistochemistry. We found that the Cajal‐Retzius cells are most likely generated in the cortical hem by comparing with other cortical or extracortical origins. These cells are generated mainly at E10 and E11, and they subsequently migrate tangentially to cover the whole cortical mantle in 24 hours. From their site of origin in the medial wall of the telencephalon, they spread in a caudorostral direction, following an oblique migratory path toward the lateral part of the neuroepithelium. Prior to the splitting of the preplate, a percentage of the Cajal‐Retzius cells that can be distinguished by the expression of reelin do not contain calretinin. Furthermore, there were no early‐migrating neurons that expressed calbindin. J. Comp. Neurol. 500:419–432, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Peptidomics of identified neurons demonstrates a highly differentiated expression pattern of FXPRLamides in the neuroendocrine system of an insect
Authors: Predel Reinhard , Eckert Manfred , Pollák Edit , Molnár László , Scheibner Olaf , Neupert Susanne 
Published: November 2006

AbstractFXPRLamides are insect neuropeptides that mediate such diverse functions as pheromone biosynthesis, visceral muscle contraction, and induction of diapause. Although multiple forms occur in every insect studied so far, little is known about a possible functional differentiation and/or differences in the cellular expression pattern of these messenger molecules. In this study, we performed a mass spectrometric survey of all FXPRLamide‐expressing neurosecretory neurons in the CNS of Periplaneta americana. That species combines a very well characterized peptidergic system with relatively easy accessible neurosecretory cells suitable for dissection. In addition to the extensive mass spectrometric analyses of single cells, the projection of the FXPRLamide‐expressing neurons was studied with three antisera specifically recognizing different FXPRLamides. The following conclusions can be drawn from this first comprehensive peptidomic approach on insect neurons. 1) A high degree of differentiation in the expression of FXPRLamides exists; not fewer then four cell types containing different sets of FXPRLamides were observed. 2) A low level of colocalization with other neuropeptides was found in these neurons. 3) A comparison with FXPRLamide‐expressing neurons of other insects shows a high degree of conservation in the localization and projection of these neurons, which is not corroborated by a similar conservation of the corresponding peptide sequences. 4) Although the methods for cell identification, dissection, and sample preparation for mass spectrometry were kept as simple as possible, it was unambiguously shown that this approach is generally suitable for routine analysis of single identified neurons of insects. J. Comp. Neurol. 500:498–512, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Region‐specific expression and sex‐steroidal regulation on aromatase and its mRNA in the male rat brain: Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization analyses
Authors: Zhao Changjiu , Fujinaga Ryutaro , Tanaka Mayumi , Yanai Akie , Nakahama Ken‐Ichi , Shinoda Koh 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe brain has an estrogen‐biosynthetic potential resulting from the presence of neuronal aromatase, which controls the intraneural sex‐steroidal milieu and is involved in brain sexual differentiation, psychobehavioral regulation, and neuroprotection. In the rat brain, three distinct aromatase‐P450‐immunoreactive (AromP450‐I) neural groups have been categorized in terms of their peak expression time (fetal, fetoneonatal, and young‐to‐adult groups), suggesting the presence of region‐specific regulation on brain AromP450. In the present study, we compared the expressions between AromP450 protein and mRNA by using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization with an ovary‐derived cRNA probe in serial sections of fetal, fetoneonatal, and adult male rat brains and then performed steroidal manipulations to evaluate the sex‐steroidal effects on AromP450 in adult orchiectomized and adrenalectomized (OCX + ADX) male rats. As a result, prominent mRNA signals were detected in the fetal (i.e., the anterior medial preoptic nucleus) and fetoneonatal (i.e., the medial preopticoamygdaloid neuronal arc) groups, although no detectable signal was found in the “young‐to‐adult” group (i.e., the central amygdaloid nucleus). In addition, the “fetoneonatal” AromP450‐I neurons were prominently reduced in number and intensity after OCX + ADX and then were reinstated by the administration of dihydrotestosterone, testosterone, or 17β‐estradiol. In contrast, none of the sex steroids had any significant effects on the young‐to‐adult group. Several possible explanations were explored for why the young‐to‐adult group may differ in aromatase expression and regulation, including the possibility that distinct splicing variants or isozymes for aromatase exist in the rat brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 500:557–573, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Policy profile: The application of waste legislation to bio‐energy
Authors: McKay H. , Wilder M. , Curnow P. , Fitz‐Gerald L. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThis article examines the EU Waste Directive and the implications of recent European case law for its implementation at national level. In particular, we consider how the directive has been implemented in the United Kingdom and the potential effects this may have on the use of forestry by‐products as a bio‐energy source. The analysis reveals that it is still unclear whether bio‐energy materials derived from sawmill operations are ‘waste’ according to EU and consequently UK law. This uncertainty may pose a barrier to the uptake of biomass of renewable energy. However, a new Framework Directive on Waste has now been proposed, which, if adopted, will resolve much of this uncertainty. Most importantly, the proposed directive provides for automatic classification of certain materials as ‘by‐products’, rather than waste, a reform that is likely to lead to exemption of woodchips, sawdust, bark and other forestry products from waste‐related obligations. © Crown copyright 2006. Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Accumulating quantitative trait linkage evidence across multiple datasets using the posterior probability of linkage
Authors: Bartlett Christopher W. , Vieland Veronica J. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractGenome scans for complex disorders are frequently inconclusive, prompting researchers to increase sample size in an effort to obtain stronger evidence. However, increasing sample size in the presence of locus heterogeneity may actually, on average, decrease the linkage signal at a true susceptibility gene. The posterior probability of linkage, or PPL, was specifically designed to address this issue in the context of categorical trait analysis, by appropriately accumulating evidence either for or against linkage as new data are added. We now formulate a quantitative trait (QT) analog, the QT‐PPL, which directly measures the evidence that a QT is linked to a genetic marker or location. The new QT‐PPL is based on a classical single‐locus QT likelihood with the trait parameters (allele frequency, genotypic means and variances) integrated out. We show using simulations that the QT‐PPL is robust to two key modeling violations (multiple trait loci and non‐normality in the form of excess kurtosis), as well as being inherently ascertainment corrected, and illustrate the advantages of the QT‐PPL for accumulating linkage evidence across multiple sets of data compared to other QT linkage methods. Genet. Epidemiol. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sentinel node in head and neck cancer: Use of size criterion to upstage the no neck in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Alkureishi Lee W. T. , Ross Gary L. , MacDonald D. Gordon , Shoaib Taimur , Gray Harry , Robertson Gerry , Soutar David S. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBackground.Anatomical imaging tools demonstrate poor sensitivity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with clinically node‐negative necks (cN0). This study evaluates nodal size as a staging criterion for detection of cervical metastases, utilizing sentinel node biopsy (SNB) and additional pathology (step‐serial sectioning, SSS; and immunohistochemistry, IHC).Methods.Sixty‐five patients with clinically N0 disease underwent SNB, with a mean of 2.4 nodes excised per patient. Nodes were fixed in formalin, bisected, and measured in 3 axes before hematoxylin‐eosin staining. Negative nodes were subjected to SSS and IHC. SNB‐positive patients underwent modified radical neck dissection.Results.Maximum diameter was larger in levels II and III (13.1 and 13.2 mm) when compared with level I (10.5 mm; p = .004, p = .018), while minimum diameter was constant. Positive nodes were larger than negative nodes (p = .007), but nodes found positive by SSS/IHC were not significantly larger than negative nodes for either measurement (p = .433). Sensitivity and specificity were poor for all measurements.Conclusions.Nodal size is an inaccurate predictor of nodal metastases and should not be regarded as an accurate means of staging the clinically N0 neck. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2006
An investigation of training activities and transfer of training in organizations
Authors: Saks Alan M. , Belcourt Monica 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which organizations implement training activities for facilitating the transfer of training before, during, and after training and the relationship between these activities and the transfer of training across organizations.Training professionals from 150 organizations reported that 62%, 44%, and 34% of employees apply training material on the job immediately, six months, and one year after training. In addition, their organizations were significantly more likely to use training activities to facilitate transfer during training than either before or after training. Further, training activities before, during, and after training were significantly related to the transfer of training; however, activities in the work environment before and after training were more strongly related to transfer than activities during training. The practical and research implications of these findings are discussed for improving the transfer of training in organizations. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A performance‐based, minimalist human resource management approach in business schools
Authors: Lorange Peter 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThis article examines the professorial human resource base in academic institutions. More specifically, we focus on professors in business schools. All academic institutions, business schools included, must have top‐quality faculty. Their drive for enhancing academic value creation, generating cutting‐edge research, leading teaching, and building strong interrelationships with students and executive participants fuels the success of the academic institution. Obviously, the other employees also are important.The administration must be outstanding, along with the research associates, finance staff, marketing team, and the like. Still, in order to contribute to the overall success of the academic institution, these other functions all depend on an outstanding professorial staff—they cannot create success alone. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hydroclimatic controls on water balance and water level variability in Great Slave Lake
Authors: Gibson J. J. , Prowse T. D. , Peters D. L. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractOn average, 86% of riverine discharge to Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada, was gauged during the period 1964–1998, offering an unprecedented opportunity to study and understand controls on water balance of a large northern lake at the headwaters of the Mackenzie River. A functional daily water balance model, incorporating measurements of riverine inflow, precipitation on the lake surface, evaporation, and riverine outflow was developed, which predicts the amplitude and frequency of annual water level fluctuations, and closes the water balance to within ± 6% for 28 of 35 years and ± 11% for the remaining 7 years, with an overall systematic error of + 2%. Annual water balance estimates for the period 1964–1998 reveal that about 74% of inflow into Great Slave Lake originates from the Peace‐Athabasca catchments that enter the lake via the Slave River, whereas 21% is derived from other catchments bordering Great Slave Lake, and 5% from precipitation on the lake surface. An estimated 94% of water losses occur by riverine outflow to the Mackenzie River and 6% by evaporation from the lake surface. The primary driving force behind water level fluctuations in Great Slave Lake, including the post‐regulation period following development of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, is shown to be climate‐driven precipitation variability in the Peace‐Athabasca basins. A simple precipitation regression model is developed to simulate water level fluctuations in Great Slave Lake over the past 100 years. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.