bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Three Gorges Project: the largest water conservancy project in the world
Authors: Jiazhu Wang 
Published: December 2002

AbstractThe Three Gorges Project (TGP) is the largest water conservancy project ever built in China and in the world. Construction of TGP commenced in 1993 and more than half is complete. It is predicted that the project will be put into initial use in 2003, and finished in 2009. This article discusses the project's advantages and some of the challenges faced, including technical, environmental and resettlement issues. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonprofit organizations as contracted local social service providers in eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States
Authors: Struyk Raymond J. 
Published: December 2002

AbstractToday nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are an important provider of social services in some countries in the eastern Europe‐CIS region. Based on field reports from seven countries in the region, we find that the pattern is highly variable, however; and only in central Europe and Croatia are local governments contracting with NPOs to deliver services. More commonly, local governments give grants to NPOs for this purpose. But in some countries local governments provide essentially no support to NPOs for social service delivery. This article outlines the case for NPOs being contracted as service providers, and inventories the current situation in the region with respect to local governments. It concludes with a discussion of the possible reasons for the low incidence of contracting by local governments with NPOs as service providers. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What could be achieved with greater public hospital autonomy? Comparison of public and PNFP hospitals in Uganda
Authors: Ssengooba Freddie , Atuyambe Lynn , McPake Barbara , Hanson Kara , Okuonzi Sam 
Published: December 2002

AbstractThe policy of hospital autonomy has been discussed for some time in Uganda. There is little evidence from Uganda or elsewhere that increased autonomy will improve hospital performance. This article compares the performance of three private not‐for‐profit (PNFP) and public hospital pairs to address this question. PNFP and public hospitals have similar management structures but PNFP hospitals had better trained managers and a church affiliated chair in the hospital management committee. Both types have problems with personnel management but these appear more pronounced in public hospitals. Drug supply management appears better in PNFP hospitals. Overall, workloads are similar, but analysis of patterns of utilisation and prices across services suggest that patient choice of facilities is influenced by relative price levels, and that willingness to pay is higher for PNFP services. PNFP hospitals are more successful at generating revenue. There are no clear differences in efficiency between PNFP and public hospitals but there is some evidence of higher quality levels in PNFP hospitals. PNFP hospitals' performance is plausibly related to three areas of managerial autonomy. First, better management of drug supply is facilitated by their freedom to purchase drugs from the open market. Second, greater success with personnel management is plausibly related to their greater autonomy over staffing. Third, higher levels of cost recovery are enabled by their freedom to set fees. However, differences in accountability and competence of hospital management, and population willingness to pay for services may also help to explain differences. Further, the use of PNFP financing strategy by public hospitals has implications for universal access to hospital services. Although there appear to be potential advantages from greater public hospital autonomy, the Ugandan government should ensure it has developed strategies to enhance public hospital management and to protect access to public hospitals before advancing further with hospital autonomy policy. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ethnography of a policy process: a case study of land redistribution in Bangladesh
Authors: Devine Joseph 
Published: December 2002

AbstractThroughout the developing world, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are involved in various aspects of an increasing number of policy interventions. The donor community has lent considerable support to this strategy. One of the key assumptions behind the strategy is that the greater involvement of NGOs in policy processes will result in more resources being distributed to the poor, and will also facilitate the establishment of a policy process which is more inclusive and egalitarian. Here the involvement of NGOs in an important land redistribution policy initiative is used to examine both these assumptions. While there is strong evidence that more land was redistributed to the poor as a result of NGO involvement, the actual mechanism or process for deciding the distribution of land was not found to be all inclusive or completely egalitarian. This ambivalence serves as a timely critique to the naive optimism and simplified assumptions underpinning development thinking and practice. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Health systems decentralization and human resources management in low and middle income countries
Authors: Wang Yan , Collins Charles , Tang Shenglan , Martineau Tim 
Published: December 2002

AbstractThe aim of this article is to explore the experiences of human resources management in the context of health sector decentralization. The initial review of health sector decentralization covers issues relating to the context, content, formulation/implementation and impact of decentralization. The review of the literature on human resources management (HRM) and decentralization has identified a number of key points that are organized around the following HRM functions: HR planning/ staff supply, personnel administration and employee relations, and performance management. The importance of the management of change is also highlighted. The article concludes by emphasizing the need to include human resources as a key issue in health systems change and emphasizes the areas of policy dialogue and research. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expression of lymphotoxin‐beta (LT‐β) in chronic inflammatory conditions
Authors: Agyekum Sarah , Church Alison , Sohail Muhammed , Krausz Thomas , Van Noorden Susan , Polak Julia , Cohen Jonathan 
Published: December 2002

AbstractFunctional studies in gene‐knockout and transgenic mice systems have shown that lymphotoxin‐alpha and lymphotoxin‐beta (LT‐α and LT‐β) are of fundamental importance in peripheral lymphoid organ development, but it remains unclear what role these cytokines have to play in the adult immune response and in the pathogenesis of disease. In this study, a polyclonal anti‐serum to human LT‐β was used to investigate the distribution of LT‐β by immunohistochemistry in normal and diseased tissues. In the gut, lymph nodes, spleen, and tonsil, there was some LT‐β present on a variety of lymphoid cell types. In contrast, strong staining for LT‐β was observed on plasma cells and a subpopulation of CD4+ T cells in tissues affected by chronic inflammatory disease or infection, for example in inflammatory bowel disease, and in lymph nodes obtained from patients with sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. In tuberculous and sarcoid lymph nodes, LT‐β expression also occurred on some but not all epithelioid histiocytes within granulomas and on multi‐nucleated giant cells. These findings support a role for LT‐β in human disease and suggest that it might represent a therapeutic target in a variety of common infective or inflammatory disorders. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor expression delineates in situ Sézary syndrome lymphocytes
Authors: Wechsler Janine , Bagot Martine , Nikolova Maria , Parolini Silvia , Martin‐Garcia Nadine , Boumsell Laurence , Moretta Alessandro , Bensussan Armand 
Published: December 2002

Abstractp140/KIR3DL2 has been identified in malignant cell lines isolated from the skin and blood of patients with transformed mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary's syndrome (SS). For the first time, the expression of a cell membrane structure appeared to be able to distinguish CD4+ tumour lymphocytes from reactive lymphocytes in these small cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas (CTCLs). This study has examined the in vivo expression of this receptor in various CTCL subtypes, which constituted a heterogeneous group. Tumour cells diffusely expressed KIR in SS, in lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) and in CD4+CD30+ as well as CD8+ large cell pleomorphic CTCL. In contrast, the infiltrating lymphocytes did not express KIR in MF at the patch/plaque stage or in CD4+CD30− large cell pleomorphic CTCL, except for scattered small cells. One quarter of the transformed MF tested exhibited KIR+ tumour cells, suggesting heterogeneity in this subtype. KIR expression was also examined in inflammatory lesions characterized by a dense infiltrate of T cells, such as lupus erythematosus and lichen planus. Only scattered CD8+ cells in lichen planus expressed a significant amount of KIR3DL2. Taken together, these results show for the first time that KIR molecules are expressed in distinct subtypes of malignant CTCL. It is also shown for the first time that SS and MF, which are frequent variants of CTCL with similar histological features, can be distinguished by their KIR3DL2 expression analysis. The identification of this KIR also differentiates between lupus erythematosus and lichen planus, which are both diseases with dense benign lymphocytic infiltrates. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reactivity of isobutane in fluorosulfonic based superacids
Authors: Goeppert Alain , Bhering Daniel L. , Sommer Jean , Mota Claudio J. A. 
Published: December 2002

AbstractThe behavior of isobutane in DSO3F containing various amounts of SbF5 has been studied in relation to the acid strength of the superacid system. In contrast to the DF–SbF5 system, H/D exchange occurs only in the weakest superacid via deprotonation of the t‐butyl ion intermediate formed by an oxidative process. Kinetic isotope effect determination shows that the slow step is hydride transfer. At higher acidity, the increasing stability of this intermediate impedes isotopic exchange. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Facile modifications of a polyimide via chloromethylation. I. Novel synthesis of a new photosensitive polyimide
Authors: Zhang Aiqing , Li Xiangdan , Nah Changwoon , Hwang Keejun , Lee Myong‐Hoon 
Published: December 2002

AbstractA soluble aromatic polyimide was chloromethylated via a reaction with chloromethyl methyl ether in the presence of tin(IV) chloride to produce a new starting material for the modification of aromatic polyimides. The chemical structure of the resulting polymer was confirmed by 1H NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The maximum number of chloromethyl groups per repeat unit was 1.81. The chloromethylated polyimide was stable up to 250 °C and soluble in both chloroform and tetrahydrofuran. So that its utilization for further modification could be demonstrated, cinnamic acid was reacted with the formed polyimide, and it produced a new photosensitive polyimide with a cinnamoyl side chain. The photosensitivity of the resulting polyimide was investigated with ultraviolet spectroscopic methods. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 22–29, 2003
Anisotropic thermosets from liquid‐crystalline azomethynic epoxy resins and primary aromatic diamines
Authors: Castell Pere , Serra Angels , Galià Marina , Giamberini Marta , Carfagna Cossimo 
Published: December 2002

AbstractNovel epoxy‐terminated monomers based on imine groups were synthesized and their mesogenic properties studied. Aliphatic spacers of different lengths were introduced between the rigid unit and the glycidylic group, and their liquid‐crystalline behavior was examined. They were reacted with primary aromatic diamines inside a magnetic field so that the formation of anisotropic networks could be investigated. The influence of curing conditions and the structure of monomers and amines on the formation of liquid‐crystal thermosets were investigated. Thermosets with locked nematic textures were obtained in all cases. The influence of a 7.1 T magnetic field on the macroscopic orientation of these materials was studied, and mechanical properties of the resulting networks were evaluated by dynamic mechanical analysis. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1–12, 2003
Microwave‐improved polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone initiated by carboxylic acids
Authors: Yu Z. J. , Liu L. J. , Zhuo R. X. 
Published: December 2002

AbstractThe ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL), initiated by carboxylic acids such as benzoic acid and chlorinated acetic acids under microwave irradiation, was investigated; with this method, no metal catalyst was necessary. The product was characterized as poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) by1H NMR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. The polymerization was significantly improved under microwave irradiation. The weight‐average molecular weight (Mw) of PCL reached 44,800 g/mol, with a polydispersity index [weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight (Mw/Mn)] of 1.6, when a mixture of ε‐CL and benzoic acid (25/1 molar ratio) was irradiated at 680 W for 240 min, whereas PCL withMw= 12,100 andMw/Mn= 4.2 was obtained from the same mixture by a conventional heating method at 210 °C for 240 min. A degradation of the resultant PCL was observed during microwave polymerization with chlorinated acetic acids as initiators, and this induced a decrease inMwof PCL. However, the degradation was hindered by benzoic acid at low concentrations. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 13–21, 2003
Polymerization of neat 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate induced by a pulsed electron beam
Authors: Feng Hongxia , Al‐Sheikhly Mohamad , Silverman Joseph , Weiss Douglas E. , Neta Pedatsur 
Published: December 2002

AbstractThe bulk polymerization of 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate (2‐EHA), induced by a pulsed electron beam, was investigated with pulse radiolysis, gravimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The roles of the dose rate, pulse frequency, and added acrylic acid (AA) in the polymerization of 2‐EHA were examined at ambient temperature. In the range of 12.6–71.2 Gy/pulse, the polymerization of 2‐EHA was dose‐rate‐dependent: at the same total dose, a lower dose rate yielded a higher conversion. Also, a lower pulse rate gave a higher conversion at the same total dose. The addition of up to 10 wt % AA showed no increase in the conversion of 2‐EHA at a low conversion (8 kGy), but at a higher conversion (16 kGy), a 20 wt % increase in the conversion of 2‐EHA was observed. The estimated values (1.6 ± 0.3) × 10−3 (dm3 s)3/2 mol−1 s−1/2 for kp(G/2kt)1/2 and 2.6 ± 0.8 dm3 s J−1 for 2ktG (where kp is the rate constant of propagation, kt is the rate constant of bimolecular termination, and G is the yield of free radicals) were obtained at relatively low conversions. The reaction rate constant of the addition of 2‐EHA· free radicals to the monomer was measured by pulse radiolysis and found to be 2.8 × 102 mol−1 dm3 s−1. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 196–203, 2003
Synthesis and characterization of poly(methyl methacrylate)‐block‐poly(methylphenylsilane)‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) by atom transfer radical polymerization
Authors: Rossi N. A. A. , Jones R. G. , Holder S. J. 
Published: December 2002

AbstractABA block copolymers of methyl methacrylate and methylphenylsilane were synthesized with a methodology based on atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The reaction of samples of α,ω‐dihalopoly(methylphenylsilane) with 2‐hydroxyethyl‐2‐methyl‐2‐bromoproprionate gave suitable macroinitiators for the ATRP of methyl methacrylate. The latter procedure was carried out at 95 °C in a xylene solution with CuBr and 2,2‐bipyridine as the initiating system. The rate of the polymerization was first‐order with respect to monomer conversion. The block copolymers were characterized with1H NMR and13C NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry was used to obtain preliminary evidence of phase separation in the copolymer products. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 30–40, 2003
Synthesis and characterization of phosphonate‐containing polysiloxanes
Authors: Gallagher Skip 
Published: December 2002

AbstractPhosphonate‐functionalized polysiloxanes have been prepared with a new siloxane/phosphonate monomer. The reaction of 3‐chloropropylmethyldimethoxysilane with trimethylphosphite or triethylphosphite produces several new monomers containing pendant phosphonate groups. Copolymerization with dimethyldimethoxysilane has produced polymers soluble in most organic solvents. The acid hydrolysis of the phosphoryl esters has produced hydrophilic siloxane polymers containing phosphonic acid groups. The thermal properties of the polymers and several related small molecules have been compared with thermogravimetric analysis. Both the monomers and the resulting polymers have been characterized with 1H, 13C, 31P, and 29Si NMR. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 48–59, 2003
Oxidation and epoxidation of poly(1,3‐cyclohexadiene)
Authors: Williamson D. T. , Mather B. D. , Long T. E. 
Published: December 2002

AbstractPoly(1,3‐cyclohexadiene) (PCHD) derivatives were synthesized via facile chemical modification reactions of the residual double bond in the repeat unit. The oxidation and degradation of PCHD was investigated to enable subsequent controlled epoxidation reactions. PCHD exhibited a 15% weight loss at 110 °C in the presence of oxygen. The oxidative degradation, demonstrated by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and 1H NMR spectroscopy, was attributed to main‐chain scission. Aldehyde and ether functional groups were introduced into the polymer during the oxidation process. PCHD was quantitatively epoxidized in the absence of deleterious oxidation with meta‐chloroperoxybenzoic acid. 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy confirmed that polymers with controlled degrees of epoxidation were reproducibly obtained. Epoxidized PCHD exhibited a glass‐transition temperature at 154 °C, which was slightly higher than that of a PCHD precursor of a nearly equivalent molecular weight. Moreover, GPC indicated the absence of undesirable crosslinking or degradation, and the molecular weight distributions remained narrow. The thermooxidative stability of the fully epoxidized polymer was compared to that of the PCHD precursor, and the epoxidized PCHD exhibited an initial weight loss at 250 °C in oxygen, which was 140 °C higher than the temperature for PCHD. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 84–93, 2003
Synthesis and properties of new soluble triphenylamine‐based aromatic poly(amine amide)s derived from N,N′‐bis(4‐carboxyphenyl)‐N,N′‐diphenyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine
Authors: Liou Guey‐Sheng , Hsiao Sheng‐Huei 
Published: December 2002

AbstractA new triphenylamine‐containing aromatic dicarboxylic acid, N,N′‐bis(4‐carboxyphenyl)‐N,N′‐diphenyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine, was synthesized by the condensation of N,N′‐diphenyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine with 4‐fluorobenzonitrile, followed by the alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate dinitrile compound. A series of novel triphenylamine‐based aromatic poly(amine amide)s with inherent viscosities of 0.50–1.02 dL/g were prepared from the diacid and various aromatic diamines by direct phosphorylation polycondensation. All the poly(amine amide)s were amorphous in nature, as evidenced by X‐ray diffractograms. Most of the poly(amine amide)s were quite soluble in a variety of organic solvents and could be solution‐cast into transparent, tough, and flexible films with good mechanical properties. They had useful levels of thermal stability associated with glass‐transition temperatures up to 280 °C, 10% weight‐loss temperatures in excess of 575 °C, and char yields at 800 °C in nitrogen higher than 60%. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 94–105, 2003
Fluorinated block copolymers containing poly(vinylidene fluoride) or poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene) blocks from perfluoropolyethers: Synthesis and thermal properties
Authors: Gelin Marie‐Pierre , Ameduri Bruno 
Published: December 2002

AbstractPFPE‐b‐PVDF and PFPE‐b‐poly(VDF‐co‐HFP) block copolymers [where PFPE, PVDF, VDF, and HFP represent perfluoropolyether, poly(vinylidene fluoride), vinylidene fluoride (or 1,1‐difluoroethylene), and hexafluoropropylene] were synthesized by radical (co)telomerizations of VDF (or VDF and HFP) with an iodine‐terminated perfluoropolyether (PFPE‐I). Di‐tert‐butyl peroxide (DTBP) was used and was shown to act as an efficient thermal initiator. The numbers of VDF and VDF/HFP base units in the block copolymers were assessed with 19F NMR spectroscopy. According to the initial [PFPE‐I]0/[fluoroalkenes]0 and [DTBP]0/[fluoroalkenes]0 molar ratios, fluorinated block copolymers of various molecular weights (1500–30,300) were obtained. The states and thermal properties of these fluorocopolymers were investigated. The compounds containing PVDF blocks with more than 30 VDF units were crystalline, whereas all those containing poly(VDF‐co‐HFP) blocks exhibited amorphous states, whatever the numbers were of the fluorinated base units. All the samples showed negative glass‐transition temperatures higher than that of the starting PFPE. Interestingly, these PFPE‐b‐PVDF and PFPE‐b‐poly(VDF‐co‐HFP) block copolymers exhibited good thermostability. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 160–171, 2003
Hydrogel‐like elastic membrane consisting of semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks based on a phosphorylcholine polymer and a segmented polyurethane
Authors: Iwasaki Yasuhiko , Shimakata Keiko , Morimoto Nobuyuki , Kurita Kimio 
Published: December 2002

AbstractTo obtain a hydrogel‐like elastic membrane, we prepared semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) by the radical polymerization of methacrylates such as 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate, and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate diffused into segmented polyurethane (SPU) membranes swollen with a monomer mixture. The values of Young's modulus for the hydrated semi‐IPN membranes were less than that for an SPU membrane because of higher hydration, but they were much higher than that for a hydrated MPC polymer gel (non‐SPU). According to a thermal analysis, the MPC polymer influenced the segment association of SPU. The diffusion coefficient of 8‐anilino‐1‐naphthalenesulfonic acid sodium salt from the semi‐IPN membrane could be controlled with different MPC unit concentrations in the membrane, and it was about 7 × 102 times higher than that of the SPU membrane. Fibroblast cell adhesion on the semi‐IPN membrane was effectively reduced by the MPC units. We concluded that semi‐IPNs composed of the MPC polymer and SPU may be novel polymer materials possessing attractive mechanical, diffusive‐release, and nonbiofouling properties. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 68–75, 2003