bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biodegradable packaging life‐cycle assessment
Authors: Bohlmann Gregory M. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractSRI Consulting's Process Economics Program (PEP) was commissioned by its clients to undertake a life‐cycle assessment (LCA) for the purpose of comparing a biodegradable polymer with a conventional commodity polymer in packaging applications. Biodegradable polymers offer the potential of addressing a wide range of environmental concerns associated with conventional polymers such as greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability. LCA is a tool specifically developed for assessing the overall environmental burden of a product including the system used for manufacturing it and its end‐of‐life treatment.This paper provides a cradle‐to‐grave LCA of two polymers that may be used in food packaging applications: polylactide (PLA), which is a biodegradable polymer derived from corn; and polypropylene (PP), which is primarily derived from natural gas in the United States. An inventory analysis of the PLA and PP systems is presented. An impact assessment focused on global warming is also provided. Although measured field or facility data are preferred for a rigorous LCA, PEP data can provide a reasonable basis when measured data are unavailable. Energy inventories and greenhouse gas emissions are readily derived from PEP data, but other potentially relevant impact indicators are not. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2004
Ulysses: a robust, low‐diameter, low‐latency peer‐to‐peer network
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Merugu Shashidhar , Xu Jun (Jim) , Zegura Ellen W. , Yu Xingxing 
Published: November 2004

AbstractA number of distributed hash table (DHT)‐based protocols have been proposed to address the issue of scalability in peer‐to‐peer networks. In this paper, we present Ulysses, a peer‐to‐peer network based on the butterfly topology that achieves the theoretical lower bound of logn/log lognon network diameter when the average routing table size at nodes is no more than logn. Compared to existing DHT‐based schemes with similar routing table size, Ulysses reduces the network diameter by a factor of log logn, which is 2–4 for typical configurations. This translates into the same amount of reduction on query latency and average traffic per link/node. In addition, Ulysses maintains the same level of robustness in terms of routing in the face of faults and recovering from graceful/ungraceful joins and departures, as provided by existing DHT‐based schemes. The performance of the protocol has been evaluated using both analysis and simulation. Copyright © 2004 AEI
Pricing vulnerable options in incomplete markets
Authors: Hung Mao‐Wei , Liu Yu‐Hong 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThis paper follows the framework of P. Klein (1996) to price vulnerable options when the market is incomplete. Vulnerable options, which are usually traded in the over‐the‐counter market, may not only face the risk of default but also the risk of illiquidity. Thus, pricing such options under the assumption of market completeness, as was done by H. Johnson and R. Stulz (1987) and P. Klein (1996), seems to be a mistake. Accordingly, the proposed model uses the methodology proposed by J. H. Cochrane and J. Saá‐Requejo (2000) to price vulnerable options under both deterministic and stochastic interest rates in an incomplete market. The model is found to perform well when the interest rate is stochastic. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 25:135–170, 2005
The terminal nerve and its relation with extrabulbar “olfactory” projections: Lessons from lampreys and lungfishes
Authors: Von Bartheld Christopher S. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe definition of the terminal nerve has led to considerable confusion and controversy. This review analyzes the current state of knowledge as well as diverging opinions about the existence, components, and definition of terminal nerves or their components, with emphasis on lampreys and lungfishes. I will argue that the historical terminology regarding this cranial nerve embraces a definition of a terminal nerve that is compatible with its existence in all vertebrate species. This review further summarizes classical and more recent anatomical, developmental, neurochemical, and molecular evidence suggesting that a multitude of terminalis cell types, not only those expressing gonadotropin‐releasing hormone, migrate various distances into the forebrain. This results in numerous morphological and neurochemically distinct phenotypes of neurons, with a continuum spanning from olfactory receptor‐like neurons in the olfactory epithelium to typical large ganglion cells that accompany the classical olfactory projections. These cell bodies may lose their peripheral connections with the olfactory epithelium, and their central projections or cell bodies may enter the forebrain at several locations. Since “olfactory” marker proteins can be expressed in bona fide nervus terminalis cells, so‐called extrabulbar “olfactory” projections may be a collection of disguised nervus terminalis components. If we do not allow this pleiomorphic collection of nerves to be considered within a terminal nerve framework, then the only alternative is to invent a highly species‐ and stage‐specific, and, ultimately, thoroughly confusing nomenclature for neurons and nerve fibers that associate with the olfactory nerve and forebrain. Microsc. Res. Tech. 65:13–24, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Structural and antigenic preservation of plant samples by microwave‐enhanced fixation, using dedicated hardware, minimizing heat‐related effects
Authors: Lería Francisca , Marco Roberto , Medina Francisco Javier 
Published: November 2004

AbstractWe explored the use of microwave technology in fixation with the objective of achieving quicker fixation regimes, lower concentrations of toxic and volatile reagents, and enhanced antigen detection. We used a modified domestic microwave oven (900 W) and a low‐power (5 W) microwave bench. The work was done on plant materials. The oven was supplemented with a cooling device, a stirring system, and a record of the sample temperature and the time of effective irradiation. The sample, immersed in a fixative solution of 1% paraformaldehyde (PFA) in PBS, was irradiated for only 10 minutes. The sample temperature did not exceed 37°C. In these mild conditions, the quality of the (ultra)structural preservation of the samples, morphometrically assessed, was at the same level as obtained with the same fixative, using conventional methods. On the contrary, samples fixed in the same conditions without irradiation showed a poor structural preservation. The antigenic preservation of the irradiated samples was excellent, since the labeling levels of two nucleolar proteins, detected by immunogold, were three times higher than in conventionally fixed samples. In the so‐called microwave bench, the pathway of microwaves is guided, so that low‐power microwaves directly hit the sample and there is no dispersion of energy. Temperature of fixative did not increase after microwave irradiation. Fixation in the bench with either 4% PFA, or 1% PFA, for 20 minutes resulted in structural preservation of samples similar in quality as obtained with conventional fixation and in a similar or better level of antigen preservation. Therefore, controlling temperature and effective irradiation is crucial in order to obtain optimal structural and antigen preservation with microwave‐enhanced fixation. The dramatic differences observed between microwave‐irradiated samples and samples fixed in the same conditions without irradiation, strongly support the existence of specific effects of microwaves on fixation, independent from the mere heating of the samples. Microsc. Res. Tech. 65:86–100, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ultrastructure and cell death of in vivo derived and vitrified porcine blastocysts
Authors: Fabian Dušan , Gjørret Jakob O. , Berthelot Françoise , Martinat‐Botté Françoise , Maddox‐Hyttel Poul 
Published: November 2004

AbstractMorphological and molecular signs of injury and cell death and subsequent regeneration following vitrification of porcine blastocysts were evaluated by light (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as TUNEL/propidium iodide (PI) nuclear staining followed by confocal microscopy (CSM). In vivo derived blastocysts were assigned to one of the following four groups: Controls—(1) fixed immediately after collection (C0h) and (2) after 24 hr culture in vitro (C24h) and vitrified embryos—(3) fixed immediately after vitrification and warming (V0h), and (4) after 24 hr of culture upon warming after vitrification (V24h). Observation by LM and TEM showed that the V0h embryos displayed collapse of the blastocoele cavity (BC) and cell swelling, a general distension or shrinkage of mitochondria and massive increase in the amount of vesicles, vacuoles, and secondary lysosomes (SLs). Approximately 2/3 of the V24h embryos had recovered, whereas the remaining 1/3 were degenerated. Recovered embryos displayed almost normal blastocyst morphology, except for a widening of the perivitelline space, accumulation of debris and partial distension of mitochondria, whereas degenerated embryos were disintegrated into a poorly defined mass of cells and debris including cells with abundant degeneration of mitochondria and other organelles. Both recovered and degenerated embryos displayed a persistent abundance of presence of small membrane bounded vesicles, vacuoles, and SLs. Evaluation of TUNEL/PI stained embryos showed only occasional appearance of TUNEL positive nuclei with typical apoptotic morphology in controls (C0h 0.67%, C24h 1.22%) and in the V0h embryos (0.93%). The percentage of apoptotic nuclei in embryos at V24h was significantly higher than in all other groups (2.64%). Vitrified embryos showed significantly increased appearance of DNA fragmented nuclei without typical morphological features of apoptosis (V0h 1.43%, V24h 4.30%) compared with controls (C0h 0.26%, C24h 0.45%). The observed morphological changes and increased DNA fragmentation observed immediately after vitrification and warming probably reflects a direct damaging effect of vitrification. During 24 hr of culture a portion of the embryos was able to regenerate and along with the regenerative process, apoptosis—a possible pathway for elimination of damaged cells—became evident. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 70: 155–165, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
RNA interference as a tool to study gene function in bovine oocytes
Authors: Paradis François , Vigneault Christian , Robert Claude , Sirard Marc‐André 
Published: November 2004

AbstractRNA interference (RNAi) has become a well‐established technique to study gene function in several species. Our objective was to develop a RNAi approach to study gene function in bovine oocytes. In the first experiment, three different treatments including a 20 min exposure to cytochalasin B, a 6 hr maturation in cycloheximide, and a combination of these two treatments were tested to improve oocyte survival following microinjection. The cycloheximide/cytochalasin B treatment greatly increased (P<0.02) the survival rate of the microinjected oocytes. In the second experiment, we assessed the effect of both cyclin B1 and GFP dsRNA on cyclin B1 mRNA and protein expression. The injection of cyclin B1 dsRNA resulted in a decrease in cyclin B1 mRNA and protein, while the cyclin B2 mRNA remained unaffected. Furthermore, the injection of GFP dsRNA did not interfere with cyclin B1 mRNA or protein nor with the ability of the oocyte to mature properly. In addition, the lack of cyclin B1 in the oocyte led to activation in 10% of the oocytes as evidenced by the presence of a pronucleus. However, the use of an additional 10 hr of maturation in the presence of 6‐dimethylaminopurine (6‐DMAP) prevented germinal vesicle breakdown and allowed a longer exposure to dsRNA. This procedure increased the percentage of activated oocytes to 33% and is likely to result from an increased length of time for dsRNA processing and for degradation of the cyclin B1 mRNA to occur. In conclusion, RNAi represents a useful technique to study gene function in the bovine oocyte. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 70: 111–121, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isolation and mapping the chicken zona pellucida genes: An insight into the evolution of orthologous genes in different species
Authors: Smith Jacqueline , Paton Ian R. , Hughes David C. , Burt David W. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe avian oocyte is surrounded by a specialized extracellular glycoproteinaceous matrix, the perivitelline membrane, which is equivalent to the zona pellucida (ZP) in mammals and the chorion in teleosts. A number of related ZP genes encode the proteins that make up this matrix. These proteins play an important role in the sperm/egg interaction and may be involved in speciation. The human genome is known to contain ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, and ZPB genes, while a ZPAX gene has also been identified in Xenopus. The rapid evolution of these genes has confused the nomenclature and thus orthologous relationships across species. In order to clarify these homologies, we have identified ZP1, ZP2, ZPC, ZPB, and ZPAX genes in the chicken and mapped them to chromosomes 5, 14, 10, 6, and 3, respectively, establishing conserved synteny with human and mouse. The amino acid sequences of these genes were compared to the orthologous genes in human, mouse, and Xenopus, and have given us an insight into the evolution of these genes in a variety of different species. The presence of the ZPAX gene in the chicken has highlighted a pattern of probable gene loss by deletion in mouse and gene inactivation by deletion, and base substitution in human. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 70: 133–145, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A changing range genetic algorithm
Authors: Amirjanov Adil 
Published: November 2004

AbstractDuring the last decade various methods have been proposed to handle linear and non‐linear constraints by using genetic algorithms to solve problems of numerical optimization. The key to success lies in focusing the search space towards a feasible region where a global optimum is located. This study investigates an approach that adaptively shifts and shrinks the size of the search space to the feasible region; it uses two strategies for estimating a point of attraction. Several test cases demonstrate the ability of this approach to reach effectively and accurately the global optimum with a low resolution of the binary representation scheme and without additional computational efforts. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
System safety analysis of hydrogen and methanol vehicle fuels
Authors: Carpenter Andrew R. , Hinze Peter C. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractOver the next 10 to 25 years, primary fuels used in automobiles may be changing from gasoline and diesel fuels to new “alternative” fuels. Two fuels that have generated much interest are hydrogen and methanol, and will propel vehicles through new power‐plant concepts. However, these new breeds of vehicle systems introduce a new class of safety hazards. This paper will introduce the basic concepts of these new vehicles and briefly describe some of the systems these vehicles have that are not present in conventional gasoline‐ or diesel‐fuels internal combustion vehicles. This paper will then explore the new safety concerns, risks, and hazards associated with these new vehicle systems as well as to predict what elements future safety standards may contain.
The role of ASTM E27 methods in hazard assessment: Part I. Thermal stability, compatibility, and energy release estimation methods
Authors: Frurip David , Britton Larry , Fenlon William , Going John , Harrison B. Keith , Niemeier Jeff , Ural Erdem A. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractAccurate reactive chemicals data form the cornerstone of procedures used to assess the hazards associated with commercial chemical production and use. Since 1967, the ASTM E27 Committee on the Hazard Potential of Chemicals has issued numerous, widely used consensus standards dealing with diverse testing and predictive procedures used to obtain relevant chemical hazard properties. The decision to issue a standard rests solely with the membership, which consists of representatives from industry, government, consulting firms, and instrument suppliers. Consequently, the procedures are automatically relevant, timely, and widely applicable. The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the widely used standards, complemented with hypothetical but relevant examples describing the testing strategy, interpretation, and application of the results. A further goal of this paper is to encourage participation in the standards development process.The paper is published in two parts. The first part deals with the E27 standards pertaining to thermodynamics, thermal stability, and chemical compatibility. The second part, to be published in the next issue of this journal, focuses on the flammability, ignitability, and explosibility of fuel/air mixtures. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2004
Ferrocement confinement of plain and reinforced concrete
Authors: Rathish Kumar P , Oshima T , Mikami S 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe sophisticated arrangement of confinement in columns using closely spaced stirrups not only interrupts the continuity and creates a plane of weakness between core and concrete cover, but also adds to the problem of congestion. This is the reason why most of the time it may not be possible to confine the structure sufficiently by providing laterals alone, and supplementary confinement such as ferrocement composites may be necessary. The success of the ferrocement technology is attributed to the ready availability of its component materials, low level of technology needed for construction and low cost. In the past decades, ferrocement has emerged as a very good rehabilitating/restrengthening material because of its superior mechanical properties, high in‐plane strength and mouldability. In the present paper a review of the research on ferrocement confinement of plain and reinforced concrete with applications to column retrofitting is presented.
Green's function calculation of through‐bond electronic coupling in donor–bridge–acceptor model systems II: Importance factors applied to atomic sites
Authors: De Santana O. L. , Da Gama A. A. S. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractImportance factors, associated with the Green's function formalism, are introduced. They are applied for the determination of the relative atomic site contribution to the electronic interaction propagation in a molecular system. The calculation is performed at the Hartree–Fock (self‐consistent) level, using ab initio STO‐3G, 4‐31G, and D95 basis sets. The results are compared with those obtained from the charge densities of the appropriate molecular orbitals at the ab initio STO‐3G level. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005
Chemical reaction dynamics of PeCB and TCDD decomposition: A tight‐binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics study with first‐principles parameterization
Authors: Suzuki Ai , Selvam Parasuraman , Kusagaya Tomonori , Takami Seiichi , Kubo Momoji , Imamura Akira , Miyamoto Akira 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe decomposition reaction dynamics of 2,3,4,4′,5‐penta‐chlorinated biphenyl (2,3,4,4′,5‐PeCB), 3,3′,4,4′,5‐penta‐chlorinated biphenyl (3,3′,4,4′,5‐PeCB), and 2,3,7,8‐tetra‐chlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxin (2,3,7,8‐TCDD) was clarified for the first time at atomic and electronic levels, using our novel tight‐binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics method with first‐principles parameterization. The calculation speed of our new method is over 5000 times faster than that of the conventional first‐principles molecular dynamics method. We confirmed that the structure, energy, and electronic states of the above molecules calculated by our new method are quantitatively consistent with those by first‐principles calculations. After the confirmation of our methodology, we investigated the decomposition reaction dynamics of the above molecules and the calculated dynamic behaviors indicate that the oxidation of the 2,3,4,4′,5‐PeCB, 3,3′,4,4′,5‐PeCB, and 2,3,7,8‐TCDD proceeds through an epoxide intermediate, which is in good agreement with the previous experimental reports and consistent with our static density functional theory calculations. These results proved that our new tight‐binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics method with first‐principles parameterization is an effective tool to clarify the chemical reaction dynamics at reaction temperatures. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005
Humidity‐induced surface modification of boric acid
Authors: Cleaver J. A. S. , Wong P. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractPrevious studies of boric acid powder suggest that the surface undergoes restructuring when exposed to changes in relative humidity of the surrounding air. This present work investigates these surface changes using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to provide quantitative topographic information, supplemented by gravimetric analysis of water sorption. The AFM images clearly show the dissolution of small rounded features and z‐height growth of the larger flatter areas, indicating that Ostwald ripening was the prevailing mechanism in the restructuring. Estimation of radii of curvature of asperities on the surface enabled the approximation of supersaturation ratio in the surface film using the Kelvin equation. The value of 1.007 obtained is much less than the value of 3.2 reported for solution‐grown boric acid. It is this high level of supersaturation that is thought to account for the inherent roughness of boric acid, associated with dendritic growth. Conversely, the low supersaturation ratio estimated for the adsorbed surface layer results in regular crystal growth and a decrease in surface roughness. Gravimetric analysis of boric acid revealed a steady loss in water with increase in relative humidity from 10% to 60%. This is attributed to loss of available surface area through the progressive dissolution of fine surface features. Desorption showed a monotonic decrease in water uptake, confirming that the restructuring is not reversible. Changes in surface area were estimated from the AFM images. The loss of surface area between dry and ambient conditions was greater than that inferred from the loss of mass in the gravimetric analysis. This suggests that water is retained on the surface in capillaries that are not apparent in the AFM surface scans. Statistical monolayer coverage of water is achieved at 10% relative humidity, which corresponds to the onset of surface restructuring indicated by the water sorption isotherm. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhancement of the static SIMS secondary ion yields of lipid moieties by ultrathin gold coating of aged oil paint surfaces
Authors: Keune K. , Boon J. J. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractStatic secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a powerful technique for identification and localization of pigments and binding media present in traditional paintings. Coating the surface of a cross‐section with a 20 Å thick gold layer improves the yields of secondary ions from the fatty acids and diacids. A chalk tablet containing 1% stearic acid, which was partially covered during gold deposition, is used as a test system to investigate the increase of the organic secondary ion yields upon gold deposition in SIMS imaging. A comparative study of a native and gold‐coated aged surface of a lead white‐containing linseed oil paint demonstrates the enhancement of the organic ion yields on a sample relevant for painting studies. The yields of oil paint‐derived negative ions increase by a factor of 3 whereas the yields of positive ions increase by a factor of 2–4. The different types of charged functional groups determine the degree of improvement in yield. Gold coating improves the ionization process of the fatty acids and does not influence their fragmentation. The dissociation of the lead white by the primary ion beam is reduced due to the gold coating. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.