bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On a class of multiple failure mode systems
Authors: Boutsikas Michael V. , Koutras Markos V. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe primary objective of this work is to introduce and perform a detailed study of a class of multistate reliability structures in which no ordering in the levels of components' performances is necessary. In particular, the present paper develops the basic theory (exact reliability formulae, reliability bounds, asymptotic results) that will make it feasible to investigate systems whose components are allowed to experience m ≥ 2 kinds of failure (failure modes), and their breakdown is described by different families of cut sets in each mode. For illustration purposes, two classical (binary) systems are extended to analogous multiple failure mode structures, and their reliability performance (bounds and asymptotic behavior) is investigated by numerical experimentation. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 49: 167–185, 2002; DOI 10.1002/nav.10007
Cell‐type specific dendritic contacts between retinal ganglion cells during development
Authors: Lohmann Christian , Wong Rachel O.L. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe extent of a neuron's dendritic field defines the region within which information is processed. The dendritic fields of functionally distinct ON and OFF center retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) form separate mosaics across the retina. Within each mosaic, neighboring dendritic fields overlap by a constant amount, sampling the visual field with the appropriate coverage. Contact‐mediated lateral inhibition between neighboring RGCs has long been thought to regulate both the extent and overlap of dendritic fields during development. Here we show that dendro‐dendritic contact exists between developing RGCs and occurs in a manner that would regulate the formation of ON and OFF mosaics separately. Dye‐filled neighboring ON and OFF ferret alpha RGCs were reconstructed using multiphoton microscopy. At all neonatal ages examined, we observed dendro‐dendritic contacts between RGCs of the same sign (ON/ON; OFF/OFF), but never between cells of opposite signs (ON/OFF). Terminal dendrites of one cell often touched a dendrite of its neighbor as they intersected. In some instances, the distal dendrite of one cell formed a fascicle with the proximal process of its neighbor. Alpha cells did not form contacts with neighboring beta cells of the same sign. Together, these observations suggest that dendro‐dendritic contact between RGCs is cell‐type specific. Dendritic contacts were observed even before the alpha cell arbors were completely stratified, suggesting that cell‐cell recognition may take place early in their development. For each cell type, the relative overlap of dendritic fields was constant with age, despite a two‐fold increase in field area. We suggest that dendro‐dendritic contacts may be sites of intercellular signaling that could regulate local extension of dendrites to maintain the relative overlap of RGCs within a mosaic during development. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 48: 150–162, 2001
Behaviour control of modern composite structures
Authors: Tesar Alexander , Sedlar Marek 
Published: October 2004

AbstractNumerical and experimental assessment of modern composite structures provided with knowledge‐based joints for their behaviour control is treated in the present paper. Special connection strip, joining composite materials, is adopted. The wave approach of the back propagation neural network in micro‐ and macromechanical modelling is used for the numerical analysis of the problem. Some numerical and experimental results are given in order to demonstrate the efficiency of the control joint suggested. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Progressive insurance competes with the strategic application of information technology
Authors: Lewins Lisa A. , Davis Tim R.V. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractFor many years, Progressive Insurance was a small, specialized provider of automobile insurance to
high‐risk drivers. When industry giants entered the same market, the future looked bleak for the small
company. But Progressive has thrived in the larger market for standard automobile insurance by making creative use
of information technology and reforming antiquated industry practices. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals,
Inc.
Preferences for care near the end of life: Scale development and validation
Authors: Gauthier Donna M. , Froman Robin D. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument, the Preferences for Care near the End of Life (PCEOL) scale. Following a literature review and using the domain‐referenced approach and a test grid, a large pool of items was generated to reflect five dimensions of preferences for care near the end of life. These were reviewed for relevance and clarity by an expert panel. A convenience sample of 198 adults was secured to provide data for the study of the psychometric properties of the scale. Data screening and item analysis resulted in a final sample of 43 items. A principal factor analysis (PFA) resulted in an interpretable, meaningful five‐factor solution. Reliability estimates (internal consistency) for the factors on the multidimensional instrument ranged from .68 to .91. Retest stability estimates for the PCEOL showed correlations of .80 to .94 for factor scores over a 2‐week interval. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24:298–306, 2001
The differential impact of inclusion and inclusive practices on high, average, and low achieving general education students
Authors: Huber Karl D. , Rosenfeld Joseph G. , Fiorello Catherine A. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe effect that inclusion and inclusionary school practices have on the achievement scores of low, average, and high academically achieving general education students was investigated. Achievement scores for 477 general education students from grades 1 through 5 were sampled over 3 years. During the 2 years that inclusion and inclusive practices were implemented, students either received academic instruction with students with disabilities or only with peers without disabilities. Inclusive school practices (curricular changes and supports) had a differential effect, as low achieving general education students appeared to benefit academically, while higher achieving students lost ground. General education students' reading scores were not significantly affected by the presence of students with disabilities, while in math, the effect was mixed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the Woodcock reading mastery tests–revised with special education students
Authors: Williams Thomas Oliver , Eaves Ronald C. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe factor structure of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests–Revised (WRMT‐R) was analyzed using data from a sample of 140 special education students with learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, and serious emotional disturbance. Woodcock asserted that the WRMT‐R measured two important aspects of reading ability: Basic Skills and Reading Comprehension. According to Woodcock, the Word Identification and Word Attack Tests measure two elements of Basic Skills, and the Word Comprehension and Passage Comprehension Tests measure two elements of Reading Comprehension. Together, Basic Skills and Reading Comprehension produce the Total Reading Full‐Scale score. Principal axis factor analysis with a promax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis were used to evaluate evidence that the four tests of the WRMT‐R combine to form the two factors: Basic Skills and Reading Comprehension. The results of the analyses indicated a robust single factor (Total Reading Full‐Scale), and provided little support for Woodcock's hypothesized two‐factor structure. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Metalization of polymer beads via polymer‐supported hydrazines as reducing agents
Authors: Bicak Niyazi , Sungur Şana , Tan Nükhet , Bensebaa Farid , Deslandes Yves 
Published: October 2004

AbstractA new method for depositing metal onto a polymer surface has been developed in which the metal coating of polymer beads is performed with hydrazine functions as reducing agents on the surface of the polymer itself. In this study, glycidyl methacrylate–methyl methacrylate–divinyl benzene terpolymer was prepared as spherical beads with a suspension polymerization methodology. Beads of the polymer sample (210–420‐μm fraction) containing 3.4 mmol g−1 epoxy were treated with an excess of hydrazinium hydroxide to yield a polymer with 2.3 mmol g−1 hydrazine functions. The hydrazine functions on the polymer surfaces were efficient in metal reductions. Therefore, the modified bead polymer samples, when soaked in aqueous ammonia solutions of Ni(II), Ag(I), and Cu(II) ions (0.1 M), were covered rapidly by the corresponding zero‐valent metal ions. Metal deposition took place almost quantitatively (ca. 4.5 mmol/g of the polymer) within 60 min of the contact times. The accumulations of metal were followed visually and occurred only on the polymer beads. There was no evidence that the reaction occurred within the solution. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 748–754, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10158
Hyperbranched aryl polycarbonates derived from A2B monomers versus AB2 monomers
Authors: Bolton Daniel H. , Wooley Karen L. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractHyperbranched aryl polycarbonates were prepared via the polymerizations of A2B and AB2 monomers, which involved the condensation of chloroformate (A) functionalities with tert‐butyldimethylsilyl‐protected phenols (B), facilitated by reactions with silver fluoride. The polymerization of the A2B monomer gave hyperbranched polycarbonates bearing fluoroformate chain ends, which were hydrolyzed to phenolic chain‐end moieties and further elaborated to tert‐butyldimethylsilyl ether groups. The polymerization of the AB2 monomer gave tert‐butyldimethylsilyl ether‐terminated hyperbranched polycarbonates. The polymerizations were conducted at 23–70 °C in 20% acetonitrile/tetrahydrofuran in the presence of a stoichiometric excess of silver fluoride for 20–40 h to afford hyperbranched polycarbonates with weight‐average molecular weights exceeding 100,000 Da and polydispersity indices of typically 2–3. The degrees of branching were determined by a reductive degradation procedure followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Alternatively, the degrees of branching were measurable by solution‐state 1H NMR analyses and agreed with the statistical 50% branching expected for the polymerization of A2B and AB2 monomers not experiencing constructive or destructive electronic effects on the reactivity of the multiple functional groups. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 823–835, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10167
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) reinforced by N,N′‐diphenyl biphenyl‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxydiimide moieties
Authors: Xiao Jun , Wan Xinhua , Zhang Dong , Zhang Hailiang , Zhou Qi‐Feng , Turner S. Richard 
Published: October 2004

AbstractStarting with 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride and methyl aminobenzoate, we synthesized a novel rodlike imide‐containing monomer, N,N′‐bis[p‐(methoxy carbonyl) phenyl]‐biphenyl‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxydiimide (BMBI). The polycondensation of BMBI with dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol yielded a series of copoly(ester imide)s based on the BMBI‐modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) backbone. Compared with PET, these BMBI‐modified polyesters had higher glass‐transition temperatures and higher stiffness and strength. In particular, the poly(ethylene terephthalate imide) PETI‐5, which contained 5 mol % of the imide moieties, had a glass‐transition temperature of 89.9 °C (11 °C higher than the glass‐transition temperature of PET), a tensile modulus of 869.4 MPa (20.2 % higher than that of PET), and a tensile strength of 80.8 MPa (38.8 % higher than that of PET). Therefore, a significant reinforcing effect was observed in these imide‐modified polyesters, and a new approach to higher property polyesters was suggested. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 852–863, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10169
Direct current conductivity and ion motions in poly(vinyl chloride)‐poly‐1,4‐cis butadiene blends by electrical relaxation method
Authors: Anada Yuichi 
Published: October 2004

AbstractIonic conduction in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)‐poly‐1,4‐cis butadiene blends has been studied using the electrical relaxation method. Temperature dependence of direct current (dc) conductivity does not change at the glass transition of PVC but does change at higher temperatures. The shape of the frequency dispersion curve of the electric modulus in a frequency range from 0.01 to 100 Hz depends on temperature. At low temperatures, the shape of the dispersion curve is reproduced by calculation assuming the Debye decay function, whereas this is not reproduced at high temperatures. Two kinds of analysis of the dispersion curve are discussed for this complicated change in the shape of the dispersion. One is that the dispersion curve is regarded as a single process expressed by the Kohlrausch decay function, and the other is that the curve is regarded as two processes expressed by the Debye and the Kohlrausch decay functions. The observed dispersion of the electric modulus is not expressed by the single process but by the two processes. One of the two processes is characterized by the Debye decay function, and the other is characterized by the Kohlrausch decay function. The parameter of the Kohlrausch decay function for one of these processes has a value of 0.82, and this value does not depend on temperature. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 226–235, 2002
Surface modification on thermoplastic olefins by low‐temperature cascade arc discharge‐air plasmas for enhanced adhesion with primer
Authors: Lin Yung‐Sen , Yasuda Hirotsugu K. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractImprovement of primer adhesion to thermoplastic olefins (TPOs) by surface modification with a low‐temperature cascade arc discharge‐air plasmas was investigated. Air plasma with a low‐temperature cascade arc plasma torch can be used for improving the primer adhesion to TPOs. Tape‐adhesion tests (ASTM 3359‐92a method) demonstrated this improvement with a rating of “0” for untreated TPOs and “5” for air plasma‐modified TPOs at certain plasma conditions even for aging at 60 °C and 80% relative humidity for 5 days. The adhesion to primer for the soft and flexible kind of TPOs (ETA‐3041c and ETA‐3101) was easily enhanced. The adhesion to primer for the hard and brittle TPOs (ETA‐3183) needs to optimize the plasma conditions to pass the wet‐adhesion test using air plasmas. To relate the surface characteristics of air plasma‐modified TPOs to adhesion performance with primer, the wettability and polarity of TPOs were evaluated by the contact‐angle measurements of primer and deionized water to TPOs. TPO surface morphology was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. The surface composition was characterized with electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 623–637, 2002; DOI 10.1002/polb.10122
Laryngeal hirudiniasis: An unusual cause of airway obstruction and hemoptysis
Authors: Mohammad Yousser , Rostum M. , Dubaybo Basim A. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractCases of childhood hemoptysis are rare and usually result from foreign body aspiration or congenital heart or lung diseases. However, human hirudiniasis due to the leech still exists, and could involve the upper airways after drinking infested water from quiet streams and pools.We report the case of a 6‐year‐old child who presented suffocating at the emergency room after having been misdiagnosed and treated for asthma over a 1‐month period. His mother reported he had had recurrent hemoptysis, as well. The child inadvertently drank leech‐infested water in a rural area of northern Syria. Surgical removal of the leech resulted in prompt resolution of the symptoms.Although laryngeal hirudiniasis is rare in the developed world, it remains a possible cause of childhood airway obstruction, hemoptysis, and anemia which needs to be considered in patients with a suggestive history. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2002; 33:224–226. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Geometric and chemical patterns of interaction in protein–ligand complexes and their application in docking
Authors: Moreno Ernesto , León Kalet 
Published: October 2004

AbstractWe present a new method for representing the binding site of a protein receptor that allows the use of the DOCK approach to screen large ensembles of receptor conformations for ligand binding. The site points are constructed from templates of what we called “attached points” (ATPTS). Each template (one for each type of amino acid) is composed of a set of representative points that are attached to side‐chain and backbone atoms through internal coordinates, carry chemical information about their parent atoms and are intended to cover positions that might be occupied by ligand atoms when complexed to the protein. This method is completely automatic and proved to be extremely fast. With the aim of obtaining an experimental basis for this approach, the Protein Data Bank was searched for proteins in complex with small molecules, to study the geometry of the interactions between the different types of protein residues and the different types of ligand atoms. As a result, well‐defined patterns of interaction were obtained for most amino acids. These patterns were then used for constructing a set of templates of attached points, which constitute the core of the ATPTS approach. The quality of the ATPTS representation was demonstrated by using this method, in combination with the DOCK matching and orientation algorithms, to generate correct ligand orientations for >1000 protein–ligand complexes. Proteins 2002;47:1–13. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Noncovalent interaction energies in covalent complexes: TEM‐1 β‐lactamase and β‐lactams
Authors: Wang Xiaojun , Minasov George , Shoichet Brian K. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe class A β‐lactamase TEM‐1 is a key bacterial resistance enzyme against β‐lactam antibiotics, but little is known about the energetic bases for complementarity between TEM‐1 and its inhibitors. Most inhibitors form a covalent adduct with the catalytic Ser70, making the measurement of equilibrium constants, and hence interaction energies, technically difficult. This study evaluates noncovalent interactions within covalent complexes by examining the differential stability of TEM‐1 and its inhibitor adducts. The thermal denaturation of TEM‐1 follows a two‐state, reversible model with a melting temperature (Tm) of 51.6°C and a van't Hoff enthalpy of unfolding (ΔHVH) of 146.2 kcal/mol at pH 7.0. The stability of the enzyme changes on forming an inhibitor adduct. As expected, some inhibitors stabilize TEM‐1; transition‐state analogues increase the Tm by up to 3.7°C (1.7 kcal/mol). Surprisingly, all β‐lactam covalent acyl–enzyme complexes tested destabilize TEM‐1 significantly relative to the apo‐enzyme. For instance, the clinically used inhibitor clavulanic acid and the β‐lactamase‐resistant β‐lactams moxalactam and imipenem destabilize TEM‐1 by over 2.6°C (1.2 kcal/mol) in their covalent adducts. Based on the structure of the TEM‐1/imipenem complex (Maveyraud et al., J Am Chem Soc 1998;120:9748–52), destabilization by moxalactam and imipenem is thought to be caused by a steric clash between the side‐chain of Asn132 and the 6(7)‐α group of these β‐lactams. To test this hypothesis, the mutant enzyme N132A was made. In contrast with wild‐type, the covalent complexes between N132A and both imipenem and moxalactam stabilize the enzyme, consistent with the hypothesis. To investigate the structural bases of this dramatic change in stability, the structure of N132A/imipenem was determined by X‐ray crystallography. In the complex with N132A, imipenem adopts a very different conformation from that observed in the wild‐type complex, and the putative destabilizing interaction with residue 132 is relieved. Studies of several enzymes suggest that β‐lactams, and covalent inhibitors in general, can have either net favorable or net unfavorable noncovalent interaction energies within the covalent complex. In the case of TEM‐1, such unfavorable interactions convert substrate analogues into very effective inhibitors. Proteins 2002;47:86–96. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Refining structural and functional predictions for secretasome components by comparative sequence analysis
Authors: Mushegian Arcady 
Published: October 2004

AbstractComparative sequence analysis of presenilins reveals the conserved transmembrane domain shared with leukocyte antigen CD47, possibly involved in signal transduction. Sensitive techniques of multiple sequence alignment extend the earlier observation of the aminopeptidase homology domain in nicastrin to suggest that this protein may be a catalytically active component of secretasome involved in proteolysis or co‐proteolysis of presenilin or β‐amyloid. Proteins 2002;47:69–74. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Water in protein cavities: A procedure to identify internal water and exchange pathways and application to fatty acid‐binding protein
Authors: Bakowies Dirk , van Gunsteren Wilfred F. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractA computational approach based on Delaunay triangulation is presented to identify internal water molecules in proteins and to capture pathways of exchange with the bulk. The implemented procedure is computationally efficient and can easily be applied to long molecular dynamics trajectories of protein simulations. In an application to fatty acid‐binding protein in apo‐form and with bound palmitate, several protein orifices known from crystal structures have been confirmed to be major portals of solvent exchange. Differences between the two forms of the protein are observed and discussed. Proteins 2002;47:534–545. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Conformational polymorphism of wild‐type and mutant prion proteins: Energy landscape analysis
Authors: Levy Yaakov , Becker Oren M. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractConformational transitions are thought to be the prime mechanism of prion diseases. In this study, the energy landscapes of a wild‐type prion protein (PrP) and the D178N and E200K mutant proteins were mapped, enabling the characterization of the normal isoforms (PrPC) and partially unfolded isoforms (PrPPU) of the three prion protein analogs. It was found that the three energy landscapes differ in three respects: (i) the relative stability of the PrPC and the PrPPU states, (ii) the transition pathways from PrPC to PrPPU, and (iii) the relative stability of the three helices in the PrPC state. In particular, it was found that although helix 1 (residues 144‐156) is the most stable helix in wild‐type PrP, its stability is dramatically reduced by both mutations. This destabilization is due to changes in the charge distribution that affects the internal salt bridges responsible for the greater stability of this helix in wild‐type PrP. Although both mutations result in similar destabilization of helix 1, they a have different effect on the overall stability of PrPC and of PrPPU isoforms and on structural properties. The destabilization of helix 1 by mutations provides additional evidences to the role of this helix in the pathogenic transition from the PrPC to the pathogenic isoform PrPSC. Proteins 2002;47:458–468. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.