bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thermal behavior and crystallization kinetics of random poly(ethylene‐Co‐2,2‐Bis[4‐(ethylenoxy)‐1,4‐phenylene]propane terephthalate) copolyesters
Authors: Vannini M. , Finelli L. , Lotti N. , Colonna M. , Lorenzetti C. , Munari A. 
Published: April 2005

AbstractThe thermal behavior of poly(ethylene‐co‐2,2‐bis[4‐(ethylenoxy)‐1,4‐phenylene]propane terephthalate) (PET/BHEEBT) copolymers was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. A good thermal stability was found for all the samples. The thermal analysis carried out using DSC technique showed that the Tm of the copolymers decreased with increasing BHEEBT unit content, differently from Tg, which on the contrary increased. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction measurements permitted identifying the kind of crystalline structure of PET in all the semicrystalline samples. The multiple endotherms similar to PET were also evidenced in the PET/BHEEBT samples, due to melting and recrystallization processes. By applying the Hoffman–Weeks' method, the Tm° of PET and its copolymers was derived. The isothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed according to Avrami's treatment and values of the exponent n close to 3 were obtained, independently of Tc and composition. Moreover, the introduction of BHEEBT units was found to decrease PET crystallization rate. Lastly, the presence of a crystal‐amorphous interphase was evidenced. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1441–1454, 2005
Interfacial profiles of miscible poly(4‐trimethylsilylstyrene)/polyisoprene bilayer films
Authors: Harada Masashi , Suzuki Takahisa , Ohya Masayuki , Kawaguchi Daisuke , Takano Atsushi , Matsushita Yushu , Torikai Naoya 
Published: April 2005

AbstractCompositional profiles of bilayer films in the direction normal to the interfaces have been investigated by neutron reflectivity measurements and analyzed with mean field theory. The bilayer films were prepared with poly(4‐trimethylsilylstyrene) (PTMSS) and polyisoprene (PI), which constitute a miscible polymer pair and whose blends show phase separation at the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) by heating. Because we can accurately control the degree of polymerization of component polymers and can adjust the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter, χ, with the temperature, T, according to the relationship χ = 0.027–9.5/T, the phase behavior and the interfacial structure of PTMSS and PI are predictable by mean field theory. When the bilayer films of PTMSS and PI were set at 90 °C, which is a temperature below the LCST, diffusion at the interface was observed, and the original interface disappeared in several hours; this supports the idea that the polymer pair is miscible. No clear interfaces were identified below the LCST, whereas broad interfaces, compared with that of the strong segregation pairs, were observed above the LCST. The compositions of each layer are consistent with that of the coexisting phase in the polymer blends, and the interfacial widths agree well with the theoretical prediction considering the effect of capillary waves. In addition, all annealed films have a thin surface layer of PTMSS corresponding to surface segregation induced by the lower surface energy of PTMSS (with respect to that of PI). Thus, the interfacial profiles of PTMSS/PI bilayer films have been totally prospected in the framework of mean field theory. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1486–1494, 2005
Photochemical control of photoluminescence property of photoactive polythiophenes
Authors: Zhao Xiongyan , Niu Yuhuan , Hu Xiao 
Published: April 2005

AbstractAzobenzene‐functionalized polythiophene derivatives, Poly[4‐((4‐(phenyl)azo)phenoxy)alkyl‐3‐thienylacetate] (alkyl=hexyl and octyl) (P6 and P8) and the copolymers of 3‐hexylthiophene and 4‐((4‐(phenyl)azo)phenoxy)alkyl‐3‐thienylacetate (alkyl=hexyl and octyl) (P66 and P86) were synthesized. The composition, structure, and thermal property of these polythiophene derivatives were fully characterized by NMR, FTIR, GPC, MDSC, and XRD. The structural dependence of the photochromic features and thermochromic behaviors were also investigated by means of photoluminescence and UV‐Vis absorption spectroscopy. The results have shown that the azobenzene substitution renders the homopolymer (P6 and P8) some interesting optical properties that can be modulated by UV light irradiation. In these azobenzene‐modified polythiophenes, the intensity of photoluminescent emission associated with the conjugated polythiophene main chain was found to decrease significantly upon UV irradiation. The finding suggests that the photo‐induced trans–cis isomerization of the azobenzene pendant groups has significant effect on photoluminescent emission. However, the effect becomes less prominent for copolymer P66 and P86 due to the lower content of azobenzene chromophore in the side chain of the copolymers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1421–1432, 2005
Characterization of Plasma‐Polymerized Fused Polycyclic Compounds for Binding Conducting Polymers
Authors: Winther‐Jensen Bjørn , Norrman Kion , Kingshott Peter , West Keld 
Published: April 2005

AbstractSummary: An investigation is made of the plasma polymerization of fused polycyclic monomers containing a dioxy‐ring that is fused to an aromatic ring. These molecules provide the basis for very efficient polymerization mechanisms in which only the dioxy‐ring undergoes ring opening during the polymerization with the remaining part of the monomer remaining intact. XPS, ToF‐SIMS, and IR are used to investigate the chemistry of the films produced by plasma polymerization of EDT, which contains a high content of the aromatic group. We find that the plasma‐polymerized films of EDT contain intact thiophene groups with hydrogen in the α position which is able to “co‐polymerize” with thiophene derivatives polymerized by conventional oxidative polymerization, thereby forming a conducting thiophene polymer bonded to the substrate. The durability of the surface modification procedure is demonstrated by micropatterning of PEDT by a lithographic lift‐off technique, where line‐widths down to 1.25 μm are obtained.Microscope picture of a micropattern in poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene); line width 2.5 μm.magnified imageMicroscope picture of a micropattern in poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene); line width 2.5 μm.
An evaluation of distance sampling to estimate badger (Meles meles) abundance
Authors: Hounsome T. D. , Young R. P. , Davison J. , Yarnell R. W. , Trewby I. D. , Garnett B. T. , Delahay R. J. , Wilson G. J. 
Published: April 2005

AbstractDistance sampling is a common and increasingly used method of estimating animal abundance in conservation and management programmes. The precision of a distance sampling survey can be estimated from the field data, but accuracy can only be evaluated by comparison with the true population size. For wild mammal populations, such opportunities are rare. The high‐density badger Meles meles population at Woodchester Park in Gloucestershire, U.K. has been routinely and intensively live‐trapped for the past 30 years. The estimates of abundance based on mark–recapture analyses of the live‐trapping data provided a reliable baseline against which to evaluate distance sampling for a badger population. A distance sampling survey was carried out in autumn 2002 by using spotlighting along line transects. Owing to the impractical nature of spotlighting in closed habitats, such as woodland, surveys were conducted in open habitat only. A radio‐tracking study provided behavioural data that were used to estimate the proportion of the population available for sampling in open habitats. This was incorporated as a multiplier into the DISTANCE analysis. The estimate of abundance from distance sampling was 76 badgers (% CV=42.2), using a multiplier based on radio‐tracking data from autumn only. When the multiplier was derived from radio‐tracking data from across the whole year, based on a larger sample of tracked badgers, the distance sampling abundance estimate was 77 badgers (% CV=25.9). These compared favourably to the mark–recapture estimate of 68 badgers (% C.V=7.4). The lack of precision in the distance sampling density estimate was largely owing to the inclusion of the multiplier. Distance sampling combined with data on habitat use can produce reliable estimates of badger abundance in areas of medium to high density, particularly in landscapes of primarily open habitat.
Auroral Contribution to Sky Brightness for Optical Astronomy on the Antarctic Plateau
Authors: Dempsey J. T. , Storey J. W. V. , Phillips A. 
Published: April 2005

AbstractThe Antarctic Plateau holds great promise for optical astronomy. One relatively unstudied feature of the polar night sky for optical astronomical observing is the potential contamination of observations by aurorae. In this study we analyse auroral measurements at South Pole Station and show that during an average winter season, the auroral contribution to the B band sky brightness is below 21.9 B mag arcsec−2 for 50% of the observing time. In V band, the median sky brightness contribution is 20.8 mag arcsec−2 during an average winter. South Pole Station is situated within the auroral zone and experiences strong and frequent auroral activity. The Antarctic locations of Dome C and Dome A are closer to the geomagnetic pole where auroral activity is greatly reduced compared with that of South Pole Station. Calculations based on satellite measurements of electron flux above the Antarctic Plateau are used to show that at Dome C, the contribution to sky background in the B and V bands is up to 3.1 mag less than that at the South Pole. The use of notch filters to reduce the contribution from the strongest auroral emission lines and bands is also discussed. The scientific potential of an extremely large telescope located at Dome C is discussed, with reference to the effect that auroral emissions would have on particular astronomical observations.
Colonial Legacies
Authors: Pennington Brian K. 
Published: April 2005

Abstract
This final chapter makes the case for the retention of certain received categories and approaches in the study of Hindu traditions in response to the recent critiques of several western scholars who argue that terms such as “Hinduism” and “religion” cannot find meaningful analogues in Indian traditions, and that scholars in the history of religions ought to dispense with them. In some instances, utterly dismissive of religious faith, practice, or identity, this deconstruction of widely accepted categories is not without significant political ramifications, as seen in recent literatures of Christian missionaries and Hindu nationalism. In an atmosphere of global religious upheaval and transformation, this attack on these categories promises only to exacerbate the clash of identities and communities with one another and with the secular academy. Europe, North America, and India are all in need of new models for structuring the relationship of religion and citizenship, a task in which Hindu-Christian dialogue can play an important role. The simultaneous estrangement of religious communities from public life and nationalization of religious identity speak to the tensions inherent in the loyalties demanded by religious faith and citizenship. Some trends in religious studies today seem to offer not solutions to this impasse, but rather encouragement to further talking at cross purposes.
The HDG-machine: a highly distributed graph-reducer for a transputer network
Authors: Kingdon H. , Lester D. R. , Burn G. L. 
Published: April 2005

Abstract
Distributed implementations of programming languages with implicit parallelism hold out the prospect that the parallel programs are immediately scalable. This paper presents some of the results of our part of Esprit 415, in which we considered the implementation of lazy functional programming languages on distributed architectures.
A compiler and abstract machine were designed to achieve this goal. The abstract parallel machine was formally specified, using Miranda. Each instruction of the abstract machine was then implemented as a macro in the Transputer Assembler. Although macro expansion of the code results in non-optimal code generation, use of the Miranda specification makes it possible to validate the compiler before the Transputer code is generated.
The hardware currently available consists of five T800-25s, each board having 16 Mbytes of memory. Benchmark timings using this hardware are given. In spite of the straightforward code-generation, the resulting system compares favourably with more sophisticated sequential implementations, such as that of LML.
Malabsorption of Carbohydrates and Depression in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Varea Vicente , de Carpi Javier Martín , Puig Conchita , Alda José Angel , Camacho Eva , Ormazabal Aida , Artuch Rafael , Gómez Lilianne 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACTBackground:Previous studies have shown an association between sugar malabsorption and depressive symptoms in adult women. Incompletely absorbed sugars may form nonabsorbable complexes with tryptophan, an amino acid precursor of serotonin, decreasing its availability. As serotonin is the most important neurotransmitter involved in depressive disorders, its depletion could lead to the onset of depression.Methods:The authors' aim was to study the possible association between malabsorption of sugars (lactose and fructose) and depressive symptoms in adolescent patients of Spanish origin. The authors studied two groups of patients. Group G included 14 patients previously diagnosed with sugar intolerance. In these, the authors assessed depressive symptoms. Group P consisted of seven patients suffering from major depression. In these, the authors performed functional sugar absorption tests. The authors studied the metabolic pathway of tryptophan in both groups.Results:In the group with sugar malabsorption, there was a 28.5% prevalence of depressive symptoms that was higher than expected in our population. In the group with depression, the authors found a higher than expected prevalence of sugar intolerance (71.42% versus 15% in controls).Conclusions:The unexpected prevalences obtained for the groups studied suggest that there may be an association between sugar intolerance and depressive symptoms during adolescence.
Cognitive Preference Reversal or Market Price Reversal?
Authors: Chai Xiaoyong 
Published: April 2005

SummaryPreference Reversal Phenomenon (PRP) has been most often scrutinized as a puzzle of ‘preferences’, while the discovery of the ‘endowment effect’ explicitly questions the parity between preference and price. The author's experiment (N = 186) connects these two extraordinary findings and illustrates that PRP is only a reversal of price in a ‘market.’ PRP merely proves that subjects demand to be compensated based on loss under market access deprivation when a ‘maximum buying’/‘minimum selling’ price is elicited, and preference transitivity is restored once the misleading market manipulation is experimentally controlled.By defending preference transitivity, the author asserts that normal access to the bargaining process is indispensable for a competitive market where preference price parity is required.To make valid measurements of preference and price, the sealed envelope method is substituted for the judged‐indifferent‐point (JIP) method, and the binding statement method is substituted for the Becker‐DeGroot‐Marschack method. McNemar test scores are calculated to compare the effects of different methods.
Viability, Economic Transition and Reflection on Neoclassical Economics*
Authors: Lin Justin Yifu 
Published: April 2005

SummaryMany transition policies, based on the existing neoclassical economic theories, failed in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and China. This paper argues that the failure is due to the implicit viability assumption of neoclassical economics. The existing neoclassical economics implicitly assumes that a firm is expected to earn a socially acceptable profit in an open, competitive market as long as the firm has normal management. However, many firms in socialist as well as transitional economies are not viable, that is, they will not be able to earn a socially acceptable profit in an open, competitive market even if they are under normal management because they are in sectors that are inconsistent with their economies' comparative advantages. Under the viability assumption, neoclassical‐based reform policies focus on issues related to property rights, corporate governance, government interventions and other issues that may obstruct a firm's normal management. However, many of these issues are in fact endogenous to the firms' viability problem. Therefore, without resolving the firms' viability problem, such reforms fail to achieve their intended goals. Not only in socialist and transition economies but also in many developing economies there exist many nonviable firms. This paper suggests that the viability assumption in neoclassical economics should be relaxed when analyzing socialist, transition and developing economies.
Foreign Direct Investment and Regional Economic Performance
Authors: Mullen John K. , Williams Martin 
Published: April 2005

SummaryAlthough foreign direct investment into developed economies continues to show dramatic growth, little consensus exists over either its national or regional impacts. The lack of empirical evidence, particularly on a sub‐national level, adds to the uncertainty over the efficacy of regional development strategies focused on attracting foreign investment. The present research uses book value and employment measures of U.S. state‐level FDI activity to assess the impact of foreign capital on regional growth and productivity performance. The results imply a vital role for FDI in stimulating regions within well‐integrated, developed economies.
Vitamin D and calcium deficits predispose for multiple chronic diseases
Authors: Peterlik M. , Cross H. S. 
Published: April 2005

AbstractThere is evidence from both observational studies and clinical trials that calcium malnutrition and hypovitaminosis D are predisposing conditions for various common chronic diseases. In addition to skeletal disorders, calcium and vitamin D deficits increase the risk of malignancies, particularly of colon, breast and prostate gland, of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (e.g. insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis), as well as of metabolic disorders (metabolic syndrome, hypertension). The aim of the present review was to provide improved understanding of the molecular and cellular processes by which deficits in calcium and vitamin D cause specific changes in cell and organ functions and thereby increase the risk for chronic diseases of different aetiology. 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 and extracellular Ca++ are both key regulators of proliferation, differentiation and function at the cellular level. However, the efficiency of vitamin D receptor‐mediated intracellular signalling is limited by the negative effects of hypovitaminosis D on extrarenal 25‐hydroxyvitamin D‐1α‐hydroxylase activity and thus on the production of 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3. Calcium malnutrition eventually causes a decrease in calcium concentration in extracellular fluid compartments, resulting in organ‐specific modulation of calcium‐sensing receptor activity. Hence, attenuation of signal transduction from the ligand‐activated vitamin D receptor and calcium‐sensing receptor seems to be the prime mechanism by which calcium and vitamin D insufficiencies cause perturbation of cellular functions in bone, kidney, intestine, mammary and prostate glands, endocrine pancreas, vascular endothelium, and, importantly, in the immune system. The wide range of diseases associated with deficits in calcium and vitamin D in combination with the high prevalence of these conditions represents a special challenge for preventive medicine.
Factors predicting the development of metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes against a background of hypertension
Authors: Lim H. S. , Lip G. Y. H. , Beevers D. G. , Blann A. D. 
Published: April 2005

AbstractBackground  The metabolic syndrome (MetS), predicting coronary heart disease (CHD), is a compound of risk factors including diabetes, obesity and hypertension. The relationship between the development of MetS, diabetes and CHD in patients with established hypertension is unclear. We hypothesized that patients with hypertension developing MetS are at increased risk of type II diabetes and CHD compared with patients who do not develop MetS.Materials and methods  We prospectively studied 284 patients (100 with existing/established MetS) with hypertension but without diabetes and CHD over 4 years. MetS and diabetes were diagnosed by the modified NCEP and ADA criteria, and CHD risk by the Framingham risk equation; all patients had annual fasting blood sampling.Results  Over 4 years of follow up, 75 of the 184 patients (41%) initially free of MetS at baseline subsequently fulfilled the criteria for MetS. These patients (i.e. ‘developing MetS’) had higher baseline BMI, triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol, with a higher calculated CHD risk (all P ≤ 0·001) than those who did not develop MetS. The 4‐year odds ratios of developing diabetes in the patients with established MetS (23%) and the patients developing MetS (13·3%) vs. the patients not developing MetS (3·7%, P < 0·001) were 7·8 (95% CI: 2·6–23·5) and 4·0 (95% CI: 1·2–13·4), respectively.Conclusions  Patients with hypertension developing MetS have an increased CHD risk and risk of developing type II diabetes even before fulfilling the criteria for MetS, and the former is comparable to patients with established MetS. These data suggest a high‐risk phase not adequately identified by current diagnostic thresholds for MetS.
An application of canonical correspondence analysis for developing ecological quality assessment metrics for river macrophytes
Authors: DODKINS IAN , RIPPEY BRIAN , HALE PETER 
Published: April 2005

Summary1. Aquatic macrophyte composition and abundance is required by the European Union's Water Framework Directive for determining ecological status. Five metrics were produced that can be combined to determine the deviation of aquatic macrophytes from reference conditions in Northern Ireland's rivers.2. Species optima and niche breadths along silt, nitrate, pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen gradients were generated from aquatic macrophyte and water quality surveys conducted at 273 sites throughout Northern Ireland using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Five metric scores based on these environmental gradients were determined at new monitoring sites using the mean optima of the species occurring at the site, weighted by percentage cover and niche breadth of each species.3. A preliminary reference network of 32 sites of high physico‐chemical and hydromorphological quality, and representative of the range of river types in Northern Ireland, enabled reference metric scores to be produced for each river type. Five unimpacted and twenty impacted sites were used for testing the performance of the metrics. By subtracting reference metric scores from metric scores at a monitoring site measures of ecological impact could be determined along five different impact gradients. Metrics were also combined to give a measure of total ecological change.4. The metrics system distinguished unimpacted from impacted sites and correctly identified 77% of the known impacts. The metrics distinguished different types of impact, e.g. silt and nitrate.5. Aquatic macrophyte occurrence and abundance has high natural variability at a site, both temporally and spatially. This method was designed to be sensitive to ecological change whilst reducing noise caused by natural variation.