Mission and Challenge of Polymer Science and Technology

Preface (K. Horie and A. Abe). SESSION A: POLYMER CONEPTS IN CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, AND BIOLOGY. 1. Shape Persistence as a Concept in the Design of Macromolecular Architectures (Gerhard Wegner). 2. Dendritic Macromolecules at the Interface of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Jean M. Frechet). 3. On/Off Switching on Polymer Conformation (Kenichi Yoshikawa). 4. The Influence of Hydrogen Bonds on the Globular Structure of HP--copolymers (Yury Kriksin, et al.). 5. Polymer Modeling: Where Has it Been and Where is it Going (David Rigby and B.E. Eichinger). 6. Polymer Concepts in Microscopically--Viewed Phase Transition Behavior of Crystalline Polymers (Kohji Tashiro, et al.). 7. Competing Short--Range and Long--Range Interactions in Block Copolymers: A Role of Connectivity in Polymer Science (T. Hashimoto, et al.). 8. New Developments and Directions in the Area of Elastomers and Rubberlike Elasticity (J.E. Mark). SESSION B. FRONTIERS OF POLYMER SCIENCE. 9. Supramolecular Aspects of Polymer Science: A Challenge for Solid State NMR (Hans Wolfgang Spiess). 10. Watching Macromolecules Diffuse at Surfaces and Under Confinement (Steve Granick, et al.). 11. Surface Mobility in Monodisperse Polystyrene Films (Tisato Kajiyama, et al.). 12. Nanostructures Formed by Combination of Nanotube and Polymer Chain (Kohzo Ito, et al.). 13. Development of Multivalent Macromolecular Ligands for Enhanced Detection of Biological Targets (Kalle Levon and Bin Yu). 14. Optical Absorption and Photoluminescence Properties of the PPV Nanotubes and Nanowires (Kyungkon Kim, et al.). 15. Self--Amplifying Sensory Materials: Energy Migration in Polymer Semiconductors (Kenichi Kuroda and Timothy M. Swager). 16. Macromolecular Helicity Inversion of Poly(phenylacetylene) Derivatives Induced by Various External Stimuli (Katsuhiro Maeda, et al.). 17. Supramolecular Polymers: From Scientific Curiosity to Technological Reality (A.W. Bosman, et al.). SESSION C. ADVANCED AND EMERGING POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES. 18. Status and Dreams of Photonics Polymers for IT (Yasuhiro Koibe, et al.). 19. Polymer--Modification of an Anti--Cancer Drug: Effects on Hydrodynamic Properties (Jung--Sun Sohn, et al.). 20. Quantifying Supercritical Co2 Dilation of Poly(vinylidene fluoride) and Poly(vinylidene fluoride--co--hexafluoropropylene) Utilizing a Linear Variable Differential Transducer: Plasticization and Melting Behavior (Suresh L. Shenoy, et al.). 21. New Biodegradable Polymers for Delivery of Bioactive Agents (Young Min Kwon and Sung Wan Kim). 22. Impact of Microcellular Plastics on Industrial Practice and Academic Research (Nam P. Suh). SESSION D. STATE OF THE ART IN "BIO--POLYMERS". 23. The Processing of Starch as a Thermoplastic (R.F.T. Stepto). 24. Lignin: Its Functions and Successive Flow (Masamitsu Funaoka). 25. The New Science of Protein Mimetics (Murray Goodman, et al.). 26. DNA: Beyond the Double Helix (Nadrian C. Seeman). 27. Novel Biomaterials Derived from Deoxyribozyme and NAPzyme (Yasuhide Okumoto, et al.). SESSION E. POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT: COEXISTENCE AND INTERACTION. 28. Assessing the Economic and Ecological Impact of Plastic Products (Karl--Heinz Feuerherd). 29. Living Polymerization of Cyclic Esters -- a Route to (Bio)degradable Polymers. Influence of Chain Transfer to Polymer Livingness (Stainslaw Penczek, et al.). 30. Bioprocessing -- No Longer a Field of Dreams (Daniel J. Sawyer). 31. Microbial Degradation of Aliphatic Polyesters (Yutaka Tokiwa and Amnat Jarerat). SESSION F. COMMODITY POLYMERS AND THE WORLD ECONOMY. 32. Trends in Industrial Polymer Research (Volker Warzelham and Franz Brandstetter). 33. Efficient and Tailored Polymerization of Olefins and Styrene by Metallocene Catalysts (Walter Kaminsky, et al.). 34. Polyolefin: Changing Supply--Demand Framework and New Technology (Kissho Kitano, et al.). 35. New Methodology for Synthesizing Polyolefinic Graft Block Copolymers and their Morphological Features (Norio Kashiwa, et al.).