bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plant‐available soil phosphorus. Part I: the response of winter wheat and spring barley to Olsen P on a silty clay loam
Authors: Poulton P. R. , Johnston A. E. , White R. P.
Published: September 2012

Increasing fertilizer costs have prompted farmers to ask whether soils could be maintained at lower levels of plant‐available phosphorus (Olsen P) than currently recommended without losing yield. To help answer this question, we assessed the response to Olsen P by spring barley grown from 1986 to 1991, followed by winter wheat from 1992 to 2008, on a silty clay loam soil. Each year the curve relating grain yield to Olsen P was fitted statistically to determine the asymptotic yield and the Olsen P associated with 98% of that yield, that is, the critical level of Olsen P. The variance accounted for by the relationship ranged between 83 and 97% in all but two years, suggesting that the availability of soil P was the major soil factor affecting yield and that Olsen P was a reliable measure of plant‐available P in soil. Asymptotic annual yield of spring barley ranged from 2.34 to 7.12 t/ha and of winter wheat from 3.87 to 10.36 t/ha. In part, this range in yields was because of changes in the cultivar grown while the range of yields for any one cultivar was probably due to differences in weather, principally rainfall, between years. Critical Olsen P ranged from 7 to 18 mg/kg for both cereal crops (with one outlier at 26 mg/kg for winter wheat) most probably due to seedbed and soil structure conditions affecting root growth, and thus acquisition of available soil P, and the way these soil factors were affected by weather. Thus, a general recommendation for cereals grown on this silty clay loam, which is comparatively easy to cultivate, would be to maintain Olsen P at about 20 mg/kg in the plough layer to minimize the risk of losing yield in some years. This value, 20 mg/kg, equivalent to 20 mg/L, is the midpoint of P Index 2, the recommended P Index given in the Fertiliser Manual (RB209) (Defra 2010) for soils growing arable crops and grass in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
How preferences, information and institutions interactively drive agenda‐setting: Questions in theBelgian parliament, 1993–2000
Authors: Vliegenthart Rens , Walgrave Stefaan , Zicha Brandon
Published: September 2012

In this article an integrated framework of agenda‐setting is proposed that incorporates the two main accounts of agenda‐setting: the information‐processing approach byComparativeAgendaProject scholars and the preference‐centred account advanced byComparativeManifestoesProject scholars. The study claims that attention allocation is determined at the same time by preferences, information and institutions, and that attention allocation is affected by the interactions between these three factors. An empirical test is conducted that draws upon a dataset of parliamentary questions/interpellations in Belgium in the period 1993–2000. It is found that attention in parliament is indeed driven by preceding party manifestos (preferences), by available information (media coverage) and by institutional position (government or opposition party). The evidence establishes that agenda‐setting is also affected by the interactions between preferences, information and institutions. Actors, given their preferences, treat information in a biased fashion, and institutions moderate information's role.
Defending the organisation, not the members: Unions and the reform of job security legislation inWesternEurope
Authors: Davidsson Johan Bo , Emmenegger Patrick
Published: September 2012

European labour markets are often described as rigid with comparatively high levels of job protection that do not allow for the flexible adjustment of employment to economic fluctuations. This interpretation overlooks important sources of flexibility, however. Research has shown that recent labour market policy reforms have allowed for the creation of two‐tier labour markets consisting of insiders in standard employment relationships and outsiders in non‐standard employment. This outcome has typically been explained by pointing to the representational interests of unions or social‐democratic parties. It has been argued that rather than protecting all labour market participants, unions and social‐democratic parties focus on the interests of their members and their core constituency, respectively, most of whom are in standard employment relationships. In contrast, it is argued here that unions' institutional power resources are the crucial variable explaining this outcome. In difficult economic times, when unions are asked to make concessions, they will assent to labour market reforms, but only to those that do not fundamentally threaten to undermine their organisational interests. In the context of job security legislation, this means that unions defend the protection of permanent contracts while they compromise on the regulation of temporary employment. This ‘second best solution’ allows them to protect their organisational interests, both by retaining their institutional role in the administration of dismissals and by living up to their institutional role as one of the organisations responsible for the direction of labour market policy reform. UsingfsQCAthis article shows that unions' institutional power resources are more apt to explain the observed two‐tier reform pattern than the unions' or the social‐democratic parties' representational interests.
Cutaneous and Disseminated Blastomycosis: A Pediatric Case Series
Authors: Brick Katherine E. , Drolet Beth A. , Lyon Valerie B. , Galbraith Sheila S.
Published: September 2012

Abstract:  Blastomycosis is a rare fungal infection that most often initially infects the lungs and can progress to disseminated involvement of the skin, bones, and central nervous system (CNS). Pediatric blastomycosis constitutes a small portion of total cases, but delay in diagnosis may result in significant morbidity. Seventeen pediatric cases of blastomycosis were identified at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin from 1999 to 2009 through retrospective chart review; 53% had evidence of dissemination (bone, skin, or CNS) confirmed by culture. Six cases presented with cutaneous lesions, and five of these were found to have other systemic involvement. These five nonimmunosuppressed cases of primary pulmonary disease with cutaneous involvement plus dissemination to bone or the CNS are reported in detail. The diagnosis of blastomycosis in children is often delayed, and dissemination by the time of diagnosis may be more common than in adults. Cutaneous dissemination may occur in immunocompetent children, may indicate underlying systemic involvement, and can be more readily identified than symptoms of bony or neurologic involvement. These reported cases indicate the importance of dermatologists recognizing and investigating all potentially involved organ systems when a patient presents with characteristic skin lesions with or without a history of respiratory illness.
Does Seeding a Locally Adapted Native Mixture Inhibit Ingress by Exotic Plants?
Authors: Falk Anthony D. , Fulbright Timothy E. , Smith Forrest S. , Brennan Leonard A. , Ortega‐Santos Alfonso J. , Benn Stephen
Published: September 2012

Non‐native plant species often colonize retired agricultural lands, creating monocultures with low species diversity that provide poor wildlife habitat. We assessed whether sowing a mix of 29 locally adapted native species reduced invasion of non‐native plant species compared to allowing vegetation to colonize naturally following tillage. There was a sampling date × treatment interaction for canopy cover of perennial exotic plant species. Plots that were not sown to natives had two to six times greater canopy cover of exotic species than did plots with both preparation (woody vegetation removed, plowed, and disked) and control (no preparation or sowing) plots. Canopy cover of exotic plants was similar in prepared‐only and control treatments from October 2008 to June 2010, ranging from 8 to 40%. Percent absolute canopy cover of native vegetation was 10–20 times greater on prepared and planted plots than on prepared‐only plots during March 2009 to June 2010. Sowing a mix of locally adapted native species may inhibit encroachment by non‐native species for up to two years after sowing on retired agricultural land in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Article Commentary: Strategic Decisions within Family Firms: Understanding the Controlling Family's Receptivity to Internationalization
Authors: Holt Daniel T.
Published: September 2012

Arregle, Naldi, Nordqvist, and Hitt found that external owner and board member involvement within family firms influence the scale and scope of these firms’ internationalization. This commentary further explicates how and under what conditions the family might be receptive to these types of strategic initiatives when they are presented by external owners. In essence, the controlling family's receptivity to internationalization would be influenced by how successfully external owners use persuasion techniques and how these techniques, given the firm's social context, might be viewed. The resulting receptivity would be balanced against the scripts and images that have emerged based on the family's values, goals, and aspirations.
Retracted: The Impact of Family Involvement on Dynamic Innovation Capabilities: Evidence from German Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Lichtenthaler Ulrich , Muethel Miriam
Published: September 2012

Drawing on the capability–based view, we provide new theoretical arguments related to innovation capabilities rather than realized innovation output in firms with family involvement. We focus on technology–based product innovation capabilities and use data from a sample of 119 German manufacturing firms to show that family involvement is positively related to dynamic innovation capabilities. Specifically, the degree of family involvement, which describes the owner family's ability to influence firm behavior, is positively related to sensing innovation opportunities and to transforming a firm's innovation processes, while it is insignificantly related to seizing innovation opportunities. The findings suggest that dynamic innovation capabilities are an important characteristic that differs between firms with varying levels of family involvement.
Robust Gaussian Graphical Modeling Vial1Penalization
Authors: Sun Hokeun , Li Hongzhe
Published: September 2012

SummaryGaussian graphical models have been widely used as an effective method for studying the conditional independency structure among genes and for constructing genetic networks. However, gene expression data typically have heavier tails or more outlying observations than the standard Gaussian distribution. Such outliers in gene expression data can lead to wrong inference on the dependency structure among the genes. We propose al1penalized estimation procedure for the sparse Gaussian graphical models that is robustified against possible outliers. The likelihood function is weighted according to how the observation is deviated, where the deviation of the observation is measured based on its own likelihood. An efficient computational algorithm based on the coordinate gradient descent method is developed to obtain the minimizer of the negative penalized robustified‐likelihood, where nonzero elements of the concentration matrix represents the graphical links among the genes. After the graphical structure is obtained, we re‐estimate the positive definite concentration matrix using an iterative proportional fitting algorithm. Through simulations, we demonstrate that the proposed robust method performs much better than the graphical Lasso for the Gaussian graphical models in terms of both graph structure selection and estimation when outliers are present. We apply the robust estimation procedure to an analysis of yeast gene expression data and show that the resulting graph has better biological interpretation than that obtained from the graphical Lasso.
The Revised Classification of Eukaryotes
Authors: Adl Sina M. , Simpson Alastair G. B. , Lane Christopher E. , Lukeš Julius , Bass David , Bowser Samuel S. , Brown Matthew W. , Burki Fabien , Dunthorn Micah , Hampl Vladimir , Heiss Aaron , Hoppenrath Mona , Lara Enrique , le Gall Line , Lynn Denis H. , McManus Hilary , Mitchell Edward A. D. , Mozley‐Stanridge Sharon E. , Parfrey Laura W. , Pawlowski Jan , Rueckert Sonja , Shadwick Laura , Schoch Conrad L. , Smirnov Alexey , Spiegel Frederick W.
Published: September 2012

This revision of the classification of eukaryotes, which updates that of Adl et al. [J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 52 (2005) 399], retains an emphasis on the protists and incorporates changes since 2005 that have resolved nodes and branches in phylogenetic trees. Whereas the previous revision was successful in re‐introducing name stability to the classification, this revision provides a classification for lineages that were then still unresolved. The supergroups have withstood phylogenetic hypothesis testing with some modifications, but despite some progress, problematic nodes at the base of the eukaryotic tree still remain to be statistically resolved. Looking forward, subsequent transformations to our understanding of the diversity of life will be from the discovery of novel lineages in previously under‐sampled areas and from environmental genomic information.
Creating effective scholarly posters: A guide for DNP students
Authors: Christenbery Thomas L. , Latham Tiffany G.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Dissemination of scholarly project outcomes is an essential component of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) education. This article provides guidelines for professional poster development and presentation as well as suggestions for integrating poster development as part of the DNP curriculum.

Data sources

This article was prepared by reviewing both theoretical and research‐based literature regarding professional poster development.

Conclusions

Evidence indicates that poster presentations at professional conferences are an excellent venue for DNP students to successfully share the results of their scholarly projects. For posters to be both well perceived and received at conferences, certain guidelines must be followed regarding poster development. Guidelines include emphasizing a consistent message, clear focus, logical format, and esthetically pleasing design. Poster development guidelines and strategies need to be taught early and regularly throughout the DNP student's education.

Implications for practice

DNP scholarly projects provide forward‐looking solutions to some of society's most formidable healthcare challenges. The dissemination of knowledge gleaned from the DNP scholarly projects is vital to 21st century global health. Effective poster presentations are critical to the dissemination of scholarly knowledge.
Dental caries in a cohort of very young American Indian children
Authors: Warren John J. , Kramer Katherine W. O. , Phipps Kathy , Starr Delores , Dawson Deborah V. , Marshall Teresa , Drake David
Published: September 2012

Objectives: This paper reports the prevalence and severity of caries in a group of 16‐month‐old American Indian children.

Methods: The study is an ongoing longitudinal study of risk factors for caries in children from a Northern Plains Tribal community. Children were examined for caries and risk factor data collected at approximately 1, 4, 8, 12, and 16 months of age. Surface‐specific caries data were collected and the presence of precavitated “white spot” lesions was recorded at the subject level.

Results: The mean age was 15.4 months for the sample of 232 children. Caries prevalence was 31.9 percent, while an additional 29.3 percent had white spot lesions only. Mean dmfs was 1.57, and ranged from 0 to 44 surfaces. Nearly 3 percent of all erupted tooth surfaces were affected and maxillary central incisors had the highest prevalence of caries (22 percent).

Conclusions: Among the very youngest children, dental caries prevalence was very high among these American Indian children.
The humble Bayesian: Model checking from a fully Bayesian perspective
Authors: Morey Richard D. , Romeijn Jan‐Willem , Rouder Jeffrey N.
Published: September 2012

Gelman and Shalizi (2012) criticize what they call the ‘usual story’ in Bayesian statistics: that the distribution over hypotheses or models is the sole means of statistical inference, thus excluding model checking and revision, and that inference is inductivist rather than deductivist. They present an alternative hypothetico‐deductive approach to remedy both shortcomings. We agree with Gelman and Shalizi's criticism of the usual story, but disagree on whether Bayesian confirmation theory should be abandoned. We advocate a humble Bayesian approach, in which Bayesian confirmation theory is the central inferential method. A humble Bayesian checks her models and critically assesses whether the Bayesian statistical inferences can reasonably be called upon to support real‐world inferences.
Safety leadership: A meta‐analytic review of transformational and transactional leadership styles as antecedents of safety behaviours
Authors: Clarke Sharon
Published: September 2012

A theoretical model of safety leadership, which incorporated both transformational and active transactional leadership styles, was tested using meta‐analytic path analysis. The final model showed that transformational leadership had a positive association with both perceived safety climate and safety participation, with perceived safety climate partially mediating the effect of leadership on safety participation. Active transactional leadership had a positive association with perceived safety climate, safety participation and safety compliance. The effect of leadership on safety compliance was partially mediated by perceived safety climate and the effect on safety participation fully mediated by perceived safety climate. The findings suggest that active transactional leadership is important in ensuring compliance with rules and regulations, whereas transformational leadership is primarily associated with encouraging employee participation in safety. Therefore, in line with the augmentation hypothesis of leadership, a combination of both transformational and transactional styles appeared to be most beneficial for safety. Avenues for further research and practical implications in terms of leadership training and development are discussed.

Practitioner Points

Developed and tested a model of safety leadership, which shows that both transformational and active transactional leadership styles are important aspects of effective safety leadership.

Study has implications for practitioners who are involved with the design of leadership training and development programmes, as such programmes should be tailored to focus on a range of leader behaviours that encompass active transactional as well as transformational style.

Findings suggest that leadership styles have a differential effect on safety compliance and safety participation – thus, training and development programmes should make specific links between leader behaviours and their subsequent influence on employee behaviour.
A systematic review on the effects of local antimicrobials as adjuncts to subgingival debridement, compared with subgingival debridement alone, in the treatment of chronic periodontitis
Authors: Matesanz‐Pérez Paula , García‐Gargallo María , Figuero Elena , Bascones‐Martínez Antonio , Sanz Mariano , Herrera David
Published: September 2012

Aims

To update the existing scientific evidence on the efficacy of local antimicrobials as adjuncts to subgingival debridement in the treatment of chronic periodontitis.

Material and Methods

Fifty‐six papers were selected, reporting data from 52 different investigations. All the studies reported changes in probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) and most in plaque index (PlI) and/or bleeding on probing (BOP). Meta‐analyses were performed with the data retrieved from the studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria.

Results

The overall effect of the subgingival application of antimicrobials was statistically significant (p = 0.000) for both changes in PPD and CAL with a weighted mean difference (WMD) of −0.407 and −0.310 mm respectively. No significant differences occurred for changes in BOP and PlI. Subgingival application of tetracycline fibres, sustained released doxycycline and minocycline demonstrated a significant benefit in PPD reduction (WMD between 0.5 and 0.7 mm). The rest of the tested outcomes demonstrated a high heterogeneity. The local application of chlorhexidine and metronidazole showed a minimal effect when compared with placebo (WMD between 0.1 and 0.4 mm).

Conclusions

The scientific evidence supports the adjunctive use of local antimicrobials to debridement in deep or recurrent periodontal sites, mostly when using vehicles with proven sustained release of the antimicrobial.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Orthologues of NPR1 Gene from Poplar
Authors: Shao Yuanhua , Zhang Hongmei , He Hongsheng , Cheng Beijiu , Xiang Yan
Published: September 2012

The non‐expresser of pathogenesis‐related gene 1 (NPR1) is a significant regulator of systemic acquired resistance in plants. In this study, two homologous poplar genes, PtNPR1.1 (accession number JQ231218), PtNPR1.2 (accession number JF732893), were identified by bioinformatic analysis and cloned from Populus deltoids cv. Nanlin 95. A phylogenetic tree was generated from alignments of PtNPR1 protein sequences and NPR1‐like genes in other plants. Multiple protein alignments were also constructed to analyse the distribution of crucial domains and highly conserved functional amino acids. Cis‐element analysis revealed that the PtNPR1 promoters contain RAV1AAT and W‐boxes motifs, both of which are known to be functional cis‐elements of the RAV1 and WRKY proteins, respectively. The PtNPR1.1‐GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) fusion protein was expressed in Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts, where it localized to the cytoplasm. Analysis of transcription levels by RT‐PCR revealed expression patterns of PtNPR1.1 and PtNPR1.2 in different tissues and following SA and MeJA treatment in different time courses. The results indicated that PtNPR1.1 and PtNPR1.2 represent promising candidates for engineering resistance to broad‐spectrum pathogens in poplar.
An Algorithm for Determining Volume Fractions in Two-Phase Liquid Flows by Measuring Sound Speed
Authors: Chaudhuri Anirban , Osterhoudt Curtis F. , Sinha Dipen N.
Published: September 2012

This paper presents a method of determining the volume fractions of two liquid components in a two-phase flow by measuring the speed of sound through the composite fluid and the instantaneous temperature. Two separate algorithms are developed, based on earlier modeling work by Urick (Urick, 1947, “A Sound Velocity Method for Determining the Compressibility of Finely Divided Substances,” J. Appl. Phys., 18(11), pp. 983–987) and Kuster and Toksöz (Kuster and Toksöz, 1974, “Velocity and Attenuation of Seismic Waves in Two-Phase Media: Part 1. Theoretical Formulations,” Geophysics, 39(5), pp. 587–606). The main difference between these two models is the representation of the composite density as a function of the individual densities; the former uses a linear rule-of-mixtures approach, while the latter uses a nonlinear fractional formulation. Both approaches lead to a quadratic equation, the root of which yields the volume fraction (φ) of one component, subject to the condition 0≤φ≤1. We present results of a study with mixtures of crude oil and process water, and a comparison of our results with a Coriolis meter. The liquid densities and sound speeds are calibrated at various temperatures for each fluid component, and the coefficients are used in the final algorithm. Numerical studies of sensitivity of the calculated volume fraction to temperature changes are also presented.
A Two-Way Coupled Polydispersed Two-Fluid Model for the Simulation of Air Entrainment Beneath a Plunging Liquid Jet
Authors: Ma Jingsen , Oberai Assad A. , Drew Donald A. , Lahey Richard T.
Published: September 2012

Plunging liquid jets are commonly encountered in nature and are widely used in industrial applications (e.g., in waterfalls, waste-water treatment, the oxygenation of chemical liquids, etc.). Despite numerous experimental studies that have been devoted to this interesting problem, there have been very few two-phase flow simulations. The main difficulty is the lack of a quantitative subgrid model for the air entrainment process, which plays a critical role in this problem. In this paper, we present in detail a computational multiphase fluid dynamics (CMFD)-based approach for analyzing this problem. The main ingredients of this approach are a comprehensive subgrid air entrainment model that predicts both the rate and location of the air entrainment and a two-fluid transport model, in which bubbles of different sizes are modeled as a continuum fluid. Using this approach, a Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RaNS) two-way coupled two-phase flow simulation of a plunging liquid jet with a diameter of 24 mm and a liquid jet velocity around 3.5 m/s was performed. We have analyzed the simulated void fraction and bubble count rate profiles at three different depths beneath the average free surface and compared them with experimental data in literature. We observed good agreement with data at all locations. In addition, some interesting phenomena on the different movements of bubbles with different sizes were observed and discussed.
Uncertain Technology Evolution and Decision Making in Design
Authors: Arendt Jonathan L. , McAdams Daniel A. , Malak Richard J.
Published: September 2012

The potential for engineering technology to evolve over time can be a critical consideration in design decisions that involve long-term commitments. Investments in manufacturing equipment, contractual relationships, and other factors can make it difficult for engineering firms to backtrack once they have chosen one technology over others. Although engineering technologies tend to improve in performance over time, competing technologies can evolve at different rates and details about how a technology might evolve are generally uncertain. In this article we present a general framework for modeling and making decisions about evolving technologies under uncertainty. In this research, the evolution of technology performance is modeled as an S-curve; the performance evolves slowly at first, quickly during heavy research and development effort, and slowly again as the performance approaches its limits. We extend the existing single-attribute S-curve model to the case of technologies with multiple performance attributes. By combining an S-curve evolutionary model for each attribute with a Pareto frontier representation of the optimal implementations of a technology at a particular point in time, we can project how the Pareto frontier will move over time as a technology evolves. Designer uncertainty about the precise shape of the S-curve model is considered through a Monte Carlo simulation of the evolutionary process. To demonstrate how designers can apply the framework, we consider the scenario of a green power generation company deciding between competing wind turbine technologies. Wind turbines, like many other technologies, are currently evolving as research and development efforts improve performance. The engineering example demonstrates how the multi-attribute technology evolution modeling technique provides designers with greater insight into critical uncertainties present in long-term decision problems.
Scientific Thinking in Young Children: Theoretical Advances, Empirical Research, and Policy Implications
Authors: Gopnik Alison
Published: September 2012

Kindergarten Scientists

Becoming a scientist takes many years of training … or so it seems. It requires learning how to acquire data, to incorporate it into hypotheses, and then to test those hypotheses against newly acquired data; it requires learning how to think critically and to apply statistical analysis.
Gopnik
(p.
1623
) reviews recent cognitive development findings that demonstrate how preschoolers act as young scientists in refining their intuitive representations of the world as they explore reality.
Comment on “The Geometric Structure of the Brain Fiber Pathways”
Authors: Catani Marco , Bodi Istvan , Dell’Acqua Flavio
Published: September 2012

Wedeen
et al
. (Reports, 30 March 2012, p. 1628) proposed a geometrical grid pattern in the brain that could help the understanding of the brain’s organization and connectivity. We show that whole-brain fiber crossing quantification does not support their theory. Our results suggest that the grid pattern is most likely an artifact attributable to the limitations of their method.
Gold-Catalyzed Direct Arylation
Authors: Ball Liam T. , Lloyd-Jones Guy C. , Russell Christopher A.
Published: September 2012

Gently Coupled

Linked aryl rings are found in a broad range of commercial chemical products. Currently, the most versatile synthetic route to this motif involves cross-coupling of one ring with a halide substituent to another ring with a boron or metal-based substituent. Recent research has focused on eliminating the need for one or both of these activating substituents, but for the most part, the emerging methods have required high temperatures and high concentrations of one coupling partner.

Ball
et al.

(p.
1644
) now present a gold catalyst that can couple silyl-activated arenes to unactivated arenes in comparable concentrations at room temperature.
Immune Surveillance from Chromosomal Chaos?
Authors: Zanetti Maurizio , Mahadevan Navin R.
Published: September 2012

Cancer cells are eliminated by a mechanism that alerts the immune system to abnormal chromosome number.
Roots of Empire
Authors: Hvistendahl Mara
Published: September 2012

A climate history project in Mongolia is charting the unexpected conditions that may have propelled the rise of Genghis Khan.
Assessing community health workers’ performance motivation: a mixed-methods approach on India's Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) programme
Authors: Gopalan Saji Saraswathy , Mohanty Satyanarayan , Das Ashis
Published: September 2012

Objective

This study examined the performance motivation of community health workers (CHWs) and its determinants on India's Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) programme.

Design

Cross-sectional study employing mixed-methods approach involved survey and focus group discussions.

Setting

The state of Orissa.

Participants

386 CHWs representing 10% of the total CHWs in the chosen districts and from settings selected through a multi-stage stratified sampling.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The level of performance motivation among the CHWs, its determinants and their current status as per the perceptions of the CHWs.

Results

The level of performance motivation was the highest for theindividualand thecommunity levelfactors (mean score 5.94–4.06), while thehealth systemfactors scored the least (2.70–3.279).Those ASHAs who felt having more community and system-level recognition also had higherlevels of earningas CHWs (p=0.040, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.12), asense of social responsibility(p=0.0005, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.25) and a feeling ofself-efficacy(p=0.000, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.54) on their responsibilities. There was no association established between their level of dissatisfaction on the incentives (p=0.385) and the extent of motivation. The inadequate healthcare delivery status and certain working modalities reduced their motivation. Gender mainstreaming in the community health approach, especially on the demand-side and community participation were the positive externalities of the CHW programme.

Conclusions

The CHW programme could motivate and empower local lay women on community health largely. The desire to gain social recognition, a sense of social responsibility and self-efficacy motivated them to perform. The healthcare delivery system improvements might further motivate and enable them to gain the community trust. The CHW management needs amendments to ensure adequate supportive supervision, skill and knowledge enhancement and enabling working modalities.
NNLO LONGITUDINAL PROTON STRUCTURE FUNCTION, BASED ON THE MODIFIED χQM
Authors: NEMATOLLAHI H. , YAZDANPANAH M. M. , MIRJALILI A.
Published: September 2012

We compute the longitudinal structure function of the proton (FL) at the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) approximation. For this purpose, we should know the flavor-singlet, non-singlet and gluon distribution functions of the proton. We use the chiral quark model (χQM) to determine these distributions. Finally, we compare the results of FL with the recent ZEUZ and H1 experimental data and some fitting parametrizations. Our results are in good agreement with the data and the related fittings.
WHITE NOISE ANALYSIS: SOME APPLICATIONS IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS, BIOPHYSICS AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
Authors: BERNIDO CHRISTOPHER C. , CARPIO-BERNIDO M. VICTORIA
Published: September 2012

The white noise calculus originated by T. Hida is presented as a powerful tool in investigating physical and social systems. Combined with Feynman's sum-over-all histories approach, we parameterize paths with memory of the past, and evaluate the corresponding probability density function. We discuss applications of this approach to problems in complex systems and biophysics. Examples in quantum mechanics with boundaries are also given where Markovian paths are considered.
SQUARE-WELL POTENTIAL WITH TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT WIDTH OF THE ATTRACTIVE WELL: CALCULATION OF CRITICAL POINTS
Authors: KHORDAD R. , MIRHOSSEINI B.
Published: September 2012

In the present work, a perturbed virial expansion is applied to calculate fluid critical points. The paper contains two main parts. In the first part, we study the effect of a reference fluid on critical properties. In the second part, we use the square-well potential model and consider a temperature-dependent width of the attractive well to obtain the critical properties of several real fluids. It is found that: (i) The critical temperatures and pressures obtained using a temperature-dependent width of the attractive well have been improved with respect to experimental data except for some fluids. (ii) The best values for critical temperatures and pressures can be obtained using a temperature-dependent width of the attractive well as well as choosing a suitable reference fluid. (iii) Applying a temperature-dependent width of the attractive well is a simple method for obtaining better results.
A NOVEL CHAOTIC IMAGE ENCRYPTION SCHEME BASED ON MAGIC CUBE PERMUTATION AND DYNAMIC LOOK-UP TABLE
Authors: WANG XINGYUAN , YANG LEI
Published: September 2012

This paper puts forward a novel image encryption algorithm that is based on permutation-diffusion architecture. In pixels' permutation stage, algorithm takes full advantage of the idea of magic cube's scrambling. There is only simple cyclic shift operation in each sub-block's permutation, but when the algorithm has disposed the current sub-block, the adjacent sub-blocks will be dealt with, too. In the cyclic shift of each row, stable points will help to decrease the correlation of adjacent pixels. To make encryption procedure uncertain, this paper brings in a parameter named delay-time that is generated by chaotic map. In the diffusion stage, by combining multiple operations and dynamic look-up table together, the proposed algorithm highly increases the uncertainty of the encryption procedure. At last, the experiment results of key space analysis, information entropy analysis, histogram analysis and etc. show that the encryption algorithm has well performance and it can be used in image encryption and transmission.
THE PSEUDOGAP IN MULTIBAND SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
Authors: KRISTOFFEL N. , RUBIN P.
Published: September 2012

The pseudogap (PG) excitation is analyzed as a natural event in multiband superconductivity. It corresponds to minimal quasiparticle excitation energy of an electron band not touched by the chemical potential. The critical points of the phase diagram are determined by vanishing conditions for normal state pseudogaps (NPG). For two bands (gapped or overlapping) these are positioned on edges of the superconducting dome. Theoretical background for a three-band system with two interband pairing channels is developed. There are three independent superconducting gaps (SCG). The PG is associated with the band component possessing a bare gap which can be quenched by doping. At low doping the PG and the SCG of another band component coexist. The critical point is not fixed in respect of the transition temperature (Tc) dome background. The depletion of the PG associated states is restored here. This effect can also be indirect by the participation of these states in determining the chemical potential position. At the critical point the PG looses its normal state contribution and continues as the SCG of the same band. Illustrative examples on the doping scale have been calculated.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE ORIENTATION OF THE COLLAGEN DIPOLES ON SECOND HARMONIC GENERATION (SHG) WITH HIGH NA UNDER CRYSTALLIZED TYPE I COLLAGEN FIBER MODEL
Authors: WANG FEI FEI , LIU JIAN MEI , DENG XIAO YUAN
Published: September 2012

In this paper, for the first time, we consider theoretically all the potential orientations of dipoles for second harmonic generation (SHG) under crystallized type I collagen fiber. With high numerical aperture ( NA = 14), the effect of dipole orientation angle Φ on the SHG intensity, on the maximum SHG emergence angles (θ max , φ max ) and the action of these dipole sources on the ratio of forward to backward (F/B) SHG have been studied under different cases of fibrils diameter d1 and the QPM order (m, l) in the crystallized collagen fiber, and it is found that the influential patterns of the same Φ on SHG at different fibrils diameter d1 and the QPM order (m, l) are different. The dipoles arrangement is related to the characteristic changes in biological tissue so that our work may provide a helpful theoretical tool for pathological status detecting.
INVESTIGATION ON THE ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF EuS
Authors: JEONG T.
Published: September 2012

The electronic properties of EuS are studied by band structure calculation based on the density functional theory within LDA, LDA + U and fully relativistic schemes. When the Coulomb potential is added to the Eu 4f orbitals, the degeneracy between the different f orbitals is lifted and they are split into lower Hubbard bands and upper Hubbard bands. The fully relativistic band structure scheme shows that spin–orbit coupling splits the 4f states into two manifolds, the 4f7/2 and the 4f5/2 multiplet. EuS has high magnetic moments around 6.9 μB/f.u and its magnetic properties are determined by the occupancy of the strongly localized 4f electronic states near the Fermi level.
FIRST-PRINCIPLES STUDY OF STRUCTURAL AND ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF SrLiSb UNDER HIGH PRESSURE
Authors: YU Z. H. , LI C. Y. , LIU H. Z.
Published: September 2012

Using the first-principles plane wave pseudopotential method, the structural and electronic properties of intermetallic compound SrLiSb have been studied within generalized gradient approximation in the frame of density functional theory. The calculations of lattice parameters are in well agreement with the available experimental data. The geometry optimization results indicated the compressibility of SrLiSb is anisotropic under high pressure. The energy band structure and density of states of SrLiSb were also calculated, indicating that SrLiSb has an electronic phase transition from direct-gap semiconductor to indirect-gap semiconductor at approximate 8 GPa.
IMPACT OF Ce DOPING ON THE MAGNETIC AND TRANSPORT PROPERTIES OF Y1-xCexSr2Ru0.9Cu2.1O7.9; x = 0.05 AND 0.1
Authors: BALAMURUGAN S.
Published: September 2012

The magnetic and transport properties of lightly Ce doped, Y 1-x Ce x Sr 2 Ru 0.9 Cu 2.1 O 7.9(x = 0.05 and 0.1) samples have been studied and their results are compared with the pristine rutheno-cuprate, YSr 2 Ru 0.9 Cu 2.1 O 7.9. The electron doping due to Ce 4+ for Y 3+ ion impacts on the physical properties of the present system. The tetragonal stabilized samples exhibit magneto superconducting properties under zero field cooled condition (H = 10 Oe ) and the diamagnetic onset transition, Td shift slightly towards higher temperature with the increase of "x". Weak antiferromagnetic like hysteresis curves are seen for these samples at 2 K in the magnetic field strength up to ±10 kOe and the magnetization moment, M(μB/ Ru ) decreases with increase of "x". While the magnetic property of the present system is due to canted Ru moments, the superconducting signal originates from CuO 2 plane. Through electrical resistivity measurements we observe that none of the samples exhibit bulk superconductivity down to 2 K. However the x = 0.05 sample reveals lowest resistivity in the entire temperature range than x = 0 and 0.1 samples. The isothermal magnetoresistance, MR(H) measured at different temperatures vary with tuning of "x". While x = 0.1 doped sample shows lower -MR(~ 8%), the pristine sample exhibits maximum -MR(45%) at 2 K under ±90 kOe field condition.
MANIPULATION OF MAGNETIC NANOWIRE SUSPENDING IN HALF SPACE NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTAL BY EXTERNAL MAGNETIC FIELD
Authors: LAI GUO-ZHONG , SU CHAN-FEI
Published: September 2012

Based on the elasticity energy, a magnetic nanowire suspended in a half-space twisted nematic liquid crystal (TNLC) was studied. Using equivalent capacitance, the equilibrium position of the nanowire, the deflexion of its axis from the anchoring direction and the eigenfrequency of the nanowire around its equilibrium position were calculated. The results show that the height of the nanowire increases slowly with increasing H in small magnetic field regime less than 0.01 Gs, and picks up quickly if H is larger than about 0.02 Gs. A calculation of the eigenfrequency of the nanowire shows that it decreases quickly with the increase of H at small magnetic field regime and then levels off towards a lower limit, which is about 170 Hz based on the present parameters under larger field. Moreover, the eigenfrequency also depends on mass with a maximum value which is found to be field-independent when the external field is large enough.
ON THE EFFECT OF TEMPORAL STABILITY OF COHERENT STATES ON THE STABILITY OF NONCLASSICALITY FEATURES
Authors: MAHDIPOOR T. , TAVASSOLY M. K.
Published: September 2012

Upon the importance of the preservation of nonclassical properties, in this paper we investigate the effect of temporal stability on the stability of nonclassicality features of two classes of generalized coherent states that are temporal stable and nontemporal stable. We use the Gazeau–Klauder coherent states as the temporal stable states and nonlinear coherent states as the nontemporal stable states. Among the nonclassical criteria, we pay attention to first and second-order squeezing, Mandel parameter, second-order correlation function, Wigner and Hussimi functions. In addition, the auto-correlation function of states are obtained and the quantum feature of the observed revival and collapse phenomena of the two considered classes of states are compared.
STRUCTURE AND REACTIONS OF NEUTRON-RICH OXYGEN ISOTOPES
Authors: RASHDAN M.
Published: September 2012

The structure of 16-26 O is investigated within the relativistic mean field (RMF) as well as high-energy nuclear collisions. The reaction cross-sections of 16-24 O +12 C around 1 GeV are calculated within the multiple scattering theory, where the multiple integrals are evaluated by Monte Carlo method as well as by the optical limit approximation of the Glauber model. In-medium effects are investigated within the optical limit, where it is found to be important in order to get reliable information about nuclear radii and density distributions. The reaction cross-sections indicate to a halo structure for 23 O . This neutron halo is also found in the rms matter radii and nuclear densities especially when Fermi shape is used in the optical limit, including in-medium effects, in extracting the parameters of the density distributions from the experimental reaction cross-sections.
HUMAN BODY SEGMENTATION IN A STATIC IMAGE WITH ON-LINE ADABOOST AT MULTISCALE SUPERPIXELS
Authors: LI SHIFENG , YAO MENG , LU HUCHUAN
Published: September 2012

In this work, we propose a new method for accurate human body detection in a static image with multi-scale superpixels based on two models. First, based on the face detection, we use designed torso part model to estimate the torso part region to provide the positive samples of on-line AdaBoost. Then, according to segmented torso, we estimate the hip region using the designed torso model to provide the positive samples of on-line AdaBoost. Finally, we combine the segmented part and the skin region for body. The main contributions of this work are as follows: (1) A new framework for human body detection using multi-scale superpixels and classifier with auto-threshold is proposed. (2) Two models have been designed for the human body segmentation. Experimental results show that the framework can accurately detect the human body effectively and efficiently.
Contact Resistance as an Origin of the Channel-Length-Dependent Threshold Voltage in Organic Field-Effect Transistors
Authors: Weis Martin , Lee Keanchuan , Taguchi Dai , Manaka Takaaki , Iwamoto Mitsumasa
Published: September 2012

Here we report a dielectric approach to verify the channel dependence of the threshold voltage in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). This approach is based on dielectrics physics, and it shows that the potential drop on the injection electrode reduces the capability of applied voltage to accumulate charges that contribute to carrier transport along the channel, which is interpreted as a shift of the threshold voltage. That is, contact resistance is an origin of the channel-length-dependent threshold voltage.
High Temperature Piezoelectric Ceramics Based on xPbTiO3–(1-x)Bi(Sc1/2Me1/4Ti1/4)O3(Me = Zn, Mg) Ternary Perovskites
Authors: Ansell Troy Y. , Nikkel Jason , Cann David P. , Sehirlioglu Alp
Published: September 2012

PolycrystallinexPbTiO3–(1-x)Bi(Sc1/2Me1/4Ti1/4)O3(PT–BS–BMeT) ceramics, where Me = Mg (M) or Zn (Z), were studied for development of high temperature piezoelectrics. Ceramics were processed using standard mixed oxide procedure at various temperatures. X-ray diffraction at room temperature revealed that the tetragonality of PT–BS–BZT decreased as PbTiO3content decreased fromx= 0.90 to 0.60 and tetragonality of PT–BS–BMT decreased as PbTiO3content decreased fromx= 0.60 to 0.40. A transition was observed in PT–BS–BMT within compositionsx= 0.42–0.50. Dielectric properties revealed permittivites up to εr≈20000 and transition temperatures up to 540 °C. Hysteresis measurements showed full saturation below 50 mol % PbTiO3content with remanent polarization ofPr= 32.8 µC/cm2and coercive field of 23.0 kV/cm. Converse piezoelectric coefficients (d33*) calculated from unipolar strain measurements revealed values between 240 and 313 pm/V. Depolarization temperatures were measured between 320 and 390 °C.
Synthesis and Photoluminescence Properties of SnO2Nanopowder
Authors: Arai Takahiro , Adachi Sadao
Published: September 2012

SnO2nanopowder was synthesized by calcining metastannic salt (SnO2·H2O) prepared by chemically etching metallic Sn in aqueous HNO3solution. The calcined SnO2nanopowder was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XRD and PL intensities increased with increasing calcining temperature, yielding an activation energy of ∼0.65 eV. The PL spectra of the calcined SnO2nanopowder exhibited green (G) and red (R) emission bands with peaks at ∼2.5 and ∼2.0 eV, respectively, that were clearly dependent not only on the excitation light wavelength but also on the sample temperature. The temperature dependence of the PL intensity between 20 and 300 K was explained by the thermal quenching with activation energies of ∼15 meV (T=20–60 K) and ∼0.12–0.18 eV (T≥100 K). The G and R emission states were found to originate from the Jahn–Teller effect of the 5s2(Sn2+) ions in the SnO2matrix and were similar to those generally observed in many ns2-doped alkali halides and SnCl2.