bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Location and Organizational Features: What Type of Veteran Communities Participate in Health Programs?
Authors: Patterson Leslie , McGinley Emily , Ertl Kristyn , Morzinski Jeffrey , Fyfe Robert , Whittle Jeff
Published: July 2012

Background: Research shows that community-based membership organizations are effective partners in health promotion activities; however, most community organizations do not participate in such partnerships. There is little research regarding the geographical and organizational characteristics associated with participation. Objective: We examined the factors associated with community-based veterans service organization (VSO) units' decision to participate in a health promotion project. Methods: We collected location and organizational characteristics regarding 218 VSO units asked to participate in POWER, a partnership to improve hypertension self-management skills between the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and Wisconsin branches of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Vietnam Veterans of America, and National Association of Black Veterans. We tested the association of these characteristics with participation using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables, and analysis of variance and the Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify factors independently associated with participation. Results: In bivariable analyses, likelihood of participation was positively associated with increasing membership ( p < .001), meeting attendance ( p < .001), publication of an organizational newsletter ( p < .001), presence of a women's auxiliary ( p = .02), and location within 44 miles of the VAMC ( p = .047). On multivariable analysis, only meeting attendance and census tract-level educational attainment predicted participation. Conclusions: Greater membership sizes, meeting attendance, and more group resources might be important factors for researchers to consider when initiating community-based health and wellness programs.
Team-Building Activities as Strategies for Improving Community-University Partnerships: Lessons Learned From Nuestro Futuro Saludable
Authors: Ndulue Uchenna , Peréa Flavia C. , Kayou Bashier , Martinez Linda Sprague
Published: July 2012

Background: Collaboration characterized by mutual capacity building, asset sharing, and tangible outcomes that work to further health equity are central tenets of community-based participatory (CBPR) approaches to research. Such efforts require the establishment, development, and maintenance of trusting relationships between community and institutional stakeholders. Objectives: The objective of the strategies discussed here was to strengthen a community-academic partnership by facilitating communication and empowering project partners. Methods: Team-building activities and experiential exercises were intentionally utilized with project stakeholders to clarify roles and responsibilities, provide alternative avenues for authentic communication, and share power. Lessons Learned: Team-building activities can be effective in promoting CBPR partnerships when utilized appropriately. Through the course of the partnership building process, best practices emerged for utilizing experiential learning exercises to enhance partnership dynamics. Conclusions: Team-building activities provide a useful tool for developing supportive environments that encourage open dialogue.
The “united states of Scotia Picta”: Scottish Literature and History in Finnegans Wake
Authors: Barlow Richard
Published: July 2012

Important pretexts for Joyce’s treatment of duality or split-personality in Finnegans Wake come from Scottish literature. Joyce draws upon works such as James Hogg’s Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824) and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), as well as ancient and modern Scottish and Irish history in Finnegans Wake , creating a mutating network of phrases concerned with sibling rivalry, mental divisions, and the hybrid nature of nations. In this essay, I examine Joyce’s interest in Scottish matters and discuss the way Joyce’s Pict/Scot motif expresses some of the main themes of the Wake .
“A great deal of dullness. Then some dirt. Then more dullness”: Tom “Tennessee” Williams’s 1936 Reading of Ulysses
Authors: Bak John S.
Published: July 2012

D. H. Lawrence has traditionally been identified as the modernist writer who most influenced the American playwright Tennessee Williams early in his career. Joyce, too, had a hand in shaping Williams’s early literary and dramatic voice, and this essay explores the extent to which Williams recognized—or did not—the Irish writer’s impact on his own evolving aesthetic. Reading Williams’s 1936 attack on Ulysses in a college essay he wrote not long after the novel’s censorship ban was lifted against his 1974 acknowledgment that he “love[d] Ulysses ” and thought Joyce “the greatest writer since Shakespeare,” this essay demonstrates that Williams’s growing admiration for the novel stemmed more from his appreciation of the “lyrical” Joyce than his understanding of the “modernist” Joyce.
Surveiller, faire croire et punir : The Body of Evidence in Luis Rafael Sánchez’s La pasión según Antígona Pérez
Authors: Bettaglio Marina
Published: July 2012

A Foucauldian reading of Luis Rafael Sánchez’s play La pasión según Antígona Pérez reveals the importance of the body as a site of punishment as well as of propagandistic strategies in the manipulation of public opinion in the imaginary state of Molina. Surveillance and punishment, alluded to in my title, are thus aided by a complex media apparatus intent on making people believe—“faire croire”—in the official story fabricated by the dictator, Creón Molina, in this Puerto Rican version of the Sophoclean drama. In this context, Antigone’s burial of two combatants killed in a rebellious act acquires a profoundly political and subversive meaning. Her defiant act deprives the penal system of its signifier by removing a crucial part of the tyrant’s repressive strategy.
(Des)Memoria, biopolítica y relaciones de poder a propósito de La nona de Roberto Cossa
Authors: Álvarez José Manuel González
Published: July 2012

The present article is an analysis of La nona by Roberto Cossa, one of the most remarkable masterpieces in contemporary Argentinean theatre. The approach of this article puts into practice concepts used by Giorgio Agamben like biopolitics, homini sacri , and nuda vida . Walter Benjamin’s considerations on the end of experience and Hannah Arendt’s reflections on language, violence, and memory will be also used to offer an alternative interpretation for this play. Taking into account the deluge of symbolic interpretations given by critics about nona`s meaning as dictatorship, capitalism, and many others, we will stress instead the family’s role: their power relationships and their failure when taking decisions as the main reason for the final tragedy and extermination. Therefore we try to show the complex and unstable line between the play’s characters as victims and attackers and, as a result, the links between biopolitics and citizens, as embodied by the Spadone family.
Forestalling Violence in Sallust and Vergil
Authors: Pagán Victoria E.
Published: July 2012

Is violence ever warranted, and if so, under what circumstances? The acceptability of deterrence and sacrifice to forestall further violence in an open, transparent, society depends on persuasion and the freedom to argue vigorously over the use of such violence. The debate in Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae between Caesar and Cato over the execution of the Catilinarian conspirators (51–52) and the debate in the Aeneid between Drances and Turnus over the vast carnage that could be averted if only Turnus would sacrifice himself (11.336–446) illustrate the principle that utilitarian violence depends upon persuasion.

N’y a-t-il jamais de justification à la violence et, si oui, en quelles circonstances ? La légitimation du châtiment dissuasif et du sacrifice pour prévenir une montée de violence dans une société ouverte et transparente dépend de la persuasion et de la liberté d’argumenter vigoureusement contre l’usage d’une telle violence. Le débat dans le Bellum Catilinae de Salluste entre César et Caton au sujet de l’exécution des conjurés catilinariens (51–52) et le débat dans l’ Énéide entre Drancès et Turnus à propos du vaste carnage qui pourrait être évité si seulement Turnus consentait à se sacrifier (XI, 336–446) illustre le principe que la violence utilitaire dépend de la persuasion.
The Making of the Piano Bar : Landscape, Art, and Discourse in Biscayne Bay
Authors: Kruse Robert J.
Published: July 2012

Este documento se centra en un hecho peculiar que se produjo en la Bahía de Biscayne en enero de 2011, cuando un piano de cola apareció en un banco de arena de 200 metros al este de las costas de Miami, Florida. Después de varios días, un adolecente solicitando a estudios de arte a nivel universitario reveló a la prensa que él había colocado el piano allí como una obra de arte. La cobertura informativa del evento muestra que la colocación misteriosa del piano en el banco de arena no fue apreciada universalmente, pero fue vista como un acto muy controvertido y provocador en relación con los discursos culturales de la naturaleza y el arte, la autoridad, el espacio público, y la transgresión. El evento es un ejemplo de las formas en que los medios de comunicación designan acontecimientos como dignos de atención y de cómo los medios influencian la representación de lugares y relaciones de las personas con éstos. Basándose en los bien establecidos vínculos entre el arte y la geografía, este trabajo analiza el piano de cola en términos del potencial de intersecciones entre el arte moderno y la geografía para alterar las percepciones ordinarias y las experiencias de lugares del diario vivir.
An Examination of Municipal Annexation Methods in North Carolina, 1990–2009
Authors: Smith Russell M.
Published: July 2012

Académicos urbanos han examinado el impacto de las leyes estatales sobre la actividad de anexión por más de 50 años. Estos esfuerzos han resultado en una mejor comprensión de las diferencias entre los Estados en términos de su actividad de anexión. Poco análisis, sin embargo, se ha dado a la variación intra-estatal en el método de anexión utilizado por los municipios a pesar de que el método de anexión disponible en el Estado puede variar drásticamente. Este documento busca explorar las diferencias intra-estatales a través de un análisis de la actividad municipal de anexión de Carolina del Norte entre 1990 y 2009. Los cuatro métodos de anexión de Carolina del Norte se analizan en un esfuerzo por comprender mejor las complejidades de la actividad de anexión. Los resultados de este estudio revelan que los dos tipos de anexión voluntaria (por ejemplo, voluntaria contigua y voluntaria no contigua) son las formas más frecuentes de anexión de Carolina del Norte (representando el 89.5% de toda la actividad de anexión), pero existen preferencias regionales y municipales, destacando la necesidad de más esfuerzos de investigación académica.
The 16 April 2011 EF3 Tornado in Greene County, Eastern North Carolina
Authors: Rickenbach Thomas M.
Published: July 2012

Este trabajo presenta un estudio de caso de un tornado EF3 que impactó negativamente los condados de Greene y Pitt en el este de Carolina del Norte el 16 de abril de 2011. Este fue uno de los más dañinos y de más larga duración de los múltiples tornados que se produjeron en el centro y el este de Carolina del Norte ese mismo día, el brote más extenso en Carolina del Norte desde 1984. Este evento tuvo lugar durante el mes (abril de 2011) con el mayor número de tornados en el registro en los Estados Unidos. El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar la relación entre la evolución del mesociclón y la ubicación e intensidad de los daños en la superficie asociados con el tornado EF3. Los resultados indicaron que la contracción inicial y el giro de la circulación del mesociclón precedió los daños del EF3 por unos 20 minutos. Al momento de intensificación del mesociclón, la franja de daños y el tornado se encontraban mucho más cerca del centro del mesociclón que en las etapas de formación y disipación. El mesocicón debilitado pasó directamente sobre una estación meteorológica del West Research Campus de East Carolina University, proporcionando una oportunidad única para las mediciones de la superficie asociada con un debilitamiento del mesociclón de tornados.
Risk Factors for In-Hospital Mortality Among Children With Tuberculosis: The 25-Year Experience in Peru
Authors: Drobac Peter C. , Shin Sonya S. , Huamani Pedro , Atwood Sidney , Furin Jennifer , Franke Molly F. , Lastimoso Charmaine , del Castillo Hernan
Published: July 2012

OBJECTIVE:

We examined factors associated with in-hospital death among children with tuberculosis (TB). We hypothesized that a negative response to tuberculin skin testing (TST) would predict decreased survival.

METHODS:

This retrospective cohort comprised 2392 children ages 0 to 14 years hospitalized with TB at a Peruvian referral hospital over the 25-year study period. Detailed chart abstraction captured clinical history including TB contacts, physical examination findings, diagnostic data, treatment regimen, and hospitalization outcome. We used Cox proportional hazards regression analyses to determine risk factors for mortality.

RESULTS:

Of 2392 children, 2 (0.1%) were known to be HIV-positive, 5 (0.2%) had documented multidrug-resistant TB, and 266 (11%) died. The median time from hospitalization to death was 16 days (interquartile range: 4–44 days). Reaction of <5 mm induration on TST predicted death in a multivariable analysis (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.15–4.21; P < .0001). Younger age, period of admission, alteration of mental status (HR: 3.25; 95% CI: 2.48–4.27; P < .0001), respiratory distress (HR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.07–1.83; P = .01), peripheral edema (HR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.42–2.73; P < .0001), and hemoptysis (HR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.32–1.00; P = .05) were associated with mortality. Treatment regimens that contained rifampicin (HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.33–0.68; P < .0001) were associated with improved survival.

CONCLUSIONS:

Negative reaction to TST is highly predictive of death among children with active TB. In children with clinical and radiographic findings suggestive of TB, a negative TST should not preclude or delay anti-TB therapy.
Misclassification of Newborns Due to Systematic Error in Plotting Birth Weight Percentile Values
Authors: Rochow Niels , Raja Preeya , Straube Sebastian , Voigt Manfred
Published: July 2012

OBJECTIVES:

Higher than expected small for gestational age (SGA) rates and lower than expected large for gestational age (LGA) rates have been observed. A possible explanation is a leftward shift of percentile curves for birth weight due to a systematic error in plotting birth weight values in charts (ie, plotting weekly mean birth weight data at the beginning of the weeks). Our objectives were to assess how common this plotting error is and to analyze the effect of this error on SGA and LGA classification based on data from the German perinatal survey.

METHODS:

First, a systematic literature search for birth weight charts was performed, and the charts were analyzed for the plotting error. Second, percentile values (10th, 50th, and 90th) for 25 to 42 completed weeks of gestation were calculated from the data of 1 181 200 male singleton newborns (German perinatal survey, 1995–2000). Birth weight percentile curves were calculated with and without the plotting error, and the resulting SGA and LGA rates were analyzed.

RESULTS:

Fourteen of the 16 identified publications contained the systematic error in plotting. Using our calculated percentile curves, a leftward shift caused by the plotting error led to an SGA rate of 12.5% and an LGA rate of 7.7%; ∼5% of newborns were misclassified.

CONCLUSIONS:

Percentile charts should be examined for the described systematic error and, if necessary, corrected.
The Experience of Families With Children With Trisomy 13 and 18 in Social Networks
Authors: Janvier Annie , Farlow Barbara , Wilfond Benjamin S.
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND:

Children with trisomy 13 and trisomy 18 (T13-18) have low survival rates and survivors have significant disabilities. For these reasons, interventions are generally not recommended by providers. After a diagnosis, parents may turn to support groups for additional information.

METHODS:

We surveyed parents of children with T13-18 who belong to support groups to describe their experiences and perspectives.

RESULTS:

A total of 503 invitations to participate were sent and 332 questionnaires were completed (87% response rate based on site visits, 67% on invitations sent) by parents about 272 children. Parents reported being told that their child was incompatible with life (87%), would live a life of suffering (57%), would be a vegetable (50%), or would ruin their family (23%). They were also told by some providers that their child might have a short meaningful life (60%), however. Thirty percent of parents requested “full” intervention as a plan of treatment. Seventy-nine of these children with full T13-18 are still living, with a median age of 4 years. Half reported that taking care of a disabled child is/was harder than they expected. Despite their severe disabilities, 97% of parents described their child as a happy child. Parents reported these children enriched their family and their couple irrespective of the length of their lives.

CONCLUSIONS:

Parents who engage with parental support groups may discover an alternative positive description about children with T13-18. Disagreements about interventions may be the result of different interpretations between families and providers about the experiences of disabled children and their quality of life.
Prevalence and Correlates of Low Fundamental Movement Skill Competency in Children
Authors: Hardy Louise L. , Reinten-Reynolds Tracie , Espinel Paola , Zask Avigdor , Okely Anthony D.
Published: July 2012

OBJECTIVE:

To describe the demographic and health-related characteristics of school-aged children with low competency in fundamental movement skills (FMS).

METHODS:

Cross-sectional representative school-based survey of Australian elementary and high school students (n = 6917) conducted in 2010. Trained field staff measured students’ height, weight, and assessed FMS and cardiorespiratory endurance (fitness). Information on students’ demographics and physical activity was collected by questionnaire.

RESULTS:

Overall, the prevalence of students with low motor skill competency was high. Girls with low socioeconomic status (SES) were twice as likely to be less competent in locomotor skills compared with high SES peers. Among boys, there was a strong association between low competency in FMS and the likelihood of being from non–English-speaking cultural backgrounds. There was a clear and consistent association between low competency in FMS and inadequate cardiorespiratory fitness. For boys, there was a clear association between low competency in object-control skills and not meeting physical activity recommendations. Conversely, the odds of being inactive were double among girls who had low competency in locomotor skills.

CONCLUSIONS:

Low competency in FMS is strongly associated with lower cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity levels in children and adolescents. The characteristics of students with competency in FMS differ by gender and skills types and show that interventions need to target girls from low SES backgrounds and boys from non–English-speaking cultural backgrounds. The high prevalence of low competency in FMS among Grade 4 students indicates that FMS interventions need to start during the preschool and early school years.
Surface Plasmon Resonance based optical temperature sensor using ZnO:N thin film
Authors: Jindal Kajal , Tomar Monika , Gupta Vinay
Published: July 2012

Temperature dependent optical properties of RF-sputtered c-axis oriented ZnO:N thin film have been investigated. Surface Plasmon modes are excited at the metal-dielectric interface in the Kretschmann-Reather configuration using prism coupling technique. Effect of ZnO:N thin film deposited over Prism-Au structure on the SPR reflectance is studied over a wide range of temperature from 300–500 K at 633 nm wavelength. The value of dielectric constant of ZnO:N film obtained by fitting the experimentally obtained data with the theoretically generated SPR curve at the optical frequency is found to increase linearly with temperature. The increase in dielectric constant (4.03 to 4.11) with increase in temperature from 300 K to 500 K indicates a promising application of the system as an efficient low-cost temperature sensor.
Synthesis of embedded Si nano-particles using swift heavy ions and its optical properties
Authors: Sahoo P. K. , Mahapatra D. P. , Kanjilal D.
Published: July 2012

Embedded Si nano-particles of average size around 5nm were synthesized in an amorphous Si matrix by two stage ion implantation processes. It has been observed that amorphous Si (a-Si) layers were recrystallized using 50 MeV Au ions with enhanced regrowth rate with activation energy in the range of 0.29 eV. During the crystallization process Si nanocrystals were formed in the a-Si layers due to sudden quenching of the molten tracks created by MeV Au ions. The recrystalizations were confirmed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry-Channeling (RBSC) technique. The structural modification and nanocluster creation that emerged during recrystallization process was observed in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The PL emission was observed over a broad band of 2.8 – 3.4 eV and centered at 3.25 eV. The Si nano-crystal formation can be explain by a mechanism combining the melting within the ion tracks by thermal spike process and the subsequent recrystallization nucleated from the crystalline sides at the interface.
Nanotextured Material for Applications in CSF Sample Screening and Characterization
Authors: Vattipalli Krishna , Brandigampala Savindra , McGraw Claire , Chatterjee Gaurav , Kasturirangan Srinath , Schulz Philip , Sierks Michael , Prasad Shalini
Published: July 2012

Neurodegenerative disease is primarily characterized by protein misfolding and the resultant protein aggregation. Presence of soluble oligomeric aggregates of proteins including various Aβ and α-syn aggregate species can be correlated to the onset and progression of many neurodegenerative diseases. The ability to detect protein misfolding requires the design of a diagnostics assay the will enable molecular level probing. The use of nanoporous ceramic templates enables size based immobilization of the target proteins and by leveraging the principle of “macromolecular crowding” protein association can be mapped with a high degree of resolution. By tailoring the surface functionalization within nanoporous ceramic templates, macromolecular immobilization can be selectively controlled, which in turn significantly enhances the perturbation to the electrical double layer/. The changes to the electrical double layer are measured with a high degree of sensitivity through impedance spectroscopy.

Pre symptomatic diagnosis and distinction between Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases can be achieved by the specific detection and quantification of levels of each of these different toxic protein species in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Detection using highly selective morphology specific reagents in conjunction with the ultrasensitive nanoporous electronic biosensor showed the presence of different protein morphologies in human CSF samples. Detection is primarily achieved by identifying the specific association of the protein with its receptor using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Furthermore, we show that these morphology specific reagents can readily classify between post-mortem CSF samples from AD, PD and cognitively normal sources. These studies suggest that detection of specific oligomeric aggregate species holds great promise as sensitive biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease.
Block Copolymer Self-assembly on Ethylene Glycol (EG) Self-assembled Monolayer (SAM) for Nanofabrication
Authors: Borah Dipu , Rasappa Sozaraj , Kosmala Barbara , Holmes Justin D. , Morris Michael A.
Published: July 2012

Nanostructure templates fabrication from P(S-b-MMA) thin films requires precise control of interfacial energies to achieve perpendicular orientation of microdomains to the substrate surface and can be obtained by modifying the oxide layer on silicon with a covalently anchored hydroxyl-terminated random copolymer P(S-r-MMA) termed a “neutral brush”. This commonly employed method enables precise fine-tuning of interfacial energies, but involves a lengthy process, requires starting materials that are commercially available but expensive, and results in a relatively thick under layer that can interfere with subsequent surface processing. We report here the microphase separation behaviour of an asymmetric P(S-b-MMA) diblock copolymer on electronic substrates modified with ethylene glycol (EG) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) as alternative to standard random copolymer brush. The diblock copolymer films deposited on EG SAMs upon thermal annealing spontaneously generates features with sub-lithographic resolution and pitch with perpendicular orientation. Selective etching provides a rapid route for the generation of PS template structures as the PMMA domains are etched at a faster rate. These templates can subsequently be used as etch masks to generate nanoscale features. We use state of the art lithography to generate sub-μm features and within these generate nm sized copolymer templates. Graphoepitaxy method proved a successful approach for the alignment of the microphase separated structures. This method of EG SAM driven self-0assembly provides a simple, rapid, yet tuneable approach for surface neutralization and nanofabrication technique for creating high density nanoscale features for the nanoelectronic industry.
Co-implantation : A simple way to grow doped Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO2
Authors: Mathiot Daniel , Khelifi Rim , Muller Dominique , Duguay Sébastien
Published: July 2012

Co-implantation, with overlapping implantation projected ranges, of Si and of the doping species (P, As, or B), followed by a single thermal anneal step, is proved to be a viable route to form doped Si-nc’s embedded in SiO2, with diameters of a few nanometers. Extensive results of the evolution of the Si-nc’s related photoluminescence, as a function of the dopant implanted dose, are presented and discussed. Atomic Probe Tomography (APT) is used to image directly the spatial distribution of the various species at the atomic scale. The 3D APT data demonstrate that n-type dopant atoms (P and As) are efficiently introduced in the "bulk" of the Sinanocrystals, whereas B atoms are preferentially located at their periphery, at the Si/SiO2 interface.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Characterization of a Polymerized Ionic Liquid Electrolyte Material
Authors: Michan A.L. , Nguyen G.T.M. , Fichet O. , Vidal F. , Vancaeyzeele C. , Michal C.A.
Published: July 2012

Solid electrolyte materials have the potential to improve performance and safety characteristics of lithium-ion batteries by replacing conventional solvent-based electrolytes. A candidate solid polymer electrolyte, AMLi/PEGDM, has been synthesized by crosslinking an anionic monomer AMLi, with poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate. The main goal of the synthesis is to produce a single-ion conducting polymer network where lithium cations can move freely and fluorinated anions are immobilized as part of the polymer network. A comprehensive characterization of anion and cation mobility in the resulting material is therefore required. Using pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR), we are able to measure and quantify the individual diffusion coefficients of mobile species in the material (19F and 7Li) and confirm the extent to which the fluorinated anionic component is immobilized. We have characterized dry (σ~3.0 x10-7 S/cm at 30°C) and propylene carbonate (PC) saturated gel (σ~1.0x10-4 S/cm at 30°C) samples. Experimental results include NMR spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation times in addition to diffusion coefficient measurements over a temperature range up to 100°C. Practically, the diffusion measurements are extremely challenging, as the spin-spin (T2) relaxation times are very short, necessitating the development of specialized pulsed-field gradient apparatus. Diffusion coefficients for the most mobile components of the lithium cations and fluorinated anions at 100°C in dry membranes have been found to be 3.4 x10-8 cm2/s and 2.1 x10-8 cm2/s respectively. These results provide valuable insight into the conduction mechanisms in these materials, and will drive further optimization of solid polymer electrolytes.
Atomic and electronic structure of superionic solid electrolyte Li10GeP2S12
Authors: Xiong Ka , Pazos Roberto Longo , Cho Kyeongjae
Published: July 2012

We investigate the electronic structure of interstitial Li and Li vacancy in Li10GeP2S12 by first principles calculations. We find that the Li vacancy and interstitial Li+ ion do not introduce states in the band gap hence they do not deteriorate the electronic properties of Li10GeP2S12. The energy barrier for Li interstitial diffusion in Li10GeP2S12 is estimated to be 1.4 eV, which is much larger than that of the Li vacancy in Li10GeP2S12. This fact suggests that the ion conductivity arises from the migration of Li vacancy.
Density modulated multilayer silicon thin films as li-ion battery anodes
Authors: Demirkan M. Taha , Li Xin , Wei Bingqing , Karabacak Tansel
Published: July 2012

In this work, we demonstrate a new density modulated multilayered silicon thin film anode approach that can provide a robust high capacity electrode for Li-ion batteries. These films have the ability to tolerate large volume changes due to their controlled microstructure. Silicon films with alternating layers of high/low material density were deposited using a DC sputtering system. Density of the individual layers was controlled by simply changing the working gas pressure during sputtering. Samples of Si films having thicknesses of 460 nm with different number of high/low density layers have been deposited on Cu current collectors. The electrochemical performance of the multilayered anode material was evaluated using a galvanostatic battery testing system at C/10 rate. After reaching a stabilized phase the battery cell showed a high coulombic efficiency of 96% to 99% and reversible specific capacity of 666 mAh g-1 (after 100 cycles). Low-density layers are believed to be acting as compliant sheets during volume expansion making the films more durable compared to conventional Si film anodes. The results indicate that density modulated multilayer Si thin films can be used to improve the mechanical properties of Li-ion battery anodes leading to high reversible capacity values even after high number of cycles.
Investigating the Photoelectrochemistry of Transparent ZnO Grown on ITO/Plastic for Flexible Photoelectrochemical Cell and Photovoltaic Application
Authors: Suzuki Yuji , Kathirgamanathan Poopathy , Nathan Arokia
Published: July 2012

ZnO was electrochemically grown on ITO coated polyethylene (PET) substrate. By sandwiching the electrolyte (sodium para-toluene sulfonate) with so grown ZnO/ITO/PET substrate with another ITO/Plastic substrate, a transparent ZnO based flexible PV cells was fabricated. The efficiency of 0.3% was obtained when shined under UV light. It was concluded that there will be a significant trade-off between with its performance although the optical transparency is very attractive.
More for less through private finance highway maintenance
Authors: Sunderland John , O'Day Paul
Published: July 2012

This paper shows how the private finance policy pursued by the UK government, applied to the delivery of highway maintenance services in Birmingham, provides a framework for the delivery of whole-life highways remediation, rehabilitation and maintenance needs at an affordable cost. Delivery of a best whole-life cost solution and the continual incentive to minimise expenditure results in a drive to optimise the use of physical and human resources, which in turn delivers environmental sustainability objectives. The £2·7 billion Birmingham highways maintenance and management service was also developed with local social and economic improvement in mind and this has shaped the interface with residents and engagement of the local supply chain in the delivery of the project.
ICE journals help the evolution of science in Brazil
Authors: Chaves Edler de Almeida Elenara
Published: July 2012

Brazilian civil engineering researchers have for over a decade benefitted from a vast, government-funded online scientific library, which now includes all 29 journals published by the Institution of Civil Engineers. Elenara Chaves Edler de Almeida of government agency Capes reports.
Work harder on yourself than you do on your job: a new challenge for civil engineers
Authors: Bower Denise , McGill Ian , Madter Nancy
Published: July 2012

Civil Engineering is as challenging as any profession and has much to contribute to society, yet its prestige and influence have waned. Denise Bower, Ian McGill and Nancy Madter introduce the work of the ICE Capacity Building Panel and ask what more civil engineers could do to improve themselves.
Northlights or in-plane rooflights? Thermal energy comparison
Authors: Kendrick Christopher , Ogden Ray , Wang Xiaoxin , Walliman Nicholas
Published: July 2012

Overheating owing to solar heat gain through in-plane rooflights in industrial shed-type buildings leads to thermal discomfort, increasing demand for artificial cooling and higher energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. This paper argues that by using a saw-tooth roof configuration with northlights, overheating in summer is significantly reduced without impairing the quality of daylighting. A comparison of the daylighting and thermal performance of conventional (in-plane) rooflights with a northlight configuration is described, using Lumen Designer for daylighting and TAS (dynamic thermal simulation software) to assess energy needed for heating and cooling. Although daylighting performance of northlights is lower for a given percentage of rooflighting, and heating requirements are 10% higher, the overheating is much reduced. As summer conditions are likely to be increasingly important and heating demand will reduce, it is suggested that modern northlight solutions should be developed.
Ground deformations and soil–structure interaction of a multi-propped excavation in Shanghai soft clays
Authors: NG C.W.W. , HONG Y. , LIU G.B. , LIU T.
Published: July 2012

Ground deformations and soil–structure interaction were monitored at a comprehensively instrumented diaphragm wall panel constructed at a greenfield site. The diaphragm wall retains a 14·5 m deep multi-propped excavation in soft clays in Shanghai, P. R. China. At this greenfield site, the maximum ground surface settlement (δv-max) at the end of excavation ranged from 0·25% to 0·32% of the final excavation depth (He), and the influence zone of ground surface settlement was more than 2·5He behind the wall. Both the measured δv-max and the influence zone of ground settlements at this site are generally larger than for excavations in other, more densely built areas of Shanghai. Force and moment equilibrium analyses of the instrumented panel validate the reliability of the measured earth pressures and prop forces. The measured prop loads from this greenfield site are generally larger than those reported from similar excavations in Shanghai. Earth pressure measurements reveal that concreting of the diaphragm wall panel increased the lateral earth pressure coefficients at the soil/wall interface by a factor of more than 1·4. The stress paths for the retained soil within the propped region generally moved towards the passive state during the last few stages of main excavation, and soil near the formation level approached the passive failure state prior to the completion of excavation.
The water funding gap in Ireland
Authors: Murray Kevin
Published: July 2012

The delivery of public water services in Ireland has faced a funding gap in recent years, primarily through the impact of the economic crisis but also through the impact of the pricing policy on the various stakeholders. This funding gap has left the customer without a sense of ownership and responsibility; the supply chain vulnerable to investment troughs; an underdeveloped regulatory environment; and a fragmented array of water service local authorities. The arrival of the EU/IMF bailout mechanism for Ireland in November 2010 provides the context for a new funding model for Ireland that better meets the challenges of a national water service in the twenty-first century. However, this demands that the lessons are learnt from the existing model and that the new funding mechanisms do not build in costs through the adoption of expedient policies – a lesson with international relevance. The new funding model also provides an opportunity to address the intrinsic value of water through the adoption of realistic abstraction charges to fund catchment management and natural water environment.
Jonah’s Birth
Authors: Goldstein Rachel
Published: July 2012

Rachel Goldstein shares her experience of exploring options related to care provider and place of birth early in her pregnancy. Goldstein and her husband, Marc, after reading and research, chose midwifery care and a home birth. She shares the story of a long labor at home supported by her husband, her doula, and her midwife. Her positive attitude, her ability to use various comfort strategies, and the support she received throughout labor contributed to being able to give birth naturally and ecstatically to her son Jonah.
Relationships Among Androgyny, Self-Esteem, and Trait Coping Style of Chinese University Students
Authors: Huang Xishan , Zhu Xiao-lu , Zheng Juan , Zhang Lin , Shiomi Kunio
Published: July 2012

Chinese university undergraduates' personality types were investigated from the perspective of androgyny as the ideal gender role type. Based on Bem's (1974) 4 gender role types, 434 undergraduates were classified as masculine, feminine, androgynous, or undifferentiated. The relationships
among personality type, trait coping style, and level of self-esteem were examined. Results showed that the students were mainly in 2 gender role types: androgynous and undifferentiated. Gender and grade had a significant impact on the distribution of gender role types. The androgynous group
had the highest self-esteem level and tended to use positive coping strategies. Androgyny was assessed as an ideal gender role type, relative to the 3 other types.
The Causal Relationship Between Need for Cognition and Advertising Recall
Authors: Kuo Jung-Chung , Horng Der-Juinn , Lin Chin-Lung , Lee Sheng-Hsien
Published: July 2012

Using a factorial experiment design, we investigated the causal relationship between personality factors and cognitive responses, as well as the relationship between cognitive responses and purchasing intentions. We found that participants with high need for cognition (NFC) had better
advertising recall than those with low NFC and that advertising recall was related to purchasing intention in that those who had good recall of the advertisement had a higher purchase intention than those who had poor recall. The results contribute to personality literature by extending findings
relating to the antecedent effects of NFC on cognitive responses. In addition, a contribution was made to attitude research by identifying advertising recall as a viable explanatory variable. Managerial implications are suggested.
Consumer Preferences for Service Recovery Options After Delivery Delay When Shopping Online
Authors: Chang Dong-Shang , Wang Tao-Hsing
Published: July 2012

We identified the key attributes of service recovery for product delivery delays when shopping online and elucidated the preference structures of consumers regarding these attributes. A conjoint analysis was conducted using a sample of 201 Internet users; and we found that the 4 most
critical attributes of service recovery were: compensation, response speed, apologies, and contact channels. We used a part-worth utility of attribute levels as segmentation variables and conducted a cluster analysis to group the respondents, and to distinguish preferences across various consumer
segments. Our findings can serve as a reference for e-retailers when developing service recovery strategies for delayed product delivery.
Mother-Adolescent Conflict in Taiwan: Links Between Attachment Style and Psychological Distress
Authors: Liu Yih-Lan , Huang Fang-Ming
Published: July 2012

We examined the link between attachment style and psychological distress of adolescents in conflict with their mothers through pathways of cognition, emotion, and coping strategies. Participants were 613 eighth graders from northern Taiwan. Results of structural equation modeling indicated
that the relationship between secure versus insecure attachment and psychological distress was mediated by avoidance and approach coping. There was a direct path from secure and dismissive attachment styles to avoidance coping as well as approach coping and secure and dismissive attachment
styles were not linked to negative emotion and threat appraisal. There was a direct path from preoccupied and fearful attachment styles to approach coping and an indirect path to avoidance coping via negative emotion. Threat appraisal acted as a mediator between preoccupied attachment and
psychological distress.
Communal and Exchange Relationships and the Effects of Norms on Internet Participation
Authors: Liu Su-Houn , Liao Hsiu-Li , Sung Yu-Hsieh , Peng Qi-Dong
Published: July 2012

In recent years, there has been a significant rise in the popularity of Web 2.0 applications. Our purpose was to examine the behaviors of Internet users. Voluntary participants (N = 691) were recruited through banners posted on a leading commercial website in Taiwan and were
randomly allocated to 7 groups. The between-participants experimental design included 3 forms of payment crossed with 2 levels of payment, and a control condition with no payment. We found that behaviors on the Internet are linked to norms that are followed according to communal or exchange
relationships during participation. Therefore, the distinction of communal and exchange relationships can be important in understanding user behaviors on the Internet.
Photoionization cross-sections of ground and excited valence levels of actinides
Authors: Yarzhemsky Victor , Teterin Anton , Teterin Yury , Trzhaskovskaya Malvina
Published: July 2012

The photoionization cross-sections of ground and excited atomic states of
actinide atoms were calculated by the Dirac-Fock-Slater method for two
excitation energies of X-ray radiation (1253.6 eV and 1486.6 eV). These data
are required for calculations of intensities of X-ray photoelectron spectra
of actinide compound valence bands and interpretation of experimental
spectra.
Application of multi-way partial least squares calibration for simultaneous determination of radioisotopes by liquid scintillation technique
Authors: Mahani Mohamad , Ghomi Sheikh , Mazloomifar Ali , Salimi Bahram
Published: July 2012

Three-way partial last squares (3-PLS2), as a multi-way calibration method
was applied for determining the 235U/238U isotope ratio to overcome problems
with spectral interferences in liquid scintillation spectra of these
radioisotopes. The alpha energy spectra of samples in different energy
channels and different cocktail to sample ratios were used as input data for
3-PLS2. The model was applied to a prediction set and satisfactory results
were obtained. The 3-way PLS2 prediction results were compared with 2-way
PLS2 and it was shown that 3-way PLS2 results are more accurate than the
results of PLS2. Thermal ionization-mass spectrometry was used as a reference
method for calculating the accuracy of our method.
A comparative study of preliminary dosimetry for human based on distribution data in rats with 111In, 90Y, 153Sm, and 177Lu labeled rituximab
Authors: Radfar Edalat , Jalilian Amir , Yousefnia Hassan , Bahrami-Samani Ali , Ghannadi-Maragheh Mohammad
Published: July 2012

Radio immunotherapy is one of the most important and effective therapies for
B-cell non Hoddgkin?s lymphoma treatment. Today, anti CD-20 antibodies
labeled with beta emitter radionuclides are used in radio immunotherapy.
Various radionuclides for labeling anti CD-20 antibodies have been studied
and developed for the treatment and diagnosis of malignancies. This paper
describes the preparation, bio-distribution and absorbed dose rate of 111In,
90Y, 177Lu, and 153Sm labeled anti CD-20 antibodies (rituximab) in human
organs, after injection to rats. The macro cyclic bifunctional chelating
agent, N-succinimidyl-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-1, 4, 7,
10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA-NHS) for conjugation to antibody, was used to
prepare DOTA-rituximab. The conjugates were purified by molecular filtration,
the average number of DOTA conjugated per mAb was calculated and total
concentration was determined by spectrophotometric method. Radio-labeling was
performed at 40 ?C for 24 hours. After the quality control studies, the final
radioactive solution was injected intravenously into rats through their
tail vein. The tissue uptakes of each injection were measured. Then we
calculated S values for 177Lu and 153Sm by using specific absorbed fractions
and data used in the manner of radio-labeled analysis and dosimetry for
humans. The absorbed dose rate of each organ was calculated in the specific
time by medical internal radiation dose method with linear approximation in
the activity measurements.
On-line monitoring of base current and forward emitter current gain of the voltage regulator's serial pnp transistor in a radiation environment
Authors: Vukic Vladimir , Osmokrovic Predrag
Published: July 2012

A method of on-line monitoring of the low-dropout voltage regulator's
operation in a radiation environment is developed in this paper. The method
had to enable detection of the circuit's degradation during exploitation,
without terminating its operation in an ionizing radiation field. Moreover,
it had to enable automatic measurement and data collection, as well as the
detection of any considerable degradation, well before the monitored voltage
regulator's malfunction. The principal parameters of the voltage regulator's
operation that were monitored were the serial pnp transistor's base current
and the forward emitter current gain. These parameters were procured
indirectly, from the data on the voltage regulator's load and quiescent
currents. Since the internal consumption current in moderately and heavily
loaded devices was used, the quiescent current of a negligibly loaded voltage
regulator of the same type served as a reference. Results acquired by on-line
monitoring demonstrated marked agreement with the results acquired from
examinations of the voltage regulator's maximum output current and minimum
dropout voltage in a radiation environment. The results were particularly
consistent in tests with heavily loaded devices. Results obtained for
moderately loaded voltage regulators and the risks accompanying the
application of the presented method, were also analyzed.