bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial distribution of the wave field of the surface modes sustaining filamentary discharges
Authors: Lishev St. , Shivarova A. , Tarnev Kh.
Published: January 2008

The study presents the electrodynamical description of surface-wave-sustained discharges contracted in filamentary structures. The results are for the spatial distribution of the wave field and for the wave propagation characteristics obtained from a two-dimensional model developed for describing surface-wave behavior in plasmas with an arbitrary distribution of the plasma density. In accordance with the experimental observations of filamentary discharges, the plasma density distribution considered is completed by cylindrically shaped gas-discharge channels extended along the discharge length and positioned in the out-of-center region of the discharge, equidistantly in an azimuthal direction. Due to the two-dimensional inhomogeneity of the plasma density of the filamentary structure, the eigen surface mode of the structure is a hybrid wave, with all—six—field components. For identification of its behavior, the surface wave properties in the limiting cases of a plasma ring and a single filament—both radially inhomogeneous—are involved in the discussions. The presentation of the results is for filamentary structures with a decreasing number of filaments (from 10 to 2) starting with the plasma ring, the latter supporting propagation of an azimuthally symmetric wave. Due to the resonance absorption of the surface waves, always present because of the smooth variation of the plasma density, the contours of the critical density are those guiding the surface wave propagation. Decreasing number of filaments in the structure leads to localization of the amplitudes of the wave-field components around the filaments. By analogy with the spatial distribution of the wave field in the plasma ring, the strong resonance enhancement of the wave-field components is along that part of the contour of the critical density which is far off the center of the filamentary structure. The analysis of the spatial distribution of the field components of the filamentary structure shows that the hybrid wave is an eigenmode of the whole structure, i.e., the wave field does not appear as a superposition of fields of eigenmodes of the separated filaments completing it. It is stressed that the spatial distribution of the field components of the eigen hybrid mode of the filamentary structure has an azimuthally symmetric background field.
Optical behavior of reactive sputtered carbon nitride films during annealing
Authors: Lejeune M. , Charvet S. , Zeinert A. , Benlahsen M.
Published: January 2008

The effect of annealing temperature (TA) on amorphous carbon nitride (a-CNx) thin films, deposited using radio-frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering technique of a graphite target in a pure nitrogen (N2) atmosphere at different rf power, is investigated. Film composition was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared absorption (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, optical transmission, and photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS) experiments. The refractive index and the mass density were determined using optical transmission spectroscopy and elastic recoil detection analysis measurements. The microstructure analysis revealed the porous character of films, which decreases slowly with increasing annealing temperature (TA). The results of Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, and PDS experiments demonstrate that the films below 400°C mainly consist of aromatic cluster component and polymeric component. With increasing TA, the progressive graphitization of the material is accompanied by a high disorder form of Csp2 sites.
Charge trapping properties in TiO2∕HfSiO∕SiO2 gate stacks probed by scanning capacitance microscopy
Authors: Naitou Y. , Arimura H. , Kitano N. , Horie S. , Minami T. , Kosuda M. , Ogiso H. , Hosoi T. , Shimura T. , Watanabe H.
Published: January 2008

The charge-trapping properties of the high-permittivity titanium oxide–hafnium silicate–silicon dioxide (TiO2∕HfSiO∕SiO2) gate stacks have been studied using scanning capacitance microscopy. From the bias stress examination of the gate stacks, we concluded that there were electron traps within the films, and these trap densities increased with an increase in the oxidation temperature used for the fabrication of TiO2 top dielectrics. Furthermore, we found that the distribution of these charged defects was inhomogeneous within the gate stacks. These results are attributed to Ti diffusion through the dielectric layers, which caused electrical defects within the gate stacks.
Magnetism of (Zn,Co)O thin films probed by x-ray absorption spectroscopies
Authors: Rode K. , Mattana R. , Anane A. , Cros V. , Jacquet E. , Contour J.-P. , Petroff F. , Fert A. , Arrio M.-A. , Sainctavit Ph. , Bencok P. , Wilhelm F. , Brookes N. B. , Rogalev A.
Published: January 2008

We report on the electronic and magnetic properties of Co-doped ZnO thin films investigated by x-ray absorption spectroscopies and element selective magnetometry. For a low Co concentration (around 5%), we evidence a paramagnetic phase clearly correlated to Co2+ ions substituted to Zn in the ZnO matrix. For higher Co concentrations (around 25%), we demonstrate the coexistence of both paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phases. The use of advanced element and orbital selective techniques allows us through the distinct spectral signature of Co in ionic or metallic states to assign the ferromagnetic phase to the presence of Co in a metallic state as a consequence of Co metal clustering in our films.
Epitaxial growth of HfO2 doped CeO2 thin films on Si(001) substrates for high-κ application
Authors: Wang Yi , Wei Feng , Yue Shoujing , Yang Zhimin , Du Jun
Published: January 2008

The authors report on the growth and characterization of CeO2 epitaxial films doped with 18at.% HfO2 (HDC) as gate dielectrics for Si technology prepared by ultrahigh vacuum pulsed laser deposition. In situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction and cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveal the formation of an epitaxial HDC/Si structure with (111)HDC‖(001)Si and [110]HDC‖[110]Si orientation relationship. C-V and I-V measurements indicate a dielectric constant κ∼19.5 for HDC film and the leakage current density at 1V gate bias is about four orders of magnitude lower than that of the CeO2 in both 25nm thickness.
Hysteresis mechanisms of pentacene thin-film transistors with polymer/oxide bilayer gate dielectrics
Authors: Hwang D. K. , Oh Min Suk , Hwang Jung Min , Kim Jae Hoon , Im Seongil
Published: January 2008

We have studied the electrical stability of organic poly-4-vinyl phenol (PVP)/inorganic oxide bilayer gate dielectrics for low-voltage pentacene thin-film transistors (TFTs). Curing conditions of spin-cast PVP influence on the drain current-gate bias hysteresis behavior; long term curing reduces the magnitude of the hysteresis, which can also be reduced by decreasing the PVP thickness. The electron charge injection from gate electrode plays as another cause of the electrical hysteresis. These instabilities are categorized into the following three: channel/dielectric interface-induced, slow polarization-induced, and gate charge injection-induced hystereses. By examining the hysteresis behavior of pentacene TFTs with five different combinations of bilayer dielectric, we clarified the instability mechanisms responsible for the electrical hysteresis.
Hydrostatic pressure effects on poly(3-hexylthiophene) thin film transistors
Authors: Schroepfer Dominic D. , Ruden P. Paul , Xia Yu , Frisbie C. Daniel , Shaheen Sean E.
Published: January 2008

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) thin-film transistors are subjected to hydrostatic pressure up to 1GPa. The charge carrier mobility and threshold voltage are extracted from Id-Vgs curves. These parameters change linearly with pressure and retrace upon gradual pressure release. The mobility increases from 0.001to0.004cm2∕Vs, and the threshold voltage falls from 36to2V over the full pressure range. As a result, the current rises with increasing pressure up to 600MPa and then falls as pressure is increased further. The increase in the mobility is attributed to enhanced π-orbital overlap under compression. The change in threshold voltage is interpreted as a modulation of trapped charge density.
Close-packed arrays of transition-edge x-ray microcalorimeters with high spectral resolution at 5.9keV
Authors: Iyomoto N. , Bandler S. R. , Brekosky R. P. , Brown A.-D. , Chervenak J. A. , Finkbeiner F. M. , Kelley R. L. , Kilbourne C. A. , Porter F. S. , Sadleir J. E. , Smith S. J. , Figueroa-Feliciano E.
Published: January 2008

We present measurements of high fill-factor arrays of superconducting transition-edge x-ray microcalorimeters designed to provide rapid thermalization of the x-ray energy. We designed an x-ray absorber that is cantilevered over the sensitive part of the thermometer itself, making contact only at normal-metal features. With absorbers made of electroplated gold, we have demonstrated an energy resolution between 2.4 and 3.1eV at 5.9keV on 13 separate pixels. We have determined the thermal and electrical parameters of the devices throughout the superconducting transition and, using these parameters, have modeled all aspects of the detector performance.
Minimizing photobleaching in fluorescence microscopy by depleting triplet states
Authors: Mondal Partha Pratim
Published: January 2008

A technique for minimizing photobleaching in fluorescence microscopy is proposed. One of the prominent reason for photobleaching is the involvement of metastable triplet states during the excitation-emission process. Photobleaching minimization is achieved by depleting triplet states (T1→S0) employing a depletion pulse just after the excitation pulse thereby resulting in highly populated singlet ground state S0. Thus, the next excitation pulse can cause rapid population inversion (S0→S1) due to the availability of electrons in the ground state. This increases the fraction of population that is undergoing fluorescence (S1→S0), whereas the depletion pulse continuously depletes the triplet states. An interesting phase transition from occupied to unoccupied triplet state is observed. The excitation-depletion cycle is continued throughout the imaging process. The performance of such a system is examined through theoretical calculation and computational study of population dynamics. Substantial reduction in photobleaching of fluorescent molecules such as fluorescein promises several interesting applications in bioimaging, microscopy, and other optical studies.
Theory and experiment of step bunching on misoriented GaAs(001) during metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy
Authors: Chua A. L.-S. , Pelucchi E. , Rudra A. , Dwir B. , Kapon E. , Zangwill A. , Vvedensky D. D.
Published: January 2008

We present experiments and an accompanying theory for the growth modes during metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy on vicinal GaAs(001). Our theory is based on a model that takes account of deposition, diffusion, and dissociation of molecular precursors, and the diffusion and step incorporation of atoms released by the precursors. The experimental conditions for island nucleation and growth, step flow, and step bunching are reproduced by this model, with the step bunching instability caused by the difference in molecular dissociation from above and below step edges.
Microplasma generation in a sealed microfluidic glass chip using a water electrode
Authors: Jo Kyoung-Woo , Kim Man-Geun , Shin Sang-Mo , Lee Jong-Hyun
Published: January 2008

A microplasma was generated in a sealed microfluidic glass chip for the application of the miniaturized chemical detection system, especially for water contaminants. The behavior of a microbubble as well as a microplasma was observed using a 1% NaCl solution with no metal contact in a sealed glass microchannel. A microplasma formed by water contents excluding air or inert gas showed clear emission spectrum in UV, visible, and near IR range. The detection of lead was demonstrated by measuring the intensity of the Pb emission line (at 406nm) with respect to the concentration.
CHARM AND CHARMONIUM: SPECTROSCOPY, PRODUCTION AND DECAYS
Authors: PAKHLOV P. N.
Published: January 2008

Many new results on charm physics were obtained recently. We review of the experimental status in charm and charmonium decay, production and spectroscopy, together with the theoretical interpretations and the open questions.
QCD REVIEW
Authors: MARCHESINI GIUSEPPE
Published: January 2008

This review is focused on QCD theoretical issues and their phenomenological relevance specially for LHC. It is incomplete and mostly neglects the phenomenology of long distance physics.
NEW BES AND CLEO RESULTS
Authors: LI WEIGUO
Published: January 2008

Recent experimental results from BES and CLEO are reviewed, including the hadron spectroscopy from J/ψ decays, decay studies of ψ(2S) and χCJ, the results for D decays and ψ(3770) decays. The future plans for both experiments are also reported.
LIGHT QUARK SPECTROSCOPY
Authors: ZAITSEV A.
Published: January 2008

This report summarizes the results in light quark spectroscopy achieved in last few years. The variety of experimental approaches, from kaon decays to fix target experiments and high statistics studies at e + e - colliders lead to radical progress in this field. Topics of interest include low energy pion pion scattering, scalars, higher excitations in meson spectra and exotics. The impact of these results on the understanding of nonperturbative QCD as well as further prospects are discussed.
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS ON SEARCHES BEYOND THE STANDARD MODEL
Authors: GALLO ELISABETTA
Published: January 2008

Recent results for direct searches for physics beyond the Standard Model are reviewed. The results include Tevatron II data up to 1.2 fb-1 and HERA results up to 350 pb-1. Searches for Supersymmetry, for compositeness and for large extra dimensions are presented. The excess of events with an isolated lepton and high missing transverse momentum at HERA is discussed.
CONCLUSIONS AND OUTLOOK
Authors: RUBAKOV V. A.
Published: January 2008

In this concluding talk at the last pre-LHC ICHEP event, a personal view of what is happening in theory, experiment and to some extent cosmology is given.
A day in the life
Authors: Davison Chris
Published: January 2008

One day filled with the convergence of computers and entertainment
Zero-anaphora resolution by learning rich syntactic pattern features
Authors: Iida Ryu , Inui Kentaro , Matsumoto Yuji
Published: January 2008

We approach the zero-anaphora resolution problem by decomposing it into intrasentential and intersentential zero-anaphora resolution tasks. For the former task, syntactic patterns of zeropronouns and their antecedents are useful clues. Taking Japanese as a target language, we empirically demonstrate that incorporating rich syntactic pattern features in a state-of-the-art learning-based anaphora resolution model dramatically improves the accuracy of intrasentential zero-anaphora, which consequently improves the overall performance of zero-anaphora resolution.
Named entity recognition in Vietnamese using classifier voting
Authors: Thao Pham Thi Xuan , Tri Tran Quoc , Dien Dinh , Collier Nigel
Published: January 2008

Named entity recognition (NER) is one of the fundamental tasks in natural-language processing (NLP). Though the combination of different classifiers has been widely applied in several well-studied languages, this is the first time this method has been applied to Vietnamese. In this article, we describe how voting techniques can improve the performance of Vietnamese NER. By combining several state-of-the-art machine-learning algorithms using voting strategies, our final result outperforms individual algorithms and gained an F-measure of 89.12. A detailed discussion about the challenges of NER in Vietnamese is also presented.
Estimating the selectivity of
tf-idf
based cosine similarity predicates
Authors: Tata Sandeep , Patel Jignesh M.
Published: January 2008

An increasing number of database applications today require sophisticated approximate string matching capabilities. Examples of such application areas include data integration and data cleaning. Cosine similarity has proven to be a robust metric for scoring the similarity between two strings, and it is increasingly being used in complex queries. An immediate challenge faced by current database optimizers is to find accurate and efficient methods for estimating the selectivity of cosine similarity predicates. To the best of our knowledge, there are no known methods for this problem. In this paper, we present the first approach for estimating the selectivity of tf.idf based cosine similarity predicates. We evaluate our approach on three different real datasets and show that our method often produces estimates that are within 40% of the actual selectivity.
Report on the Third International Workshop on XQuery Implementation, Experience and Perspectives (XIME-P 2006)
Authors: Carey Michael , Grust Torsten
Published: January 2008

On June 30, 2006,
XIME-P 2006
, the International Workshop on
XQuery Implementation, Experience and Perspectives
was held. This workshop marks the third event in a workshop series whose primary aim is to shed light on XQuery systems, specification aspects, foundations of the language, and the many perceivable shapes it may take on in the future. Like the two previous workshops of 2004 (Paris) and 2005 (Baltimore), XIME-P 2006 was held as a co-located workshop of the ACM SIGMOD Conference, which this year was held in Chicago, IL, USA. The 2006 edition was co-chaired by Michael Carey and Torsten Grust. The workshop web site can be found at www.ximep-2006.org.
Event report on iiWAS 2006 and MoMM 2006, Yogyakarta, December 2006
Authors: Pardede Eric
Published: January 2008

In this paper, we report on two events held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from 4--6 December 2006. These conferences are the Eight International Conference on Information Integration & Web-Services and Applications (iiWAS 2006) and the Fourth International Conference on Advances in Mobile Computing and Multimedia (MoMM 2006).
Evaluation and Determinants of Underprescription of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents in Pre-Dialysis Patients with Anaemia
Authors: Thilly Nathalie , Stengel Bénédicte , Boini Stéphanie , Villar Emmanuel , Couchoud Cécile , Frimat Luc
Published: January 2008

Background: Inadequate anaemia correction (haemoglobin (Hb) <11 g/dl without receiving an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) is common in pre-dialysis patients, but little is known about its determinants. We used data from the French end-stage renal disease (ESRD) registry to investigate these determinants and the patients’ anaemia status 1 year after starting dialysis. Methods: Pre-dialysis anaemia care was studied in 6,271 incident ESRD patients from 13 regions, who were first treated between 2003 and 2005. Data included pre-dialysis Hb measure and ESA use, patient’s condition and modalities of dialysis initiation. Anaemia status at 1 year was studied in 925 patients from four regions who started dialysis in 2003 and 2004, were still on dialysis one year later, and had completed the annual registry data form. Results: Overall, 34.7% of the patients had inadequate pre-dialysis anaemia correction, with variations across regions from 21.1 to 43.2%. Inadequate anaemia correction decreased from 38.0% in 2003 to 33.2% in 2005. It was less likely in patients with diabetic or polycystic kidney disease and more likely in those with malignancy, unplanned haemodialysis, and low glomerular filtration rate or low serum albumin at dialysis initiation. One year after starting dialysis, inadequate correction concerned only 2.6% of the patients. Hb level had risen from 10.3 g/dl in pre-dialysis to 11.7 g/dl, but remained lower in those with inadequate pre-dialysis correction. Conclusion: Despite improvement over time, inadequate correction with ESAs remains high in pre-dialysis patients in contrast with those on dialysis. As the timing of dialysis initiation is uncertain, continuous management of anaemia is requested.
Epidemiology of Hepatitis B, C, and E Viruses and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections in Tahuna, Sangihe-Talaud Archipelago, Indonesia
Authors: Achwan Wenny Astuti , Muttaqin Zainul , Zakaria Edy , Depamede Sulaiman Amangongu , Mulyanto  , Sumoharjo Suwignyo , Tsuda Fumio , Takahashi Kazuaki , Abe Natsumi , Mishiro Shunji
Published: January 2008

Background/Aims: The epidemiology of hepatitis B, C, and E viruses (HBV, HCV, HEV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been obscure in Indonesia, particularly in its remote areas. Methods: We undertook serological surveys for HBV/HCV/HEV/HIV infections in the general population of Tahuna, the capital city of Sangihe-Talaud Archipelago, an outlier in the northeastern part of Indonesia. Results: Of 581 sera collected in April 2005, 1.4% was reactive for HBsAg, 0.2% for anti-HCV, and 5.9% for anti-HEV, but none for anti-HIV. All the HBsAg-positive sera were also positive for HBV DNA, the nucleotide sequence of which is segregated within subgenotype C5. Most of the preschool children were positive for anti-HBs as a result of an HB immunization initiated in 1997. The titer of anti-HCV in the only individual detected was very low, with a negative result of HCV RNA detection, suggesting a nonspecific reaction. Anti-HEV was significantly more frequent in those over 30 years of age than in the younger age group (24 vs. 1.9%, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Thus, it seems that HCV and HIV have fortunately not made it as far as the Sangihe-Talaud Archipelago. Although HBV infection remains a major problem in adults (with the HBsAg-positive rate at 4.9%), HB immunization has begun to protect the younger generation.
Transcriptional Regulation of Human Papillomavirus Type 18 P105 Promoter by the Co-Activator CBP
Authors: Valencia-Hernández Armando , Cuevas-Bennett Christian , Garrido Efraín
Published: January 2008

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the etiological agents of cervical cancer, with HPV-16 and 18 being the representative types of the higher risk group. The expression of the viral genes with transforming activity (E6 and E7) is controlled by the upstream regulatory region (URR), a segment of the viral genome that contains elements recognized by several transcription factors. Objective: We have analyzed the participation of the cellular co-activator CBP on the transcriptional regulation of the HPV-18 URR. Methods: We generated mutants and 5′ end deletion constructs derived from the HPV-18 URR and evaluated their transcriptional activity performing transient co-transfection assays on C-33A cells with a plasmid that over-expresses the co-activator CBP. We also performed quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation assays to analyze the participation of the co-activator CBP on the HPV-18 P105 promoter. Results: Our results demonstrate that in C-33A cells CBP acts as a strong activator of the HPV-18 P105 promoter by a mechanism that depends on the integrity of the SP1-binding site, directly correlating with the acetylation of the histone H3 that is involved in nucleosomal stability. Conclusion: We propose a mechanism of regulation of the HPV-18 P105 promoter by the cellular co-activator CBP, recruited by the transcription factor SP1.
On the Extreme Variability and Change of Cold-Season Temperatures in Northwest Canada
Authors: Szeto Kit K.
Published: January 2008

The Mackenzie River basin (MRB) in northwestern Canada is a climatologically important region that exerts significant influences on the weather and climate of North America. The region exhibits the largest cold-season temperature variability in the world on both the intraseasonal and interannual time scales. In addition, some of the strongest recent warming signals have been observed over the basin. To understand the nature of these profound and intriguing observed thermal characteristics of the region, its atmospheric heat budget is assessed by using the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis dataset. The composite heat budgets and large-scale atmospheric conditions that are representative of anomalous winters in the region are examined in unison to study the processes that are responsible for the development of extreme warm/cold winters in the MRB. It is shown that the large winter temperature variability of the region is largely a result of the strong variability of atmospheric circulations over the North Pacific, the selective enhancement/weakening of latent heating of the cross-barrier flow for various onshore flow configurations, and synoptic-scale feedback processes that accentuate the thermal response of the basin to the changes in upwind conditions. The improved understanding of mechanisms that govern the thermal response of the basin to changes in the upstream environment provides a theoretical basis to interpret the climate change and modeling results for the region. In particular, the large recent warming trend observed for the region can be understood as the enhanced response of the basin to the shift in North Pacific circulation regime during the mid-1970s. The strong cold bias that affected the region in some climate model results can be attributed to the underprediction of orographic precipitation and associate latent heating of the cross-barrier flow, and the subsequent weakening of mean subsidence and warming over the basin in the models.
Origin of Pacific Multidecadal Variability in Community Climate System Model, Version 3 (CCSM3): A Combined Statistical and Dynamical Assessment
Authors: Zhong Yafang , Liu Zhengyu , Jacob R.
Published: January 2008

Observations indicate that Pacific multidecadal variability (PMV) is a basinwide phenomenon with robust tropical–extratropical linkage, though its genesis remains the topic of much debate. In this study, the PMV in the Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3) is investigated with a combined statistical and dynamical approach. In agreement with observations, the modeled North Pacific climate system undergoes coherent multidecadal atmospheric and oceanic variability of a characteristic quasi-50-yr time scale, with apparent connections to the tropical Indo-Pacific.

The statistical assessment based on the CCSM3 control integration cannot exclusively identify the origin of the modeled multidecadal linkage, while confirming the two-way interactions between the tropical and extratropical Pacific. Two sensitivity experiments are performed to further investigate the origin of the PMV. With the atmosphere decoupled from the tropical ocean, multidecadal variability in the North Pacific climate remains outstanding. In contrast, without midlatitude oceanic feedback to atmosphere, an experiment shows much reduced multidecadal power in both extratropical atmosphere and surface ocean; moreover, the tropical multidecadal variability seen in the CCSM3 control run virtually disappears. The combined statistical and dynamical assessment supports a midlatitude coupled origin for the PMV, which can be described as follows: extratropical large-scale air–sea interaction gives rise to multidecadal variability in the North Pacific region; this extratropical signal then imprints itself in the tropical Indo–Pacific climate system, through a robust tropical–extratropical teleconnection. This study highlights a midlatitude origin of multidecadal tropical–extratropical linkage in the Pacific in the CCSM3.
On the Assessment of Nonlocal Climate Feedback. Part I: The Generalized Equilibrium Feedback Assessment*
Authors: Liu Zhengyu , Wen Na , Liu Yun
Published: January 2008

A statistical method is developed to assess the full climate feedback of nonlocal climate feedbacks. The method is a multivariate generalization of the univariate equilibrium feedback assessment (EFA) method of Frankignoul et al. As a pilot study here, the generalized EFA (GEFA) is applied to the assessment of the feedback response of sea surface temperature (SST) on surface heat flux in a simple ocean–atmosphere model that includes atmospheric advection. It is shown that GEFA can capture major features of nonlocal climate feedback and sheds light on the dynamics of the atmospheric response, as long as the spatial resolution (or spatial degree of freedom) is not very high.

Given a sample size, sampling error tends to increase significantly with the spatial resolution of the data. As a result, useful estimates of the feedback can only be obtained at sufficiently low resolution. The sampling error is also found to increase significantly with the spatial scale of the atmospheric forcing and, in turn, the SST variability. This implies the potential difficulty in distinguishing the nonlocal feedbacks arising from small-scale SST variability. These deficiencies call for further improvements on the assessment methods for nonlocal climate feedbacks.
Machiavelli's “new prince” and the Primordial Moment of Acquisition
Authors: Breiner Peter
Published: January 2008

Commentators have frequently noted the discrepancy in il Principe between the figure of the new prince and the impossibility of exemplifying him. Against interpretations that claim Machiavelli's text either traps a prince in a web of self-destructive advice or destabilizes the very political knowledge it provides, the author argues that it uses the figure of the new prince to locate us in the primordial moment of acquisition of political power, a moment that is never overcome but is constantly replayed in maintaining states and beneath established institutions. Thus given the impossibility for a new prince to ever get beyond “the primordial moment of acquisition,” there can be no overall theoretical resolution to this tension, and thus no closure to this text. Therefore the text addresses a reader—actor who has to assemble the maxims and examples in light of the necessities governing primordial acquisition as they play out in his/her historical location.
Controlling Health Care Costs
Authors: Havighurst Clark C.
Published: January 2008

The Council on Wage and Price Stability recently has discovered evidence suggesting “an unacknowledged potential of the private sector to exert influence and control in the area of health care cost inflation.” This article examines the limitations on private-sector cost-control efforts and suggests actions which would permit and encourage private decision makers to be more effective. In particular, private health insurers' potential role in cost control is explored, and some promising insurer strategies are adumbrated. Carefully designed coverage limitations and plan-initiated reviews to exclude nonessential care from coverage are suggested, together with wider use of fixed indemnity payments or negotiated fees and charges (instead of paying usual and customary rates or incurred costs). Among the steps needed to permit insurers to provide this added service to cost-conscious customers is enforcement of the antitrust laws to prevent doctors' organized resistance to unwanted measures. In general, it is argued that private-sector efforts are likely to be more effective than government-sponsored controls as well as more appropriate in a pluralistic society.
Health Plan Selection in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
Authors: Schuttinga James A. , Falik Marilyn , Steinwald Bruce
Published: January 2008

A survey of over 8,500 employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) during the May 1982 open season, supplemented by enrollment data for all DHHS employees enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), was used to study insurance plan selection when multiple fee-for-service options as well as HMOs are available. There is evidence of biased selection of health risks in the FEHBP, yet historically the program has exhibited considerable stability. The stability may be attributable partly to control over entry and over changes in benefits and premiums and partly to inertia on the part of enrollees. In spite of large changes in relative premiums and benefits, only 21 percent of all enrollees in the DHHS switched plans during the May 1982 open season. Those employees who did switch plans astutely identified bargains; on average they lowered their annual contribution to premium by almost 40 percent while maintaining the level of benefits. Insurance plans offering relatively generous coverage of a particular service attract a disproportionately high share of enrollees who expect substantial use of that service. The extent of adverse or beneficial selection into HMOs depends on the price and the comprehensiveness of benefits of each available fee-for-service option.
Legal and Scientific Probability of Causation of Cancer and Other Environmental Disease in Individuals
Authors: Brennan Troyen A. , Carter Robert F.
Published: January 2008

How to evaluate and apply probabilistic scientific evidence that cancer (or other diseases) have been caused by chemical substances (or other environmental agents) constitutes a critical problem which must be addressed by legal institutions. This article analyzes the basis of the current scientific concepts of causation and the means of incorporating epidemiological and statistical evidence of causation into the legal process, primarily with respect to cases of harm to individuals. Experiments with and adjustments of the legal system to effect an adequate accommodation of such probabilistic evidence are suggested.
Medicaid Reform: Programming Solutions to the Equity Problem
Authors: Stuart Bruce , Reutzel Edward , Reutzel Thomas
Published: January 2008

This paper demonstrates the application of a mathematical programming model to a longstanding policy issue in the Medicaid reform debate: the redistribution of program funds necessary to achieve equity in eligibility and benefit coverage across states. The model is used to estimate the potential degree of equity achievable in the current Medicaid system given various budgetary and political constraints. Two model simulations, based on a 1979 data set for aged recipients of Supplementary Security Income, are presented. The results indicate that half or more of the interstate differences in spending for this population group are due to actuarial and efficiency factors rather than deviations from equity potential. The implications of eliminating the remaining differences are discussed.
Medicare Prospective Payment: Anticipated Effect on Hospitals, Other Community Agencies, and Families
Authors: Newcomer Robert , Wood Juanita , Sankar Andrea
Published: January 2008

The switch to prospective payment for hospitals under Medicare is expected to have ramifications in a number of different areas. This paper addresses a select number of those areas: hospital organization and management, other community agencies, and families. Questions are raised as to the capacity to provide adequate care in response to the increased demand for care outside the hospital setting that will result from the new payment system.
Caring for the Elderly: A European Perspective on Today and Tomorrow
Authors: Culyer A. J. , Birch Stephen
Published: January 2008

There is always a temptation to suppose that one's own problems (whether personal or national) are unique. They rarely are. The “problem” of the elderly is no exception and so there is no particular point in looking to the specific characteristics of one's own health, social service, and social security systems for causes. There is, however, every reason to be looking at them for the consequences. They can also exacerbate the causes. In this paper we sketch the principal features (economic, social, and demographic) that have contributed to the “problem” of the elderly in Europe and then outline the main intellectual issues that need to be explored and resolved. That sounds a bit pompous but, if one is to avoid an intellectual morass consisting of the various assertions about needs, obligations, and so on that emanate from rival concerned parties and various professional interests on the one hand, and simplistic political slogans whose only virtue is that they cut the Gordian Knot (but provide no real enlightenment) on the other, then we need to be doing just this.

We shall take a few things for granted: that cost-containment is not the be-all-and-end-all of policy; that value for money depends equally on what you get as on what you spend; that overall expenditure per head is mainly determined by income per head (though some countries have managed to get and stay below the regression line); and that it “ain't so” that all one needs to do is to “leave it to the market.” To have justified each of these would have taken too much space so we can only assert them and trust that, in swallowing these camels, you won't strain at the gnats to come.
The Impact of Health Maintenance Organizations and Competition on Hospitals in Minneapolis/St. Paul
Authors: Johnson Allan N. , Aquilina David
Published: January 2008

The Healthcare Educational and Research Foundation (HERF) in Minneapolis undertook a two-year research project to study the effects of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and competition on the hospital industry in Minneapolis/St. Paul. This article summarizes HERF's major findings surrounding three key questions: (1) do the HMOs in Minneapolis/St. Paul use fewer hospital resources relative to conventional payers?; (2) do recent overall community trends in inpatient use suggest evidence of hospital utilization-reducing effects attributable to HMOs?; and (3) given the highly visible competitive process among Minneapolis/St. Paul providers, do hospital cost and revenue data suggest any evidence of cost-containment? The findings (based on data through 1982) indicate that for comparable patients, Twin Cities HMOs appear to use fewer medical care resources per hospitalized patient. There was, however, no clear evidence of community-wide, utilization-reducing effects directly attributable to the “competitive effect” of HMO introduction and development in the market. In addition, there was no empirical evidence that HMOs (which had enrolled 25 percent of the consumer market by 1982), or other large buyers of inpatient services, have selected hospitals on the basis of price as hypothesized by competition advocates.
Problems with Expanding Medicaid for the Uninsured
Authors: Buck Jeffrey A. , Kamlet Mark S.
Published: January 2008

Many proposals for financing health care for the uninsured recommend expanding the Medicaid program. They often advocate extending Medicaid to all those under the poverty level and standardizing program benefits. However, the proposals have ignored important problems that must be resolved if the plans are to be successfully implemented, the most serious being the fiscal impacts that such proposals would have on states. The current Medicaid matching formula fails to reflect either the size of a state's Medicaid program or its ability to pay for it. As a result, the proportional fiscal effort that expansion proposals would require of states would greatly exceed that required of the federal government. Additionally, the fiscal impact would vary widely and have little relationship to a state's current Medicaid program generosity. Besides fiscal problems, significant differences exist between Medicaid and private plans in the areas of benefits, cost sharing, managed care, cost containment, and provider payment. Under a national system of health care, these differences would limit program economies, and create problems with perceived equity, continuity of care, and migration effects.
Dogmatic Slumbers: American Business and Health Policy
Authors: Brown Lawrence D.
Published: January 2008

For more than a decade students of health policy have predicted a revolution waged by corporate purchasers of health care who would rise in demand of public policy cures for increasing and burdensome health care costs. This forecast has been largely disappointed, however, as the business sector has remained oddly diffident in its demands for health policy reform. There are three reasons for business's reticence—the economic stakes of the corporate sector in health reform are uncertain, organizational encumbrances hamper business activism in this arena, and ideological convictions make business wary of governmental solutions. Although business is sometimes said to manipulate the policy process for its own material ends, in the health sphere the most likely road to reform may reverse this image: a newly activist federal government may have to mobilize business support for reforms that advance both corporate interests and larger social goals.
Together Again: Business, Government, and the Quest for Cost Control
Authors: Martin Cathie Jo
Published: January 2008

Corporate America leads the pack in the collective anxiety attack over health care costs. But will the business community add its considerable political power to the movement for national health reform? Conventional wisdom suggests not: businessmen seldom rally for collective concerns, have traditionally been biased against government action, and have diverse interests. This article guardedly offers grounds for greater optimism about corporate participation, arguing that the proper institutional context can help businessmen to see their preferences as consistent with health reform. Business groups have already proven critical to the issue development stage, where a dedicated group of corporate health reformists were key to getting reform on the national agenda. Business may also respond to strong leadership from President Clinton and assist in the legislation of national health reform. Yet the price of this corporate support is a decidedly conservative slant to the proposed legislation.
The Courts, Health Care Reform, and the Reconstruction of American Social Legislation
Authors: Rosenblatt Rand E.
Published: January 2008

Because of budgetary and other political pressures. American health care reform (and other social reform) legislation is often not enforced, or is implemented in ways that undermine its egalitarian goals. About 25 years ago the federal courts began to try to reduce this gap between statutory promise and policy reality by interpreting federal funding laws as creating rights for their ultimate beneficiaries, including low-income patients and the providers who serve them. This major innovation in the concept of legal rights was confirmed by hundreds of judicial decisions and accepted by Congress itself. Over the past few years, however, a new Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, has issued opinions denying that such rights exist and vastly increasing agency power to reduce important statutory provisions to virtually meaningless formalities. Thus, at the very moment that national health care reform is prominent on the political agenda, the federal courts are abandoning a rights-enforcing role that may be critical for the reform's success. This article explains the struggle around the courts' rights-enforcing role, defends the role, and suggests ways that it can be maintained even if the courts themselves are not currently in a good position to fulfill it.
Universal Health Insurance That Really Works: Foreign Lessons for the United States
Authors: Glaser William A.
Published: January 2008

The United States has serious and worsening problems in the delivery and financing of health. The debate about reform has inspired many schemes that are persuasive in their presentation, but they are unrealistic: some cannot be enacted by Congress, others would not improve existing arrangements, most are imaginary inventions with uncertain outcomes. The most politically prudent and the most effective course is to emulate the methods used successfully and available for full analysis in other developed countries. America created its successful social security system in this fashion, and statutory health insurance should be added now. All or most groups would be required to join. Financing would come from social security payroll taxes, supplemented by government subsidies. Basic acute care services would be equally available to all. The existing insurance companies would remain as fiscal intermediaries. Doctors and hospitals would continue to work much as they do now. They would prosper from more utilization, few bad debts, and less administrative trouble. The payment and work of doctors would be governed by collective negotiations between the insurance carriers and the medical associations. The payment and work of hospitals would be governed by a mixture of government regulations and negotiations with the carriers. Costs would be controlled by coordinated decision making by the payers, the providers, and government. The system would not turn over services and financing to government.
The Health Care Bureaucracy: Small Changes, Big Consequences
Authors: Morone James A.
Published: January 2008

Administrative changes have been reshaping health policy for the past decade. One consequence is a more constrained medical profession. Another is a more powerful health care bureaucracy. Most industrialized nations have called on democratic principles to balance professional norms; in contrast, Americans are developing a distinctly bureaucratic health care regime. This article suggests why and explores the ramifications for both the politics of health care and the practice of medicine.
The Economics of Moral Values
Authors: Slaby Andrew E. , Tancredi Laurence R.
Published: January 2008

This paper attempts to determine the extent to which the growing acceptance of deviant behaviors (sexual, sumptuary, and regarding abortion and euthanasia) is related to economic considerations and to draw out some of the attendant implications for health policy in light of notions of social justice. The analysis suggests that economic factors are very influential if not determining variables in this relationship and that they may conflict with “higher-order values” such as human dignity and respect for human life as bases for policy formulation, particularly with respect to the care of the elderly.
Professionalism and Accountability
Authors: Stone Deborah
Published: January 2008

This paper examines the new Professional Standards Review Organizations (PSROs) program in light of a similar program (“Economic Monitoring”) that has been used in West Germany for over forty years. In the first section the PSRO program is described as government-mandated peer review by professional organizations, and is compared with that of the West German system. The second section argues that the PSROs are likely to strengthen the organization of established medicine, to increase the bargaining power of professional organizations, and to further insulate professional behavior from public scrutiny. The third section describes some of the effects of bureaucratic rigidities in peer review on the practice of medicine: the preservation of old technologies, the development of fixed patterns of practice, and the strengthening of the technical and interventionist biases in medical care. The final section evaluates the PSRO program as a complete delegation of congressional authority and a failure of Congress to set any rules for the development and application of norms and standards. The lack of any mechanism for accountability of the PSROs to public values and choices is emphasized.
The Effect of Physician-Controlled Health Insurance
Authors: Goldberg Lawrence G. , Greenberg Warren
Published: January 2008

The trial record in an antitrust case against the Oregon State Medical Society, finally decided in 1952, was examined to reconstruct the behavior of a competitive market for health insurance coverage. Health insurers, called “hospital associations,” were found to have engaged individually in cost-control efforts similar to, but possibly more aggressive than, today's utilization review under professional sponsorship. The subsequent disappearance of these insurer-initiated cost controls in Oregon is traced to the medical society's organization of a competing Blue Shield plan as a model of insurer conduct and to a simultaneous boycott by physicians of the hospital associations as long as they persisted in questioning doctors' practices. Some modern parallels are noted, and the advantages of fostering privately sponsored cost-control efforts are suggested.