bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incorporation of hydrogen in porous silicon nanocrystallites
Authors: Lysenko V. , Alekseev S. , Botsoa J. , Barbier D.
Published: April 2007

Quantitative measurements of hydrogen concentration in porous silicon (PS) nanostructures reveal hydrogen incorporation inside the silicon nanocrystallites constituting the porous layers. We propose a phenomenological model in which the main cause responsible for hydrogen incorporation is the plastic deformation of silicon nanocrystallites accompanying their formation during the electrochemical anodization of monocrystalline Si and resulting in partial rupture of Si–Si bonds. Nanocrystallite dimension and layer porosity influence this relaxation phenomenon resulting in different concentrations of the incorporated hydrogen. A particular effect of such phenomenon is the almost complete transformation of highly porous Si consisting of small nanoparticles in a binary solid composite constituted by Si and H atoms. The impact of hydrogen incorporation on the photoluminescent properties of PS nanostructures is discussed. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Macropore growth in a prepatterned p‐type silicon wafer
Authors: Kobayashi K. , Harraz F. A. , Izuo S. , Sakka T. , Ogata Y. H.
Published: April 2007

The formation process of ordered macropores in a prepatterned p‐type silicon wafer was investigated. FE‐SEM observation focusing on the early stage of the pore growth clarified the two‐step process of macropore formation, whose first step was isotropic pore expansion from prepared etch pits and the second was anisotropic growth in the depth direction. Investigation using different etch‐pit patterns revealed that ordered macropores with constant diameters were obtained when the spacing of etch pits was 3–8 μm, while the spacing of 2 μm resulted in the pore‐wall collapse. The diameter and the wall thickness of macropores showed a tendency to decrease with decreasing the spacing of prepared etch pits, which could not be explained only from the width of the space‐charge region. The resistance distribution in a silicon substrate was proposed as a parameter playing a crucial role in determination of the wall thickness. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Formation of confined macroporous silicon membranes on pre‐defined areas on the Si substrate
Authors: Pagonis D. N. , Nassiopoulou A. G.
Published: April 2007

In this work we investigated the formation of confined macroporous silicon membranes on pre‐defined areas on the silicon substrate. Two different cases were considered: a) membranes supported by the silicon substrate and b) membranes suspended over a cavity on Si. The confined areas were defined lithographically and porous silicon formation took place at mask openings. The main difficulty to overcome was to avoid trenching and silicon over‐etching at mask borders, related with the masking technology used. An appropriate masking technology was developed and used to fabricate a) single macroporous and b) bilayers of macroporous over mesoporous silicon. In the second case, by selectively removing the mesoporous layer, suspended confined macroporous silicon membranes over a cavity on the silicon substrate were fabricated. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Brillouin light scattering from porous silicon films and multilayers
Authors: Andrews G. T. , Polomska A. M. , Vazsonyi E. , Volk J.
Published: April 2007

Porous silicon films and multilayers were studied using Brillouin spectroscopy. Acoustic wave velocities and elastic constants were determined for films with porosity ∼0.60 formed from p–, p+ and n+ crystalline silicon. The velocities and elastic constants depend on the pore/crystallite geometry and morphology. Porous silicon multilayers were fabricated from (100) p+ crystalline silicon. For a multilayer with 250 nm layer thickness and layer porosity sequence of 0.45/0.65/0.45/0.65/0.45, the Rayleigh surface phonon velocity was found to be 2850 m/s. The origin(s) of other peaks in the multilayer spectra are unknown but it is unlikely that they are surface modes because their shift(s) are independent of incident angle. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Pores growth control by in‐situ FFT impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Foca E. , Carstensen J. , Popkirov G. , Föll H.
Published: April 2007

Fast Fourier transform impedance electrochemical spectroscopy (FFT EIS) and photoelectrochemical impedance spectroscopy (FFT‐PEIS) have been used for the first time to characterize in‐situ the dynamics of macropore growth in n‐type Si under backside illumination. In the case of PEIS the illumination intensity was modulated and the response of the etching current (at constant voltage) was measured, thus an impedance‐like transfer function was obtained. A theoretical model taking into account the minority carrier diffusion in the semiconductor and the ion diffusion in the electrolyte successfully fit the impedance data from both EIS and PEIS. From the fit quantitative data, for example the pore depth or the diffusion length of the minority carriers, could be calculated in‐situ and in real time during the pore growth. The new technique can be used as feedback for active control in automated pore etching. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Formation of metal wire arrays via electrodeposition in pores of Si, Ge and III–V semiconductors
Authors: Fang C. , Foca E. , Sirbu L. , Carstensen J. , Föll H. , Tiginyanu I. M.
Published: April 2007

Deep straight macropores in n‐type Si have been completely filled with copper (Cu). Homogeneous metal deposition inside the deep pores was achieved by means of electroplating using a solution containing only CuSO4 mixed with H2SO4 and an optimized process that begins at the bottom of the pores. Pores as deep as 150 µm could be filled without encountering the so‐called “bottleneck” effect. Straight macropores with diameters below 100 nm and extreme aspect ratios in InP could be filled with Cu using a pulsed process. Interconnected pores extending in the available set of 〈111〉 directions in {100} GaAs and forming domains could not be filled with Cu; instead the volume occupied by the pore domain was completely filled with Cu; i.e. the porous structure was destroyed. A possible reason for this new effect will be given. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A simplified biomolecule attachment strategy for biosensing using a porous Si oxide interferometer
Authors: Perelman Loren A. , Schwartz Michael P. , Wohlrab Aaron M. , VanNieuwenhze Michael S. , Sailor Michael J.
Published: April 2007

A simple strategy for linking biomolecules to porous Si surfaces and detecting peptide/drug binding is described. Porous Si is prepared using an electrochemical etch and then thermally oxidized by heating in ambient atmosphere. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is then non‐covalently adsorbed to the inner pore walls of the porous Si oxide (PSiO2) matrix. The BSA layer is used as a linker for covalent attachment of the peptide Ac‐L‐Lysine‐D‐Alanine‐D‐Alanine (KAA) using published bioconjugation chemistry. BSA‐coated surfaces functionalized with KAA display specificity for the glycopeptide vancomycin while resisting adsorption of non‐specific reagents. While the biomolecule attachment strategy reported here is used to bind peptides, the scheme can be generalized to the linking of any primary amine‐containing molecule to PSiO2 surfaces. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Nanostructures and porous silicon: activity at interfaces in sensors and photocatalytic reactors
Authors: Gole James L. , Lewis Stephen , Lee Seungwoo
Published: April 2007

Nanopore covered microporous porous silicon (PS) interfaces have been formed to provide an active scaffolding for the creation of sensor and microreactor configurations. Rapidly responding (≤2s), reversible, and sensitive (≤2 ppm), PS gas sensors, operating at room temperature, and based on a uniquely formed highly efficient electrical contract to the nanopore covered microporous array, are modified by introducing active nanoparticles to establish gas selectivity. In a complementary manner, active sites can be introduced for the purpose of forming a nanostructure based microreactor. Pulsing techniques and FFT analysis allow the gas response of the sensors to be measured, without saturation, and filtered on a drifting baseline to eliminate false positives and the effects of external noise. TiO2–x N x visible light absorbing photocatalysts are introduced to quartz surfaces and to the PS structure for the purpose of creating a microreactor and subsequently to form the preconditioner for a solar pumped sensor. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
An integrated pressure‐driven microsystem based on porous silicon for optical monitoring of gaseous and liquid substances
Authors: De Stefano L. , Alfieri D. , Rea I. , Rotiroti L. , Malecki K. , Moretti L. , Della Corte F. G. , Rendina I.
Published: April 2007

In this communication, the design and the fabrication of a silicon‐glass microsystem for lab‐on‐chip sensing applications have been reported. Each component has been realised using wet etch process and the porous silicon (PSi) technology, while the final device has been obtained intimately joining all elements by the Anodic Bonding (AB) process. The flow injection analysis (FIA) principle has been adopted in the microfluidic manipulation of the analyte samples: very small volume of the substances can be quickly and repeatedly monitored. The transducer element of the sensor device is a PSi Fabry–Perot monolayer which allows a very effective interaction with several chemicals and biological molecules. Time resolved measurements revealed very rapid response times in detecting some volatile substances. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
New transport phenomena probed by dielectric spectroscopy of oxidized and non‐oxidized porous silicon
Authors: Urbach B. , Axelrod E. , Sa'ar A.
Published: April 2007

Dielectric spectroscopy accompanied by infrared (IR) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy have been utilized to reveal the correlation between transport, optical and structural properties of oxidized porous silicon (PS). Three relaxation processes at low‐, mid‐ and high‐temperatures were observed, including dc‐conductivity at high‐temperatures. Both the low‐T relaxation and the dc conductivity were found to be thermally activated processes that invlove tunneling and hopping in between the nanocrystals in oxidized PS. We have found that the dc‐conductivity is limited by geometrical constrictions along the transport channels, which are not effected by the oxidation process and are characterized by activation energis of about ∼0.85 eV. The low‐T relaxation process involves thermal activation followed by tunneling in between neighbor nanocrystals, with somewhat lower activation energies. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Porous silica–laser dye composite: physical and optical properties
Authors: Chouket A. , Elhouichet H. , Boukherroub R. , Oueslati M.
Published: April 2007

The optical properties of rhodamine B dye molecules confined in porous silica are reported. Porous silica–laser dye composite is obtained by simple impregnation of porous silica (PS) in rhodamine B (RhB) solution. The FTIR spectroscopy shows penetration of rhodamine molecules in the matrix. A nonradiative excitation transfer due to dipolar interaction is evidenced from the effect of the RhB concentration on the PL emission and confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. It was found that the formed composite displays an efficient and stable PL. An anti‐Stokes emission is observed and its origin is attributed to chemical species interactions with one photon absorption. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
An off‐line design method of compensation law for constrained linear systems
Authors: Hara Naoyuki , Kojima Akira
Published: April 2007

This paper deals with a design method of compensation law for linear constrained systems. By employing singular value decomposition of linear systems, we provide a design method of compensation law which fulfils system constraints. The feature of resulting compensation law is illustrated with numerical examples. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Control of nonholonomic systems with uncertainties via second‐order sliding modes
Authors: Ferrara Antonella , Giacomini Luisa , Vecchio Claudio
Published: April 2007

The problem of controlling a class of nonholonomic systems affected by uncertainties is addressed in this paper. The idea is to apply the so‐called second‐order sliding mode control methodology. The crucial point is the necessity of reformulating the system model so as to make the uncertain terms appear in matched form. To this end, a suitable change of coordinates is performed and a peculiar sliding manifold is designed upon which a second‐order sliding mode is enforced. Apart from the robustness features, typical of the sliding mode approach, the proposed law has the advantage of being continuous, thus more acceptable in some applications such as those of mechanical nature. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unconditional efficient one‐sided confidence limits for the odds ratio based on conditional likelihood
Authors: Lloyd Chris J. , Moldovan Max V.
Published: April 2007

We compare various one‐sided confidence limits for the odds ratio in a 2 × 2 table. The first group of limits relies on first‐order asymptotic approximations and includes limits based on the (signed) likelihood ratio, score and Wald statistics. The second group of limits is based on the conditional tilted hypergeometric distribution, with and without mid‐P correction. All these limits have poor unconditional coverage properties and so we apply the general transformation of Buehler (J. Am. Statist. Assoc. 1957; 52:482–493) to obtain limits which are unconditionally exact. The performance of these competing exact limits is assessed across a range of sample sizes and parameter values by looking at their mean size. The results indicate that Buehler limits generated from the conditional likelihood have the best performance, with a slight preference for the mid‐P version. This confidence limit has not been proposed before and is recommended for general use, especially when the underlying probabilities are not extreme. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On natural frequencies and eigenmodes of a linear vibration system
Authors: Müller P.C. , Hou M.
Published: April 2007

For conservative linear chain‐structured mass‐spring vibration systems with n degrees of freedom, the conjecture of Mikota [1] on the natural frequencies is verified. In addition, the eigenvalue/eigenvector problem of a related square root matrix is solved.
Probing the nucleotide binding and phosphorylation by the histidine kinase of a novel three‐protein two‐component system from Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Shrivastava Rashmi , Ghosh Ananta Kumar , Das Amit Kumar
Published: April 2007

The two‐component signal transduction system from Mycobacterium tuberculosis bears a unique three‐protein system comprising of two putative histidine kinases (HK1 and HK2) and one response regulator TcrA. By sequence analysis, HK1 is found to be an adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP) binding protein, similar to the nucleotide‐binding domain of homologous histidine kinases, and HK2 is a unique histidine containing phosphotransfer (HPt)‐mono‐domain protein. HK1 is expected to interact with and phosphorylate HK2. Here, we show that HK1 binds 2′(3′)‐O‐(2,4,6‐trinitrophenyl)adenosine 5′‐triphosphate monolithium trisodium salt and ATP with a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio. The ATPase activity of HK1 in the presence of HK2 was measured, and phosphorylation experiments suggested that HK1 acts as a functional kinase and phosphorylates HK2 by interacting with it. Further phosphorylation studies showed transfer of a phosphoryl group from HK2 to the response regulator TcrA. These results indicate a new mode of interaction for phosphotransfer between the two‐component system proteins in bacteria.
Cerebrovascular disease and dementia: A primate model of hypertension and cognition
Authors: Moss Mark B. , Jonak Elizabeth
Published: April 2007

There is growing epidemiologic evidence that cardiovascular risk factors such as high serum cholesterol and hypertension are also risk factors for cognitive decline and/or dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. But exactly how these different risk factors are linked to cognition is unclear. One way to address these correlations is by using animal models of cardiovascular disease. Many such models are available, but perhaps none is better suited to studying human cognition than non‐human primate models. This article describes a rhesus monkey aorta coarctation model of hypertension and demonstrates how this might prove to be a very valuable model for studying the effect of hypertension on cognition.
Late Quaternary and current deformation in the western Tunka system of basins: evidence from structural geomorphology and seismology
Authors: Arzhannikova A.V. , Melnikova V.I. , Radziminovich N.A.
Published: April 2007

Integrated seismological and structural geomorphological studies of the western Tunka system of basins in the southwestern Baikal rift show that the historic seismicity reflects the general Late Quaternary evolution trend of structures. Crustal deformation occurs mainly as transpression. Compression follows block boundaries and the northern mountainous borders of basins, whereas extension acts upon basin inner parts which remain in “tectonic shadow” during left-lateral strike-slip motions on W-E faults. Principal stresses inferred from earthquake mechanisms are most often a combination of horizontal NW extension and oblique or vertical compression in the basins and vertical extension with horizontal NE compression in the bordering ridges and along block boundaries. The general deformation style in the region is dominated by strike-slip faulting, and compression (shortening) dominates over extension.
Estimating under-reporting of energy intake in dietary surveys using an individualised method
Authors: Rennie Kirsten L. , Coward Andy , Jebb Susan A.
Published: April 2007

Under-reporting (UR) of energy intake (EI) by self-reported dietary methods is well-documented but the methods used to estimate UR in population-based studies commonly assume a sedentary lifestyle. We compared estimated UR using individualised estimates of energy requirements with a population cut-off based on minimum energy needs. UR was estimated for 1551 adults aged 19–64 years enrolled in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Physical activity diaries and 7 d weighed dietary records were completed concurrently. Mean daily EI (kJ/d) was calculated from the dietary records. Reported physical activity was used to assign each subject's activity level, and then to calculate estimated energy requirements (EER) from published equations. UR was calculated both as EER – EI with an adjustment for daily EER and EI variation, and also by a population method. By the individual method UR was approximately 27 % of energy needs in men and 29 % in women, with 75 % of men and 77 % of women classified as under-reporters; by the population method 80 and 88 % were classified as under-reporters respectively. When subjects who reported their eating being affected by dieting or illness during dietary recording were excluded, UR was 25 % of energy needs in both sexes. UR was higher in overweight and obese men and women compared with their lean counterparts (P < 0·001). UR of EI must be considered in dietary surveys. The EER method allows UR to be quantified and takes into account an individual's activity level. Measures of physical activity and questions to identify under-eating during dietary recording may help to evaluate secular trends in UR.
Cambrian trilobites from Brzechów, Holy Cross Mountains (Poland) and their significance in stratigraphic correlation and biogeographic reconstructions
Authors: ŻYLIŃSKA ANNA , MASIAK MONIKA
Published: April 2007

A revision of the trilobite fauna from Brzechów in the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland) shows that the assemblage consists of Palaeolenus medius (Bednarczyk), Issafeniella orlowinensis (Samsonowicz), Kingaspidoides sanctacrucensis (Czarnocki), Paradoxides (Acadoparadoxides) oelandicus Sjögren, P. (A.) cf. mureroensis Sdzuy and P. (A.) sp. It is earliest Middle Cambrian in age according to the West Gondwana standard of Geyer & Landing (2004) and can be correlated with the Cephalopyge notabilis Zone of Morocco. Moreover, the co-occurrence of the ranges of P. (A.) oelandicus with P. (A.) cf. mureroensis might suggest that P. (A.) oelandicus appears earlier in the Brzechów sandstones than in Scandinavia, thus the strata exposed here do not find their correlative in the Scandinavian succession. As a result, the Banian/Agdzian boundary (Lower–Middle Cambrian boundary according to the West Gondwana standard) probably lies within the Kamieniec Formation, and also below the Brzechów sandstones, in the upper part of the Ociesęki Formation. Close similarity of the discussed assemblage with contemporaneous assemblages from Morocco, Jordan or New Brunswick indicates that the fauna is generally of peri-Gondwanan and Gondwanan aspect.
God, pilgrimage, and acknowledgement of place
Authors: WYNN MARK
Published: April 2007

The paper seeks to address three objections to pilgrimage practices – they are tied to superstitious beliefs (except where they are seen as simply an aid to the imagination), imply a crude experiential or emotional understanding of the nature of faith, and rest upon a primitive conception of divine localizability. In responding to these objections, I argue that the religious significance of places is not reducible to their contribution to religious imagination, experience or understanding. In this sense, relationship to God is not just a matter of thought, but of location.
Salvation without belief
Authors: SPEAK DANIEL
Published: April 2007

In the Christian tradition, it is rather natural to assume that a person can receive salvation only if she believes that certain crucial and relevant propositions are true. Louis Pojman has, however, attacked this assumption. He has formulated what I call the ‘ethics’ argument against the claim that belief is necessary for salvation. After explicating this argument, I complain that it is based on an unnecessarily controversial premise and that it proves too little. I then construct a parallel argument to the same conclusion that avoids the concerns I raise against Pojman. This new argument depends principally on two intuitive ideas: that ‘ought’ implies ‘can’ and that belief is not subject to direct voluntary control.
Cost analysis of home monitoring in lung transplant recipients
Authors: Adam Terrence J. , Finkelstein Stanley M. , Parente Stephen T. , Hertz Marshall I.
Published: April 2007

Objectives:The University of Minnesota has maintained a home monitoring program for over 10 years for lung and heart–lung transplant patients. A cost analysis was completed to assess the impact of home monitoring on the cost of post-transplant medical care.

Methods:Clinical information gathered with the monitoring system includes spirometry, vital signs, and symptom data. To estimate the impact of this system on medical costs, we completed a retrospective analysis of the effects of home monitoring on the cost of post-lung transplant medical care. The cost analysis used multivariate linear regression with inpatient, outpatient, and total medical care costs as the dependent variables. The independent variables for the regression include home monitoring adherence, underlying disease, ambulatory diagnostic group mapping variables, transplant type, and patient demographics.

Results:The multivariate regression of the overall cost results predicts a 52.4 percent reduction in total costs with 100 percent patient adherence; this rate includes a 72.24 percent reduction in inpatient costs and a 46.6 percent increase in outpatient costs. The actual first year average patient adherence was 74 percent.

Conclusions:Adherence to home monitoring increases outpatient costs and reduces inpatient costs and provides an overall cost savings. The break-even point for patient adherence was 25.28 percent, where the net savings covered the cost of home monitoring. This is well within the actual first year adherence rates (74 percent) for subjects in the lung transplant home monitoring program, providing a net savings with adherence to home monitoring.
United Kingdom cervical cancer screening and the costs of time and travel
Authors: Woolley Claire , Philips Zoë , Whynes David K. , Cotton Seonaidh C. , Gray Nicola M. , Sharp Linda , Little Julian , Waugh Norman R. ,   On behalf of the TOMBOLA Group
Published: April 2007

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the time and travel costs generated by women when attending for Papanicolaou (Pap) smear tests or colposcopy appointments in the United Kingdom, both absolutely and relative to the health service cost of the national cervical cancer screening programs.

Methods: Data were obtained from questionnaires completed by two samples of women participating in a three-center trial of management of low-grade abnormalities detected by screening (n = 1,106 for Pap smears and n = 1,203 for colposcopy appointments). Women were 20 to 59 years of age and resident in Grampian or Tayside, Scotland, or Nottingham, England. Questionnaire data were supplemented with sociodemographic information previously collected at the time of recruitment to the trial.

Results: The mean total time and travel costs per attendance at a smear test and at a colposcopy appointment were estimated to be £9.2 and £27.4, respectively, averaged across the three trial areas (valued at 2002 prices). Statistically significant intercenter disparities in time and travel costs were identified, particularly with respect to colposcopy appointments. For these, time and travel costs in Nottingham were substantially less than those in Grampian and Tayside (£22.9, £30.2, and £32.1, respectively). Time and travel costs amount to 26 and 33 percent, approximately, over and above the direct health service costs of the English and Scottish screening programs, respectively.

Conclusions: The time and travel costs associated with participation in the UK cervical cancer screening programs are substantial and are not spatially uniform across the country.
Linking evidence from health technology assessments to policy and decision making: The Alberta Model
Authors: Borowski Henry Z. , Brehaut Jon , Hailey David
Published: April 2007

Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop and implement a decision-making process for public funding of health services that links policy areas with health technology assessment and input from interested parties.

Methods: Health authorities, assessment organizations, and healthcare professionals were consulted as a follow-up to recommendations of an expert panel established by the Alberta government. The methods involved formulation of an eight-stage, collaborative process that incorporates identification through the health ministry of health technologies requiring review, assessment of the technologies using expert groups in Alberta, and consultation and formulation of advice within the ministry to inform ministerial funding decisions.

Results: All components of the decision process have been put in place and have collaborated to provide advice to inform policy on provincial health services. Of nineteen technologies selected for review, five have been completed and decisions made: laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, fetal fibronectin assay for premature labor, newborn screening for cystic fibrosis, newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism, and gastric electrical stimulation. A further six reviews are in progress, and reviews of the remaining technologies are planned for 2007.

Conclusions: Bridging the evidence-to-policy gap is more likely to succeed when the policy community is actively engaged and an explicit model is used to put health technology assessment into practice.
Cost-utility of a disease management program for patients with asthma
Authors: Steuten Lotte , Palmer Stephen , Vrijhoef Bert , van Merode Frits , Spreeuwenberg Cor , Severens Hans
Published: April 2007

Objectives:The long-term cost-utility of a disease management program (DMP) for adults with asthma was assessed compared to usual care.

Methods:A DMP for patients with asthma has been developed and implemented in the region of Maastricht (The Netherlands). By integrating care, the program aims to continuously improve quality of care within existing budgets. A clinical trial was performed over a period of 15 months to collect data on costs and effects of the program and usual care. These data were used to inform a probabilistic decision-analytic model to estimate the 5-year impact of the program beyond follow-up. A societal perspective was adopted, with outcomes assessed in terms of costs per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY).

Results:The DMP is associated with a gain in QALYs compared to usual care (2.7±.2 versus 3.4±.8), at lower costs (€3,302±314 versus €2,973±304), thus leading to dominance. The probability that disease management is the more cost-effective strategy is 76 percent at a societal willingness to pay (WTP) for an additional QALY of €0, reaching 95 percent probability at a WTP of €1,000 per additional QALY.

Conclusions:Organizing health care according to the principles of disease management for adults with asthma has a high probability of being cost-effective and is associated with a gain in QALYs at lower costs.
Comparing the clinical and economic effects of clinical examination, pulse oximetry, and echocardiography in newborn screening for congenital heart defects: A probabilistic cost-effectiveness model and value of information analysis
Authors: Griebsch Ingolf , Knowles Rachel L. , Brown Jacqueline , Bull Catherine , Wren Christopher , Dezateux Carol A.
Published: April 2007

Objectives: Congenital heart defects (CHD) are an important cause of death and morbidity in early childhood, but the effectiveness of alternative newborn screening strategies in preventing the collapse or death—before diagnosis—of infants with treatable but life-threatening defects is uncertain. We assessed their effectiveness and efficiency to inform policy and research priorities.

Methods: We compared the effectiveness of clinical examination alone and clinical examination with either pulse oximetry or screening echocardiography in making a timely diagnosis of life-threatening CHD or in diagnosing clinically significant CHD. We contrasted their cost-effectiveness, using a decision-analytic model based on 100,000 live births, and assessed future research priorities using value of information analysis.

Results: Clinical examination alone, pulse oximetry, and screening echocardiography achieved 34.0, 70.6, and 71.3 timely diagnoses per 100,000 live births, respectively. This finding represents an additional cost per additional timely diagnosis of £4,894 and £4,496,666 for pulse oximetry and for screening echocardiography. The equivalent costs for clinically significant CHD are £1,489 and £36,013, respectively. Key determinants of cost-effectiveness are detection rates and screening test costs. The false-positive rate is very high with screening echocardiography (5.4 percent), but lower with pulse oximetry (1.3 percent) or clinical examination alone (.5 percent).

Conclusions: Adding pulse oximetry to clinical examination is likely to be a cost-effective newborn screening strategy for CHD, but further research is required before this policy can be recommended. Screening echocardiography is unlikely to be cost-effective, unless the detection of all clinically significant CHD is considered beneficial and a 5 percent false-positive rate acceptable.
Resource use and costs associated with different states of breast cancer
Authors: Lidgren Mathias , Wilking Nils , Jönsson Bengt , Rehnberg Clas
Published: April 2007

Objectives: This study investigated the direct medical resource use and cost, informal care cost, and indirect cost associated with breast cancer in different states of the disease in normal clinical practice.

Methods: A retrospective database analysis was used to estimate direct medical resource use and cost, and a patient questionnaire was used to evaluate informal care and work capacity in different states of breast cancer.

Results: For patients younger than 65 years of age, the first year after a primary diagnosis total cost amounted to 280,000 SEK ($39,000) and the first year after a local or contralateral recurrence total cost was 351,000 SEK ($48,900). The second and following years after primary breast cancer or recurrence had substantially lower total cost, amounting to 94,000 SEK ($13,000). For patients with metastatic disease, the annual total cost was estimated to 334,000 SEK ($46,500). For patients older than 65 years of age, the total cost for the first year after a primary diagnosis amounted to 80,000 SEK ($11,200) and the total cost for the first year after a local or contralateral recurrence was 92,000 SEK ($12,900). The total cost for the second and following years after primary breast cancer or recurrence was estimated to 18,000 SEK ($2,600), and the total annual cost for patients with metastatic was 122,000 SEK ($17,000).

Conclusions: Both direct medical costs and indirect cost vary substantially between disease states. For patients under 65 year of age, indirect costs accounted for more than 50 percent of the total cost.
Implications of learning effects for hospital costs of new health technologies: The case of intensity modulated radiation therapy
Authors: Bonastre Julia , Noël Eric , Chevalier Julie , Gerard Jean Pierre , Lefkopoulos Dimitri , Bourhis Jean , Bensadoun Rene Jean , de Pouvourville Gerard ,   The STIC IMRT 2002 Investigators
Published: April 2007

Objectives: The impact of learning effects on the variability of costs of new health technologies in a prospective payment system (PPS) through the case of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was studied.

Methods: A series of consecutive patients treated in nine medical centers was enrolled in a prospective study. Direct costs were assessed from the perspective of the healthcare providers. We used a two-level model to explain the variability of costs: patients nested within centers. Learning effects at the center level were considered through a fixed effect (the learning curve slope) and a random effect (the initial cost level). Covariates were introduced to explain the patterns of variation in terms of patient characteristics.

Results: The mean direct cost of IMRT was €5,962 (range, €2,414–€24,733). Manpower accounted for 53 percent of this cost. Learning effects explained 42 percent of the variance between centers (which was 88 percent of the total variance) and were associated with a substantial decrease in treatment costs. The mean initial treatment direct cost was €6,332 in centers with a previous experience of IMRT, whereas it was €14,192 in centers implementing IMRT for the first time. Including logistics costs and overhead, the full cost of IMRT was €10,916. Average reimbursement was €6,987.

Conclusions: Learning effects are a strong confounding factor in the analysis of costs of innovative health technologies involving learning effects. In a PPS, innovative health technology involving learning effects necessitates specific reimbursement mechanisms.
Measles outbreaks affecting children in Jewish ultra-orthodox communities in Jerusalem
Authors: STEIN-ZAMIR C. , ZENTNER G. , ABRAMSON N. , SHOOB H. , ABOUDY Y. , SHULMAN L. , MENDELSON E.
Published: April 2007

In 2003 and 2004 two measles outbreaks occurred in Jewish ultra-orthodox communities in Jerusalem. The index case of the first outbreak (March 2003) was a 2-year-old unvaccinated child from Switzerland. Within 5 months, 107 cases (mean age 8·3±7·5 years) emerged in three crowded neighbourhoods. The first cases of the second outbreak (June 2004) were in three girls aged 4–5 years in one kindergarten in another community. By November 2004, 117 cases (mean age 7·3±6·5 years) occurred. The virus genotypes were D8 and D4 respectively. Altogether, 96 households accounted for the two outbreaks, with two or more patients per family in 79% of cases. Most cases (91·5%) were unvaccinated. Immunization coverage was lower in outbreak than in non-outbreak neighbourhoods (88·3% vs. 90·3%, P=0·001). Controlling the outbreaks necessitated a culture-sensitive approach, and targeted efforts increased MMR vaccine coverage (first dose) to 95·2%. Despite high national immunization coverage (94–95%), special attention to specific sub-populations is essential.
Randomised algorithms for isomorphisms of simple types
Authors: GIL JOSEPH (YOSSI) , ZIBIN YOAV
Published: April 2007

We give the first linear time (randomised) algorithm for thefirst order isomorphism problem, that is, the isomorphism of non-recursive types involving product- and function-type constructors, under the axioms of commutativity and associativity of products, currying and distributivity of functions over products. This problem can also be thought of as the problem of formal equality-testing of multi-variate expressions involving only multiplications and exponentiation. Previous work gave a deterministicO(nlog2n) time andO(n) space algorithm for the problem (nbeing the input size). Our specific contribution includes two randomised algorithms for the problem:

(i)

anO(n) timeMonte Carloalgorithm (that is, with a small probability it may decide erroneously that the two types are isomorphic), and

(ii)

anO(nlogn) expected time andO(n) spaceLas Vegasalgorithm (that is, with a small probability it may execute long).

The algorithms rely on a preprocessing stage, which computes the sequence of the firstnprimes inO(nlogn/log logn) time and space.
War, Industrial Mobilisation and Society in Northern Ireland, 1939–1945
Authors: OLLERENSHAW PHILIP
Published: April 2007

Archive-based regional studies can contribute much that is new to the economic, political and social history of the Second World War. This paper considers the process of industrial mobilisation in Northern Ireland, a politically divided region which was part of the United Kingdom but which had its own government. It examines the changing administrative framework of war production, the debate on military and industrial conscription, the role of women and the economic implications of geographical remoteness from London. The paper adds to our limited knowledge of regional mobilisation and contributes to a neglected aspect of the history of Northern Ireland.
Vladko Maček and Croatian History: An Introduction
Authors: RAMET SABRINA P.
Published: April 2007

Vladko Maček (1871–1964) became the leader of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after the assassination of Stjepan Radić (1871–1928). In this capacity, he played a pivotal role in Croatian and Yugoslav politics during the critical years 1928–41, when the clouds of war were gathering over Europe, and during the first phase of World War Two. Today he is best remembered for having negotiated the Cvetković-Maček Sporazum (agreement) in August 1939; the Sporazum created a so-called banovina (province) of Croatia with considerable autonomy, and was intended to contribute to the calming of Serb–Croat frictions in royal Yugoslavia. The Banovina comprised 26.6 per cent of the territory of Yugoslavia and had some 4.4 million inhabitants, 28.6 per cent of the total population of the kingdom.1 However, it lasted only until April 1941, when an Axis invasion resulted in the occupation and partition of Yugoslavia.
Vladko Maček and the Croatian Peasant Defence in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Authors: RAMET SABRINA P.
Published: April 2007

In the years 1936–41, the Croatian Peasant Party, led by Vladko Maček, operated two militias – the Croatian Peasant Defence (HSZ) in the villages and the Croatian Civil Defence in the cities. The HSZ was intended to protect Croatian peasants from attacks by Serb Chetniks as well as by communists, and was thus itself a symptom of the lawlessness prevailing in the interwar Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The HSZ also formed part of Maček's efforts to compete with the fascistic Ustaša movement, an armed organization behind the so-called ‘Velebit uprising’ of 1932.
Vladko Maček, the Croatian Peasant Party and the Spanish Civil War
Authors: PAVLAKOVIĆ VJERAN
Published: April 2007

In summer 1936 Vladko Maček's priorities lay with rebuilding the Croatian Peasant Party after its six years of illegality under King Aleksandar's dictatorship in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Yet the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) was to have a polarising and radicalising effect on Croatian society. Both communists and supporters of the fascist Ustaša movement looked to Spain as a model for resolving the ‘Croat question’ at a time when Croats were becoming increasingly frustrated with Maček's passivity. As a propaganda war raged in the press of the radical left and right, the Croatian Peasant Party tried to ignore the conflict. Maček's failure to realise the impact of the war in Spain on the political situation in Croatia is indicative of some of his weaknesses as a leader in difficult times. The Croatian Peasant Party missed the opportunity to take a strong moral stance against fascism during the Spanish conflict, and Maček's fence-sitting from the 1930s onwards permitted the more extreme ideological movements in Croatia to take advantage of the rapidly changing conditions of a Europe engulfed in war.
The Role of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) in Adult Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Authors: Linden Michael , Zehner Ahmes
Published: April 2007

Sexual abuse in childhood is a pathogenetic factor for psychological disorders. The attention given to this phenomenon varies between therapists and therapeutic schools. The question is how often sexual abuse is recognized as a problem in cognitive behaviour therapy and how this is related to the present symptoms and therapeutic problems. 1223 case reports, written as application for reimbursement of routine cognitive behaviour therapy, were submitted to a content analysis in respect to childhood sexual abuse. Sexual abuse was mentioned in 10.3% of the cases; 59% of female and 50.0% of male victims were abused by relatives. Sexually abused patients showed significantly increased rates of inadequate care and negative life events during childhood. In comparison to controls, cases showed significantly increased rates of “eating disorders” (15 vs. 6; p<.05), “substance abuse/addiction” (16 vs. 6; p<.05), “suicide attempts” (15 vs. 3; p<.01), “strict refusal of sexual partners” (15 vs. 5; p<.05), “frequently changing partners” (21 vs. 3; p<.001), “problems in marriage/partnership” (95 vs. 77; p<.05) and “sexual problems” (51 vs. 24; p<.001). Childhood sexual abuse is a problem, frequently seen in behaviour therapy patients and therefore also warranting special attention in routine patient care. Sexual abuse is understood by cognitive behaviour therapists as an indicator for traumatizing conditions in general during childhood. It is associated with specific treatment problems and therapeutic needs in adulthood.
Significance of strain localization in the lower crust for structural evolution and thermal history of metamorphic core complexes
Authors: Gessner Klaus , Wijns Chris , Moresi Louis
Published: April 2007

Numerical simulations demonstrate that the dynamic behavior of the lower crust can exert a crucial control on the tectonic denudation of metamorphic core complexes. Our model suggests that the structural architecture and thermal history of terrains exhumed by extensional shear zones can be controlled by whether or not localization of deformation occurs in the lower crust. Predicted architectures range from midcrustal gneiss and granite domes to upper crustal core complexes with brittle deformation in both the upper and lower plates. We simulate continental crust in extension, with a strong, viscous/frictional‐plastic upper crust underlain by a weak, viscoplastic lower crust. Strain is accommodated by plastic shear zones in the upper crust, while viscous flow and plasticity compete in the lower crust. We explore a number of scenarios by varying the viscosity and yield limit of the lower crust. Deformation patterns and thermal architecture change significantly, depending on whether or not localization occurs in the lower crust. For a relatively high viscosity lower crust with a low yield stress limit, deformation is dominated by localization along discrete plastic shear zones. Along these shear zones, increasingly deeper material is exhumed, creating an asymmetrically denuded lower plate with metamorphic grade increasing in the direction of upper plate displacement. In relatively weak, low‐viscosity lower crust, however, the yield limit may never be reached, and strain in the lower crust in this case is accommodated by distributed flow. The denuded lower plate in the distributed flow case resembles a dome‐shaped structure, bounded by opposite facing shear zones.
Mapping wildfire danger at regional scale with an index model integrating coarse spatial resolution remote sensing data
Authors: Chéret Véronique , Denux Jean Philippe
Published: April 2007

Wildfires are a prevalent natural hazard in the south of France. Planners need a permanent fire danger assessment valid for several years over a territory as large and heterogeneous as Midi‐Pyrénées region. To this end, we developed an expert knowledge‐based index model adapted to the specific features of the study area. The fire danger depends on two complementary elements: spatial occurrence and fire intensity. Among the GIS layers identified as input variables for modeling, vegetation fire susceptibility is one of the most influent. However, the main difficulty at this scale is the scarcity or the lack of exhaustiveness of the data. In this respect, remote sensing imagery is capable of providing relevant information. We proposed to calculate an annual relative greenness index (annual RGRE) that reflects vegetation dryness in summer. We processed times series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from SPOT‐VEGETATION images over the last six available years (1998 to 2003). The first step was to verify that these images characterize vegetation types and highlight intraannual and interannual response variability. It is then possible to identify phenological stages corresponding to the maximum NDVI (and therefore to maximum photosynthetic activity) during the growing season, the minimum NDVI at the end of the growing season and the minimum NDVI during winter period. These phenology metrics ground the annual RGRE calculation. Values obtained for each observation year show significant correlation (r2 = 0.70) with the De Martonne aridity index calculated for the same period. A synthesis of yearly index was integrated in the model as a variable that expresses fire susceptibility.
Volcanic ash plume identification using polarization lidar: Augustine eruption, Alaska
Authors: Sassen Kenneth , Zhu Jiang , Webley Peter , Dean Ken , Cobb Patrick
Published: April 2007

During mid January to early February 2006, a series of explosive eruptions occurred at the Augustine volcanic island off the southern coast of Alaska. By early February a plume of volcanic ash was transported northward into the interior of Alaska. Satellite imagery and Puff volcanic ash transport model predictions confirm that the aerosol plume passed over a polarization lidar (0.694μm wavelength) site at the Arctic Facility for Atmospheric Remote Sensing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. For the first time, lidar linear depolarization ratios of 0.10–0.15 were measured in a fresh tropospheric volcanic plume, demonstrating that the nonspherical glass and mineral particles typical of volcanic eruptions generate strong laser depolarization. Thus, polarization lidars can identify the volcanic ash plumes that pose a threat to jet air traffic from the ground, aircraft, or potentially from Earth orbit.