THE ROLE OF MARKET ADVISORY SERVICES IN CROP MARKETING AND RISK MANAGEMENT: A PRELIMINARY REPORT OF SURVEY RESULTS

The purpose of this report is to provide a preliminary summary of the results of a survey designed to help answer the questions about subscriber use of market advisory services. Importantly, this research is a cooperative partnership between the University of Illinois and the Data Transmission Network. The survey participants are commercial producers of major grain, oilseed and fiber crops, representing important agricultural areas of the US. The survey has three broad objectives, including 1) how US producers perceive the riskiness of various aspects of farming; 2) how US producers manage farm business risk, and 3) how US producers select and use market advisory services.Marketing, Risk and Uncertainty,

Key Issues In Inhibitor Management In Patients With Haemophilia

[No abstract available]12SUPPL.1s319s329Bray, G.L., Gomperts, E.D., Courter, S., A multicenter study of recombinant factor VIII (recombinate): Safety, efficacy, and inhibitor risk in previously untreated patients with hemophilia A. The recombinate study group (1994) Blood, 83, pp. 2428-2435Lusher, J.M., Arkin, S., Abildgaard, C.F., Schwartz, R.S., Recombinant factor VIII for the treatment of previously untreated patients with hemophilia A. Safety, efficacy, and development of inhibitors. Kogenate previously untreated patient study group (1993) N Engl J Med, 328, pp. 453-459Hay, C.R., Baglin, T.P., Collins, P.W., The diagnosis and management of factor VIII and IX inhibitors: A guideline from the UK Haemophilia Centre Doctors' Organization (UKHCDO) (2000) Br J Haematol, 111, pp. 78-90Lawrence, J.S., Johnson, J.B., The presence of a circulating anticoagulant in a male member of a hemophiliac family (1941) Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc, 57, pp. 223-231Konkle, B.A., Ebbesen, L.S., Erhardtsen, E., Randomized, prospective clinical trial of recombinant factor VIIa for secondary prophylaxis in hemophilia patients with inhibitors (2007) J Thromb Haemost, 5, pp. 1904-1913Leissinger, C., Gringeri, A., Antmen, B., Anti-inhibitor coagulant complex prophylaxis in hemophilia with inhibitors (2011) N Engl J Med, 365, pp. 1684-1692Gouw, S.C., Van Den Berg, H.M., Oldenburg, J., F8 gene mutation type and inhibitor development in patients with severe hemophilia A: Systematic review and meta-analysis (2012) Blood, 119, pp. 2922-2934Gouw, S.C., Van Der Bom, J.G., Auerswald, G., Recombinant versus plasma-derived factor VIII products and the development of inhibitors in previously untreated patients with severe hemophilia A: The CANAL cohort study (2007) Blood, 109, pp. 4693-4697Iorio, A., Halimeh, S., Holzhauer, S., Rate of inhibitor development in previously untreated hemophilia A patients treated with plasma-derived or recombinant factor VIII concentrates: A systematic review (2010) J Thromb Haemost, 8, pp. 1256-1265Wight, J., Paisley, S., The epidemiology of inhibitors in haemophilia A: A systematic review (2003) Haemophilia, 9, pp. 418-435Hay, C.R., The epidemiology of factor VIII inhibitors (2006) Haemophilia, 12 (SUPPL. 6), pp. 23-28. , discussion 8-9Astermark, J., Basic aspects of inhibitors to factors VIII and IX and the influence of non-genetic risk factors (2006) Haemophilia, 12 (SUPPL. 6), pp. 8-13Hay, C.R., Palmer, B., Chalmers, E., Incidence of factor VIII inhibitors throughout life in severe hemophilia A in the United Kingdom (2011) Blood, 117, pp. 6367-6370Wacey, A.I., Kemball-Cook, G., Kazazian, H.H., The haemophilia A mutation search test and resource site, home page of the factor VIII mutation database: HAMSTeRS (1996) Nucleic Acids Res, 24, pp. 100-102Green, P.M., Montandon, A.J., Ljung, R., Haemophilia B mutations in a complete Swedish population sample: A test of new strategy for the genetic counselling of diseases with high mutational heterogeneity (1991) Br J Haematol, 78, pp. 390-397Viel, K.R., Ameri, A., Abshire, T.C., Inhibitors of factor VIII in black patients with hemophilia (2009) N Engl J Med, 360, pp. 1618-1627Viel, K.R., Machiah, D.K., Warren, D.M., A sequence variation scan of the coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) structural gene and associations with plasma FVIII activity levels (2007) Blood, 109, pp. 3713-3724Santos, A., Annichino-Bizzacchi, J.M., Ozelo, M.C., Inhibitors of factor VIII in hemophilia (2009) N Engl J Med, 361, pp. 309-310. , author reply 10Oldenburg, J., Pavlova, A., (2006) Genetic risk factors for inhibitors to factors VIII and IX.Haemophilia, 12 (SUPPL. 6), pp. 15-22Goodeve, A.C., Peake, I.R., The molecular basis of hemophilia A: Genotype-phenotype relationships and inhibitor development (2003) Semin Thromb Hemost, 29, pp. 23-30Jacquemin, M., Vantomme, V., Buhot, C., CD4+ T-cell clones specific for wild-type factor VIII: A molecular mechanism responsible for a higher incidence of inhibitor formation in mild/moderate hemophilia A (2003) Blood, 101, pp. 1351-1358Kane, W.H., Davie, E.W., Cloning of a cDNA coding for human factor V, a blood coagulation factor homologous to factor VIII and ceruloplasmin (1986) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 83, pp. 6800-6804Lacroix-Desmazes, S., Repesse, Y., Kaveri, S.V., Dasgupta, S., The role of VWF in the immunogenicity of FVIII (2008) Thromb Res, 122 (SUPPL. 2), pp. S3-6Rivard, G.E., Lillicrap, D., Poon, M.C., Can activated recombinant factor VII be used to postpone the exposure of infants to factor VIII until after 2 years of age? (2005) Haemophilia, 11, pp. 335-339Hermans, C., De Moerloose, P., Fischer, K., Management of acute haemarthrosis in haemophilia A without inhibitors: Literature review, European survey and recommendations (2011) Haemophilia, 17, pp. 383-392Kurnik, K., Bidlingmaier, C., Engl, W., New early prophylaxis regimen that avoids immunological danger signals can reduce FVIII inhibitor development (2010) Haemophilia, 16, pp. 256-262Gouw, S.C., Van Den Berg, H.M., Fischer, K., Intensity of factor VIII treatment and inhibitor development in children with severe hemophilia A: The RODIN study (2013) BloodKreuz, W., Ettingshausen, C.E., Zyschka, A., Inhibitor development in previously untreated patients with hemophilia A: A prospective long-term follow-up comparing plasmaderived and recombinant products (2002) Semin Thromb Hemost, 28, pp. 285-290Santagostino, E., Mannucci, P.M., Bianchi Bonomi, A., Guidelines on replacement therapy for haemophilia and inherited coagulation disorders in Italy (2000) Haemophilia, 6, pp. 1-10Rezende, S.M., Pinheiro, K., Caram, C., Registry of inherited coagulopathies in Brazil: First report (2009) Haemophilia, 15, pp. 142-149Manco-Johnson, M.J., Abshire, T.C., Shapiro, A.D., Prophylaxis versus episodic treatment to prevent joint disease in boys with severe hemophilia (2007) N Engl J Med, 357, pp. 535-544Kruse-Jarres, R., Inhibitors: Our greatest challenge.Can we minimize the incidence? (2013) Haemophilia, 19 (SUPPL. 1), pp. 2-7Lobet, S., Detrembleur, C., Francq, B., Hermans, C., Natural progression of blood-induced joint damage in patients with haemophilia: Clinical relevance and reproducibility of threedimensional gait analysis (2010) Haemophilia, 16, pp. 813-821Leissinger, C.A., Prevention of bleeds in hemophilia patients with inhibitors: Emerging data and clinical direction (2004) Am J Hematol, 77, pp. 187-193Gringeri, A., Mantovani, L.G., Scalone, L., Cost of care and quality of life for patients with hemophilia complicated by inhibitors: The COCIS Study Group (2003) Blood, 102, pp. 2358-2363Fischer, K., Van Der Bom, J.G., Molho, P., Prophylactic versus on-demand treatment strategies for severe haemophilia: A comparison of costs and long-term outcome (2002) Haemophilia, 8, pp. 745-752Morfini, M., Haya, S., Tagariello, G., European study on orthopaedic status of haemophilia patients with inhibitors (2007) Haemophilia, 13, pp. 606-612Soucie, J.M., Cianfrini, C., Janco, R.L., Joint range-of-motion limitations among young males with hemophilia: Prevalence and risk factors (2004) Blood, 103, pp. 2467-2473Hay, C.R., Dimichele, D.M., The principal results of the International Immune Tolerance Study: A randomized dose comparison (2012) Blood, 119, pp. 1335-1344Astermark, J., Donfield, S.M., Dimichele, D.M., A randomized comparison of bypassing agents in hemophilia complicated by an inhibitor: The FEIBA NovoSeven Comparative (FENOC) Study (2007) Blood, 109, pp. 546-551Sorensen, B., Dargaud, Y., Kenet, G., On-demand treatment of bleeds in haemophilia patients with inhibitors: Strategies for securing and maintaining predictable efficacy with recombinant activated factor VII (2012) Haemophilia, 18, pp. 255-262Kenet, G., Martinowitz, U., Single-dose recombinant activated factor VII therapy in hemophilia patients with inhibitors (2008) Semin Hematol, 45, pp. S38-41Treur, M.J., McCracken, F., Heeg, B., Efficacy of recombinant activated factor VII vs. Activated prothrombin complex concentrate for patients suffering from haemophilia complicated with inhibitors: A Bayesian meta-regression (2009) Haemophilia, 15, pp. 420-436Knight, C., Dano, A.M., Kennedy-Martin, T., Systematic review of efficacy of rFVIIa and aPCC treatment for hemophilia patients with inhibitors (2009) Adv Ther, 26, pp. 68-88Valentino, L.A., The benefits of prophylactic treatment with APCC in patients with haemophilia and high-titre inhibitors: A retrospective case series (2009) Haemophilia, 15, pp. 733-742Teitel, J., Berntorp, E., Dolan, G., A consensus statement on clinical trials of bypassing agent prophylaxis in inhibitor patients (2011) Haemophilia, 17, pp. 516-521Young, G., Auerswald, G., Jimenez-Yuste, V., When should prophylaxis therapy in inhibitor patients be considered? (2011) Haemophilia, 17, pp. e849-e857Dimichele, D., Negrier, C., A retrospective postlicensure survey of FEIBA efficacy and safety (2006) Haemophilia, 12, pp. 352-362Valentino, L.A., Assessing the benefits of FEIBA prophylaxis in haemophilia patients with inhibitors (2010) Haemophilia, 16, pp. 263-271Brackmann, H.H., Schwaab, R., Effenberger, W., Hemophilia treatment. Side effects during immune tolerance induction (2000) Haematologica, 85, pp. 75-77Young, G., McDaniel, M., Nugent, D.J., Prophylactic recombinant factor VIIa in haemophilia patients with inhibitors (2005) Haemophilia, 11, pp. 203-207Morfini, M., Auerswald, G., Kobelt, R.A., Prophylactic treatment of haemophilia patients with inhibitors: Clinical experience with recombinant factor VIIa in European Haemophilia Centres (2007) Haemophilia, 13, pp. 502-507Jimenez-Yuste, V., Alvarez, M.T., Martin-Salces, M., Prophylaxis in 10 patients with severe haemophilia A and inhibitor: Different approaches for different clinical situations (2009) Haemophilia, 15, pp. 203-209Young, G., Auerswald, G., Jimenez-Yuste, V., PRO-PACT: Retrospective observational study on the prophylactic use of recombinant factor VIIa in hemophilia patients with inhibitors (2012) Thromb ResGupta, S., Siddiqi, A.E., Soucie, J.M., The effect of secondary prophylaxis versus episodic treatment on the range of motion of target joints in patients with haemophilia (2013) Br J Haematol, 161, pp. 424-433Carcao, M., Lambert, T., Prophylaxis in haemophilia with inhibitors: Update from international experience (2010) Haemophilia, 16 (SUPPL. 2), pp. 16-23Dimichele, D.M., Hoots, W.K., Pipe, S.W., International workshop on immune tolerance induction: Consensus recommendations (2007) Haemophilia, 13 (SUPPL. 1), pp. 1-22Lenk, H., The German Registry of immune tolerance treatment in hemophilia-1999 update (2000) Haematologica, 85, pp. 45-47Brackmann, H.H., Oldenburg, J., Schwaab, R., Immune tolerance for the treatment of factor VIII inhibitors-twenty years' 'bonn protocol' (1996) Vox Sang, 70 (SUPPL. 1), pp. 30-35Oldenburg, J., Schwaab, R., Brackmann, H.H., Induction of immune tolerance in haemophilia A inhibitor patients by the 'Bonn Protocol': Predictive parameter for therapy duration and outcome (1999) Vox Sang, 77 (SUPPL. 1), pp. 49-54Mauser-Bunschoten, E.P., Nieuwenhuis, H.K., Roosendaal, G., Van Den Berg, H.M., Low-dose immune tolerance induction in hemophilia A patients with inhibitors (1995) Blood, 86, pp. 983-988Indications and recommended doses for treating patients with factor VIII inhibitors in hemophilia A (2008) Cross-Sectional Guidelines for Therapy with Blood Components and Plasma Derivatives. Executive Committee of the German Medical Association on the Recommendation of the Scientific Advisory Board, p. 91. , German Medical AssociationCoppola, A., Margaglione, M., Santagostino, E., Factor VIII gene (F8) mutations as predictors of outcome in immune tolerance induction of hemophilia A patients with highresponding inhibitors (2009) J Thromb Haemost, 7, pp. 1809-1815Freiburghaus, C., Berntorp, E., Ekman, M., Immunoadsorption for removal of inhibitors: Update on treatments in Malmo-Lund between 1980 and 1995 (1998) Haemophilia, 4, pp. 16-20Auerswald, G., Spranger, T., Brackmann, H.H., The role of plasmaderived factor VIII/von Willebrand factor concentrates in the treatment of hemophilia A patients (2003) Haematologica, 88, pp. EREP05Dimichele, D., The North American Immune Tolerance Registry: Contributions to the thirty-year experience with immune tolerance therapy (2009) Haemophilia, 15, pp. 320-328Mariani, G., Ghirardini, A., Bellocco, R., Immune tolerance in hemophilia-principal results from the International Registry. Report of the factor VIII and IX Subcommittee (1994) Thromb Haemost, 72, pp. 155-158Mariani, G., Kroner, B., Immune tolerance in hemophilia with factor VIII inhibitors: Predictors of success (2001) Haematologica, 86, pp. 1186-1193Franchini, M., Mannucci, P.M., Inhibitors of propagation of coagulation (factors VIII, IX and XI): A review of current therapeutic practice (2011) Br J Clin Pharmacol, 72, pp. 553-562Greninger, D.A., Saint-Remy, J.M., Jacquemin, M., The use of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor concentrate for immune tolerance induction in haemophilia A patients with high-titre inhibitors: Association of clinical outcome with inhibitor epitope profile (2008) Haemophilia, 14, pp. 295-302Gringeri, A., Musso, R., Mazzucconi, M.G., Immune tolerance induction with a high purity von Willebrand factor/VIII complex concentrate in haemophilia A patients with inhibitors at high risk of a poor response (2007) Haemophilia, 13, pp. 373-379Kurth, M.A., Dimichele, D., Sexauer, C., Immune tolerance therapy utilizing factor VIII/von Willebrand factor concentrate in haemophilia A patients with high titre factor VIII inhibitors (2008) Haemophilia, 14, pp. 50-55Astermark, J., Morado, M., Rocino, A., Current European practice in immune tolerance induction therapy in patients with haemophilia and inhibitors (2006) Haemophilia, 12, pp. 363-371Garvey, B., Rituximab in the treatment of autoimmune haematological disorders (2008) Br J Haematol, 141, pp. 149-169Franchini, M., Mengoli, C., Lippi, G., Immune tolerance with rituximab in congenital haemophilia with inhibitors: A systematic literature review based on individual patients' analysis (2008) Haemophilia, 14, pp. 903-912Sorensen, B., Johansen, P., Christiansen, K., Whole blood coagulation thrombelastographic profiles employing minimal tissue factor activation (2003) J Thromb Haemost, 1, pp. 551-558De Paula, E.V., Kavakli, K., Mahlangu, J., Recombinant factor VIIa analog (vatreptacog alfa [activated]) for treatment of joint bleeds in hemophilia patients with inhibitors: A randomized controlled trial (2012) J Thromb Haemost, 10, pp. 81-89Holmberg, H.L., Lauritzen, B., Tranholm, M., Ezban, M., Faster onset of effect and greater efficacy of NN1731 compared with rFVIIa, aPCC and FVIII in tail bleeding in hemophilic mice (2009) J Thromb Haemost, 7, pp. 1517-1522Moss, J., Scharling, B., Ezban, M., Moller Sorensen, T., Evaluation of the safety and pharmacokinetics of a fast-acting recombinant FVIIa analogue, NN1731, in healthy male subjects (2009) J Thromb Haemost, 7, pp. 299-305Sorensen, B., Persson, E., Ingerslev, J., Factor VIIa analogue (V158D/E296V/M298Q-FVIIa) normalises clot formation in whole blood from patients with severe haemophilia A (2007) Br J Haematol, 137, pp. 158-165Allen, G.A., Persson, E., Campbell, R.A., A variant of recombinant factor VIIa with enhanced procoagulant and antifibrinolytic activities in an in vitro model of hemophilia (2007) Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 27, pp. 683-689Mahlangu, J.N., Coetzee, M.J., Laffan, M., Phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose escalation study of the rFVIIa variant BAY 86-6150 in hemophilia (2012) J Thromb Haemost, 10, pp. 773-780Karpf, D.M., Sorensen, B.B., Hermit, M.B., Prolonged halflife of glycoPEGylated rFVIIa variants compared to native rFVIIa (2011) Thromb Res, 128, pp. 191-195Sen, P., Ghosh, S., Ezban, M., Effect of glycoPEGylation on factor VIIa binding and internalization (2010) Haemophilia, 16, pp. 339-348Toschi, V., OBI-1, porcine recombinant factor VIII for the potential treatment of patients with congenital hemophilia A and alloantibodies against human Factor VIII (2010) Curr Opin Mol Ther, 12, pp. 617-625Parker, E.T., Craddock, H.N., Barrow, R.T., Lollar, P., Comparative immunogenicity of recombinant B domain-deleted porcine factor VIII and Hyate: C in hemophilia A mice presensitized to human factor VIII (2004) J Thromb Haemost, 2, pp. 605-611Kempton, C.L., Abshire, T.C., Deveras, R.A., Pharmacokinetics and safety of OBI-1, a recombinant B domain-deleted porcine factor VIII, in subjects with haemophilia A (2012) Haemophilia, 18, pp. 798-804Abshire, T.C., Brackmann, H.H., Scharrer, I., Sucrose formulated recombinant human antihemophilic factor VIII is safe and efficacious for treatment of hemophilia A in home therapy-International Kogenate-FS Study Group (2000) Thromb Haemost, 83, pp. 811-816Tarantino, M.D., Collins, P.W., Hay, C.R., Clinical evaluation of an advanced category antihaemophilic factor prepared using a plasma/albumin-free method: Pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety in previously treated patients with haemophilia A (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 428-437Young, G., Cooper, D.L., Gut, R.Z., Dosing and effectiveness of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIA) in congenital haemophilia with inhibitors by bleed type and location: The experience of the Haemophilia and Thrombosis Research Society (HTRS) Registry (2004-2008) (2012) Haemophilia, 18, pp. 990-99

Refining the predictions of supersymmetric CP-violating models: A top-down approach

We explore in detail the consequences of the CP-violating phases residing in the supersymmetric and soft SUSY breaking parameters in the approximation that family flavour mixings are ignored. We allow for non-universal boundary conditions and in such a consideration the model is described by twelve independent CP-violating phases and one angle which misaligns the vacuum expectation values (VEVs) of the Higgs scalars. We run two-loop renormalization group equations (RGEs), for all parameters involved, including phases, and we properly treat the minimization conditions using the one-loop effective potential with CP-violating phases included. We show that the two-loop running of phases may induce sizable effects for the electric dipole moments (EDMs) that are absent in the one-loop RGE analysis. Also important corrections to the EDMs are induced by the Higgs VEVs misalignment angle which are sizable in the large tanb region. Scanning the available parameter space we seek regions compatible with accelerator and cosmological data with emphasis on rapid neutralino annihilations through a Higgs resonance. It is shown that large CP-violating phases, as required in Baryogenesis scenarios, can be tuned to obtain agreement with WMAP3 cold dark matter constraints, EDMs and all available accelerator data, in extended regions of the parameter space which may be accessible to LHC.Comment: 41 pages, 22 eps figures. A reference added and a typo corrected; version to appear in JHE

Neutralino-Nucleon Cross Section and Charge and Colour Breaking Constraints

We compute the neutralino-nucleon cross section in several supersymmetric scenarios, taking into account all kind of constraints. In particular, the constraints that the absence of dangerous charge and colour breaking minima imposes on the parameter space are studied in detail. In addition, the most recent experimental constraints, such as the lower bound on the Higgs mass, the $b\to s\gamma$ branching ratio, and the muon $g-2$ are considered. The astrophysical bounds on the dark matter density are also imposed on the theoretical computation of the relic neutralino density, assuming thermal production. This computation is relevant for the theoretical analysis of the direct detection of dark matter in current experiments. We consider first the supergravity scenario with universal soft terms and GUT scale. In this scenario the charge and colour breaking constraints turn out to be quite important, and \tan\beta\lsim 20 is forbidden. Larger values of $\tan\beta$ can also be forbidden, depending on the value of the trilinear parameter $A$. Finally, we study supergravity scenarios with an intermediate scale, and also with non-universal scalar and gaugino masses where the cross section can be very large.Comment: Final version to appear in JHE

Reconciling Neutralino Relic Density with Yukawa Unified Supersymmetric Models

Supersymmetric grand unified models based on the gauge group SO(10) are especially attractive in light of recent data on neutrino masses. The simplest SO(10) SUSY GUT models predict unification of third generation Yukawa couplings in addition to the usual gauge coupling unification. Recent surveys of Yukawa unified SUSY GUT models predict an inverted scalar mass hierarchy in the spectrum of sparticle masses if the superpotential mu term is positive. In general, such models tend to predict an overabundance of dark matter in the universe. We survey several solutions to the dark matter problem in Yukawa unified supersymmetric models. One solution-- lowering the GUT scale mass value of first and second generation scalars-- leads to u_R and c_R squark masses in the 90-120 GeV regime, which should be accessible to Fermilab Tevatron experiments. We also examine relaxing gaugino mass universality which may solve the relic density problem by having neutralino annihilations via the Z or h resonances, or by having a wino-like LSP.Comment: 21 page file plus 9 figures; updated version to coincide with published versio

Squark-, Slepton- and Neutralino-Chargino coannihilation effects in the low-energy effective MSSM

Within the low-energy effective Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (effMSSM) we calculate the neutralino relic density taking into account slepton-neutralino, squark-neutralino and neutralino/chargino- neutralino coannihilation channels. By including squark (stop and sbottom) coannihilation channels we extend our comparative study to all allowed coannihilations and obtain the general result that all of them give sizable contributions to the reduction of the neutralino relic density. Due to these coannihilation processes some models (mostly with large neutralino masses) enter into the cosmologically interesting region for relic density, but other models leave this region. Nevertheless, in general, the predictions for direct and indirect dark matter detection rates are not strongly affected by these coannihilation channels in the effMSSM.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, corrected and to be published in Phys. Rev.

Stau detection at neutrino telescopes in scenarios with supersymmetric dark matter

We have studied the detection of long-lived staus at the IceCube neutrino telescope, after their production inside the Earth through the inelastic scattering of high energy neutrinos. The theoretical predictions for the stau flux are calculated in two scenarios in which the presence of long-lived staus is naturally associated to viable supersymmetric dark matter. Namely, we consider the cases with superWIMP (gravitino or axino) and neutralino dark matter (along the coannihilation region). In both scenarios the maximum value of the stau flux turns out to be about 1 event/yr in regions with a light stau. This is consistent with light gravitinos, with masses constrained by an upper limit which ranges from 0.2 to 15 GeV, depending on the stau mass. Likewise, it is compatible with axinos with a mass of about 1 GeV and a very low reheating temperature of order 100 GeV. In the case of the neutralino dark matter this favours regions with a low value of tan(beta), for which the neutralino-stau coannihilation region occurs for smaller values of the stau mass. Finally, we study the case of a general supergravity theory and show how for specific choices of non-universal soft parameters the predicted stau flux can increase moderately.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures. References added and minor changes. Final version to appear in JCA

Step-by-step Guideline for disease-specific costing studies in low and middle income countries: a mixed methodology.

__Abstract__ BACKGROUND: Disease-specific costing studies can be used as input into cost-effectiveness analyses and provide important information for efficient resource allocation. However, limited data availability and limited expertise constrain such studies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). OBJECTIVE: To describe a step-by-step guideline for conducting disease-specific costing studies in LMICs where data availability is limited and to illustrate how the guideline was applied in a costing study of cardiovascular disease prevention care in rural Nigeria. DESIGN: The step-by-step guideline provides practical recommendations on methods and data requirements for six sequential steps: 1) definition of the study perspective, 2) characterization of the unit of analysis, 3) identification of cost items, 4) measurement of cost items, 5) valuation of cost items, and 6) uncertainty analyses.Please provide the significance of asterisk given in table body. RESULTS: We discuss the necessary tradeoffs between the accuracy of estimates and data availability constraints at each step and illustrate how a mixed methodology of accurate bottom-up micro-costing and more feasible approaches can be used to make optimal use of all available data. An illustrative example from Nigeria is provided. CONCLUSIONS: An innovative, user-friendly guideline for disease-specific costing in LMICs is presented, using a mixed methodology to account for limited data availability. The illustrative example showed that the step-by-step guideline can be used by healthcare professionals in LMICs to conduct feasible and accurate disease-specific cost analyses

Disordered Boson Systems: A Perturbative Study

A hard-core disordered boson system is mapped onto a quantum spin 1/2 XY-model with transverse random fields. It is then generalized to a system of spins with an arbitrary magnitude S and studied through a 1/S expansion. The first order 1/S expansion corresponds to a spin-wave theory. The effect of weak disorder is studied perturbatively within such a first order 1/S scheme. We compute the reduction of the speed of sound and the life time of the Bloch phonons in the regime of weak disorder. Generalizations of the present study to the strong disordered regime are discussed.Comment: 27 pages, revte