The development of precipitation-hardened chromium-base alloys Final report

Precipitation with refractory metal carbides for creep resistant chromium-base alloy

Effect of Health Insurance on the Use and Provision of Maternal Health Services and Maternal and Neonatal Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Financial barriers can affect timely access to maternal health services. Health insurance can influence the use and quality of these services and potentially improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of the evidence on health insurance and its effects on the use and provision of maternal health services and on maternal and neonatal health outcomes in middle- and low-income countries. Studies were identified through a literature search in key databases and consultation with experts in healthcare financing and maternal health. Twenty-nine articles met the review criteria of focusing on health insurance and its effect on the use or quality of maternal health services, or maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Sixteen studies assessed demand-side effects of insurance, eight focused on supply-side effects, and the remainder addressed both. Geographically, the studies provided evidence from sub-Saharan Africa (n=11), Asia (n=9), Latin America (n=8), and Turkey. The studies included examples from national or social insurance schemes (n=7), government-run public health insurance schemes (n=4), community-based health insurance schemes (n=11), and private insurance (n=3). Half of the studies used econometric analyses while the remaining provided descriptive statistics or qualitative results. There is relatively consistent evidence that health insurance is positively correlated with the use of maternal health services. Only four studies used methods that can establish this causal relationship. Six studies presented suggestive evidence of overprovision of caesarean sections in response to providers\u2019 payment incentives through health insurance. Few studies focused on the relationship between health insurance and the quality of maternal health services or maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The available evidence on the quality and health outcomes is inconclusive, given the differences in measurement, contradictory findings, and statistical limitations. Consistent with economic theories, the studies identified a positive relationship between health insurance and the use of maternal health services. However, more rigorous causal methods are needed to identify the extent to which the use of these services increases among the insured. Better measurement of quality and the use of cross-country analyses would solidify the evidence on the impact of insurance on the quality of maternal health services and maternal and neonatal health outcomes

Simplifying asteroseismic analysis of solar-like oscillators: An application of principal component analysis for dimensionality reduction

The asteroseismic analysis of stellar power density spectra is often computationally expensive. The models used in the analysis may use several dozen parameters to accurately describe features in the spectra caused by oscillation modes and surface granulation. Many parameters are often highly correlated, making the parameter space difficult to quickly and accurately sample. They are, however, all dependent on a smaller set of parameters, namely the fundamental stellar properties. We aim to leverage this to simplify the process of sampling the model parameter space for the asteroseismic analysis of solar-like oscillators, with an emphasis on mode identification. Using a large set of previous observations, we applied principal component analysis to the sample covariance matrix to select a new basis on which to sample the model parameters. Selecting the subset of basis vectors that explains the majority of the sample variance, we redefine the model parameter prior probability density distributions in terms of a smaller set of latent parameters. We are able to reduce the dimensionality of the sampled parameter space by a factor of two to three. The number of latent parameters needed to accurately model the stellar oscillation spectra cannot be determined exactly but is likely only between four and six. Using two latent parameters, the method is able to describe the bulk features of the oscillation spectrum, while including more latent parameters allows for a frequency precision better than $\approx10\%$ of the small frequency separation for a given target. We find that sampling a lower-rank latent parameter space still allows for accurate mode identification and parameter estimation on solar-like oscillators over a wide range of evolutionary stages. This allows for the potential to increase the complexity of spectrum models without a corresponding increase in computational expense.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 11 pages. 10 figure

New Symmetries in Crystals and Handed Structures

For over a century, the structure of materials has been described by a combination of rotations, rotation-inversions and translational symmetries. By recognizing the reversal of static structural rotations between clockwise and counterclockwise directions as a distinct symmetry operation, here we show that there are many more structural symmetries than are currently recognized in right- or left-handed handed helices, spirals, and in antidistorted structures composed equally of rotations of both handedness. For example, though a helix or spiral cannot possess conventional mirror or inversion symmetries, they can possess them in combination with the rotation reversal symmetry. Similarly, we show that many antidistorted perovskites possess twice the number of symmetry elements as conventionally identified. These new symmetries predict new forms for "roto" properties that relate to static rotations, such as rotoelectricity, piezorotation, and rotomagnetism. They also enable symmetry-based search for new phenomena, such as multiferroicity involving a coupling of spins, electric polarization and static rotations. This work is relevant to structure-property relationships in all material structures with static rotations such as minerals, polymers, proteins, and engineered structures.Comment: 15 Pages, 4 figures, 3 Tables; Fig. 2b has error

Temporary storage or permanent removal? The division of nitrogen between biotic assimilation and denitrification in stormwater biofiltration systems

The long-term efficacy of stormwater treatment systems requires continuous pollutant removal without substantial re-release. Hence, the division of incoming pollutants between temporary and permanent removal pathways is fundamental. This is pertinent to nitrogen, a critical water body pollutant, which on a broad level may be assimilated by plants or microbes and temporarily stored, or transformed by bacteria to gaseous forms and permanently lost via denitrification. Biofiltration systems have demonstrated effective removal of nitrogen from urban stormwater runoff, but to date studies have been limited to a 'black-box' approach. The lack of understanding on internal nitrogen processes constrains future design and threatens the reliability of long-term system performance. While nitrogen processes have been thoroughly studied in other environments, including wastewater treatment wetlands, biofiltration systems differ fundamentally in design and the composition and hydrology of stormwater inflows, with intermittent inundation and prolonged dry periods. Two mesocosm experiments were conducted to investigate biofilter nitrogen processes using the stable isotope tracer 15NO3(-) (nitrate) over the course of one inflow event. The immediate partitioning of 15NO3(-) between biotic assimilation and denitrification were investigated for a range of different inflow concentrations and plant species. Assimilation was the primary fate for NO3(-) under typical stormwater concentrations (∼1-2 mg N/L), contributing an average 89-99% of 15NO3(-) processing in biofilter columns containing the most effective plant species, while only 0-3% was denitrified and 0-8% remained in the pore water. Denitrification played a greater role for columns containing less effective species, processing up to 8% of 15NO3(-), and increased further with nitrate loading. This study uniquely applied isotope tracing to biofiltration systems and revealed the dominance of assimilation in stormwater biofilters. The findings raise important questions about nitrogen release upon plant senescence, seasonally and in the long term, which have implications on the management and design of biofiltration systems.Emily G. I. Payne, Tim D. Fletcher, Douglas G. Russell, Michael R. Grace, Timothy R. Cavagnaro, Victor Evrard, Ana Deletic, Belinda E. Hatt, Perran L. M. Coo

Maternal Literacy, Facility Birth, and Education Are Positively Associated with Better Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status among Ugandan Children

Background: Understanding maternal factors that influence child feeding is necessary to inform intervention planning in settings in which mothers experience substantial social vulnerabilities. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess maternal sociodemographic factors that may constrain women\u27s caring capabilities and subsequent child nutrition in Uganda. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2006 and 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys to model the associations between maternal sociodemographic factors, child feeding practices, and anthropometry with multivariate logistic regression models. Results: The proportion of children fed according to recommended guidelines declined in Uganda from 2006 to 2011. Mothers who lacked literacy skills were less likely to achieve recommended complementary feeding indicators; however, literacy was not associated with breastfeeding practices. Mothers in the upper 60% wealth percentile were more likely to meet minimum meal frequency, diversity, and adequacy indicators. Mothers who gave birth at health facilities (2006 OR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.91; P \u3c 0.05) and who were in the upper 60% wealth percentile (2011 OR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.69) were less likely to exCIusively breastfeed until 6 mo. There were no significant associations between age at first pregnancy, maternal education, and infant and young child feeding practices. Women with a formal education had children with lower stunting and underweight probabilities in both time periods (OR range: 0.43-0.74). Women who delivered in childbirth facilities were less likely to have a child with low weight-for-age, length-for-age, or weight-for-length z scores (OR range: 0.59-0.82). Marital status, the age at first child birth, not accepting domestic violence, freedom to travel away from home, and involvement in household and reproductive decisions were not associated with child anthropometry in either time period. Conclusions: Mothers with low literacy skills, who deliver their children at home, and who lack formal education are particularly at risk of poor child feeding and represent a group that may benefit from enhanced interventions that address their particular vulnerabilities. Factors that contribute to improved maternal feeding capabilities but may impair breastfeeding practices need to be better understood

Multicenter evaluation of parametric response mapping as an indicator of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156134/2/ajt15814_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156134/1/ajt15814.pd

Temporal and structural genetic variation in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) associated with the pastoral transition in Northwestern Siberia

Funding Information NordForsk. Grant Number: 76915 ERC Advanced Grant. Grant Numbers: 295458, ESRC ES/, M011054/1 JPI HUMANOR ERC Starting GrantPeer reviewedPublisher PD