Brand Management

Tilde Helding, Charlotte F. Knudtzen, Mogens Bjerre Routedge, New York, 2009

Zooplankton Abundance and Diversity in the Tropical and Subtropical Ocean

The abundance and composition of zooplankton down to 3000 m depth was studied in the subtropical and tropical latitudes across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans (35 N–40 S). Samples were collected from December 2010 to June 2011 during the Malaspina Circumnavigation Expedition. Usually, low abundances were observed with the highest values found in the North Pacific Ocean, Benguela, and o Mauritania, and the lowest in the South Pacific Ocean. No significant di erences in abundance and zooplankton composition were found among oceans, with depth being consistently the most important factor a ecting their distribution. Each depth strata were inhabited by distinct copepod assemblages, which significantly di ered among the strata. The contribution of copepods to the zooplankton community increased with the depth although, as expected, their abundance strongly decreased. Among the copepods, 265 species were identified but 85% were rare and contributed less than 1% in abundance. Clausocalanus furcatus and Nannocalanus minor dominated the epipelagic strata. Pleuromamma abdominalis and Lucicutia clausi were of importance in the mesopelagic layer, and Pareucalanus, Triconia, Conaea and Metridia brevicauda in the bathypelagic layer. Our results provide a global-scale assessment of copepod biodiversity and distribution, providing a contemporary benchmark to follow future ocean changes at low latitudes

Superfluidity vs Bose-Einstein condensation in a Bose gas with disorder

We investigate the phenomenon of Bose-Einstein condensation and superfluidity in a Bose gas at zero temperature with disorder. By using the Diffusion Monte-Carlo method we calculate the superfluid and the condensate fraction of the system as a function of density and strength of disorder. In the regime of weak disorder we find agreement with the analytical results obtained within the Bogoliubov model. For strong disorder the system enters an unusual regime where the superfluid fraction is smaller than the condensate fraction.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Postscript figure

Electronic structure of copper nitrides as a function of nitrogen content

he nitrogen content dependence of the electronic properties for copper nitride thin films with an atomic percentage of nitrogen ranging from 26 ± 2 to 33 ± 2 have been studied by means of optical (spectroscopic ellipsometry), thermoelectric (Seebeck), and electrical resistivity measurements. The optical spectra are consistent with direct optical transitions corresponding to the stoichiometric semiconductor Cu3N plus a free-carrier contribution, essentially independent of temperature, which can be tuned in accordance with the N-excess. Deviation of the N content from stoichiometry drives to significant decreases from − 5 to − 50 μV/K in the Seebeck coefficient and to large enhancements, from 10− 3 up to 10 Ω cm, in the electrical resistivity. Band structure and density of states calculations have been carried out on the basis of the density functional theory to account for the experimental results

Exo-hydrogenated Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes

An extensive first-principles study of fully exo-hydrogenated zigzag (n,0) and armchair (n,n) single wall carbon nanotubes (C$_n$H$_n$), polyhedral molecules including cubane, dodecahedrane, and C$_{60}$H$_{60}$ points to crucial differences in the electronic and atomic structures relevant to hydrogen storage and device applications. C$_n$H$_n$'s are estimated to be stable up to the radius of a (8,8) nanotube, with binding energies proportional to 1/R. Attaching a single hydrogen to any nanotube is always exothermic. Hydrogenation of zigzag nanotubes is found to be more likely than armchair nanotubes with similar radius. Our findings may have important implications for selective functionalization and finding a way of separating similar radius nanotubes from each other.Comment: 5 pages, 4 postscript figures, Revtex file, To be appear in Physical Review

Mapping of health system functions to strengthen priority programs. The case of maternal health in Mexico

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Health system strengthening is critical to ensure the integration and scaling-up of priority health promotion, disease prevention and control programs. Normative guidelines are available to address health system function imbalances while strategic and analytical frameworks address critical functions in complex systems. Tacit knowledge-based health system constructs can help identify actors' perspectives, contributing to improve strengthening strategies. Using maternal health as an example, this paper maps and analyses the health system functions that critical actors charged with formulating and delivering priority health programs consider important for their success.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using concept mapping qualitative and statistical methods, health system functions were mapped for different categories of actors in high maternal mortality states of Mexico and at the federal level. Functions within and across maps were analyzed for degree of classification, importance, feasibility and coding.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Hospital infrastructure and human resource training are the most prominent functions in the maternal health system, associated to federal efforts to support emergency obstetric care. Health policy is a highly diffuse function while program development, intercultural and community participation and social networks are clearly stated although less focused and with lower perceived importance. The importance of functions is less correlated between federal and state decision makers, between federal decision makers and reproductive health/local health area program officers and between state decision makers and system-wide support officers. Two sets of oppositions can be observed in coding across functions: health sector vs. social context; and given structures vs. manageable processes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Concept mapping enabled the identification of critical functions constituting adaptive maternal health systems, including aspects of actor perspectives that are seldom included in normative and analytical frameworks. Important areas of divergence across actors' perceptions were identified to target capacity strengthening efforts towards better integrated, performing health systems.</p

Electrical, morphological and structural properties of RF magnetron sputtered Mo thin films for application in thin film photovoltaic solar cells

Molybdenum (Mo) thin films were deposited using radio frequency magnetron sputtering, for application as a metal back contact material in ‘‘substrate configuration’’ thin film solar cells. The variations of the electrical, morphological, and structural properties of the deposited films with sputtering pressure, sputtering power and post-deposition annealing were determined. The electrical conductivity of the Mo films was found to increase with decreasing sputtering pressure and increasing sputtering power. X-ray diffraction data showed that all the films had a (110) preferred orientation that became less pronounced at higher sputtering power while being relatively insensitive to process pressure. The lattice stress within the films changed from tensile to compressive with increasing sputtering power and the tensile stress increased with increasing sputtering pressure. The surface morphology of the films changed from pyramids to cigar-shaped grains for a sputtering power between 100 and 200 W, remaining largely unchanged at higher power. These grains were also observed to decrease in size with increasing sputtering pressure. Annealing the films was found to affect the resistivity and stress of the films. The resistivity increased due to the presence of residual oxygen and the stress changed from tensile to compressive. The annealing step was not found to affect the crystallisation and grain growth of the Mo films

Pastoralism and delay in diagnosis of TB in Ethiopia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in the Horn of Africa with Ethiopia being the most affected where TB cases increase at the rate of 2.6% each year. One of the main contributing factors for this rise is increasing transmission due to large number of untreated patients, serving as reservoirs of the infection within the communities. Reduction of the time between onset of TB symptoms to diagnosis is therefore a prerequisite to bring the TB epidemic under control. The aim of this study was to measure duration of delay among pastoralist TB patients at TB management units in Somali Regional State (SRS) of Ethiopia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross sectional study of 226 TB patients with pastoralist identity was conducted in SRS of Ethiopia from June to September 2007. Patients were interviewed using questionnaire based interview. Time between onset of TB symptoms and first visit to a professional health care provider (patient delay), and the time between first visits to the professional health care provider to the date of diagnosis (medical provider's delay) were analyzed. Both pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB patients were included in the study.</p> <p>Result</p> <p>A total of 226 pastoralist TB patients were included in this study; 93 (41.2%) were nomadic pastoralists and 133 (58.8%) were agro-pastoralists. Median patient delay was found to be 60 days with range of 10–1800 days (83 days for nomadic pastoralists and 57 days for agro-pastoralists). Median health care provider's delay was 6 days and median total delay was 70 days in this study. Patient delay constituted 86% of the total delay. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, nomadic pastoralism (aOR. 2.69, CI 1.47–4.91) and having low biomedical knowledge on TB (aOR. 2.02, CI 1.02–3.98) were significantly associated with prolonged patient delay. However, the only observed risk factor for very long patient delay >120 days was distance to health facility (aOR.4.23, CI 1.32–13.54). Extra-pulmonary TB was the only observed predictor for health care providers' delay (aOR. 3.39, CI 1.68–6.83).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Patient delay observed among pastoralist TB patients in SRS is one of the highest reported so far from developing countries, exceeding two years in some patients. This long patient delay appears to be associated with patient's inadequate knowledge of the disease and distance to health care facility with nomadic pastoralists being the most affected. Regional TB control programmes need to consider the exceptional circumstances of pastoralists, to maximise their access to TB services.</p