Economic evaluation of HBV vaccination: a systematic review of recent publications (2000-2013).

Aim: To conduct a systematic review of the economic evaluations (EE) of HBV vaccination, taking also into account the studies published in the new millennium. Methods: An extensive scientific literature review was conducted using two electronic medical journal databases: Scopus and PubMed engines for published studies on EE of HBV vaccination. Results: 22 articles were reviewed, 9, 5 and 8 cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit and cost-utility analysis, respectively. Studies were mainly concerning EE of universal vaccination (UV), mostly with regards to low or low-medium income countries. For high income countries, EE were focused on the possible implementation of HBV vaccination in particular settings, such as diabetic, renal and other chronic conditions care, as well as infectious diseasesUV has usually a very good cost-effectiveness ratio (80%), ranging from cost-saving (China) or few Euro per LY/QALY gained (in Thailand, and Vietnam) to 630.00$/ QALY in USA (Asian and Pacific Islands) Moreover, EE of HBV vaccination are favorable in the infectious diseases field as well as for chronic conditions. In relation to diabetes the studies gave controversial results. Conclusion: This systematic review highlighted the importance of introducing HBV vaccination not only for infant UV program but also for other settings in which patients are people affected by communicable and non-communicable diseases

Lightweight Borohydrides Electro-Activity in Lithium Cells

As a substitute for graphite, the negative electrode material commonly used in Li-ion batteries, hydrides have the theoretical potential to overcome performance limits of the current state-of-the-art Li-ion cells. Hydrides can operate through a conversion process proved for some interstitial hydrides like MgH2: MxAy + n Li = x M + y LimA, where m = n/y. Even if far from optimization, outstanding performances were observed, drawing the attention to the whole hydride family. Looking for high capacity systems, lightweight complex metal hydrides, such as borohydrides, deserve consideration. Capacities in the order of 2000–4000 mAh/g can be theoretically expected thanks to the very low formula unit weight. Although the potential technological impact of these materials can lead to major breakthroughs in Li-ion batteries, this new research field requires the tackling of fundamental issues that are completely unexplored. Here, our recent findings on the incorporation of borohydrides are presented and discusse

Hydrides as high capacity anodes in lithium cells: an Italian “Futuro in Ricerca di Base FIRB-2010” project

Automotive and stationary energy storage are among the most recently-proposed and still unfulfilled applications for lithium ion devices. Higher energy, power and superior safety standards, well beyond the present state of the art, are actually required to extend the Li-ion battery market to these challenging fields, but such a goal can only be achieved by the development of new materials with improved performances. Focusing on the negative electrode materials, alloying and conversion chemistries have been widely explored in the last decade to circumvent the main weakness of the intercalation processes: the limitation in capacity to one or at most two lithium atoms per host formula unit. Among all of the many proposed conversion chemistries, hydrides have been proposed and investigated since 2008. In lithium cells, these materials undergo a conversion reaction that gives metallic nanoparticles surrounded by an amorphous matrix of LiH. Among all of the reported conversion materials, hydrides have outstanding theoretical properties and have been only marginally explored, thus making this class of materials an interesting playground for both fundamental and applied research. In this review, we illustrate the most relevant results achieved in the frame of the Italian National Research Project FIRB 2010 Futuro in Ricerca “Hydrides as high capacity anodes in lithium cells” and possible future perspectives of research for this class of materials in electrochemical energy storage devices

The relationship between physical activity and quality of life in prisoners: a pilot study

IntroductionImprisoned people have usually a poor health status in comparison with the general population. The aim is to investigate a possible association between the quality of life and physical activity level in male inmates. MethodsA cross-sectional pilot study was carried out between 2010 and 2011. A questionnaire contained SF12 and International Physical Activity Questionnaire  was administered. Mental Component Score  (MCS) and Physical Component Score   (PCS) were computed. The physical activity level was measured using Metabolic Equivalents score (MET)Results121 inmates entered the survey. MCS is directly correlated to MET of physical activity (r= 0.23; P=0.03) and negatively to BMI variations (r= -0.24; P= 0.02) and smoking status (r= -0.24; P= 0.02).DiscussionThis pilot study  suggests to improve the investigation to support the promotion of physical activity programs  in Italian prisons in order to improve inmates QoL and allow a better social integration at the end of detention

The relationship between physical activity and quality of life in prisoners: a pilot study

IntroductionImprisoned people have usually a poor health status in comparison with the general population. The aim is to investigate a possible association between the quality of life and physical activity level in male inmates. MethodsA cross-sectional pilot study was carried out between 2010 and 2011. A questionnaire contained SF12 and International Physical Activity Questionnaire  was administered. Mental Component Score  (MCS) and Physical Component Score   (PCS) were computed. The physical activity level was measured using Metabolic Equivalents score (MET)Results121 inmates entered the survey. MCS is directly correlated to MET of physical activity (r= 0.23; P=0.03) and negatively to BMI variations (r= -0.24; P= 0.02) and smoking status (r= -0.24; P= 0.02).DiscussionThis pilot study  suggests to improve the investigation to support the promotion of physical activity programs  in Italian prisons in order to improve inmates QoL and allow a better social integration at the end of detention

Ultrafast THz probe of photo-induced polarons in lead-halide perovskites

We study the nature of photo-excited charge carriers in CsPbBr3 nanocrystal thin films by ultrafast optical pump - THz probe spectroscopy. We observe a deviation from a pure Drude dispersion of the THz dielectric response that is ascribed to the polaronic nature of carriers; a transient blueshift of observed phonon frequencies is indicative of the coupling between photogenerated charges and stretching-bending modes of the deformed inorganic sublattice, as confirmed by DFT calculations

How Photogenerated I₂ Induces I-Rich Phase Formation in Lead Mixed Halide Perovskites

Bandgap tunability of lead mixed halide perovskites (LMHPs) is a crucial characteristic for versatile optoelectronic applications. Nevertheless, LMHPs show the formation of iodide-rich (I-rich) phase under illumination, which destabilizes the semiconductor bandgap and impedes their exploitation. Here, it is shown that how I2, photogenerated upon charge carrier trapping at iodine interstitials in LMHPs, can promote the formation of I-rich phase. I2 can react with bromide (Br−) in the perovskite to form a trihalide ion I2Br− (Iδ−-Iδ+-Brδ−), whose negatively charged iodide (Iδ−) can further exchange with another lattice Br− to form the I-rich phase. Importantly, it is observed that the effectiveness of the process is dependent on the overall stability of the crystalline perovskite structure. Therefore, the bandgap instability in LMHPs is governed by two factors, i.e., the density of native defects leading to I2 production and the Br− binding strength within the crystalline unit. Eventually, this study provides rules for the design of chemical composition in LMHPs to reach their full potential for optoelectronic devices.</p

Large polarons in lead halide perovskites

Lead halide perovskites show marked defect tolerance responsible for their excellent optoelectronic properties. These properties might be explained by the formation of large polarons, but how they are formed and whether organic cations are essential remain open questions. We provide a direct time domain view of large polaron formation in single-crystal lead bromide perovskites CH3NH3PbBr3 and CsPbBr3. We found that large polaron forms predominantly from the deformation of the PbBr3− frameworks, irrespective of the cation type. The difference lies in the polaron formation time, which, in CH3NH3PbBr3 (0.3 ps), is less than half of that in CsPbBr3 (0.7 ps). First-principles calculations confirm large polaron formation, identify the Pb-Br-Pb deformation modes as responsible, and explain quantitatively the rate difference between CH3NH3PbBr3 and CsPbBr3. The findings reveal the general advantage of the soft [PbX3]− sublattice in charge carrier protection and suggest that there is likely no mechanistic limitations in using all-inorganic or mixed-cation lead halide perovskites to overcome instability problems and to tune the balance between charge carrier protection and mobility

Halogen Bonded Hole Transport Material Suppresses Charge Recombination and Enhances Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells

Interfaces play a crucial role in determining perovskite solar cells, PSCs performance and stability. It is therefore of great importance to constantly work toward improving their design. This study shows the advantages of using a hole transport material HTM that can anchor to the perovskite surface through halogen bonding XB . A halo functional HTM PFI is compared to a reference HTM PF , identical in optoelectronic properties and chemical structure but lacking the ability to form XB. The interaction between PFI and perovskite is supported by simulations and experiments. XB allows the HTM to create an ordered and homogenous layer on the perovskite surface, thus improving the perovskite HTM interface and its energy level alignment. Thanks to the compact and ordered interface, PFI displays increased resistance to solvent exposure compared to its not interacting counterpart. Moreover, PFI devices show suppressed nonradiative recombination and reduced hysteresis, with a Voc enhancement of bigger equal as 20 mV and a remarkable stability, retaining more than 90 efficiency after 550 h of continuous maximum power point tracking. This work highlights the potential that XB can bring to the context of PSCs, paving the way for a new halo functional design strategy for charge transport layers, which tackles the challenges of charge transport and interface improvement simultaneousl

Lightweight Borohydrides Electro-Activity in Lithium Cells

As a substitute for graphite, the negative electrode material commonly used in Li-ion batteries, hydrides have the theoretical potential to overcome performance limits of the current state-of-the-art Li-ion cells. Hydrides can operate through a conversion process proved for some interstitial hydrides like MgH2: MxAy + n Li = x M + y LimA, where m = n/y. Even if far from optimization, outstanding performances were observed, drawing the attention to the whole hydride family. Looking for high capacity systems, lightweight complex metal hydrides, such as borohydrides, deserve consideration. Capacities in the order of 2000–4000 mAh/g can be theoretically expected thanks to the very low formula unit weight. Although the potential technological impact of these materials can lead to major breakthroughs in Li-ion batteries, this new research field requires the tackling of fundamental issues that are completely unexplored. Here, our recent findings on the incorporation of borohydrides are presented and discussed