Variational Approaches to Characterize Weak Solutions for Some Problems of Mathematical Physics Equations

This paper is aimed at providing three versions to solve and characterize weak solutions for Dirichlet problems involving theLaplacian and the -pseudo-Laplacian. In this way generalized versions for some results which use Ekeland variational principle, critical points for nondifferentiable functionals, and Ghoussoub-Maurey linear principle have been proposed. Three sequences of generalized statements have been developed starting from the most abstract assertions until their applications in characterizing weak solutions for some mathematical physics problems involving the abovementioned operators

Health Service Use and Expenditure Patterns of Dual Eligibles in Michigan

Objective: The objective is to provide a statewide population-based comparison of Michigan beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (duals) to Medicare-only beneficiaries, including the public health expenditures by service type, and to focus on the LTC service use patterns of elderly duals receiving care in various settings. Data Sources: Data sources were linked 2005 and 2006 individual Medicaid and Medicare claims from all Michigan duals. Methods: CMS provided Medicare claims and beneficiary data. Michigan Department of Community Health provided Medicaid claims data. Design: We compared characteristics and health expenditures across various categories of beneficiaries and LTC care settings. Principal Findings: The 13% duals accounted for 33% of total Medicare and Medicaid expenditures. Eight percent of elderly beneficiaries were duals in 2005, accounting for 26% of public health expenditures in the aged. The average monthly expenditures of elderly duals were: $4,896 in institutional LTC,$2,921 for those served through HCBS waiver programs, and $1,488 for those in the community. Conclusions: Duals in Michigan account for a disproportionate large share of state and federal health expenditures. Michigan’s experience suggests that LTC services can be offered in home and community-based settings, at lower costs compared to institutional LTC. The shift in prescription drug coverage from Medicaid to Medicare increased the drug expenditures for some duals and had limited impact on overall dual expenditures. Results may be pertinent within the context of impending healthcare reforms

Azo-azulene derivatives for nonlinear optical applications

Organic materials are of high interest and are widely used for the development of new powerful and low dimensional technologies. They exhibit several advantages with respect to inorganic compounds such as large cubic and quadratic optical nonlinearities, flexibility, easy manufacturing and so on. Among them, some present abilities for photonic or nonlinear optical applications. Intensive researches have been performed these latest decades to synthesize highly efficient and optically active molecules because of the miniaturization of optoelectronic devices. Azo-azulene derivatives are an interesting class of organic molecules for potential applications in optoelectronics and optical data storage due to their polyfunctional properties. We discuss second and third order nonlinear optical properties of a series of azo-azulene compounds in solid state. Thin films were prepared by incorporating these molecules in a polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) matrix and were investigated. Moreover, potential usage of these guest-host systems for optical data storage is also discussed

The encapsulation effect of UV molecular absorbers into biocompatible lipid nanoparticles

The efficiency of a cosmetic product depends not only on the active ingredients, but also on the carrier system devoted to improve its bioavailability. This article aims to encapsulate two couples of UV molecular absorbers, with a blocking action on both UV-A and UV-B domains, into efficient lipid nanoparticles. The effect of encapsulation on the specific properties such as sun protection factor and photostability behaviour has been demonstrated. The lipid nanoparticles with size range 30-350 nm and a polydispersity index between 0.217 and 0.244 are obtained using a modified high shear homogenisation method. The nanoparticles had spherical shapes with a single crystallisation form of lipid matrices characteristic for the least ordered crystal structure (α-form). The in vitro determination of photoprotection has led to high SPF ratings, with values of about 20, which assure a good photoprotection and filtering about 95% of UV radiation. The photoprotection effect after irradiation stage was observed to be increased more than twice compared to initial samples as a result of isomerisation phenomena. All the results have shown that good photoprotection effect and improved photostability could be obtained using such sunscreen couples, thus demonstrating that UV absorbers-solid lipid nanoparticles are promising carriers for cosmetic formulations

Medicaid home visitation and maternal and infant care and health: A reassessment of program effectiveness

Introduction: The Maternal Infant Health Program, MIHP, is Michigan\u27s largest home visiting program for Medicaid-eligible pregnant women and infants. Prior quasi-experimental propensity score matched MIHP evaluations were limited by the possibility of selection bias due to the limited available baseline characteristics. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of MIHP including previously unobserved baseline characteristics to mitigate the possibility of selection bias. Methods: We analyzed health care and outcomes of mothers and their infants using linked administrative and screening data. All Medicaid pregnant women with a singleton birth in Michigan between 2009 and 2012 who were prenatally screened into the statewide home visiting program were studied (n=69,408). Propensity score adjustment regressions were used to compare screened-only program participants to those screened who received additional program services. Data were assembled and analyzed between 2014-2016. Results: Compared to screened-only pregnant women, those who received additional program services had higher odds of receiving adequate prenatal care (OR=1.12), an appropriate postnatal checkup (OR=1.27), reduced odds of low birthweight (OR=0.84), very low birthweight (OR=0.63), preterm (OR=0.83), or very preterm birth (OR=0.67), and infants had increased odds of receiving the appropriate number of well-child visits in the first year of life (OR=1.3, p Conclusions: Favorable home visiting effects on maternal and infant care and health previously observed in quasi-experimental matched evaluations were supported by this study after accounting for an expanded set of characteristics and risk factors which reduced the possibility of selection bias

In Vivo Bacterial Morphogenetic Protein Interactions

This chapter will discuss none-invasive techniques that are widely used to study protein-protein interactions. As an example, their application in exploring interactions between proteins involved in bacterial cell division will be evaluated. First, bacterial morphology and cell division of the rod-shaped bacterium Escherichia coli will be introduced. Next, three bacterial two-hybrid methods and three Förster resonance energy transfer detection methods that are frequently applied to detect interactions between proteins will be described and discussed in detail. The chapter concludes with a discussion about the application and results of the techniques when studying proteins involved in cell division