The NordiNet® International Outcome Study and NovoNet® ANSWER Program®: rationale, design, and methodology of two international pharmacoepidemiological registry-based studies monitoring long-term clinical and safety outcomes of growth hormone therapy (Norditropin®).

OBJECTIVE: Randomized controlled trials have shown that growth hormone (GH) therapy has effects on growth, metabolism, and body composition. GH therapy is prescribed for children with growth failure and adults with GH deficiency. Carefully conducted observational study of GH treatment affords the opportunity to assess long-term treatment outcomes and the clinical factors and variables affecting those outcomes, in patients receiving GH therapy in routine clinical practice. DESIGN: The NordiNet® International Outcome Study (IOS) and the American Norditropin® Studies: Web Enabled Research (ANSWER Program®) are two complementary, non-interventional, observational studies that adhere to current guidelines for pharmacoepidemiological data. PATIENTS: The studies include pediatric and adult patients receiving Norditropin®, as prescribed by their physicians. MEASUREMENTS: The studies gather long-term data on the safety and effectiveness of reallife treatment with the recombinant human GH, Norditropin®. We describe the origins, aims, objectives, and design methodology of the studies, as well as their governance and validity, strengths, and limitations. CONCLUSION: The NordiNet® IOS and ANSWER Program® studies will provide valid insights into the effectiveness and safety of GH treatment across a diverse and large patient population treated in accordance with real-world clinical practice and following the Good Pharmacoepidemiological Practice and STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines

Electrothermal Finite-Element Modeling for Defect Characterization in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Modules

We present and validate a finite-element model for coupled charge and heat transport in monolithically interconnected thin-film solar modules. Using measured current-voltage (I-V) and lock-in thermography (LIT) measurements of amorphous silicon minimodules, we experimentally validate our model. The entire module volume is represented by two planes (front and back electrodes) which are coupled in vertical direction using 1-D models, leading to a large reduction of the degrees of freedom in the numerical model and contributing to an efficient solution approach. As compared to 3-D models, the vertical coupling of the charge transport is represented by local temperature-dependent I-V curves. These can be obtained by drift-diffusion calculations, single-cell measurements or, as presented here, by an analytical solar cell diode model. Inhomogeneous heat sources such as Joule's heating in the electrodes lead to nonuniform temperature distributions. The explicit temperature dependence in the local I-V curve, therefore, mediates the feedback of the thermal transport on the local electrical cell characteristics. We employ measured I-V curves under partial illumination and analytical solutions for the potential distribution to validate this approach. Further, with LIT measurements of the same modules with and without artificially induced electrical shunts, we verify the computed temperature distributions

Q2Q^2 Independence of QF2/F1QF_2/F_1, Poincare Invariance and the Non-Conservation of Helicity

A relativistic constituent quark model is found to reproduce the recent data regarding the ratio of proton form factors, $F_2(Q^2)/F_1(Q^2)$. We show that imposing Poincare invariance leads to substantial violation of the helicity conservation rule, as well as an analytic result that the ratio $F_2(Q^2)/F_1(Q^2)\sim 1/Q$ for intermediate values of $Q^2$.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev. C typos corrected, references added, 1 new figure to show very high Q^2 behavio

Vasovagal reactions in whole blood donors at three REDS-II blood centers in Brazil

BACKGROUND: In Brazil little is known about adverse reactions during donation and the donor characteristics that may be associated with such events. Donors are offered snacks and fluids before donating and are required to consume a light meal after donation. For these reasons the frequency of reactions may be different than those observed in other countries. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted of eligible whole blood donors at three large blood centers located in Brazil between July 2007 and December 2009. Vasovagal reactions (VVRs) along with donor demographic and biometric data were collected. Reactions were defined as any presyncopal or syncopal event during the donation process. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of VVRs. RESULTS: Of 724,861 donor presentations, 16,129 (2.2%) VVRs were recorded. Rates varied substantially between the three centers: 53, 290, and 381 per 10,000 donations in Recife, Sao Paulo, and Belo Horizonte, respectively. Although the reaction rates varied, the donor characteristics associated with VVRs were similar (younger age [18-29 years], replacement donors, first-time donors, low estimated blood volume [EBV]). In multivariable analysis controlling for differences between the donor populations in each city younger age, first-time donor status, and lower EBV were the factors most associated with reactions. CONCLUSION: Factors associated with VVRs in other locations are also evident in Brazil. The difference in VVR rates between the three centers might be due to different procedures for identifying and reporting the reactions. Potential interventions to reduce the risk of reactions in Brazil should be considered