What Determines the Shape of an EQ-5D Index Distribution?

Background. EQ-5D-3L index scores in patient and general populations typically have a nonnormal distribution, divided into 2 distinct groups. It is important to understand to what extent this is determined by the way that the EQ-5D-3L index is constructed rather than by the true distribution of ill health. Objective. This paper examines the determinants of the ‘‘2 groups’’ distribution pattern and the extent to which this pattern is attributable either to the EQ-5D-3L classification system used to create health state profiles or to the weights applied to profiles. Methods. Data from the English NHS PROMs program (hip and knee replacements and varicose vein and hernia repairs) and from a study of 2 chronic conditions (asthma and angina) were used to compare the distributions of EQ5D-3L index scores with distributions from which weights have been stripped; profile data decomposed into their constituent dimensions and levels; a condition-specific index; and using weights from different countries, based on both time tradeoff and visual analogue scale. Results. The EQ-5D-3L classification system generates differences between patients with the same condition in respect of dimensions that are mainly observed at level 2 or 3. The weights commonly used to calculate the index exacerbate this grouping by placing a larger weight on level 3 observations, generating a noticeable gap in index scores between the groups. Conclusions. Analyzing EQ-5D profile data enables a better understanding of the resulting distribution of EQ-5D scores. The distinctive shape observed for these distributions is the result of both the classification system and the weights applied to it

Magnetic Surfaces, Thin Films and Nanostructures

Kinetics and Thermodynamics at Surfaces -- Surface Crystallography -- Electronic Structure of Surfaces -- Collective and Single Particle Excitations. - Surface Magnetism -- Lattice Dynamics -- Gas Surface Interaction. - Chemical Reactions at Surfaces -- Current topics in surface scienc

Observation of the exclusive reaction e(+)e(-)->phi eta at root s=10.58 GeV

We report the observation of e(+)e(-)->phi eta near root s=10.58 GeV with 6.5 sigma significance in the K+K-gamma gamma final state in a data sample of 224 fb(-1) collected by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II e(+)e(-) storage rings. We measure the restricted radiation-corrected cross section to be sigma(e(+)e(-)->phi eta)=2.1 +/- 0.4(stat)+/- 0.1(syst) fb within the range vertical bar cos theta(*)vertical bar < 0.8, where theta(*) is the center-of-mass polar angle of the phi meson. The phi meson is required to be in the invariant mass range of 1.008 < m(phi)< 1.035 GeV/c(2). The radiation-corrected cross section in the full cos theta(*) range is extrapolated to be 2.9 +/- 0.5(stat)+/- 0.1(syst) fb