Metastable and transient states of chemical ordering in Fe-V nanocrystalline alloys

Chemical ordering of the disordered alloys Fe0.78V0.22, Fe0.53V0.47, Fe0.39V0.61, and Fe0.37V0.63 was performed by annealing at temperatures from 723 to 973 K. The initial state of chemical disorder was produced by high-energy ball milling, and the evolution of order was measured by neutron diffractometry and by 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry. The hyperfine magnetic field distributions obtained from the Mössbauer spectra provided quantitative measurements of the number of antisite Fe atoms in the partially ordered alloys. The long-range order parameters in steady state after long annealing times were used as states of metastable equilibrium for a generally successful comparison with the metastable Fe-V phase diagram calculated by Sanchez et al. [Phys. Rev. B 54, 8958 (1996)]. For the metastable equilibrium state of order in Fe0.53V0.47 at low temperatures, the order parameters were smaller than expected. This corresponded to an abundance of antisite atoms, which were not removed effectively by annealing at the lower temperatures

Nonnegatively curved homogeneous metrics obtained by scaling fibers of submersions

We consider invariant Riemannian metrics on compact homogeneous spaces G/H where an intermediate subgroup K between G and H exists, so that the homogeneous space G/H is the total space of a Riemannian submersion. We study the question as to whether enlarging the fibers of the submersion by a constant scaling factor retains the nonnegative curvature in the case that the deformation starts at a normal homogeneous metric. We classify triples of groups (H,K,G) where nonnegative curvature is maintained for small deformations, using a criterion proved by Schwachh\"ofer and Tapp. We obtain a complete classification in case the subgroup H has full rank and an almost complete classification in the case of regular subgroups.Comment: 23 pages; minor revisions, to appear in Geometriae Dedicat

Sociodemographic and Health Status Characteristics of Maine\u27s Newly Eligible Medicaid Beneficiaries [Data Brief]

This data brief identifies key characteristics of groups who will gain access through MaineCare expansion. Researchers Croll and Ziller at the University of Southern Maine, along with Leonardson of the Maine Health Access Foundation present a statistical analysis of uninsured non-elderly adults age 18 – 64 with no children and lower incomes, the population newly eligible for MaineCare through expansion. Drawing from five years of data from Maine’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the report addresses sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and access to care. The survey indicates that those who are likely eligible for expanded MaineCare coverage are twice as likely as other nonelderly adults to be aged 55-64, and are more likely to be unmarried and live in small or isolated regions of North and Downeast Maine. Only 11% of these individuals have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Thirty-three percent of these adults have not seen a doctor in the last year due to cost, and 20% have not received a routine checkup in five or more years. Overall, the newly eligible adults are more than three times as likely to self-report their health as fair or poor. The report also notes that this group is more likely than others to face issues with depression, obesity, smoking, and other chronic diseases. However, they are no more or less likely than other nonelderly adults to struggle with substance use disorders

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene by a Group VIII carbene complex in protic media

During the past two decades, intense research efforts have enabled an in-depth understanding of the olefin metathesis reaction as catalyzed by early transition metal complexes. In contrast, the nature of the intermediates and the reaction mechanism for group VIII transition metal metathesis catalysts remain elusive. Such knowledge is important in view of the promise group VIII metals show in polymerizing a wide variety of functionalized cyclic olefins in protic solvents. Highly active late transition metal catalysts should also open the way to the metathesis of functionalized acyclic olefins. Previous studies in our group have focused on the chemistry of highly active, functional-group-tolerant catalysts prepared from aquoruthenium(II) olefin complexes. In these systems, characterization of the catalytic intermediates is difficult due to their very low concentrations and high activity in the reaction mixtures. Although it is reasonable to assume that the active species are ruthenacyclobutanes and ruthenium carbenes (ruthenaolefins), the oxidation state and ligation of these intermediates are not known. Furthermore, the discrete ruthenium carbene complexes that have been isolated to date do not exhibit both metathesis activity and stability to protic/aqueous solvents. We report here the reaction of an Ru(II) complex with a strained olefin to produce a carbene species that polymerizes norbornene in organic media both in the absence and presence of protic/aqueous solvents. In both solvent systems, a stable propagating carbene complex can be observed throughout the course of the polymerization, as has been previously found with titanium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, and ruthenium complexes

Health Insurance CO-OPs: Product Availability and Premiums in Rural Counties

Created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs) are private, non-profit health insurers that were designed to increase insurance plan choice and lower premiums in the Health Insurance Marketplaces. Early analyses of the ACA suggested that CO-OPs may be particularly beneficial for rural communities, where fewer individual and small group health insurance options have traditionally been available. This Research and Policy Brief, authored by research staff at the Maine Rural Health Research Center, explores the early availability and role of CO-OPs in rural and urban counties. We describe the regional distribution and market prevalence of CO-OP products in rural and urban counties and compare the number of products available in counties with and without CO-OP plans in 2014 and 2015. We also examine the proportion of lowest cost silver products for 27 year olds offered by CO-OPs in both years. To better understand the impact of CO-OP closures on consumer choice in the 2016 Marketplaces, we examine how these closures may have affected the prevalence of CO-OP products in rural versus urban counties and overall product availability. Key Findings: CO-OPs represented a larger overall share of Marketplace products available in rural versus urban counties in 2014 and 2015. From 2014 to 2015, CO-OP products increased in absolute numbers and grew modestly as a proportion of offerings in both rural and urban counties. In 2014 and 2015, CO-OPs were more likely to offer the lowest cost silver product available for purchase in rural counties than in urban counties. Recent closures of CO-OPs are likely to disproportionately reduce product availability in rural counties

Quality Indicators for Home and Community-based Services in Maine [Report]

The purpose of this report is to provide summary information on the performance of Maine’s home and community based care system. The data in this report can be used to identify areas where the system is working and people are satisfied with services and to identify areas where improvement may be needed. The data may also point to areas where further analysis or more information would be helpful. The data in the report represents baseline information. There are no absolute standards or norms against which the results can be compared. In some instances, it will be important to use the data as a basis for further discussion and inquiry in order to “interpret” or draw conclusions from the results. This is part of an ongoing quality improvement process

Rural Implications of Geographic Rating of Health Insurance Premiums

This brief examines how and to what extent states allow health plans to vary premiums by geographic rating area and, using insurance data from selected states, assesses the direction and magnitude of variations in rural and urban geographic rating factors. The authors conclude with a discussion of strategies that federal and state policymakers might use to help ensure that premium variations based on geography are justified. KEY POINTS: There is no clear pattern of geographic rating factors favoring rural or urban areas. This lack of a clear pattern suggests that health plans may use geographic rating for business purposes other than adjusting for underlying cost/price differences. Geographic rating could reduce insurance risk pooling and be used as a proxy for experience rating. To limit the effect of market segmentation resulting from geographic rating, rate bands could be imposed on area rating factors

CO-OP Health Plans: Can They Help Fix Rural America\u27s Health Insurance Markets?

Consumer-Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) programs are intended to create nonprofit health insurance issuers that would offer health plans to individual and small group markets. Part of the Affordable Care Act, CO-OPs could have a substantial effect on rural healthcare delivery systems. In this Brief, authors Jean Talbot and Andy Coburn of the Maine Rural Health Research Center at the University of Southern Maine provide an overview of the CO-OP program legislation from the Affordable Care Act; identify the challenges to obtaining private health insurance in rural areas; and assess the opportunities and challenges of using the CO-OP program to address the limitations of the rural private health insurance market. Dr. Coburn participated in a webinar on this topic co-hosted by the Rural Assistance Center (RAC) with the State Health Access Reform Evaluation (SHARE)

Assessment of Maine\u27s Long-Term Care Needs Baseline Report: Demographics and Use of Long Term Care Services in Maine

In 2006, the Office of Elder Services requested the assistance of the Muskie School in developing an assessment of long term care service use in Maine. This report provides baseline information on the demographic characteristics, participant characteristics and service use trends for people accessing long term care services in this State. For purposes of this report, we have excluded people with MR/DD. Long term care services do not include community support services for people with mental illness. In this report, long term care services include: Nursing Facility Services Private Non-medical Institutions Consumer Directed Attendant Services Day Health Services Elder and Adult Waiver Services Home Health Services Hospice Services Personal Care Services Physically Disabled Waiver Services Private Duty Nursing Facility Service