Factors that affect the uptake of community-based health insurance in low-income and middle-income countries : a systematic protocol

Many people residing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are regularly exposed to catastrophic healthcare expenditure. It is therefore pertinent that LMICs should finance their health systems in ways that ensure that their citizens can use needed healthcare services and are protected from potential impoverishment arising from having to pay for services. Ways of financing health systems include government funding, health insurance schemes and out-of-pocket payment. A health insurance scheme refers to pooling of prepaid funds in a way that allows for risks to be shared. The health insurance scheme particularly suitable for the rural poor and the informal sector in LMICs is community-based health insurance (CBHI), that is, insurance schemes operated by organisations other than governments or private for-profit companies. We plan to search for and summarise currently available evidence on factors associated with the uptake of CBHI, as we are not aware of previous systematic reviews that have looked at this important topic

A photoelectron diffraction investigation of vanadyl phthalocyanine on Au(1 1 1)

Scanned-energy mode photoelectron diffraction using the O 1s and V 2p emission perpendicular to the surface has been used to investigate the orientation and internal conformation of vanadyl phthalocyanine (VOPc) adsorbed on Au(1 1 1). The results confirm earlier indications from scanning tunnelling microscopy that the Vdouble bond; length as m-dashO vanadyl bond points out of, and not into, the surface. The Vdouble bond; length as m-dashO bondlength is 1.60 ± 0.04 Å, not significantly different from its value in bulk crystalline VOPc. However, the V atom in the adsorbed molecule is almost coplanar with the surrounding N atoms and is thus pulled down into the approximately planar region defined by the N and C atoms by 0.52 (+0.14/−0.10) Å, relative to its location in crystalline VOPc. This change must be attributed to the bonding interaction between the molecule and the underlying metal surface

Adsorption structure of glycine on TiO2(1 1 0): a photoelectron diffraction determination

High-resolution core-level photoemission and scanned-energy mode photoelectron diffraction (PhD) of the O 1s and N 1s states have been used to investigate the interaction of glycine with the rutile TiO2(1 1 0) surface. Whilst there is clear evidence for the presence of the zwitterion View the MathML sourceCH2COO− with multilayer deposition, at low coverage only the deprotonated glycinate species, NH2CH2COO is present. Multiple-scattering simulations of the O 1s PhD data show the glycinate is bonded to the surface through the two carboxylate O atoms which occupy near-atop sites above the five-fold-coordinated surface Ti atoms, with a Ti–O bondlength of 2.12 ± 0.06 Å. Atomic hydrogen arising from the deprotonation is coadsorbed to form hydroxyl species at the bridging oxygen sites with an associated Ti–O bondlength of 2.01 ± 0.03 Å. Absence of any significant PhD modulations of the N 1s emission is consistent with the amino N atom not being involved in the surface bonding, unlike the case of glycinate on Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 0 0)

Phytoplankton communities and acclimation in a cyclonic eddy in the southwest Indian Ocean

A study of phytoplankton in a cyclonic eddy was undertaken in the Mozambique Basin between Madagascar and southern Africa during austral winter. CHEMTAX analysis of pigment data indicated that the community comprised mainly haptophytes and diatoms, with Prochlorococcus, prasinophytes and pelagophytes also being prominent to the east and west of the eddy. There was little difference in community structure, chlorophyll-specific absorption [a*ph(440)] and pigment:TChla ratios between the surface and the sub-surface chlorophyll maximum (SCM), reflecting acclimation to fluctuating light conditions in a well mixed upper layer. Values for a*ph(440) were low for diatom dominance, high where prokaryote proportion was high, and intermediate for flagellate dominated communities. Chlorophyll c and fucoxanthin:TChla ratios were elevated over most of the eddy, while 19′-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin ratios increased in the eastern and western sectors. In a community comprising mainly flagellates and Prochlorococcus to the west of the eddy, there was high a*ph(440) at the surface and elevated ratios for divinyl chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and 19′-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin at the SCM. An increase in diadinoxanthin:TChla ratios and a decline in the quantum efficiency of photochemistry in PSII under high light conditions, indicated some photoprotection and photoinhibition at the surface even in a well mixed environment. Diadinoxanthin was the main photoprotective carotenoid within the eddy, while zeaxanthin was the dominant photoprotective pigment outside the eddy. The results of this study will be useful inputs into appropriate remote sensing models for estimating primary production and the size class distribution of phytoplankton in eddies in the southwest Indian Ocean

Recent Results on Strangeness Production at RHIC

Due to its large acceptance, the STAR experiment has acquired a wealth of data on strangeness production for a variety of collisions systems and energies, from p+p to Au+Au. By using the yields and spectra, we address the evolution of the bulk system, including strangeness enhancement and the flavour dependence of radial and elliptic flow. Utilising the fact that we can identify strange baryons and mesons, we investigate different hadronization mechanisms in the intermediate and high p$_{T}$ regions. The ratios of the particle yields, measured to high p$_{T}$, are used to further investigate the range and applicability of the previously reported anomalous baryon production. We also study two-particle azimuthal correlations of identified particles in order to investigate any flavour dependence of jet fragmentation in the available p$_{T}$ range. Data was presented for a number of different collision systems and energies.Comment: Proceedings of SQM'06 Conference, LA, 2006 (submitted to J. Phys. G

Silicone encapsulation of thin-film SiOₓ, SiOₓNy and SiC for modern electronic medical implants: a comparative long-term ageing study

Objective. Ensuring the longevity of implantable devices is critical for their clinical usefulness. This is commonly achieved by hermetically sealing the sensitive electronics in a water impermeable housing, however, this method limits miniaturisation. Alternatively, silicone encapsulation has demonstrated long-term protection of implanted thick-film electronic devices. However, much of the current conformal packaging research is focused on more rigid coatings, such as parylene, liquid crystal polymers and novel inorganic layers. Here, we consider the potential of silicone to protect implants using thin-film technology with features 33 times smaller than thick-film counterparts. Approach. Aluminium interdigitated comb structures under plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposited passivation (SiOx, SiOxNy, SiOxNy + SiC) were encapsulated in medical grade silicones, with a total of six passivation/silicone combinations. Samples were aged in phosphate-buffered saline at 67‰ for up to 694 days under a continuous ±5 V biphasic waveform. Periodic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements monitored for leakage currents and degradation of the metal traces. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, focused-ion-beam and scanning-electron- microscopy were employed to determine any encapsulation material changes. Main results. No silicone delamination, passivation dissolution, or metal corrosion was observed during ageing. Impedances greater than 100 G were maintained between the aluminium tracks for silicone encapsulation over SiOxNy and SiC passivations. For these samples the only observed failure mode was open-circuit wire bonds. In contrast, progressive hydration of the SiOx caused its resistance to decrease by an order of magnitude. Significance. These results demonstrate silicone encapsulation offers excellent protection to thin-film conducting tracks when combined with appropriate inorganic thin films. This conclusion corresponds to previous reliability studies of silicone encapsulation in aqueous environments, but with a larger sample size. Therefore, we believe silicone encapsulation to be a realistic means of providing long-term protection for the circuits of implanted electronic medical devices

Photoelectron diffraction investigation of the structure of the clean TiO2(110)(1×1) surface

The surface relaxations of the rutile TiO2(110)(1×1) clean surface have been determined by O 1 s and Ti 2p3∕2 scanned-energy mode photoelectron diffraction. The results are in excellent agreement with recent low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) results, but in conflict with the results of some earlier investigations including one by surface x-ray diffraction. In particular, the bridging O atoms at the surface are found to relax outward, rather than inward, relative to the underlying bulk. Combined with the recent LEED and MEIS results, a consistent picture of the structure of this surface is provided. While the results of the most recent theoretical total-energy calculations are qualitatively consistent with this experimental consensus, significant quantitative differences remain

Healthy Eating and Active Living: Rural-Based Working Men's Perspectives.

There is a pressing need for health promotion programs focused on increasing healthy eating and active living among "unreached" rural-based men. The purpose of the current study was to describe rural-based working men's views about health to distil acceptable workplace approaches to promoting men's healthy lifestyles. Two focus group interviews included 21 men who worked and lived in northern British Columbia, Canada. Interviews were approximately 2 hours in duration; data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes inductively derived included (a) food as quick filling fuels, (b) work strength and recreational exercise, and (c) (re)working masculine health norms. Participants positioned foods as quick filling fuels both at work and home as reflecting time constraints and the need to bolster energy levels. In the theme work strength and recreational exercise, men highlighted the physical labor demands pointing to the need to be resilient in overcoming the subarctic climate and/or work fatigue in order to fit in exercise. In the context of workplace health promotion programs for men, participants advised how clear messaging and linkages between health and work performance and productivity and cultivating friendly competition among male employees were central to reworking, as well as working, with established masculine health norms. Overall, the study findings indicate that the workplace can be an important means to reaching men in rural communities and promoting healthy eating and active living. That said, the development of workplace programs should be guided by strength-based masculine virtues and values that proactively embrace work and family life

Strange prospects for LHC energies

Strange quark and hadron production will be studied at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies in order to explore the properties of both pp and heavy-ion collisions. The ALICE experiment will be specifically efficient in the strange sector with the identification of baryons and mesons over a wide range of transverse momentum. Dedicated measurements are proposed for investigating chemical equilibration and bulk properties. Strange particles can also help to probe kinematical regions where hard processes and pQCD dominate. We try to anticipate here several ALICE analyses to be performed as the first Pb--Pb and pp data will be available.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the proceedings of Hot Quarks 2006, Villasimius, Italy, 15-20 May 200