Multipole Extraction: A novel, model independent method

A novel method for extracting multipole amplitudes in the nucleon resonance region from electroproduction data is presented. The method is based on statistical concepts and it relies heavily on Monte Carlo and simulation techniques; it produces precise identification and determination of the contributing multipole amplitudes in the resonance region and for the first time a rigorous determination of the associated experimental uncertainty. The results are demonstrated to be independent of any model bias. The method is applied in the reanalysis of the $Q^{2}=0.127 GeV^2/c^2$ Bates and Mainz $N\to \Delta$ data.Comment: Proceedings, "Shape of Hadrons" Workshop, 27-29 April 2006, Athens, GREEC

High prices, not waste or over-use, drive high health care costs in the US

The US spends nearly 18 percent of its GDP on health care, making it a real outlier among high-income countries in this area. But what is behind this unusually high level of health care spending? Irene Papanicolas investigates common beliefs about why spending is so high, including that US residents use more health care services, have poorer quality of care, and use 'too much' inpatient care. She finds that higher costs in the US are largely driven by higher prices across a wide range of health care services such as surgical procedures and drugs, as well as administrative complexity and costs

Comments on the Relativity of Shape

In this talk I address three topics related to the shape of hadrons: 1. The Lorentz contraction of bound states. Few dedicated studies of this exist - I describe a recent calculation for ordinary atoms (positronium). 2. Does the A-dependence of nuclear structure functions indicate a change of proton shape in the nuclear environment? (My short answer is no.) 3. The size of Fock states contributing to processes involving large momentum transfers. End-point configurations can be transversally extended and yet sufficiently short-lived to contribute coherently to hard scattering.Comment: Talk at the Workshop on the Shape of Hadrons, 27-29 April 2006 in Athens, Greece. 11 pages, 15 figure

On hadron deformation: a model independent extraction of EMR from pion photoproduction data

The multipole content of pion photoproduction at the $\Delta^+ (1232)$ resonance has been extracted from a data set dominated by recent Mainz Microtron (MAMI) precision measurements. The analysis has been carried out in the Athens Model Independent Analysis Scheme (AMIAS), thus eliminating any model bias. The benchmark quantity for nucleon deformation, $EMR = E2/M1 = E_{1+}^{3/2}/M_{1+}^{3/2}$, was determined to be $-2.5 \pm 0.4_{stat+syst}$, thus reconfirming in a model independent way that the conjecture of baryon deformation is valid. The derived multipole amplitudes provide stringent constraints on QCD simulations and QCD inspired models striving to describe hadronic structure. They are in good agreement with phenomenological models which explicitly incorporate pionic degrees of freedom and with lattice QCD calculations.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 2 table

The challenges of using cross-national comparisons of efficiency to inform health policy

Many comparative efficiency metrics focus on scrutinising the operation of specific parts of a single health system. This article reviews the key issues involved in international comparisons of various aspects of efficiency. It examines data sources and analytic techniques used to create comparative indicators, and discusses approaches to interpreting variations. It also highlights key challenges and promising new initiatives, such as the consistent use of international definitions and technical developments, such as data linkages, which hold the potential to enhance work in this area

Perceptions of health care access in Europe: How universal is universal coverage?

The past decade has witnessed a growing interest in the ability of health systems to protect citizens from the financial consequences associated with ill health and the use of medical care. In order to improve financial protection and access to care the WHO World Health Report 2010 firmly emphasizes that health systems move towards universal coverage of their populations. Of all regions, Europe has shown the most commitment to the goal of universal coverage. However, not all Europeans may feel as though they are able to access care if in fact they should need it. It is therefore important to investigate how the citizens of different European countries perceive their access to health care in order to better understand who these individuals are and what role different systems can play in providing better access to care

What drives people’s perceptions of their health system? In the UK, overall satisfaction with the NHS is closely associated with GP performance

Surveys of satisfaction with the NHS tend to prompt discussion about reform. Research by Irene Papanicolas, Jonathan Cylus and Peter Smith investigates what determines people’s satisfaction with their health system and why it is oftentimes erratic. International comparisons show that overall satisfaction appears to represent something different in each health system, indicating that there is no panacea for improving satisfaction ratings in all countries. In the UK, they find that GP performance is closely linked to overall opinions of the NHS, and so policies that addresses GP responsibilities might have an important influence on satisfaction levels