1,491 research outputs found

    Effects of municipal smoke-free ordinances on secondhand smoke exposure in the Republic of Korea

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    ObjectiveTo reduce premature deaths due to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-smokers, the Republic of Korea (ROK) adopted changes to the National Health Promotion Act, which allowed local governments to enact municipal ordinances to strengthen their authority to designate smoke-free areas and levy penalty fines. In this study, we examined national trends in SHS exposure after the introduction of these municipal ordinances at the city level in 2010.MethodsWe used interrupted time series analysis to assess whether the trends of SHS exposure in the workplace and at home, and the primary cigarette smoking rate changed following the policy adjustment in the national legislation in ROK. Population-standardized data for selected variables were retrieved from a nationally representative survey dataset and used to study the policy action’s effectiveness.ResultsFollowing the change in the legislation, SHS exposure in the workplace reversed course from an increasing (18% per year) trend prior to the introduction of these smoke-free ordinances to a decreasing (−10% per year) trend after adoption and enforcement of these laws (β2 = 0.18, p-value = 0.07; β3 = −0.10, p-value = 0.02). SHS exposure at home (β2 = 0.10, p-value = 0.09; β3 = −0.03, p-value = 0.14) and the primary cigarette smoking rate (β2 = 0.03, p-value = 0.10; β3 = 0.008, p-value = 0.15) showed no significant changes in the sampled period. Although analyses stratified by sex showed that the allowance of municipal ordinances resulted in reduced SHS exposure in the workplace for both males and females, they did not affect the primary cigarette smoking rate as much, especially among females.ConclusionStrengthening the role of local governments by giving them the authority to enact and enforce penalties on SHS exposure violation helped ROK to reduce SHS exposure in the workplace. However, smoking behaviors and related activities seemed to shift to less restrictive areas such as on the streets and in apartment hallways, negating some of the effects due to these ordinances. Future studies should investigate how smoke-free policies beyond public places can further reduce the SHS exposure in ROK

    Head shapes and toothaches: A study of cranial modification and dental pathology at MUNA, a late pre-Hispanic cemetery from the Archaeological Sanctuary of Pachacamac (Lima, Perú).

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    This thesis is a bioarchaeological analysis of cranial modification and dental pathology in a sample of human remains excavated from the pre-Hispanic MUNA cemetery. This cemetery was on the outskirts of the Archaeological Sanctuary of Pachacamac in the Lurín Valley. The cemetery was comprised of disturbed skeletal remains and relatively well preserved fardos funerarios (funerary bundles) from the Late Intermediate Period (1100-1470 CE) and early Late Horizon (1470-1532 CE). The results of this thesis show that the skeletal remains and fardos likely belonged to a single community, and the analyzed sample showed intra-site variation of the fronto-occipital cranial modification. The dental pathology results showed a relatively homogenous, carbohydrate-rich, and cariogenic. Comparisons with other Pachacamac and Central Coast samples suggested that the MUNA people were likely a coastal community that was local to the Central Coast and/or Pachacamac and the Lurín Valley. In the former scenario, the MUNA people could have participated in regional pilgrimage. This would be consistent with the current interpretation that during the Late Intermediate Period, Pachacamac was an important administrative and religious center in the Central Coast, but not across the Central Andes

    Evaluation and validation of techniques for the prevention and management of periodontal diseases

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    The periodontal disease burden is high globally as is periodontitis susceptibility. The management of this disease continuum (gingivitis-periodontitis) is vitality important to reduce the negative quality of life impact on individuals as well as the adverse health implications associated with periodontitis.The aim of this thesis is to evaluate emerging advances in technology for the diagnosis of periodontal diseases, their treatment and management, which will augment and offer alternatives to existing strategies. A study to determine if intraoral scanner (IOS) images provide sufficient quality to enable the diagnosis of gingivitis to be reached demonstrated that the same clinical conclusions were reached irrespective of whether data was collected clinically or via IOS. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) to determine whether images taken from IOS can improve patient understanding of oral hygiene techniques and improve plaque levels and gingival inflammation more than standard oral hygiene advice showed that a personalised approach to oral hygiene instruction improved gum outcomes.An RCT to determine if an anti-gingivitis toothpaste (TP) containing enzymes and other proteins (Zendium®) is an effective adjunct to toothbrushing in the prevention of gingivitis, demonstrated that Zendium® improved gingival inflammation and reduced plaque and bleeding on probing, when compared with a standard fluoride TP.A split mouth, crossover RCT of periodontally susceptible individuals to determine if the professional plaque removal experience improved when using an ultrasonic scaler that can deliver warm water irrigant compared to standard room temperature, indicated that the provision of warm water reduced the pain and discomfort experienced by patients and could improve the overall acceptance of treatment.This thesis demonstrates that advances in technology can improve patient education and behaviour change, and that with improved adjuncts to treatment and patient treatment experiences, better oral health outcomes can be achieved. <br/

    Satori 2023

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    The Satori is a student literary publication that expresses the artistic spirit of the students of Winona State University. Student poetry, prose, and graphic art are published in the Satori every spring since 1970. The Satori 2023 editors are Gabriel Hathaway, Van Herman, Madeline Schonitzer, Brianna Strohbehn, Page Sutton, Willow Swinbank, and Emily Venné. The Satori 2023 faculty advisor is Dr. Jim Armstrong, Professor of English.https://openriver.winona.edu/satori/1010/thumbnail.jp

    Introduction to Human Biology

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    This OER is intended as a textbook for a one semester introductory course in Human Anatomy and Physiology for non-science majors. It covers the major topics typically covered in A&P, but in a simplified, easier to understand manner. This textbook aims to educate students interested in lower-level health careers and non-science majors without the intimidating detail found in current textbooks. Text and images were created to be more accessible for these student populations

    Aiding the conservation of two wooden Buddhist sculptures with 3D imaging and spectroscopic techniques

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    The conservation of Buddhist sculptures that were transferred to Europe at some point during their lifetime raises numerous questions: while these objects historically served a religious, devotional purpose, many of them currently belong to museums or private collections, where they are detached from their original context and often adapted to western taste. A scientific study was carried out to address questions from Museo d'Arte Orientale of Turin curators in terms of whether these artifacts might be forgeries or replicas, and how they may have transformed over time. Several analytical techniques were used for materials identification and to study the production technique, ultimately aiming to discriminate the original materials from those added within later interventions
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