A study of the applicability of nucleation theory to quasi-thermodynamic transitions of second and higher Ehrenfest-order

The applicability of classical nucleation theory to second (and higher) order thermodynamic transitions in the Ehrenfest sense has been investigated and expressions have been derived upon which the qualitative and quantitative success of the basic approach must ultimately depend. The expressions describe the effect of temperature undercooling, hydrostatic pressure, and tensile stress upon the critical parameters, the critical nucleus size, and critical free energy barrier, for nucleation in a thermodynamic transition of any general order. These expressions are then specialized for the case of first and second order transitions. The expressions for the case of undercooling are then used in conjunction with literature data to estimate values for the critical quantities in a system undergoing a pseudo-second order transition (the glass transition in polystyrene). Methods of estimating the interfacial energy gamma in systems undergoing a first and second order transition are also discussed

Influence of Caregivers and Children's Entry Into the Dental Care System

Early preventive dental visits are essential in improving children’s oral health, especially young children at high risk for dental caries. However, there is scant information on how these children enter the dental care system. Our objectives were as follows: (1) to describe how a population-based cohort of young Medicaid-enrolled children entered dental care; and (2) to investigate the influence of caregiver characteristics on their children’s dental care–seeking patterns

Valemeid matemaatikast : [käsiraamat matemaatikaülesannete lahendamisel]

http://www.ester.ee/record=b1275119*es

The Whitney R. Harris Third Reich Collection : materials added to the collection, 1999-June 30, 2008

Bibliography of items added to the Whitney R. Harris Third Reich Collection funded by Whitney R. Harris

Mental (Dis)Order in Later Medieval Europe

Mental (Dis)order in the Late Middle Ages sketches the boundaries between mental, social and physical order and various states of disorder – unexpected mood swings, fury, melancholy, stress, insomnia, and demonic influence – and focuses on the interaction between lay and elite cultures.; Readership: All those interested in medieval culture; the medical, religious, intellectual, social, and art history of late medieval Europe

The systemic effects of a state psychiatric hospital waitlist policy on mental health services use

In response to state psychiatric hospital bed shortages nationally, many states have implemented waitlist policies in an effort to control patient admissions and avoid operating overcrowded treatment units. While these policies allow hospitals to care for patients in a safe manner, they do nothing to address the unmet need for inpatient care. As a result, people in psychiatric crises can experience substantial delays before being admitted to a state hospital. Uncertainties remain as to whether waitlists are affecting the mental health system in ways that are not yet documented in the literature. This dissertation used the experience of North Carolina to evaluate the systemic effects of waitlists on mental health services use. The first study used state hospital utilization data to determine possible internal effects of the policy on the number and case mix of admissions to state hospitals, as these hospitals were no longer able to operate over capacity and may have prioritized the sickest patients for admission from waitlists. The second and third studies used North Carolina Medicaid data to examine possible external effects of the policy on the frequency and length of stay of general hospital emergency department (ED) visits (statewide and regionally), as people who previously would have been admitted to state hospitals were forced to wait in communities until psychiatric beds became available. Results from the studies indicated that waitlists were associated with fewer state hospital admissions (overall and by people with SMI), but were not associated with changes in the monthly percent of admissions by people with SMI. Waitlists were also generally associated with small increases in the frequency and length of stay of ED visits among Medicaid enrollees with severe mental illness (SMI). These findings provide preliminary evidence that the external and internal effects of North Carolina's waitlist policies were limited. However, additional research is needed to determine whether results related to ED use extend to people who are uninsured or diagnosed with other behavioral health diagnoses. Further research is also needed to confirm that people previously cared for in state hospitals are receiving timely access to acute inpatient psychiatric care.Doctor of Philosoph

Mental (Dis)Order in Later Medieval Europe

Mental (Dis)order in the Late Middle Ages sketches the boundaries between mental, social and physical order and various states of disorder – unexpected mood swings, fury, melancholy, stress, insomnia, and demonic influence – and focuses on the interaction between lay and elite cultures.; Readership: All those interested in medieval culture; the medical, religious, intellectual, social, and art history of late medieval Europe

Mental (Dis)Order in Later Medieval Europe

The boundaries between mental, social and physical order and various states of disorder – unexpected mood swings, fury, melancholy, stress, insomnia, and demonic influence – form the core of this compilation. For medieval men and women, religious rituals, magic, herbs, dietary requirements as well as to scholastic medicine were a way to cope with the vagaries of mental wellbeing; the focus of the articles is on the interaction and osmosis between lay and elite cultures as well as medical, theological and political theories and practical experiences of daily life. Time span of the volume is the later Middle Ages, c. 1300-1500. Geographically it covers Western Europe and the comparison between Mediterranean world and Northern Europe is an important constituent

Assessing Sustained and Differential Impacts of North Carolina’s Medicaid "Lock-In" Program

Between 2000 and 2015, half a million people died from a drug overdose in the U.S., and most of these deaths involved an opioid. Medicaid beneficiaries are a particularly high-risk population. One strategy that nearly all states use to address potential misuse of prescription opioids, and other controlled substances (CS), are Medicaid “lock-in” programs (MLIPs). MLIPs identify beneficiaries demonstrating potential overutilization of CS and control their access. In North Carolina (NC), beneficiaries enrolled in the MLIP are required to use a single prescriber and pharmacy to obtain specific CS for a 12-month period. There has been little research examining the impact of MLIPs. In this dissertation, we 1) examined the sustained impact of the NC MLIP on dispensed CS and dosages of opioids dispensed (in terms of morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs)) and 2) examined whether trajectories of MMEs differed across time prior to, during, and following release from the MLIP for different strata of the population. Data included NC Medicaid claims linked to records from NC’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program from October 2009 through June 2013. We found that compared to a period of stable CS dispensing prior to MLIP enrollment, the MLIP reduced the average numbers of CS dispensed both during lock-in and following release. However, the program was also associated with increased acquisition of dispensed CS using non-Medicaid payment (e.g., out-of-pocket) both during lock-in and following release. Moreover, beneficiaries acquired greater MMEs of dispensed opioids from both Medicaid and non-Medicaid payment sources during lock-in and following release. Considerable heterogeneity existed in trajectories of MMEs of dispensed opioids across time prior to, during, and following release from the MLIP. Five trajectory patterns appeared to sufficiently describe this underlying heterogeneity. All patterns demonstrated a spike in MMEs in the six months prior to lock-in, constituting a trigger for MLIP enrollment; however, patterns were dissimilar in overall starting values and slopes. While the trajectories indicated that the MLIP may have had little influence on MME patterns across time, strong associations between trajectory patterns and beneficiary characteristics were evident. Findings from this dissertation thus provide a foundation for informing future MLIP improvements.Doctor of Philosoph