A comparison of the antimicrobial efficacy of silver diamine fluoride and silver nitrate: an ex vivo study

A comparison of the antimicrobial efficacy of silver diamine fluoride and silver nitrate on various cariogenic bacteria: an ex vivo study By: Reham AlNajjar, D.D.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2019 Thesis Advisor: William Dahlke, D.M.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry Purpose: The use of silver-based antimicrobials is an emerging method for the treatment of dental caries. In this study, the authors compare the efficacy of the two most prominent silver- based therapeutics, silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and silver nitrate (AgNO3), on cariogenic and non-cariogenic multispecies biofilms. Currently there is a lack of studies comparing the efficacy of SDF to AgNO3. Methods: Plaque samples from anterior and posterior tooth sites from children presenting both with early childhood caries and caries-free children were collected, pooled, and utilized to create four ex vivo biofilm systems in artificial saliva. SDF and AgNO3 were administered to these biofilms and bacterial survival was quantified and compared to untreated controls. Results: Each of the four pooled sample types was applied to plates coated in artificial saliva + 1% sucrose. Both SDF and AgNO3 were very effective against plaque derived biofilms when compared to untreated biofilms (P0.05) in the potency of each compound. Conclusions: SDF and AgNO3 significantly inhibit ex vivo cariogenic and non-cariogenic biofilms at similar levels

Utilizing Computer-Assisted Vocabulary Learning Tools in English Language Teaching: Examining In-Service Teachers' Perceptions of the Usability of Digital Flashcards

This study explores five in-service teachers' perceptions with regards to the technical and pedagogical usability of digital flashcards in English language teaching. All the teachers were enrolled in a one-year Masters of Art in English Language Teaching program at Coventry University and had previous teaching experience ranging from elementary to university level. The study adopted a quan?QUAL mixed-method research design, combining elements of surveys and case studies, to examine the factors that affected the teachers' perceptions in addition to how they view three specific websites: Cram, Quizlet, and StudyStack. Participants explored these websites and created sets of flashcards in a computer lab, then completed a survey and participated in a focus group interview. Findings suggest that although the teachers were willing to integrate digital flashcards in their future teaching, it is dependent on several factors, including: learners' age, the quality of graphics in the websites, and the teachers' prior experience as students on their MA program. Nonetheless, the “wow” factor seemed to influence their perceptions of the usability of these websites, which can either be extreme positive or negative initial reactions as a result of the websites' presentational scheme.</jats:p

Computational Analysis and Generation of Slogans

I reklam används sloganer för att förbättra återkallandet av den annonserade produkten av konsumenter och skilja den från andra på marknaden. Att skapa effektiva slagord är en resurskrävande uppgift för människor. I denna avhandling beskriver vi en ny metod för att automatiskt generera sloganer, med tanke på ett målkoncept (t ex bil) och en adjektivsegenskap för att uttrycka (t ex elegant) som input. Dessutom föreslår vi en metod för att generera nominella metaforer med hjälp av en metafor-tolkningsmodell för att möjliggöra generering av metaforiska slagord. Metoden för att generera sloganer extraherar skelett från befintliga sloganer, så fyller det ett skelett med lämpliga ord genom att använda flera språkliga resurser (som ett förvar av grammatiska och semantiska relationer och språkmodeller) och genetiska algoritmer samtidigt som man optimerar flera mål såsom semantiska relateradhet, språkkorrigering och användning av retoriska enheter. Vi utvärderar metaforen och slogangenereringsmetoderna med hjälp av en tänktalkoplattform. På en 5-punkts Likert-skala ber vi online-domare att bedöma de genererade metaforerna tillsammans med tre andra metaforer som genererades med andra metoder och visa hur bra de kommunicerar den eftersökta betydelsen. Slogangenereringsmetoden utvärderas genom att be crowdsourced-domare att bedöma genererade sloganer från fem perspektiv, vilka är 1) hur bra är sloganet relaterat till ämnet, 2) hur korrekt är sloganets språk, 3) hur metaforiskt är sloganet, 4) hur engagerande, attraktivt och minnesvärt är det och 5) hur bra är sloganet överlag. Dessa frågor är utvalda för att undersöka effekterna av relateradhet till produkten och den markerade egenskapen, användningen av retoriska anordningar och språkets korrekthet på den övergripande uppskattningen av slogan. På samma sätt utvärderar vi befintliga sloganer som har skapats av äkta människor. Baserat på utvärderingarna analyserar vi metoden som helhet tillsammans med de enskilda optimeringsfunktionerna och ger insikter om befintliga sloganer. Resultaten från våra utvärderingar visar att vår metaforgeneringsmetod kan producera lämpliga metaforer. För slogangenereraren bevisar resultaten att metoden har varit framgångsrik i att producera minst en effektiv slogan för varje utvärderad input. Ändå finns det utrymme för att förbättra metoden, som diskuteras i slutet av avhandlingen

Biological, Behavioral and Preventative Management of the Invasive Insect Pest, Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura), in Maine Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton)

This research was conducted in order to identify the potential for utilization of various management techniques against the invasive Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, commonly referred to as the spotted wing drosophila (SWD), using Maine lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) as a model crop system. These included evaluations of three prospective approaches often considered when developing agricultural pest management programs for novel insect pests: 1) biological control through the intended release of natural enemies, in this case entomopathogenic fungi; 2) behavioral management through mass trap deployment in order to capture and kill adult SWD, and; 3) prevention through the deployment of insect exclusion netting during the pre-harvest fruit ripening period. The first assessment was accomplished through complementary laboratory and field experiments. Mass-inoculation laboratory assays with four species of fungi resulted in significant mortality of SWD flies over five days post-exposure (P \u3c 0.0001). While both Beauveria bassiana (strain GHA) and Metarhizium anisopliae (strain F-52) were among the most lethal isolates, only B. bassiana mycoses were shown to exert a significant dose-mortality response over a three day period following initial contact with conidia (P \u3c 0.0001); based on the data obtained, the derived LC­­50 value corresponded to a pathogen surface density of approximately 16,000 conidia mm-2. Although no detectable mortality effect was found during the M. anisopliae assay (P = 0.64), the frequency of sporulating fly cadavers increased substantially at elevated conidia doses of either fungal pathogen (P \u3c 0.0001). A sub-lethal assessment of B. bassiana mycosis on reproductive development in immature D. suzukii females also generated support for decreased oocyte maturation rates in individual flies (P = 0.02). Coupled with the observable germination of conidia through SEM imaging, these results provide strong evidence for positive infection under laboratory conditions. Despite these promising results, however, the subsequent field evaluation of a commercially available B. bassiana (strain GHA) containing myco-insecticide yielded no additional evidence that could justify these entomopathogens as being feasible biocontrol agents in SWD management. Spraying blueberry enclosures prior to the introduction of 2,000 adult SWD failed to reduce the quantity of larvae inhabiting fruit samples, with 59 ± 63 (SD) vs 28 ± 19 obtained in sprayed vs unsprayed plots, respectively. Objectives two and three entailed field experimentation only with lowbush blueberry. Mass trapping with volatile semiochemicals was evaluated at different trap concentrations. Varying the spatial arrangement of traps within study grids significantly influenced the quantity of SWD larvae infesting sampled blueberry fruits (P = 0.0003). The trap design and bait tested here were most effective when deployed at the lowest density (0.9 m trap spacing). Fruit samples collected from crops provided this treatment contained mean larval infestations of 1.5 ± 1.8 (SD). For comparison, the deployment of traps with 1.8 and 2.7 m of trap spacing resulted in larval sampling averages of 8.8 ± 11.1 (SD) and 17.3 ± 13.7, respectively. However, there was no detectable treatment effect of trap spacing on the mean number of adults captured in traps (P =0.40). The results of this field investigation, in conjunction with those of other studies, might justify additional research on trap cropping in order to reduce the overall degree of chemical inputs required to adequately suppress fruit infestation. The final objective produced results consistent with those of analogous investigations, which have shown insect-netting to be an effective preventative agent for physical exclusion of SWD flies from contacting viable host fruits prior to harvest intervals. Studies conducted in the lowbush blueberry agroecosystem during summer of 2014 and 2015 provide further support for this conclusion; net-protected fruits contained an average of 0.2 ± 0.2 (SD) larvae, in comparison to uncovered control fruits in which an average of 5.2 ± 3.9 larvae were sampled (P \u3c 0.0001). In order to confidently implement novel management techniques for suppressing SWD infestations, the observations gathered in this assessment cannot justify the immediate utilization of any technique as a replacement for insecticidal treatments. Even the positive results obtained from insect-netting experiments were constrained by limitations of spatial practicality with respect to application in large scale fruit growing operations. Therefore, additional experimentation will be necessary before identifying any of these techniques as viable approaches to incorporate with developing integrated pest management programs

Abolish censorship and adopt critical media literacy: A proactive approach to media and youth in the Middle East

This paper challenges the dominant patronizing approach to youth and media in the Middle East and argues that the calls for censorship of youth media exposure are obsolete and counterproductive. It argues that although censorship advocates have a legitimate concern over media risks, their approaches are ineffective, short-lived and alienating, disregarding the potential that media hold for young people. The author believes that elites in MENA should shift their focus to empower youth to use media to learn; to voice their worldviews and experiences; and to work for the betterment of themselves and their societies. The paper recommends two strategies:1) the adoption of a proactive approach towards youth and media through the introduction of critical media literacy in education in MENA, and 2) the collaboration between the government, businesses, and the rest of society to advance the pedagogical resources of critical media literacy for Arabic speaking youth and educators

Investigating the Health Meanings of Young Saudi Women

Women’s structural position within society and their family roles significantly influence their health. Previous studies have shown women hold lower health and socioeconomic status because of their gender within the Saudi culture. This study aimed to provide an understanding of how Saudi women value health and define being healthy within their social contexts. Adopting an ethnographic perspective, three focus groups (31 participants in total) were conducted with volunteer undergraduate Saudi female students on campus during a nine-week field trip to the participants’ university, King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Three themes were generated from this study that characterize the meaning of health for the participants: 1) societal influences, 2) personal experiences and interactions, and 3) strategies developed from the interactions of both domains. The study findings demonstrate how societal norms and institutional policies, combined with women’s personal experiences and interactions within their environment, negatively impact the lifestyle of Saudi women, which in turn shapes their health perspectives and practices. The significance of this study and implications for research and service delivery are discussed. Keywords Health meanings, health perceptions, Saudi university women, ethnography, critical theory, qualitative research

TAP block, needle through introducer approach

AbstractSince introduction of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block to pediatric practice, ultrasonography is considered the standard of care to perform such block in pediatric age group.In spite of the rarity of reported complication of the block in literatures, many practitioners still avoid performing such block in pediatric age group giving the shallow depth of plane and probability of intra-abdominal organs trauma.I am explaining a new approach entailed using Ultrasound (US) guided spinal needle through introducer in 3years old child.This technique has a potential to make the block more approachable as it decreases the probability of intra-abdominal organs trauma

The perceived needs and coping responses of adolescents in the United Arab Emirates

This thesis is concerned with the perceived needs and coping responses of a sample of adolescents in the United Arab Emirates. It is arranged in four sections, further subdivided into nine chapters. Section one contains an outline of the main aims, scope, and the significance and limitations of the study. Information about the UAE and some historical background of the society before and after federation are provided to show the rapid and comprehensive development which has been influencial: social structure, familial changes, and changes in traditional customs. The possible effects upon adolescence in the community are discussed. Section two provides a review of relevant literature. Firstly, the concept of needs, historical background of studies of needs, influences upon the development of needs hierarchies, approaches to the study adolescents' needs, universal needs of adolescence and major issues in the assessment of needs are outlined. Then, definitions, conceptual and methodological issues and theories of coping which have influenced this study are discussed. Differences in coping styles and processes used in response to specific and dispositional needs arousal are considered. The development of adolescent perceptions of needs, the significance of adolescent failure in developing coping skills and cognitive development and its effects upon the perception of needs are examined. Finally, the researcher presents a framework of needs perception and coping responses which is used in the design and the conduct of the empirical study. Section three describes the empirical work of the study. It is in three chapters. Firstly, the aims and the overall design are described. A pilot study involving qualitative and quantitative measures was undertaken in preparation for the design and use of a questionnaire involving a larger sample of adolescents. The main study which involved the construction of a questionnaire to examine adolescents' perceived needs and the coping responses. Responses from 700 young people in the UAE were analyzed to determine types and strengths of perceived needs and differences in coping responses. Some gender differences were also identified and discussed. Section four contains a summary of the main findings, conclusions and recommendations. The three most strongly perceived needs reported by these young people were: to achieve success, to be blessed by God and to feel homeostasis and away from problems; and the least strongly felt needs were: to be beautiful/handsome and to gain people's attention. Some gender differences were noted. In coping responses the findings indicated that boys tend to use denial way of coping to meet their perceived needs more than girls, who tend to use acceptance way of coping more than boys. Interestingly, the findings of this research show a considerable overlap between the perceived needs of adolescents in an Islamic culture and those of adolescents in western cultures. The findings are discussed in relation to the debate in theoretical terms between perception of human behavior as trait-orientated or process-orientated. This section concludes with a discussion of issues and questions raised in the study and with recommendations for further research

The Generation of Higher Mental Functions in Vygotsky’s Concepts of Development and Contradiction

In this paper we argue that Vygotsky’s psychological research paradigm is a research epistemology, methodology, and ontology of theory and practice that attempts to build a psychology grounded within the social historical and cultural setting in which he/she evolved. Vygotsky’s whole enterprise was to establish a concrete human psychology committed to investigate how human nature changes, conceiving human development not just as quantitative, cumulative and linear, but also as qualitative, transformative change. In this outlook, contradiction leads to new contradictions, not necessarily “equilibrium”. The dialectical concepts of contradiction, development and transformation were fundamental to Vygotsky’s psychology. Vygotsky never had time, of course, to realize the desire expressed in his critique of the crisis of psychology that psychology needs its own Das Kapital. This paper will outline the main features of Vygotsky’s dialectical approach to understanding human higher mental functions.Two Vygotskian concepts are discussed in depth. The concept of development is conceived not only as quantitative, but also qualitative change, and the concept of contradiction were viewed as the engine of both natural and historical change. Development and contradiction are pictured together as organizing, creative forces that drive the higher mental functions and activities. By bringing development and contradiction in conjunction with cultural historical theory and activity theory, we aim to offer a picture of the Soviet psychologist's indebtedness to historical dialectical materialist philosophy. Keywords: Contradiction, development, dialectics, materialism, aufheben, equilibrium, social individual, ensemble of social relations, higher mental functions, psychology’s own Das Kapital