Oral Care in the Long-Term Care of Older Patients: How Can the Dental Hygienist Meet the Need?

It is estimated that the older population, aged 65 and older, will make up over 20% of the U.S. population by the year 2030. Research acknowledges about 4% of the older population resides in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), where the long-term older patient (LTOP) is under the formal supervised care or custody of institutions with skilled nurses. By the year 2040, 4 million geriatric residents are predicted to move into LTCFs in the U.S. In 2000, the Surgeon General reported LTOPs in LTCFs have greater oral hygiene needs than any other segment of the population to include: root caries, periodontal disease, xerostomia, fungal infections and other oral health concerns. Serious systemic health conditions occurring at high incidence rates have been linked to poor oral hygiene in the LTOP. The purpose of this manuscript is to identify systemic health conditions, oral health conditions, barriers to oral care for LTOPs and to offer recommendations for increased access to care within LTCFs through the use of registered dental hygienists (RDHs)

The Impact of Consulting Services on Small and Medium Enterprises: Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Mexico

A randomized control trial with 432 small and medium enterprises in Mexico shows positive impact of access to 1 year of management consulting services on total factor productivity and return on assets. Owners also had an increase in “entrepreneurial spirit” (an index that measures entrepreneurial confidence and goal setting). Using Mexican social security data, we find a persistent large increase (about 50 percent) in the number of employees and total wage bill even 5 years after the program. We document large heterogeneity in the specific managerial practices that improved as a result of the consulting, with the most prominent being marketing, financial accounting, and longterm business planning.Puebla (Mexico : State). Consejo para el Desarrollo Industrial, Comercial y de ServiciosWorld Bank. Knowledge for Change Trust FundBill & Melinda Gates Foundatio

Cryogenic silicon detectors with implanted contacts for the detection of visible photons using the Neganov-Luke Effect

There is a common need in astroparticle experiments such as direct dark matter detection, 0{\nu}\b{eta}\b{eta} (double beta decay without emission of neutrinos) and Coherent Neutrino Nucleus Scattering experiments for light detectors with a very low energy threshold. By employing the Neganov-Luke Effect, the thermal signal of particle interactions in a semiconductor absorber operated at cryogenic temperatures, can be amplified by drifting the photogenerated electrons and holes in an electric field. This technology is not used in current experiments, in particular because of a reduction of the signal amplitude with time which is due to trapping of the charges within the absorber. We present here the first results of a novel type of Neganov-Luke Effect detector with an electric field configuration designed to improve the charge collection within the semiconductor.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Journal of Low Temperature Physic

Shigatoxin-bildende Escherichia coli (STEC/EHEC)

Shigatoxin-bildende Escherichia coli (STEC) gehörenweltweit neben Campylobacter und Salmonellen zu den wichtigsten mit Lebensmitteln assoziierten Infektionserregern. Aufgrund der tiefen minimalen Infektionsdosis von STEC ist eine Infektion über kontaminierte Lebensmittel und fäkal verunreinigtes Wasser leicht möglich. Neben STEC werden auch die Begriffe VTEC (Verotoxin-bildende E. coli) und EHEC (enterohämorrhagische E. coli) verwendet. Neben tierischen können auch pflanzliche Lebensmittel Ausbrüche beim Menschen verursachen. Das beste Gegenmittel ist eine gute Küchenhygiene

Letter on “Sharing trial results directly with trial participants and other stakeholders after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic hit the UK:experience from the ActWELL trial

Acknowledgements We would like to thank our ActWELL participants who attended the events for their interest and enthusiasm in making the events a success. We would like to thank Susan MacAskill for giving us permission to use a quote from her email to us. We are also grateful to the technical support who got us through all events, Cormac Staunton (of stauntonmedia.ie). We would also like to acknowledge and thank Dr Katie Gillies and Dr Seonaidh Cotton for their contribution to the design of the evaluation survey. HSRU is core funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. This work was supported by The Scottish Government, grant number BC/ Screening/17/01.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Short-term soil response under plastic mulching in strawberry cultivation

Plastic mulches (PM) are known for increasing soil temperature and retaining soil moisture, suppressing weeds and avoiding ground contact of on-soil growing products. Thus, the use of PM in agriculture has been significantly increased in the last years, with important economic benefits for the farmers. Most studies dealing with PM emphasize the positive effects of this management, yet recent reports have shown that the use of PM is linked to a decrease of SOM content, soil erosion, soil contamination with plastic residues and in some cases to a high mycotoxin production by soil fungi. This questions the sustainability of the intensive use of PM in agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess the short-term modification of soil physicochemical and microbial parameters under PM, compared to no-mulch (NM). The experiment was conducted in a 2016-planted strawberry field. For each management (PM vs. NM) five plots were selected. Cultivation of strawberry in both PM and NM was done in a ridge-furrow system with subsurface irrigation. Samples were collected prior to the planting (T0) and successively at two (T1) and four months (T2) after planting. Different depths were sampled in the ridges (0-10, 10-30 and 30-60 cm) and in the furrows (0-10 and 10-40 cm). The analysis of the quantity and quality of soil organic matter is ongoing and comprised soil physicochemical analysis: pH, electrical conductivity, water content, bulk density and stability, organic C and N and density fractionation. Moreover, soil microbiology was studied via soil microbial carbon and mycotoxin occurrence as indicator of fungal stress. Additionally, temperature, humidity and pH of soil were daily recorded using an in-field installed measuring station. The continuously recorded environmental data showed differences in the temperature patterns between PM and NM, with highest average temperature under plastic. As well, pH and humidity data indicated differences between the treatments

Sampling Plans for Control-Inspection Schemes Under Independent and Dependent Sampling Designs With Applications to Photovoltaics

The evaluation of produced items at the time of delivery is, in practice, usually amended by at least one inspection at later time points. We extend the methodology of acceptance sampling for variables for arbitrary unknown distributions when additional sampling infor- mation is available to such settings. Based on appropriate approximations of the operating characteristic, we derive new acceptance sampling plans that control the overall operating characteristic. The results cover the case of independent sampling as well as the case of dependent sampling. In particular, we study a modified panel sampling design and the case of spatial batch sampling. The latter is advisable in photovoltaic field monitoring studies, since it allows to detect and analyze local clusters of degraded or damaged modules. Some finite sample properties are examined by a simulation study, focusing on the accuracy of estimation

Die Baumart beeinflusst die Menge und Stöchiometrie der organischen Bodensubstanz sowie die mikrobielle Biomasse in Streuauflagen und Mineralböden von Waldböden

Die Menge und Qualität der organischen Bodensubstanz (OBS) ist von entscheidender Bedeutung für die ökosystemaren Leistungen, Resistenz und Resilienz von Waldböden. Ziel der Arbeit ist, die Vorräte und Zusammensetzung der OBS von Waldböden, welche unter dem Einfluss unterschiedlicher Baumarten stehen, zu charakterisieren. Verglichen wurden die Vorräte an organischem Kohlenstoff (Corg), Stickstoff (N), Schwefel (S), Wasserstoff (H) und Sauerstoff (O) in den Streuauflagen und den verschiedenen Tiefenstufen des Mineralbodens (0-5 cm, 5-10 cm, 10-30 cm) unter fünf verbreiteten Baumarten der gemäßigten Zone: Douglasie (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Gemeine Fichte (Picea abies), Rotbuche (Fagus sylvatica), Roteiche (Quercus rubra) und Schwarzkiefer (Pinus nigra). Zusätzlich wurden C-Gehalt der mikrobiellen Biomasse (MBC) und der Ergosterolgehalt als Indikator für die pilzliche Biomasse bestimmt. Die Studie wurde auf einer seit 1980 rekultivierten Abraumhalde im rheinischen Braunkohlerevier durchgeführt. Durch die Standortwahl sind abiotische Faktoren wie Klima, Ausgangssubstrat, Relief usw. unter den Baumbeständen gleich, sodass angenommen werden kann, dass Unterschiede in den Bodeneigenschaften auf den Einfluss der verschiedenen Baumarten zurückzuführen sind. Bereits in der jungen 35-jährigen Bodenentwicklung seit der Rekultivierung wurden Auflagen sowie mineralische Bodenhorizonte mit unterschiedlichen Corg-Vorräten und unterschiedlichen C:N:S:H:O-Verhältnissen unter dem Einfluss der fünf Baumarten herausgebildet. So steigen die Corg-Vorräte in den Auflagen in folgender Reihenfolge an: Douglasie < Rotbuche = Roteiche < Schwarzkiefer < Fichte. Im Mineralboden werden mit zunehmender Tiefe die Unterschiede zwischen den Baumarten signifikant kleiner, wobei unter Rotbuche die kleinsten und unter Fichte sowie Roteiche die größten Corg-Vorräte bestimmt wurden. Die C/N-Verhältnisse der Auflagenhorizonte unter Koniferenbestand sind signifikant weiter verglichen zu den Laubbaumarten, was auf Unterschiede in der Humifizierung hindeutet. Die H/C- und O/C-Verhältnisse sind in den Auflagenhorizonten unter der Schwarzkiefer am kleinsten und unter Douglasie (HC) bzw. Fichte (OC) am größten. Die mit der Tiefe kleiner werdenden mikrobiellen Parameter korrelieren mit den stöchiometrischen Verhältnissen und unterscheiden sich signifikant zwischen den Baumarten. Die untersuchten Bodenparameter bilden eine Grundlage zur Bewertung des Potenzials Kohlenstoff in Waldböden zu sequestrieren