Parental Perceptions of Oral Health and School-Based Dental Sealant Programs

Introduction: Community Health Needs Assessment (University of Vermont Medical Center, 2013) Identified oral health in pediatric population as a primary concern Barriers to dental care cited: access, affordability, education School-Based Sealant Program (SBSP) Dental sealants are an evidence-based method of cavity prevention CDC strongly recommends delivery via SBSPs Few Vermont schools have such a program Vermont Medicaid State Plan amendment allows dental hygienists to bill without on-site dentist (2015)4 Unique opportunity to pilot an SBSP Pilot program implemented by the University of Vermont Medical Center Community Health Improvement Goal: sustainable model able to be replicated in Vermont schools Pilot School Selection – Milton Elementary-Middle School (MEMS) Demographics representative of Vermont schools (46% free & reduced lunch program); school administration supportive of an SBSP; no existing dental education (“Tooth Tutor”) program per Vermont Office of Oral Healthhttps://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1232/thumbnail.jp

Toroidal Soliton Solutions in O(3)^N Nonlinear Sigma Model

A set of N three component unit scalar fields in (3+1) Minkowski space-time is investigated. The highly nonlinear coupling between them is chosen to omit the scaling instabilities. The multi-soliton static configurations with arbitrary Hopf numbers are found. Moreover, the generalized version of the Vakulenko-Kapitansky inequality is obtained. The possibility of attractive, repulsing and noninteracting channels is discussed.Comment: to be published in Mod. Phys. Lett.

The vanishing of L2 harmonic one-forms on based path spaces

We prove the triviality of the first L2 cohomology class of based path spaces of Riemannian manifolds furnished with Brownian motion measure, and the consequent vanishing of L2 harmonic one-forms. We give explicit formulae for closed and co-closed one-forms expressed as differentials of functions and co-differentials of L2 two-forms, respectively; these are considered as extended Clark-Ocone formulae. A feature of the proof is the use of the temporal structure of path spaces to relate a rough exterior derivative operator on one-forms to the exterior differentiation operator used to construct the de Rham complex and the self-adjoint Laplacian on L2 one-forms. This Laplacian is shown to have a spectral gap

Streamlined variance calculations for semiparametric mixed models

Semiparametric mixed model analysis benefits from variability estimates such as standard errors of effect estimates and variability bars to accompany curve estimates. We show how the underlying variance calculations can be done extremely efficiently compared with the direct naïve approach. These streamlined calculations are linear in the number of subjects, representing a two orders of magnitude improvement. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

One-dimensional Cooper pairing

We study electron pairing in a one-dimensional (1D) fermion gas at zero temperature under zero- and finite-range, attractive, two-body interactions. The binding energy of Cooper pairs (CPs) with zero total or center-of-mass momentum (CMM) increases with attraction strength and decreases with interaction range for fixed strength. The excitation energy of 1D CPs with nonzero CMM display novel, unique properties. It satisfies a dispersion relation with \textit{two} branches: a\ phonon-like \textit{linear }excitation for small CP CMM; this is followed by roton-like \textit{quadratic} excitation minimum for CMM greater than twice the Fermi wavenumber, but only above a minimum threshold attraction strength. The expected quadratic-in-CMM dispersion \textit{in vacuo }when the Fermi wavenumber is set to zero is recovered for \textit{any% } coupling. This paper completes a three-part exploration initiated in 2D and continued in 3D.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

rf-studies of vortex dynamics in isotropic type-II superconductors

We have measured the surface impedance of thick superconductors in the mixed state over a broad 2 kHz - 20 MHz frequency range. The depinning cross-over is observed; but it is much broader than expected from classical theories of pinning. A striking result is the existence of size effects which invalidate the common interpretation of the low-frequency surface inductance in terms of a single penetration depth. Instead, a two-mode description of vortex dynamics, assuming free vortex flow in the bulk and surface pinning, accounts quantitatively for the spectrum of the complex apparent penetration depth.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, 28 reference

Developmental Evaluation of the CHOICE+ Champion Training Program

Context: Mealtimes in residential care homes are important for social engagement and can encourage resident relationships. Yet, training programs to improve mealtime care practices in residential care settings remain limited in learning approaches and scope. Objectives: To determine whether a one-day Champion Training session would improve participants’ knowledge, skills, and confidence to implement a relationship-centred mealtime program (CHOICE+) in their homes. Methods: The study employed a pre-/post-test design to evaluate a train-the-trainer model using paper-based questionnaires. Thirty-four participants attended the training session; 25 participants completed pre/post training questionnaires based on Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model. Training included: 1) program implementation manual, 2) best-practices document, 3) educational resources and evaluation tools, 4) presentation on theory-based implementation strategies and behaviour change techniques, and 5) group discussion on applying strategies and techniques, problem-solving for implementation facilitators and barriers. Findings: More than half of attendees worked as Food Service Managers or Registered Dietitians. Participants identified several organizational factors that could impact their home’s readiness to implement CHOICE+, though they felt training to be acceptable and feasible for their homes. Participants reported increase in knowledge (8.4 ± 1.1), confidence (8.3 ± 1.4), and commitment (8.8 ± 1.4) to implement the relationship-centred mealtime program. There was no association with pre-training readiness, leadership, or home characteristics. Limitations: Generalizability is limited due to small sample size. Follow-up interviews on results of training could not be conducted due COVID-19 pandemic research restrictions. Implications: Champion Leader training is an effective and feasible learning approach to up-skill staff on change management and relationship-centred mealtime practices in residential care

Occurrence, function and evolutionary origins of ‘2A-like’ sequences in virus genomes

2A is an oligopeptide sequence mediating a ribosome ‘skipping’ effect, producing an apparent ‘cleavage’ of polyproteins. First identified and characterized in picornaviruses, ‘2A-like’ sequences are found in other mammalian viruses and a wide range of insect viruses. Databases were analysed using a motif conserved amongst 2A/2A-like sequences. The newly identified 2A-like sequences (30 aa) were inserted into a reporter polyprotein to determine their cleavage activity. Our analyses showed that these sequences fall into two categories. The majority mediated very high (complete) cleavage to separate proteins and a few sequences mediated cleavage with lower efficiency, generating appreciable levels of the uncleaved form. Phylogenetic analyses of 2A-like sequences and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) indicated multiple, independent, acquisitions of these sequences at different stages during virus evolution. Within a virus family, 2A sequences are (probably) homologous, but diverge due to other evolutionary pressures. Amongst different families, however, 2A/2A-like sequences appear to be homoplasic

Merging history of three bimodal clusters

We present a combined X-ray and optical analysis of three bimodal galaxy clusters selected as merging candidates at z ~ 0.1. These targets are part of MUSIC (MUlti--Wavelength Sample of Interacting Clusters), which is a general project designed to study the physics of merging clusters by means of multi-wavelength observations. Observations include spectro-imaging with XMM-Newton EPIC camera, multi-object spectroscopy (260 new redshifts), and wide-field imaging at the ESO 3.6m and 2.2m telescopes. We build a global picture of these clusters using X-ray luminosity and temperature maps together with galaxy density and velocity distributions. Idealized numerical simulations were used to constrain the merging scenario for each system. We show that A2933 is very likely an equal-mass advanced pre-merger ~ 200 Myr before the core collapse, while A2440 and A2384 are post-merger systems ~ 450 Myr and ~1.5 Gyr after core collapse, respectively). In the case of A2384, we detect a spectacular filament of galaxies and gas spreading over more than 1 h^{-1} Mpc, which we infer to have been stripped during the previous collision. The analysis of the MUSIC sample allows us to outline some general properties of merging clusters: a strong luminosity segregation of galaxies in recent post-mergers; the existence of preferential axes --corresponding to the merging directions-- along which the BCGs and structures on various scales are aligned; the concomitance, in most major merger cases, of secondary merging or accretion events, with groups infalling onto the main cluster, and in some cases the evidence of previous merging episodes in one of the main components. These results are in good agreement with the hierarchical scenario of structure formation, in which clusters are expected to form by successive merging events, and matter is accreted along large--scale filaments

Neutrino Quasielastic Scattering on Nuclear Targets: Parametrizing Transverse Enhancement (Meson Exchange Currents)

We present a parametrization of the observed enhancement in the transverse electron quasielastic (QE) response function for nucleons bound in carbon as a function of the square of the four momentum transfer ($Q^2$) in terms of a correction to the magnetic form factors of bound nucleons. The parametrization should also be applicable to the transverse cross section in neutrino scattering. If the transverse enhancement originates from meson exchange currents (MEC), then it is theoretically expected that any enhancement in the longitudinal or axial contributions is small. We present the predictions of the "Transverse Enhancement" model (which is based on electron scattering data only) for the $\nu_\mu, \bar{\nu}_\mu$ differential and total QE cross sections for nucleons bound in carbon. The $Q^2$ dependence of the transverse enhancement is observed to resolve much of the long standing discrepancy in the QE total cross sections and differential distributions between low energy and high energy neutrino experiments on nuclear targets.Comment: Revised Version- July 21, 2011: 17 pages, 20 Figures. To be published in Eur. Phys. J.