Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior concerning dental trauma among parents of children attending primary school

BACKGROUND: Traumatic dental injuries occur frequently in children and adolescents. The purpose of the present study is to examine the levels of knowledge and behaviors regarding dental trauma among parents of children attending primary schools in the Apulia region of Italy. METHODS: The study was carried out using an anonymous questionnaire with closed answers distributed to 2,775 parents who were enrolled based on the entire regional school population. Analyses were conducted using the PROC CORRESP (procedure to perform multiple correspondence analysis) and PROC FASTCLUS (procedure to perform cluster analysis). Statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05. RESULTS: A total 15.5% of the sample reported that their children had experienced dental trauma. Overall, 53.8% of respondents stated that they knew what to do in cases of dental injury. Regarding the time limit within which it is possible to usefully intervene for dental trauma, 56.8% of respondents indicated "within 30 minutes". Of the total sample, 56.5% knew how to preserve a displaced tooth. A total 62.9% of parents felt it was appropriate for their children to use dental guards during sports activities. The multivariate analysis showed that wrong knowledge are distributed among all kinds of subject. Parents with previous experience of dental trauma referred right behaviours, instead weak knowledge and wrong behaviours are associated with parents that easily worried for dental events. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that most parents reported no experience of dental trauma in their children, and half of them did not know what to do in case of traumatic dental injury and they would intervene within 30 minutes, suggesting that dental trauma may trigger panic. However, they did not have the information needed to best assist the affected child. Motivating parents to assume a preventive approach towards dental trauma may produce positive changes that would result an increase of long-term health benefits among both parents and children

Socioeconomic and territorial impact of the ski industry in the Spanish Pyrenees: mountain development and leisure induced urbanization

26 páginas, 8 figuras.[EN] This article assesses the territorial impact of the ski industry in two areas of the Spanish Pyrenees (Aragon Pyrenees and the Catalan High Pyrenees). By analyzing the changes on demographic dynamics and structure, economic portfolio, and evolution of the built structure of these areas since the construction of the ski resorts, we, firstly, identify a trend towards urbanization emerging in these areas, and secondly, that this trend unfolds in two different models: around the ski resorts at the northern end of valleys in the Aragon study site, and in regional centers at the bottom of the main valleys in the Catalan High Pyrenees. In this fashion the ski industry, which offers seasonal services to a mostly urban clientele, contributes to the redefinition of peripheral rural areas taking into account urban needs. The towns, by the ski resorts in Aragon, and in the bottom of the valleys in Catalonia, have grown to become small nodes of a large network that expands the physical, economic and cultural influence of the low lands cities over the Spanish mountains.[ES] Se evalúa el impacto territorial de la actividad del esquí en los Pirineos españoles (Pirineos Aragoneses y Alto Pirineo Catalán). A partir del análisis de los cambios registrados en la dinámica y estructura demográfica y de las prácticas económicas, desde la instalación de las estaciones de esquí, se identifica, en primer lugar, una tendencia urbanizadora emergente y, en segundo lugar, que dicha tendencia se manifiesta en dos modelos diferentes: en el Pirineo aragonés se limita a las cabeceras de los valles, mientras que en el Pirineo Catalán se expande a los fondos de valle y cabeceras comarcales. De esta manera, la actividad del esquí contribuye a redefinir las zonas rurales periféricas, teniendo en cuenta las necesidades urbanas. Los pueblos próximos a las estaciones de esquí en Aragón y de los fondos de valle en Cataluña han crecido hasta convertirse en pequeños núcleos de una gran red que expande la influencia física, económica y cultural de las ciudades de las tierras bajas hacia las montañas españolas.This work has been supported by the research projects: PROBASE (CGL2006-11619/HID), INDICA (CGL2011-27753-CO2-01 y 02) and HIDROCAES (CGL2011-27574-CO2-02), financed by Spanish Commission of Science and Technology.Peer reviewe

On the squeezed states for n observables

Three basic properties (eigenstate, orbit and intelligence) of the canonical squeezed states (SS) are extended to the case of arbitrary n observables. The SS for n observables X_i can be constructed as eigenstates of their linear complex combinations or as states which minimize the Robertson uncertainty relation. When X_i close a Lie algebra L the generalized SS could also be introduced as orbit of Aut(L^C). It is shown that for the nilpotent algebra h_N the three generalizations are equivalent. For the simple su(1,1) the family of eigenstates of uK_- + vK_+ (K_\pm being lowering and raising operators) is a family of ideal K_1-K_2 SS, but it cannot be represented as an Aut(su^C(1,1)) orbit although the SU(1,1) group related coherent states (CS) with symmetry are contained in it. Eigenstates |z,u,v,w;k> of general combination uK_- + vK_+ + wK_3 of the three generators K_j of SU(1,1) in the representations with Bargman index k = 1/2,1, ..., and k = 1/4,3/4 are constructed and discussed in greater detail. These are ideal SS for K_{1,2,3}. In the case of the one mode realization of su(1,1) the nonclassical properties (sub-Poissonian statistics, quadrature squeezing) of the generalized even CS |z,u,v;+> are demonstrated. The states |z,u,v,w;k=1/4,3/4> can exhibit strong both linear and quadratic squeezing.Comment: 25 pages, LaTex, 4 .pic and .ps figures. Improvements in text, discussion on generation scheme added. To appear in Phys. Script

Vulnerability analysis of satellite-based synchronized smart grids monitoring systems

The large-scale deployment of wide-area monitoring systems could play a strategic role in supporting the evolution of traditional power systems toward smarter and self-healing grids. The correct operation of these synchronized monitoring systems requires a common and accurate timing reference usually provided by a satellite-based global positioning system. Although these satellites signals provide timing accuracy that easily exceeds the needs of the power industry, they are extremely vulnerable to radio frequency interference. Consequently, a comprehensive analysis aimed at identifying their potential vulnerabilities is of paramount importance for correct and safe wide-area monitoring system operation. Armed with such a vision, this article presents and discusses the results of an experimental analysis aimed at characterizing the vulnerability of global positioning system based wide-area monitoring systems to external interferences. The article outlines the potential strategies that could be adopted to protect global positioning system receivers from external cyber-attacks and proposes decentralized defense strategies based on self-organizing sensor networks aimed at assuring correct time synchronization in the presence of external attacks

Pasta consumption and connected dietary habits: Associations with glucose control, adiposity measures, and cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes—TOSCA.IT study

Background: Pasta is a refined carbohydrate with a low glycemic index. Whether pasta shares the metabolic advantages of other low glycemic index foods has not really been investigated. The aim of this study is to document, in people with type-2 diabetes, the consumption of pasta, the connected dietary habits, and the association with glucose control, measures of adiposity, and major cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: We studied 2562 participants. The dietary habits were assessed with the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) questionnaire. Sex-specific quartiles of pasta consumption were created in order to explore the study aims. Results: A higher pasta consumption was associated with a lower intake of proteins, total and saturated fat, cholesterol, added sugar, and fiber. Glucose control, body mass index, prevalence of obesity, and visceral obesity were not significantly different across the quartiles of pasta intake. No relation was found with LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but there was an inverse relation with HDL-cholesterol. Systolic blood pressure increased with pasta consumption; but this relation was not confirmed after correction for confounders. Conclusions: In people with type-2 diabetes, the consumption of pasta, within the limits recommended for total carbohydrates intake, is not associated with worsening of glucose control, measures of adiposity, and major cardiovascular risk factors

Quasiparticle entanglement: redefinition of the vacuum and reduced density matrix approach

A scattering approach to entanglement in mesoscopic conductors with independent fermionic quasiparticles is discussed. We focus on conductors in the tunneling limit, where a redefinition of the quasiparticle vacuum transforms the wavefunction from a manybody product state of noninteracting particles to a state describing entangled two-particle excitations out of the new vacuum. The approach is illustrated with two examples (i) a normal-superconducting system, where the transformation is made between Bogoliubov-de Gennes quasiparticles and Cooper pairs, and (ii) a normal system, where the transformation is made between electron quasiparticles and electron-hole pairs. This is compared to a scheme where an effective two-particle state is derived from the manybody scattering state by a reduced density matrix approach.Comment: Submitted to New Journal of Physics, Focused Issue on "Solid State Quantum Information". 19 pages, 7 figure

Glucose lowering strategies and cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes – teachings from the TOSCA.IT study

TOSCA.IT is an institutional, non-industry-supported, head-to-head study comparing long term cardiovascular effects, efficacy and safety of two antidiabetes drugs (pioglitazone vs sulphonylureas) used in combination with metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study results show that in the absence of clinically evident cardiovascular disease both treatment strategies represent suitable alternatives; however, in consideration of the greater durability of the metabolic effects, the lower risk of hypoglycemia and the potential benefit on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the combination of metformin and pioglitazone may be considered as the preferential therapeutic option. In this review the study is critically evaluated against the background of the evidence accumulated over the last decade on the impact of different glucose lowering drugs on cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes

Are Europeans moving towards dietary habits more suitable for reducing cardiovascular disease risk?

Aims: Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death in Europe. Food choices represent the most important factors undermining health and well-being; they account for as much as half of all CVD deaths in Europe. The aim of this viewpoint is to evaluate food choices of the European population and their temporal trends in relation to possible effects on the cardiovascular disease risk. Data synthesis: The CVD death rate attributable to diet-related factors has fallen in Europe over the last 25 years; however, the pace of the reduction has slowed down in the last ten years. In parallel, in the last decade unfavorable changes in the dietary habits associated with CVD risk have occurred. Conclusions: A mismatch exists between the available evidence on the health-promoting potential of the diet and the relatively modest and inconsistent improvements of dietary habits in the European population observed in recent years. Nutritional education alone will not be enough to improve the lifestyle of people in Europe. Policy options to be considered to reach this aim should necessarily include also initiatives for facilitating production, marketing, availability and affordability of healthy foods in each and every European country

An exploratory study on the connection between INVALSI assessment and Mathematics teaching and learning processes at the Primary School level

This contribution shows the first results of an interdisciplinary research project aimed at investigating, through the voice of teachers, the link between the INVALSI assessment in mathematics and the mathematics teaching-learning processes at the Primary School level. The research project is conducted by the “INVALSI Group - Didactics and Disciplinary Knowledge” of the S.I.R.D. (Italian Society for Educational Research) on general education and disciplinary education, made up of disciplinary experts and pedagogists. Specifically, the project aims to: investigate the beliefs of teachers regarding the knowledge and skills detected by the INVALSI assessment; explore the proximity/distance between the functions and objects of the INVALSI assessment, on the one hand, and beliefs and statements about the teaching practices of teachers, on the other hand. In line with the aims of the S.I.R.D., one of the broader objectives of the research is to identify the training needs of teachers at national level and to propose guidelines for the improvement of teaching practices, regarding the use of INVALSI assessment. As part of the project, a questionnaire was prepared, developed through a first online administration (try out), the preliminary results of which were presented in the IV Seminar “I dati INVALSI: uno strumento per la ricerca” in a contribution entitled: “Links between the INVALSI mathematics tests and teaching practices: an exploratory study” (Arzarello, &amp; Ferretti, in press). The questionnaire, revised on the basis of the results of the try out, was then administered in the school year 2019/20 to a large non-representative national sample. The purpose of the empirical, descriptive and correlational survey was to analyze the knowledge, teaching experiences and beliefs available to primary school teachers to read and interpret INVALSI survey data, in particular in the mathematical field. The questionnaire consists of three sections: - one concerning mathematics education (how teachers interpret the Invalsi assessment and the results); - one relating to aspects of general education (which beliefs and attitudes have teachers and how they pour them into teaching practices); - one that collects personal and context information. In the first section, seven INVALSI questions are presented in their original formulation. For each of them, questions are proposed aimed at detecting the pedagogical knowledge of the mathematical content - the so-called Shulman’s PCK - by the teachers (misconceptions, recurring errors, level of difficulty). In addition, comparative questions are proposed on the proximity/remoteness of the seven questions from teaching practices and National Guidelines and on the effectiveness of the INVALSI questions in assessing certain skills. The second section, on the other hand, proposes three sets of questions regarding: the opinions of teachers on the INVALSI assessment; the educational usefulness of the INVALSI assessment; to the didactic practices connected to the INVALSI assessment. This contribution presents some results of the national survey and discusses some critical elements that emerged in the responses of the sample of teachers, relating, in particular, to the first section of the questionnaire. Finally, some interpretative hypotheses are formulated for these answers, for which further qualitative investigations are being planned