Enabling participation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and seldom-heard communities in health research: A case study from the SCAMP adolescent cohort study

Our inquiry investigated the barriers to, and facilitators for, the involvement of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and ‘seldom-heard’ communities, in a study researching the impact of mobile phone and wireless device usage on adolescents’ cognition, behaviour and mental health. The aim was to co-produce solutions to increase participation, and we used focus groups, telephone interviews, a community event and a public and patient involvement (PPI) café to conduct the inquiry. Five themes emerged from the data: two enablers – the value and benefits of research; and three barriers – concerns about research and about communication, and practical constraints. A central cross-cutting theme, the concept of trust, was evident from the data, and extended across all themes, including across the solutions to nonparticipation. When the data collection and analysis were completed, we ran a symposium for researchers and members of the public to share our findings and to co-produce solutions. The symposium generated ideas about improving participation, including tailoring participant information, engaging with local advocates and involving people in research design and delivery

Excitation Function Measurements of Proton Induced Reactions on Rhodium and Indium: Yields of 97-Ru, 96-Tc, 109-Cd, and 113-Sn

Supported by the National Science Foundation and Indiana Universit

Excitation Function Measurements of Proton Induced Reactions on Rhodium and Indium: Yields of Ru-97, Tc-96, Cd-109, and Sn-113

This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grants PHY 76-84033A01, PHY 78-22774, and Indiana Universit

Rape and respectability: ideas about sexual violence and social class

Women on low incomes are disproportionately represented among sexual violence survivors, yet feminist research on this topic has paid very little attention to social class. This article blends recent research on class, gender and sexuality with what we know about sexual violence. It is argued that there is a need to engage with classed distinctions between women in terms of contexts for and experiences of sexual violence, and to look at interactions between pejorative constructions of working-class sexualities and how complainants and defendants are perceived and treated. The classed division between the sexual and the feminine, drawn via the notion of respectability, is applied to these issues. This piece is intended to catalyse further research and debate, and raises a number of questions for future work on sexual violence and social class

Metal-insulator transition and charge ordering in the extended Hubbard model at one-quarter filling

We study with exact diagonalization the zero temperature properties of the quarter-filled extended Hubbard model on a square lattice. We find that increasing the ratio of the intersite Coulomb repulsion, $V$, to the band width drives the system from a metal to a charge ordered insulator. The evolution of the optical conductivity spectrum with increasing $V$ is compared to the observed optical conductivity of several layered molecular crystals with the theta and beta'' crystal structures.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Development and Technical Adequacy of the District Capacity Assessment

The purpose of this article is to describe the methods and results used to establish the district capacity assessment’s (DCA) content validity, response process validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability. The DCA measures a district’s ability to support school-level implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). Assessment results are then used to guide action planning. The DCA is grounded in the understanding that districts must develop knowledge and skills in the use of implementation science methods if they are to support successful use of an innovation. Specifically, three studies were conducted. The first study established the DCA’s content validity, that is, the extent to which the DCA represents constructs comprising district-level implementation capacity. The second study established the DCA’s internal structure, or the relationships among the items compared to the constructs being measured and how well the items measured the same construct. The third and final study assessed how the results of the DCA varied over time, thus establishing the instrument’s test–retest reliability. District Implementation Teams, researchers, or facilitators who use the DCA can be confident that the assessment is founded on research drawing from implementation science practices and methods

Resonance fluorescence from a telecom-wavelength quantum dot

© 2016 Author(s).We report on resonance fluorescence from a single quantum dot emitting at telecom wavelengths. We perform high-resolution spectroscopy and observe the Mollow triplet in the Rabi regime - a hallmark of resonance fluorescence. The measured resonance-fluorescence spectra allow us to rule out pure dephasing as a significant decoherence mechanism in these quantum dots. Combined with numerical simulations, the experimental results provide robust characterisation of charge noise in the environment of the quantum dot. Resonant control of the quantum dot opens up new possibilities for the on-demand generation of indistinguishable single photons at telecom wavelengths as well as quantum optics experiments and direct manipulation of solid-state qubits in telecom-wavelength quantum dots

Relationship of Dental Caries and Fluorosis to Fluoride Supplement History in a Non-Fluoridated Sample of Schoolchildren

A random sample of 206 Michigan children, aged from 9 to 13, were examined for fluorosis from a larger group of 2038 children participating in a dental project. Clinical examinations included caries data (DMFS) and assessment of fluorosis by use of the Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis (TSIF). Separate examiners were used for each index. The response rate of a questionnaire mailed to parents to gather information on residence histories, use of fluoride supplements, and antibiotics was 78%. The prevalence of fluorosis was about 20% among the respondents. Of the 4868 tooth surfaces examined, 9.2% were affected by fluorosis. In all cases, dental fluorosis was judged as mild, with most occurrences on the posterior teeth. No instances of moderate or severe fluorosis were found. The caries experience of respondents was 1.69 ± 2.73 DMFS. Caries experience does not appear to be significantly related to income, education, or fluoride supplement use. Approximately 52% of respondents were reported to have taken fluoride supplements with various degrees of consistency. Parents' education was positively related to both prevalence of fluorosis (odds ratio = 2.2) and use of fluoride supplements (odds ratio = 2.7). No significant relation was revealed with evidence of fluorosis and use of supplements. This study shows a relatively mild level of dental fluorosis in a sample of children from a non-fluoridated area. Dental fluorosis in this group does not appear to be related to use of fluoride supplements or differences in caries experience.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66503/2/10.1177_08959374890030021501.pd

Formation of extended topological defects during symmetry breaking phase transitions in O(2) and O(3) models

The density of extended topological defects created during symmetry-breaking phase transitions depends on the ratio between the correlation length in the symmetric phase near $T_c$ and the winding length of the defects as determined by the momentaneous effective action after a typical relaxation time. Conservation of winding number in numerical simulations requires a suitable embedding of the field variables and the appropriate geometrical implementation of the winding density on the discrete lattice. We define a modified Kibble limit for the square lattice and obtain defect densities as functions of winding lengths in O(2) and O(3) models. The latter allows to observe formation of disoriented aligned domains within the easy plane. Their extent is severely limited by the momentaneous defect density during the course of the quench.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figure

The rate of colonization by macro-invertebrates on artificial substrate samplers

The influence of exposure time upon macro-invertebrate colonization on modified Hester-Dendy substrate samplers was investigated over a 60-day period. The duration of exposure affected the number of individuals, taxa and community diversity. The numbers of individuals colonizing the samplers reached a maximum after 39 days and then began to decrease, due to the emergence of adult insects. Coefficients of variation for the four replicate samples retrieved each sampling day fluctuated extensively throughout the study. No tendencies toward increasing or decreasing coefficients of variation were noted with increasing time of sampler exposure. The number of taxa colonizing the samplers increased throughout the study period. The community diversity index was calculated for each sampling day and this function tended to increase throughout the same period. This supports the hypothesis that an exposure period of 6 weeks, as recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, may not always provide adequate opportunity for a truly representative community of macro-invertebrates to colonize multiplate samplers. Many of the taxa were collected in quite substantial proportions after periods of absence or extreme sparseness. This is attributed to the growth of periphyton and the collection of other materials that created food and new habitats suitable for the colonization of new taxa. Investigation of the relationship between ‘equitability’ and length of exposure revealed that equitability did not vary like diversity with increased time of exposure.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72073/1/j.1365-2427.1979.tb01522.x.pd