Common determinants of dental caries and obesity in children : a multi-ethnic nested birth cohort study in the United Kingdom

The article examines the common determinants of childhood dental caries and obesity. Longitudinal data from the Born in Bradford cohort study (BiB1000) (n = 1735) and dental data (dental general anaesthetics (GA) and oral health survey 2014/15) (n = 171) were used to test a framework on the social determinants of childhood dental caries (decayed, missing, filled teeth (dmft) index) and obesity (body mass index (BMI)). The BiB1000 data were collected at pregnancy week 26–28 and after birth at 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. The determinants were demographics, wellbeing, socio-economic status (SES), dietary behaviours and physical activity behaviour of the children. Missing data were accounted for through multiple imputation (MI). The framework was tested through structural equation modelling. Overall, the model fit was adequate. No alcohol consumption of the mother after giving birth, higher frequency of child drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, emotional and behavioural difficulties of the child and being male were directly associated with both BMI and dental caries. Caregivers uninvolved or indulgent feeding style were associated with higher BMI and less dental caries. Social deprivation was associated with lower BMI and higher dmft. Five determinants were directly associated with BMI only. Fifteen indirect paths were significant for both child dental caries and BMI. The findings suggest common determinants for both childhood obesity and dental caries. Common risk factor approach seems appropriate for planning future health promotion programmes

Superscaling predictions for neutrino-induced charged-current charged pion production at MiniBooNE

Superscaling approximation (SuSA) predictions to neutrino-induced charged-current charged pion production in the \Delta-resonance region are explored under MiniBooNE experimental conditions. The results obtained within SuSA for the flux-averaged double-differential cross sections of the \pi+ production for the \nu_\mu+CH_2 reaction as a function of the muon kinetic energy and of the scattering angle, the cross sections averaged over the angle, the total cross section for the \pi+ production, as well as CC1\pi+ to CCQE cross section ratio are compared with the corresponding MiniBooNE experimental data. The SuSA predictions are in good agreement with data on neutrino flux average cross-sections, but a somewhat different dependence on the neutrino energy is predicted than the one resulting from the experimental analysis.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Physics Letters

The geometry of spontaneous spiking in neuronal networks

The mathematical theory of pattern formation in electrically coupled networks of excitable neurons forced by small noise is presented in this work. Using the Freidlin-Wentzell large deviation theory for randomly perturbed dynamical systems and the elements of the algebraic graph theory, we identify and analyze the main regimes in the network dynamics in terms of the key control parameters: excitability, coupling strength, and network topology. The analysis reveals the geometry of spontaneous dynamics in electrically coupled network. Specifically, we show that the location of the minima of a certain continuous function on the surface of the unit n-cube encodes the most likely activity patterns generated by the network. By studying how the minima of this function evolve under the variation of the coupling strength, we describe the principal transformations in the network dynamics. The minimization problem is also used for the quantitative description of the main dynamical regimes and transitions between them. In particular, for the weak and strong coupling regimes, we present asymptotic formulas for the network activity rate as a function of the coupling strength and the degree of the network. The variational analysis is complemented by the stability analysis of the synchronous state in the strong coupling regime. The stability estimates reveal the contribution of the network connectivity and the properties of the cycle subspace associated with the graph of the network to its synchronization properties. This work is motivated by the experimental and modeling studies of the ensemble of neurons in the Locus Coeruleus, a nucleus in the brainstem involved in the regulation of cognitive performance and behavior

Classical Evolution of Quantum Elliptic States

The hydrogen atom in weak external fields is a very accurate model for the multiphoton excitation of ultrastable high angular momentum Rydberg states, a process which classical mechanics describes with astonishing precision. In this paper we show that the simplest treatment of the intramanifold dynamics of a hydrogenic electron in external fields is based on the elliptic states of the hydrogen atom, i.e., the coherent states of SO(4), which is the dynamical symmetry group of the Kepler problem. Moreover, we also show that classical perturbation theory yields the {\it exact} evolution in time of these quantum states, and so we explain the surprising match between purely classical perturbative calculations and experiments. Finally, as a first application, we propose a fast method for the excitation of circular states; these are ultrastable hydrogenic eigenstates which have maximum total angular momentum and also maximum projection of the angular momentum along a fixed direction. %Comment: 8 Pages, 2 Figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Lifetime distributions in the methods of non-equilibrium statistical operator and superstatistics

A family of non-equilibrium statistical operators is introduced which differ by the system age distribution over which the quasi-equilibrium (relevant) distribution is averaged. To describe the nonequilibrium states of a system we introduce a new thermodynamic parameter - the lifetime of a system. Superstatistics, introduced in works of Beck and Cohen [Physica A \textbf{322}, (2003), 267] as fluctuating quantities of intensive thermodynamical parameters, are obtained from the statistical distribution of lifetime (random time to the system degeneracy) considered as a thermodynamical parameter. It is suggested to set the mixing distribution of the fluctuating parameter in the superstatistics theory in the form of the piecewise continuous functions. The distribution of lifetime in such systems has different form on the different stages of evolution of the system. The account of the past stages of the evolution of a system can have a substantial impact on the non-equilibrium behaviour of the system in a present time moment.Comment: 18 page

Making a difference in medical trainees’ attitudes toward Latino patients: A pilot study of an intervention to modify implicit and explicit attitudes

Negative attitudes and discrimination against Latinos exist in the dominant U.S. culture and in healthcare systems, contributing to ongoing health disparities. This article provides findings of a pilot test of Yo Veo Salud (I See Health), an intervention designed to positively modify attitudes toward Latinos among medical trainees. The research question was: Compared to the comparison group, did the intervention group show lower levels of implicit bias against Latinos versus Whites, and higher levels of ethnocultural empathy, healthcare empathy, and patient-centeredness? We used a sequential cohort, post-test design to evaluate Yo Veo Salud with a sample of 69 medical trainees. The intervention setting was an academic medical institution in a Southeastern U.S. state with a fast-growing Latino population. The intervention was delivered, and data were collected online, between July and December of 2014. Participants in the intervention group showed greater ethnocultural empathy, healthcare empathy, and patient-centeredness, compared to the comparison group. The implicit measure assessed four attitudinal dimensions (pleasantness, responsibility, compliance, and safety). Comparisons between our intervention and comparison groups did not find any average differences in implicit anti-Latino bias between the groups. However, in a subset analysis of White participants, White participants in the intervention group demonstrated a significantly decreased level of implicit bias in terms of pleasantness. A dose response was also founded indicating that participants involved in more parts of the intervention showed more change on all measures. Our findings, while modest in size, provide proof of concept for Yo Veo Salud as a means for increasing ethno-cultural and physician empathy, and patient-centeredness among medical residents and decreasing implicit provider bias toward Latinos

Entanglement, Bell Inequalities and Decoherence in Particle Physics

We demonstrate the relevance of entanglement, Bell inequalities and decoherence in particle physics. In particular, we study in detail the features of the ``strange'' $K^0 \bar K^0$ system as an example of entangled meson--antimeson systems. The analogies and differences to entangled spin--1/2 or photon systems are worked, the effects of a unitary time evolution of the meson system is demonstrated explicitly. After an introduction we present several types of Bell inequalities and show a remarkable connection to CP violation. We investigate the stability of entangled quantum systems pursuing the question how possible decoherence might arise due to the interaction of the system with its ``environment''. The decoherence is strikingly connected to the entanglement loss of common entanglement measures. Finally, some outlook of the field is presented.Comment: Lectures given at Quantum Coherence in Matter: from Quarks to Solids, 42. Internationale Universit\"atswochen f\"ur Theoretische Physik, Schladming, Austria, Feb. 28 -- March 6, 2004, submitted to Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer Verlag, 45 page

On the selection of AGN neutrino source candidates for a source stacking analysis with neutrino telescopes

The sensitivity of a search for sources of TeV neutrinos can be improved by grouping potential sources together into generic classes in a procedure that is known as source stacking. In this paper, we define catalogs of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and use them to perform a source stacking analysis. The grouping of AGN into classes is done in two steps: first, AGN classes are defined, then, sources to be stacked are selected assuming that a potential neutrino flux is linearly correlated with the photon luminosity in a certain energy band (radio, IR, optical, keV, GeV, TeV). Lacking any secure detailed knowledge on neutrino production in AGN, this correlation is motivated by hadronic AGN models, as briefly reviewed in this paper. The source stacking search for neutrinos from generic AGN classes is illustrated using the data collected by the AMANDA-II high energy neutrino detector during the year 2000. No significant excess for any of the suggested groups was found.Comment: 43 pages, 12 figures, accepted by Astroparticle Physic

Fingerprinting coal-derived gases from the UK

The large-scale extraction of unconventional hydrocarbons in the United States has led to fears of methane contamination of shallow groundwaters. Differentiating between the deep gas released during extraction (shale gas, coal bed methane and underground coal gasification) and natural shallow-sourced methane is imperative for the monitoring and managing of environmental risks related to the extraction process. Here, for the first time, we present measurements of the major gas, and stable and noble gas isotope composition of coal bed methane (CBM) from central Scotland and coal mine methane (CMM) from central England, UK. The molecular (C1/(C2+C3) = 21 to 120) and stable isotope compositions (δ13CCH4 = -39.5 to -51.1‰; δDCH4 = -163 to -238‰) indicate a thermogenic origin for the methane. They are distinct from the majority of shallow-sourced gases in UK. Both sample suites exhibit high He concentrations (338 to 2980 ppmv) that are considerably above atmospheric and groundwater levels. Simple modelling shows that these high 4He concentrations cannot be solely derived from in situ production since coal deposition, and hence the majority is derived from the surrounding crust. The Scottish CBM contains a resolvable mantle He, Ne and Ar contribution that may originate from melts in the deep crust, demonstrating the UK coals have acted as a store for deep volatiles for 10s of millions of years. The high 4He in the coal-derived gases has the potential to be used as a novel diagnostic fingerprint to track fugitive release of deep methane from future unconventional gas extraction operations in the UK