Identifying Food Insecurity and Increasing Access to Nutrition in Brandon, VT

Food insecurity is a significant problem in Vermont affecting over 10% of the population in 2016. Access to nutrition is an important social determinant of health with long term implications for our communities. In order to increase awareness of existing infrastructure to reduce food insecurity in Rutland County, a resource guide was created with information about local food pantries, community dinners, and assistance obtaining 3SquaresVT benefits.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1394/thumbnail.jp

Earnings persistence and the value premium

For many years, academics have argued that firms with high book-to-market ratios yield higher returns than firms with low book-to-market ratios (i.e. the value premium). While there is agreement that a book- to-market based value strategy produces superior returns, academics have neglected to research whether the value premium is a function of other rm characteristics. In this dissertation it is shown that the book-to- market ratio is a function of earnings persistence. Evidence is provided that the value premium in low earnings persistence portfolios is higher because investors misjudge earnings persistence and not because this value strategy is fundamentally riskier.Open Acces

The relevance of client-healthcare provider communication to the appraisal of illness uncertainty in women with fibromyalgia syndrome.

Illness uncertainty and impaired client-healthcare provider (HCP) communication are critical healthcare problems for women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). However, the relationship between illness uncertainty and client-HCP communication has not been previously examined. The purposes of this dissertation were to (a) gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of women with FMS, (b) to examine the relationships among client-HCP communication, illness uncertainty, helplessness, and subjective well-being (SWB) in women with FMS, and (c) evaluate the psychometric properties of the patient-HCP communication scale (PHCPCS) in women with FMS. A mixed-methods design enhanced validity of the findings. The qualitative pilot study showed that multiple factors contributed to the anguish experienced by the sample of women living with FMS. Participants’ narratives revealed illness uncertainty was a salient experience and that client-HCP interactions influenced the women’s uncertainty. The results of the quantitative study revealed a statistically significant relationship between illness uncertainty and SWB. However, the results of the mediation testing demonstrated the effects of uncertainty on the participant’s SWB were indirect and mediated through helplessness. The overall regression model explained 46% of the variance in SWB. There was a lack of empirical evidence to support the posited moderating effect of client-HCP communication on the relationships between illness uncertainty and helplessness, and helplessness and SWB. Inconsistencies found between the samples’ mean score on the PHCPCS and the narrative communication data indicated future research is needed to evaluate the content validity of the PHCPCS in women with FMS. The qualitative findings provide support for the theoretical work of Mishel (1990) and contribute to the literature by increasing understanding of the lived experiences of women with FMS. In addition, the data suggest that while illness uncertainty is associated with emotional distress in women with FMS, it is the individual’s perceived sense of helplessness that strongly influences the impact of illness uncertainty on SWB

Mindfulness in Medicine and Healthcare

Overall Goals and Objectives: 1. Identify recent advances in integrative medical care and discuss their application to clinical practice. 2. Describe the latest data on complementary and alternative medical therapies that could improve patient outcomes. 3. Discuss core integrative medicine topics that patients frequently ask physicians about

Mindfulness in the Workplace: Current Research

Overall Goals and Objectives: Identify recent advances in integrative medical care and discuss their application to clinical practice. Describe the latest data on complementary and alternative medical therapies that could improve patient outcomes. Discuss core integrative medicine topics that patients frequently ask physicians about. Presentation: 53 minute

The Hymn That Touched My Heart

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/5287/thumbnail.jp

Generation of Arbitrary Frequency Chirps with a Fiber-Based Phase Modulator and Self-Injection-Locked Diode Laser

We present a novel technique for producing pulses of laser light whose frequency is arbitrarily chirped. The output from a diode laser is sent through a fiber-optical delay line containing a fiber-based electro-optical phase modulator. Upon emerging from the fiber, the phase-modulated pulse is used to injection-lock the laser and the process is repeated. Large phase modulations are realized by multiple passes through the loop while the high optical power is maintained by self-injection-locking after each pass. Arbitrary chirps are produced by driving the modulator with an arbitrary waveform generator