26419 research outputs found
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Examining Low-Income Caregivers\u27 Knowledge and Comprehension of the Dental Caries Process
No full textPurpose Dental caries among young children remains a public health concern in the United States (US). Children of caregivers with low oral health literacy (OHL) tend to have greater unmet dental needs and poorer oral health status. The purpose of this study was to examine the understanding of pediatric dental terms associated with the dental caries process among low-income caregivers.
Methods This study included 14 caregivers with children enrolled in a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in the Southeastern US. Through structured phone interviews, the validated Oral Health Literacy Inventory for Parents (OH-LIP) was used to measure term recognition, vocabulary knowledge and comprehension of eight terms related to the dental caries process (i.e., acid, hidden sugars, plaque). Two researchers completed the scoring of the inventory and were calibrated on an adapted scoring guide. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used for synthesizing responses on the OH-LIP inventory and a questionnaire, respectively.
Results Term recognition (OH-LIP part I) scores were high with the majority of caregivers correctly pronouncing the 36 pediatric dental-related terms on the inventory. For the eight terms related to the dental caries process, vocabulary knowledge and comprehension (OH-LIP part II & III) scores were low to moderate, with 0 - 50% of participants providing a fully correct response. Furthermore, there was an observed decrease in scores for all eight terms related to the dental caries process from word recognition to comprehension.
Conclusion This group of low-income caregivers had high word recognition scores for terms related to the dental caries process, indicating an initial high level of OHL. However, vocabulary knowledge and comprehension scores indicated minimal understanding of the same terms. These findings highlight the need for tailored oral health education and messaging that is easily understood for caregivers of young children
Emerging Uses of AI-Generated Images for Equitable and Transparent Simulations
No full textDespite the maturity of AI image generation, integration of generative AI in M&S has primarily been limited to text. This paper presents a vision for the use of AI-generated images in M&S with an emphasis on equity and transparency. We suggest several emerging use cases including AI-generated images acting as interfaces between agent-based models and physics-based simulations, encouraging empathetic decision-making by visualizing individual agents, and promoting transparency with symbolic representations that complement textual descriptions of abstract model processes. Finally, we discuss the mitigation of ethical issues related to the deployment of AI-generated images in M&S
Hybid Clustering-Transformer IDS for Rural CAVs
No full textRural CAVs face intermittent connectivity and sparse infrastructure, making cloud-based IDS unreliable. We propose an edge-first Hybrid Clustering–Transformer IDS that combines per–CAN-ID unsupervised clustering with a lightweight transformer for byte-sequence reasoning, fused via confidence weighting to handle per-ID variability. On real CAN datasets, it attains 100% recall and 98.9% accuracy, with false positives concentrated on one CAN ID—enabling targeted calibration. The design provides low-latency, connectivity-independent protection for rural deployments
[Review of the book Closed seasons: The transformation of hunting in the modern south, by J. Brock].
No full text[Introduction] The hunt has long occupied a central place in southern lore and literature. For generations, fathers and grandfathers initiated their sons into its rituals, teaching them to steady a rifle, bait a hook, and cast a line. In the twentieth century, William Faulkner and other writers elevated this long-held tradition into mythology, evoking both the exhilaration of the chase and the gothic romance of Mississippi’s pine forests. And, today, around 5.3 million southerners (of all races and genders) hold hunting licenses and organize their calendars around the season’s rhythms and associated social gatherings. Focusing on the Deep South states of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, historian Julia Brock traces the dynamic evolution of southern hunting and its evolving relationship to the law, the land, and the early conservation movement. She demonstrates that hunting was never merely a matter of “tradition” but rather a contested practice increasingly shaped by Progressive and New Deal Era regulation. Between the 1890s and 1930s, state and federal fish and game laws, she argues, “determined which southerners could access land and prey, and why” (p. 2). As the author notes, “although not strictly a legal history, Closed Seasons foregrounds law and the social impact of a penal conservation practice on ordinary southerners. Drawing on multiple voices, the work bridges social, cultural, and environmental history with that of policy” (p. 3). Uniquely attuned to matters of race, class, and gender, Brock deftly shows how, when, and why the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi adopted closed lands and closed seasons
Chris Brydge: 48th Annual ODU Literary Festival
No full textChris Brydge is a freelance bassist, educator, composer and band leader who has been performing in and around the greater Tidewater area of Virginia since 1994. He earned his bachelors degree in Music Education from ODU in 2000. He taught in the Virginia public school system as an orchestra director for thirteen years and as an adjunct jazz bass professor at William and Mary College and Christopher Newport University. For over 20 years he has had the pleasure of being a member of the Virginia Symphony Jazz Orchestra, Roy Muth Big Band and Eddie Williams Quartet. You can also find him performing with his own ensembles, Left of Center, the Chris Brydge trio/ quartet, Liz Terrell Quartet and as part of the bass and voice duo Liz & Brydge
Gregory Grosvenor: 48th Annual ODU Literary Festival
No full textGregory Grosvenor grew up in Ansbach, Germany. He moved to the US, earning an MFA from Old Dominion University. For two decades, he has taught writing and literature at various colleges in Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Grosvenor currently lives in Somerville, Massachusetts with his three cats, Dinah, Theo, and Bramlet Abercrombie. Second Pocket First is his debut novel
Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis
No full textBackground
This study aimed to examine changes in racial disparities in pregnancy-related and maternal mortality before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
Methodology
This was a cross-sectional study using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) data from January 2018 to June 2024. We focused on pregnancy-related and maternal mortality among Black and White individuals to examine racial disparities. The study periods were defined as pre-pandemic (January 2018-March 2020), pandemic (April 2020-March 2022), and post-pandemic (April 2022-June 2024). We applied interrupted time series analysis and difference-in-difference (DID) models to assess changes in mortality trends and disparities across three periods. DID estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported.
Results
From January 2018 to June 2024, there were 3,694,282 Black and 17,284,929 White individuals who gave live birth. The pregnancy-related mortality ratio (PRMR) was 68.0 deaths per 100,000 live births among Black individuals (2,513 deaths) and 26.3 among White individuals (4,547 deaths). The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) was 46.5 for Black individuals (1,718 deaths) and 17.6 for White individuals (3,044 deaths). From the pre-pandemic to pandemic period, PRMR increased by 29.4 per 100,000 (95% CI = 19.8-39.1) among Black individuals and by 11.8 (95% CI = 8.2-15.4) among White individuals, with a DID of 17.6 (95% CI = 7.3-28.0). From the pre-pandemic to post-pandemic period, PRMR increased by 9.5 (95% CI = 3.2-15.9) for Black individuals and by 1.6 (95% CI = -0.4-3.7) for White individuals, with a DID of 7.9 (95% CI = 1.2-14.6). Results for MMR were consistent with those for PRMR.
Conclusions
These findings indicate a significant and sustained increase in PRMR and MMR among Black individuals, while rates among White individuals returned to near pre-pandemic levels. Racial disparities in pregnancy-related and maternal mortality widened during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued in the post-pandemic period
Engagement in Practice: Partnering with Communities to Address Nuisance Flooding Challenges
No full textMany communities are already experiencing the impacts of climate change that disrupt their daily lives. In Coastal Virginia, these impacts take the form of nuisance and stormwater flooding caused by sea level rise and changes in precipitation. Coastal Virginia has one of the highest relative sea level rise rates on the Atlantic Coast and the regional planning district commission recommends that Atlas 14 rainfall intensity, duration, and frequency curves be increased by 20% to account for changes in rainfall. The Coastal Community Design Collaborative (CCDC), a partnership between Hampton University Architecture and Old Dominion University Engineering & Technology, has had multidisciplinary student design teams working in local communities for more than ten years to develop place-based solutions to mitigate nuisance flooding impacts. The CCDC partners with communities and their localities to understand the community’s climate change challenges and preferences for solutions to develop preliminary designs solutions. Preliminary design solutions are focused on natural and nature-based solutions (NNBS), however existing gray infrastructure is also evaluated to determine if modifications are required. The CCDC methodology facilitates learning through hands-on engagement with community members, multi-disciplinary collaboration, and place-based design. The CCDC partners with community civic leagues to enable students to engage with community members, tour the community and develop an understanding of the challenges in the community. Student design solutions are focused on solving community challenges and shared with community members for future implementation. Partnering communities have been awarded over 20 million in community implementation grant applications are pending. Old Dominion University received $700,000 in grant funding to collaborate with the Southside Community, located in Coastal Virginia. The CCDC is currently working in that community. The Southside Community required extensive partnership development, which was initiated by faculty, to support project design and execution. The project design and implementation have been divided into two phases to be completed over two academic years. The processes used in community engagement and project design and execution are transferable and provide opportunities for integrating community-based design problems in multi-disciplinary educational collaborations
Transforming Engineering Education: Project-Based Learning and Technology Integration in a Senior-Level Mechanisms Course
No full textEngineering education faces the challenge of preparing students for a rapidly evolving, interdisciplinary field that demands a strong foundation in theoretical principles, practical skills, and the ability to solve real-world problems. This study describes a project-based learning (PBL) intervention implemented in a senior-level mechanical engineering course focused on mechanisms analysis and design. The intervention combined foundational coursework with bio-inspired design projects, where students developed walking end-effector robotic mechanisms for medical applications. Students utilized tools such as MotionGen software and SnappyXO kits to synthesize, simulate, prototype, and test their designs. Qualitative analysis of student evaluations and project reports revealed that the approach effectively reinforced theoretical concepts, fostered critical thinking, and promoted self-directed learning. Challenges identified included time management and balancing project demands with new material. Recommendations for improvement include earlier project introduction and structured lab-based assignments. The findings highlight the potential of project-based learning and technology integration to enhance interdisciplinary learning and prepare engineering students to address complex societal challenges
Genome-Wide SNP Analyses Reveal High Gene Flow of Endemic Smallscale Croaker (\u3ci\u3eBoesemania microlepsis\u3c/i\u3e) in the Lower Mekong Basin
No full textThe Smallscale Croaker, Boesemania microlepis, is a valuable fishery resource in the Mekong River basin that lacks clear biological data to understand its basic ecology and conservation management priorities. This species is common in the southernmost floodplain of the Mekong which extends from Tonlé Sap in Cambodia to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. This floodplain is of particular biodiversity conservation concern because of the many upstream dams that restrict water flow in an ecology that relies heavily on a flood-pulse cycle. The literature regarding the biology B. microlepis in this region contains conflicting ideas that populations are both highly localized and exhibit extensive migratory behavior. We used restriction-site associated DNA to test the hypothesis that localized populations exist in the southernmost floodplain of the Mekong basin. Our data indicates high connectivity among eight sites sampled in this region supporting overall panmixia. Our results suggest a potential upstream source of propagules for this floodplain and the need for further research to clarify mechanisms driving gene flow