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Objectives: Dentists' Medicaid participation is a critical factor affecting dental care access for Medicaid beneficiaries. An important gap in existing literature is the variation in participation across Medicaid dental Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) in states with more than one. This study examined the variation in participation overall and in predictors of dentist participation between two MCOs in Iowa's Dental Medicaid program. Methods: Data were obtained from a survey of Iowa private practice dentists (n = 1256). Responding general dentists (n = 497) were included in the final analytic sample. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine demographic and practice characteristics associated with dentist participation (acceptance of new Medicaid patients) between MCOs and by age category. Results: Among respondents, the proportions accepting new adults with Medicaid were 26% (MCO 1) and 7% (MCO 2); for children, they were 40% (MCO 1) and 11% (MCO 2). For adults, dentists who were too busy (MCO1) and solo practice dentists (MCO2) were positively significantly associated with the acceptance of new patients. For children, group and rural practice dentists, as well as dentists who worked <32 h/week were positively significantly associated with acceptance of new patients with MCO1. Conclusions: There was considerable variation in dentist‐reported acceptance of new adult and child Medicaid patients, and in the factors affecting acceptance of new patients between MCOs in Iowa dental Medicaid. Future studies of Medicaid participation should consider variations by MCO in states with more than one dental MCO so as not to miss important factors affecting Medicaid participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent rise of lithium-ion battery (LIB) integration into modern society has led to an increase in hazardous scenarios for consumers via battery failure. Thermal runaway (TR) is the primary failure mode of these batteries and results in several potential hazards. The current study focused on characterization of the micro- and nano-particulates that are ejected from a LIB during TR. A state-of-the-art battery failure experiment was utilized to thermally induce TR in a Panasonic NCR 18650B LIB cell at 100% state-of-charge (SoC) in air. Subsequent microscopy and materials analysis techniques were performed on ejecta samples collected from the battery failure experiment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging results showed a wide distribution of particle geometries and sizes (< 1 µm -- -2 mm). Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses on representative SEM images provided evidence of vigorous mixing and extensive intercomponent reactions within the LIB cell during TR. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses provided additional insight including the key intercomponent interactions, evidence for partial oxidation and decomposition, and the potential presence of undisclosed additives or contaminants. The approach implemented here is the first of its kind and provided valuable insight into the underlying thermodynamics and reactions that take place during LIB TR events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid rockets have distinct advantages over their pure solid or liquid propellant counterparts, and their performance can be improved by inclusion of metal additives. Several metallic additives (micro-Al, micro-Ti, micro-Mg, micro-Zr, nano-Al, nano-B, and Mg-coated nano-B) were selected as potential candidates for hybrid rocket applications and characterized by applicable microscopy techniques. The regression rates and combustion efficiencies of plain HTPB and HTPB loaded with each additive at various concentrations (10%, 20%, and 30% by mass) burning in GOX were evaluated at moderate oxidizer mass fluxes (10–150 kg/m2-s) and pressures ( ≤ 0.86 MPa, 125 psia). In general, the inclusion of any of the metallic additives led to a reduction in the regression rate and did not significantly change the combustion efficiency. The only exceptions were fuel formulations containing micro-Zr, which yielded a moderate (10–20%) increase in the regression rate at a concentration of 10%. The observed trends were more prevalent at higher oxidizer mass fluxes and higher additive loadings. The reductions in regression rate were attributed to heat transfer blocking effects derived from accumulation of additive particles on the fuel surface layer. These phenomena were especially prevalent in highly loaded fuel formulations containing the nano-additives that exhibited unstable combustion and periodic surface-layer shedding. Zirconium appears to be the best metallic additive available since it can yield the highest theoretical density-specific impulse under the lowest O/F operation ratio without resulting in decrements to overall performance. Notably, combustion efficiency data for all fuel formulations were well correlated to the combustion residence time, and high combustion efficiencies (>95%) were achievable when a satisfactory residence time (~75 ms) was realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveyed high school juniors and seniors about the type of information prospective college students would like to see on college Web sites. Gathered information on preferences as they relate to stage in the college selection process and on the importance of the supporting Web pages of various departments. (EV)

Oral rotavirus vaccine efficacy estimates from randomised controlled trials are highly variable across settings. Although the randomised study design increases the likelihood of internal validity of findings, results from trials may not always apply outside the context of the study due to differences between trial participants and the target population. Here, we used a weight-based method to transport results from a monovalent rotavirus vaccine clinical trial conducted in Malawi between 2005 and 2008 to a target population of all trial-eligible children in Malawi, represented by data from the 2015–2016 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). We reweighted trial participants to reflect the population characteristics described by the Malawi DHS. Vaccine efficacy was estimated for 1008 trial participants after applying these weights such that they represented trial-eligible children in Malawi. We also conducted subgroup analyses to examine the heterogeneous treatment effects by stunting and tuberculosis vaccination status at enrolment. In the original trial, the estimates of one-year vaccine efficacy against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis and any-severity rotavirus gastroenteritis in Malawi were 49.2% (95% CI 15.6%–70.3%) and 32.1% (95% CI 2.5%–53.1%), respectively. After weighting trial participants to represent all trial-eligible children in Malawi, vaccine efficacy increased to 62.2% (95% CI 35.5%–79.0%) against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis and 38.9% (95% CI 11.4%–58.5%) against any-severity rotavirus gastroenteritis. Rotavirus vaccine efficacy may differ between trial participants and target populations when these two populations differ. Differences in tuberculosis vaccination status between the trial sample and DHS population contributed to varying trial and target population vaccine efficacy estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]