Despite growing interest in maternal oral health, research aimed at this population is scant. To date, no qualitative studies of adolescent maternal oral health exist. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive, exploratory, concurrent, mixed-methods study was to explore oral health status, beliefs, and practices, and pregnancy and parenting outcomes in this population by triangulating both quantitative and qualitative data. A non-probability, convenience sample of 46 pregnant and parenting adolescents was recruited. Five questionnaires were administered and visual oral examinations were conducted. Twenty-four of these 46 participants also participated in the qualitative component of the study. Adolescents in this study were both pregnant (n = 20; 43.5%) and parenting (n = 26; 56.5%), and primarily of Hispanic decent (n = 38; 83%). Of the 20 adolescents who were pregnant, four had been told by a nurse or physician that they had a pregnancy complication(s). Among the parenting adolescents, the most common past pregnancy complications were self-reported as prematurity (n = 6; 35%) and high blood pressure (n = 3; 18%). Thirty-three (72%) participants reported ever having dental insurance. While 16 (35%) participants had seen a dentist in the past 6 months, another 15 (33%) did not recall their last dental visit. One adolescent reported never having been to a dentist. Associations among visual oral health status and selected contextual variables were non-significant, which may be attributed to the small sample size. However, moderate significant correlations were found between social connectedness and oral-health-related quality of life, as well as between visual oral health status and measures of self-reported dental health. For the qualitative component, six themes related to oral health value and well-being, oral health knowledge, practices, myths, and barriers to accessing oral health services emerged. Triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative data did not produce statistical significance; however, discrepancies were found between the overall objective, visual oral health status, and the subjective perception of oral health status, which supports the overall findings. Future research should focus on larger studies to further explore associations between social connectedness, oral-health-related quality of life, and objective and subjective measures of oral health status and behaviors. / text

(l,m)-uniform混和超級圖的色譜一定是是連續的, 利用一個技巧讓所有l大於二的(l,m)-uniform混和超級圖都存在一組C-edges 和 D-edges, 使得光譜不連續.最後提供一個演算法, 讓所有l和m 都大於二的(l,m)-uniform混和超級圖, 也存在一組 C-edges 和 D-edges, 使得光譜不連續. 這樣我們就已經討論完所有(l,m)-uniform混和超級圖( l , m 都要大於等於 2), 其光譜是否存在著有不連續的可能. / In this thesis, we study all existences of gap in every kind of (l,m)-uniform mixed hypergraph, where n > 1 and m > 1. We have to divide the topic into three parts: (2,m)-uniform mixed hypergraph where m > 1, (l,2)-uniform mixed hypergraph where l > 2, and (l,m)-uniform mixed hypergraph where l > 2 and m > 2.

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This research aims to explore the attempted implementation of mixed ability grouping in junior high schools in Taiwan and the challenges generated by individuals and groups to this policy. The mixed-ability grouping policy in Taiwan has been disputed for nearly thirty years, but the disputes have never been examined from a wider perspective that considers the evolution of the policy and the contexts the policy process resides in. This study thus attempts to understand the process of the mixed-ability grouping policy from a contextualised, politicised, long-term perspective within which not only the ideological and practical debates, but the contexts that shape the conflicts over time, are taken into consideration. The study is grounded in an analytical framework that allows for the exploration of the politically-driven mainstream educational ideologies, the power relationships between policy actors, and the cyclical policy process. The research methods adopted consider the timeframe, the contexts, the multiple policy actors and the interactions among policy actors and between contexts and policy actors within the policy. Documentary analysis is adopted to trace the policy process, the conflicts within, and the political, cultural, economic and societal contexts of the policy from its inception to today whilst a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews are utilized to understand the attitudes and actions of educational authorities and school educators. Case studies are conducted in two junior high schools in order to learn about the dynamics, the conflicts, and the considerations of grouping practice within individual schools. The key findings of this thesis are as follows. First, the mixed-ability grouping policy in Taiwan has existed through two different political regimes, within which the different mainstream educational ideologies and power distribution among policy actors contribute to the distinctive policy process, interpretations of disputes and patterns of conflicts. Second, although the first-line educators recognise the advantages of mixed-ability grouping regarding discipline and resource distribution, their perceptions of pupils’ ability and teaching are in line with the assumptions of streaming, which contribute to educators’ conflicting attitudes and actions towards the mixed-ability grouping policy. Third, the senior high school entry system and the actions of parents and junior high schools together shape a hidden educational market within which the ‘disguised forms’ of streaming, such as the establishment of special classes, are valued by market players. The senior high school entry examination also profoundly influences educators who internalise the values embodied in the examination and perceive pupils’ ability and their own teaching mainly in terms of examination results.

Eating Disorder research has highlighted the role of neuropsychological functioning, informing the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa. There is ambiguity in the data relating to cognitive impairment in Bulimia Nervosa, with the latest review providing inconclusive results. Executive function impairments in the area of set shifting and inhibition reported in BN are proposed to relate to traits of compulsivity and impulsivity. Other psychological disorders have also demonstrated executive function impairments. Among anxiety disorders, only PTSD and OCD have strong evidence of executive function deficits while a number of studies point towards executive function deficits in depression. This thesis aims to investigate the specificity of cognitive impairments seen in a group of female outpatients with bulimia nervosa, using a clinical comparison group of anxious and/or depressed female outpatients. Methods A systematic review was conducted to address a gap in the anxiety disorder literature and assess the neuropsychological profile of panic disorder. In order to address the main study aims, a comparison between a group of patients with BN and an anxious depressed group was conducted on neuropsychological measures of the Trail Making Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Hayling and Brixton tasks, Stroop and Verbal Fluency. In addition, psychological symptoms were assessed using SCL-90-R, Yale- Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and the Self-liking Self Competence scale. Social problems solving skills were assessed as a potential real world effect of executive function difficulties associated with eating disorders. The relationships between psychological and neuropsychological variables were investigated. Results The systematic review concluded that there was limited evidence of specific impairment in short term memory in panic disorder. The empirical study indicated no group differences on the above neuropsychological measures. Groups also did not differ on NART estimated IQ or self reported psychological symptoms. No relationships were found between psychological symptoms and neuropsychological measures. Few individual participants were found to be impaired on neuropsychological measures in either group. However, those impaired in the BN group were exclusively impaired on the non-perseverative errors and categories completed variables of the WCST, which is thought to be related to impulsivity. Conclusion These findings suggest that the neuropsychological profile of bulimia is broadly similar to that of an anxious and/or depressed clinical group on measures of set shifting and inhibition. Although there was evidence of a deficit in inhibition among patients with bulimia further investigation is required.