Teaching and Learning in an Active Learning Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Empirical Cohort Study of Dental Hygiene Students.

The aim of this study was to discover how an active learning classroom (ALC) influenced the teaching and learning of dental radiology with dental hygiene students through a mixed-methods approach. A year-long observation of a dental hygiene professor who was teaching two consecutive courses in an ALC was conducted in 2015-16. Nineteen classes were recorded and transcribed, and observational notes on classroom activities were taken.

Serum response factor indirectly regulates type I interferon-signaling in macrophages.

Serum response factor (SRF) is required for diverse aspects of development and homeostasis, but potential roles in the regulation of inflammation and immunity have not been systematically investigated. Here, we demonstrate that SRF is unexpectedly required for optimal responses of elicited peritoneal macrophages to type I interferons. Knockdown of SRF expression in these cells impairs induction of numerous interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) in response to zymosan, LPS, and poly I:C.

Perception of oral status as a barrier to oral care for people with spinal cord injuries.

The purpose of this study was to examine the oral health status of people with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and determine if people with a SCI have an accurate perception of their oral status, and if this is potentially a barrier to oral care. Methods consisted of a survey and oral examination given to 92 willing participants of the Methodist Rehabilitation Center who sustained a SCI. The examination consisted of periodontal status using Periodontal Screen and Recording IndexTM and dental status using Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth index.

Serum response factor utilizes distinct promoter- and enhancer-based mechanisms to regulate cytoskeletal gene expression in macrophages.

Cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage play essential roles in tissue homeostasis and immune responses, but mechanisms underlying the coordinated expression of cytoskeletal genes required for specialized functions of these cells, such as directed migration and phagocytosis, remain unknown. Here, using genetic and genomic approaches, we provide evidence that serum response factor (SRF) regulates both general and cell type-restricted components of the cytoskeletal gene expression program in macrophages. Genome-wide location analysis of SRF in macrophages demonstrates enrichment of SRF binding at ubiquitously expressed target gene promoters, as expected, but also reveals that the majority of SRF binding sites associated with cell type-restricted target genes are at distal inter- and intragenic locations.

Dental professionals' knowledge about treatment of patients with spinal cord injury.

This study investigated the knowledge and training of dental professionals to competently serve persons with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Fifty dental clinics were approached to complete a survey containing questions regarding their special needs training. From the 35 completed surveys, descriptive quantitative data were analyzed.

Anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic roles of PPARgamma.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) regulates adipocyte differentiation and glucose homeostasis and is the molecular target of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) that act as insulin-sensitizers in patients with type 2 diabetes. PPARgamma is also expressed in macrophages and negatively regulates the programme of macrophage activation by repressing a subset of AP1 and NF-kappaB-dependent genes. Recent genetic, molecular and biochemical studies support the idea that PPARgamma inhibits inflammatory gene expression in activated macrophages by a NCoR/sumoylation-dependent pathway.