Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Children Following Different Treatment Regimens of Silver Diammine Fluoride.

To investigate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of young children in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of silver diammine fluoride (SDF) and five percent sodium fluoride varnish (NaFV) to manage early childhood caries (ECC). Children younger than 72 months of age with active dentinal caries lesions (ICDAS 5 or 6) in primary teeth received two applications of 38 percent SDF and five percent NaFV as part of an RCT testing three different frequency regimes (one, four, and six months apart). The Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) questionnaire was completed at three study visits.

Assessing the role of non-state actors in health service delivery and health system resilience in Myanmar.

Background: Due to the weaknesses of the public health system and its low reach, especially in border areas, provision of health services by non-state actors (NSAs) has historically played an important role in Myanmar. NSAs include local and international NGOs and civil society organisations (CSOs), but also Ethnic Health Organisations (EHOs) in the border areas, as well as the private (for profit) sector. This study aims to understand the changing role of NSAs in the shifting political environment of Myanmar between 2010 and 2022, and to explore their contribution to health system resilience.

An open-label, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial of different silver diamine fluoride application intervals to arrest dental caries.

Background: Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an antimicrobial agent and alternative treatment option that can be used to arrest dental decay. While there is optimism with SDF with regard to caries management, there is no true consensus on the number and frequency of applications for children. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of 38% SDF to arrest early childhood caries (ECC) at three different application regimen intervals.

as a Potential Vector of , the Causal Agent of Sweetpotato Black Rot, in Storage Facilities.

, the causal agent of sweetpotato black rot, is a pathogen capable of developing and spreading within postharvest settings. A survey of North Carolina sweetpotato storage facilities was conducted to determine the arthropods present and identify potential vectors of . Sixteen taxonomic categories were recovered, and the genus (Diptera: Drosophilidae) accounted for 79% of individuals sampled, with being the most abundant species.

Understanding health system resilience in responding to COVID-19 pandemic: experiences and lessons from an evolving context of federalization in Nepal.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the resilience capacities of health systems worldwide and highlighted the need to understand the concept, pathways, and elements of resilience in different country contexts. In this study, we assessed the health system response to COVID-19 in Nepal and examined the processes of policy formulation, communication, and implementation at the three tiers of government, including the dynamic interactions between tiers. Nepal was experiencing the early stages of federalization reform when COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, and clarity in roles and capacity to implement functions were the prevailing challenges, especially among the subnational governments.

Chewing through challenges: Exploring the evolutionary pathways to wood-feeding in insects.

Decaying wood, while an abundant and stable resource, presents considerable nutritional challenges due to its structural rigidity, chemical recalcitrance, and low nitrogen content. Despite these challenges, certain insect lineages have successfully evolved saproxylophagy (consuming and deriving sustenance from decaying wood), impacting nutrient recycling in ecosystems and carbon sequestration dynamics. This study explores the uneven phylogenetic distribution of saproxylophagy across insects and delves into the evolutionary origins of this trait in disparate insect orders.

A systematic review of caries risk in children <6 years of age.

Background: For caries risk assessment (CRA) tools for young children to be evidence-based, it is important to systematically review the literature to identify factors associated with the onset of early childhood caries (ECC).

Aim: This updated systematic review aimed to identify current evidence on caries risk in young children.

Design: A comprehensive and systematic literature search of relevant databases was conducted to update a previous systematic review and identify risk factors associated with ECC.

Children's Oral Health Initiative: workers' perspectives on its impact in First Nations communities.

Introduction: Since 2004, the Children's Oral Health Initiative (COHI) has been working in many First Nations and Inuit communities in Canada to address oral health disparities, specifically early childhood caries (ECC). The COHI community-based approach improves early childhood oral health (ECOH) by balancing prevention with minimally invasive dentistry. The goal is to reduce the burden of oral disease, mainly by minimizing the need for surgery.

Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 airborne infection transmission risk in public buses.

Public transport environments are thought to play a key role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide. Indeed, high crowding indexes (i.e.

The genesis of the PM-JAY health insurance scheme in India: technical and political elements influencing a national reform towards universal health coverage.

Many countries are using health insurance to advance progress towards universal health coverage (UHC). India launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) health insurance scheme in 2018. We examine the political economy context around PM-JAY policy formulation, by examining the perspectives of policy stakeholders shaping decisions around the reform.

Implementation of PM-JAY in India: a qualitative study exploring the role of competency, organizational and leadership drivers shaping early roll-out of publicly funded health insurance in three Indian states.

Background: The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), a publicly funded health insurance scheme, was launched in India in September 2018 to provide financial access to health services for poor Indians. PM-JAY design enables state-level program adaptations to facilitate implementation in a decentralized health implementation space. This study examines the competency, organizational, and leadership approaches affecting PM-JAY implementation in three contextually different Indian states.

Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Networks Enhance the In Situ Real-Time Monitoring Capabilities of MLI Thermal Blankets for Space Applications.

The utilization of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors in innovative optical sensor networks has displayed remarkable potential in providing precise and dependable thermal measurements in hostile environments on Earth. Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) blankets serve as critical components of spacecraft and are employed to regulate the temperature of sensitive components by reflecting or absorbing thermal radiation. To enable accurate and continuous monitoring of temperature along the length of the insulative barrier without compromising its flexibility and low weight, FBG sensors can be embedded within the thermal blanket, thereby enabling distributed temperature sensing.

How do we design and evaluate health system strengthening? Collaborative development of a set of health system process goals.

Strong health systems are widely recognized as a key requirement for improving health outcomes and also for ensuring that health systems are equitable, resilient and responsive to population needs. However, the related term Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) remains unclear and contested, and this creates challenges for how HSS can be monitored and evaluated. A previous review argued for the need to rethink evaluation methods for HSS to examine systemic effects of HSS investments.

How can we strengthen partnership and coordination for health system emergency preparedness and response? Findings from a synthesis of experience across countries facing shocks.

Background: Discussions of health system resilience and emergency management often highlight the importance of coordination and partnership across government and with other stakeholders. However, both coordination and partnership have been identified as areas requiring further research. This paper identifies characteristics and enablers of effective coordination for emergency preparedness and response, drawing on experience from different countries with a range of shocks, including floods, drought, and COVID-19.

Redescription of Dentifibula viburni (Felt) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and review of the genus.

Dentifibula viburni (Felt) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), type species of Dentifibula Felt, is redescribed with illustrations and compared with its congeners. The genus is differentiated from the generally similar Lestodiplosis Kieffer. As far as presently known, larvae of Dentifibula prey on Diaspididae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea).

Health system resilience during COVID-19 understanding SRH service adaptation in North Kivu.

Background: There is often collateral damage to health systems during epidemics, affecting women and girls the most, with reduced access to non-outbreak related services, particularly in humanitarian settings. This rapid case study examines sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when the COVID-19 hit, towards the end of an Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak, and in a context of protracted insecurity.

Methods: This study draws on quantitative analysis of routine data from four health zones, a document review of policies and protocols, and 13 key-informant interviews with staff from the Ministry of Public Health, United Nations agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, and civil society organizations.

A novel power-amplified jumping behavior in larval beetles (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae).

Larval insects use many methods for locomotion. Here we describe a previously unknown jumping behavior in a group of beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae). We analyze and describe this behavior in Laemophloeus biguttatus and provide information on similar observations for another laemophloeid species, Placonotus testaceus.