Suboptimal patient positioning with panoramic and CBCT imaging: effects on dose.

Objective: This study examined the effects of changes in patient positioning on radiation exposure for panoramic and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) radiographic examinations by measuring effective dose (E) and equivalent doses.

Study Design: Simulated radiographic examinations with optimal and suboptimal positioning-anterior shift by 1 centimeter (cm), posterior shift by 1 cm, chin lowered by 10 degrees (°), chin elevated by 10°, rotation by 10°, and lateral shift by 1 cm-were conducted using a tissue-equivalent phantom and optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeters. Exposures were made with the RAYSCAN Alpha Plus 160 X-ray unit using the following exposure parameters: panoramic, 80 kVp, 14 mA, and 13.

Using implementation science to evaluate longitudinal assessment of entrustable professional activities in dental education.

Purpose: To evaluate the implementation of a longitudinal assessment framework utilizing entrustable professional activities (EPAs) in dental education during the initial 2-year implementation.

Method: The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was utilized to evaluate contextual factors influencing implementation across the following domains: innovation, outer setting, inner setting, individuals, and process. Purposive sampling was used to ascertain a diverse pool of participants and various perspectives.

Rapid Acute Coronary Syndrome Evaluation Over One Hour With High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I: A United States-Based Stepped-Wedge, Randomized Trial.

Study Objective: The real-world effectiveness and safety of a 0/1-hour accelerated protocol using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) to exclude myocardial infarction (MI) compared to routine care in the United States is uncertain. The objective was to compare a 0/1-hour accelerated protocol for evaluation of MI to a 0/3-hour standard care protocol.

Methods: The RACE-IT trial was a stepped-wedge, randomized trial across 9 emergency departments (EDs) that enrolled 32,609 patients evaluated for possible MI from July 2020 through April 2021.

Near-infrared imaging in orthodontic intraoral scanners for early interproximal caries detection.

Introduction: Intraoral scanners commonly used in orthodontic offices now offer near-infrared imaging (NIRI) technology, advertised as a screening tool to identify interproximal caries. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of NIRI detection of interproximal carious lesions in a common intraoral scanner (iTero Element 5D; Align Technology, San Jose, Calif) with and without bitewing radiograph complement, compared with a microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) reference standard.

Methods: Extracted human posterior teeth (premolars and molars) were selected for early (noncavitated) interproximal carious lesions (n = 39) and sound control surfaces (n = 47).

Measles, mumps, rubella and varicella antibodies among international and domestic university students.

Background: Vaccine-preventable infections are generally well controlled in Australia. However, gaps in immunity can lead to outbreaks and are important to identify. Young adults are a highly mobile population and a potential source of imported infections.

Developing entrustable professional activities for general dentistry at the University of North Carolina.

Introduction: As part of curriculum innovation, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Adams School of Dentistry identified core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) that graduates must demonstrate for practice readiness. This paper describes the development of the UNC EPAs and the perceptions of the general dentistry faculty.

Methods: Upon establishing a blueprint of knowledge, skills, and attitudes of UNC graduates, using a distributed leadership approach, faculty teams developed EPAs focused on the patient care process.

Using a change management model to develop and implement dental curricula: A case study.

Curriculum transformation is a guiding principle and driving force to continued institutional growth and innovation in oral health education. The transformation process starts from the need and desire for change to achieve the strategic goals of curriculum invocation. The design and implementation process must follow a systematic approach to ensure the oral health curricula are meeting the demands of preparing learners for their future careers and are in line with the institutional strategic goals and processes.

Comparison of incidental findings on cone beam computed tomographic and 2-dimensional images.

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) provides a 3-dimensional (3D) view of the patient and has a high frequency of incidental findings (IFs) that do not relate to the area of interest. Many of these IFs are not always visible on 2-dimensional (2D) intraoral or panoramic radiographs. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the IFs that did or did not appear on 3D vs 2D images.

A single-blind, parallel-group randomised trial of a Technology-assisted and remotely delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy intervention (Tech-CBT) versus usual care to reduce anxiety in people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: study protocol for a randomised trial.

Background: Anxiety is commonly experienced by people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Whilst there is strong evidence for late-life anxiety treatment using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and delivery via telehealth, there is little evidence for the remote delivery of psychological treatment for anxiety in people living with MCI and dementia. This paper reports the protocol for the Tech-CBT study which aims to investigate the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, usability and acceptability of a technology-assisted and remotely delivered CBT intervention to enhance delivery of anxiety treatment for people living with MCI and dementia of any aetiology.

Preparing for implementation of an entrustable professional activity assessment framework.

Following the adoption of competency-based education in dentistry in the 1990s, entrustable professional activities (EPAs) were introduced in the field of medicine in the mid-2000s to help educators better determine the competence of trainees. More recently, the field of dental education has begun exploring EPAs as a framework for assessing competence while ensuring compliance with accreditation standards. This paper explores one dental school's process of preparing for implementation of a major curriculum change using an EPA assessment framework, shifting away from the use of singular assessments for competency determination to a global and longitudinal approach using a constellation of data to determine practice readiness.

Impact of woodland agri-environment management on woodland structure and target bird species.

Agri-environment incentives form a central mechanism supporting changes to land management to provide public benefits. This study assesses the medium-term effects of woodland management on 13 target, specialist woodland bird species, as well as other woodland birds in a single region of the UK. The abundance of breeding birds (using two methods: point counts and territory mapping) and metrics of woodland structure were recorded on sites with Woodland Improvement Grants (improvement sites) and nearby comparison sites (control sites).

A multi-data ensemble approach for predicting woodland type distribution: Oak woodland in Britain.

Interactions between soil, topography, and climatic site factors can exacerbate and/or alleviate the vulnerability of oak woodland to climate change. Reducing climate-related impacts on oak woodland habitats and ecosystems through adaptation management requires knowledge of different site interactions in relation to species tolerance. In Britain, the required thematic detail of woodland type is unavailable from digital maps.

Targeting the KRAS α4-α5 allosteric interface inhibits pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis.

is the most frequently mutated oncogene in human cancer with nearly ~20% of cancer patients possessing mutations in one of three genes ( or ). However, is mutated in nearly 90% of pancreatic ductal carcinomas (PDAC). Although pharmacological inhibition of RAS has been challenging, KRAS(G12C)-specific inhibitors have recently entered the clinic.

Faculty perspectives of an entrustable professional activity (EPA) framework in predoctoral dental education.

Purpose: The entrustable professional activity (EPA) framework is an assessment approach used to define the educational outcomes of a program by outlining discrete work tasks learners are expected to perform independently upon graduation. This study outlines the development and evaluation of an EPA framework for predoctoral dental education at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry.

Methods: The draft EPA framework was created in collaboration with a group of faculty members and included 15 statements that were mapped to relevant Commission on Dental Accreditation standards.

Bitewing radiography dosimetry of a stationary intraoral tomosynthesis imaging system.

Objectives: This study assessed effective doses (E) from conventional and stationary intraoral tomosynthesis (s-IOT) radiography for posterior bitewing (PBW) examinations and evaluated the effect of sensor attenuation.

Study Design: An adult human tissue-equivalent phantom and optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters were used. Series of 4 PBW radiographs were acquired with circular and rectangular collimation.

Voltage-Dependent Anion Channels Influence Cytotoxicity of ME-344, a Therapeutic Isoflavone.

ME-344 is a second-generation cytotoxic isoflavone with anticancer activity promulgated through interference with mitochondrial functions. Using a click chemistry version of the drug together with affinity-enriched mass spectrometry, voltage-dependent anion channels (VDACs) 1 and 2 were identified as drug targets. To determine the importance of VDAC1 or 2 to cytotoxicity, we used lung cancer cells that were either sensitive (H460) or intrinsically resistant (H596) to the drug.

Loss-compensated slow-light fiber Bragg grating with 22-km/s group velocity.

This Letter reports the behavior of the slow-light resonances of a strong apodized fiber Bragg grating (FBG) in which the intrinsic loss is compensated for by a small internal gain. The 6.5-mm FBG, written with a femtosecond laser in an Er-doped single-mode fiber, was pumped at ∼1475 just below the lasing threshold to offset most of its intrinsic loss, thereby narrowing its resonances.

Predominant Distribution of the RNAi Machinery at Apical Adherens Junctions in Colonic Epithelia Is Disrupted in Cancer.

The RNA interference (RNAi) machinery is an essential component of the cell, regulating miRNA biogenesis and function. RNAi complexes were thought to localize either in the nucleus, such as the microprocessor, or in the cytoplasm, such as the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). We recently revealed that the core microprocessor components DROSHA and DGCR8, as well as the main components of RISC, including Ago2, also associate with the apical adherens junctions of well-differentiated cultured epithelial cells.

The role of stationary intraoral tomosynthesis in reducing proximal overlap in bitewing radiography.

Objectives: This study examined the utility of stationary intraoral tomosynthesis (s-IOT) in opening proximal contacts in bitewing radiography.

Methods: 11 DENTSPLY Rinn Dental X-ray Teaching and Training Replica mannequins (Model #546002, Elgin, Ill) were imaged with a prototype s-IOT device (Surround Medical Systems, Morrisville, NC) and standard bitewing (SBW) technique. Premolar and molar bitewings were acquired with each system.

Development of a Novel Humanized Monoclonal Antibody to Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein-2 That Inhibits Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and Angiosarcoma Growth In Vivo.

Background: We previously reported that secreted frizzled-related protein-2 (SFRP2) is expressed in a variety of tumors, including sarcoma and breast carcinoma, and stimulates angiogenesis and inhibits tumor apoptosis. Therefore, we hypothesized that a humanized SFRP2 monoclonal antibody (hSFRP2 mAb) would inhibit tumor growth.

Methods: The lead hSFRP2 antibody was tested against a cohort of 22 healthy donors using a time course T-cell assay to determine the relative risk of immunogenicity.

Novel Pyrene Excimer and Fluorogenic Probe for the Detection of Alkylating Agents.

A pyrene-containing salicylic acid derivative () was found to be low in fluorescence, but its derivative pyrene-containing methyl salicylate () was found to be highly fluorescent in aqueous solution. This derivative has been tested in solution and found to be superior in the fluorogenic assay of pharmaceutical compounds, detection of chemical warfare agents, a preliminary toxicology test, mutagenicity of medicinal compounds, and other chemical analyses, including trimethylsilyl diazomethane; alkyl bromides and iodides; a sulfur mustard mimic 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide; and anticancer drugs, busulfan and pipobroman. The salicylic acid derivative () was applied as a fluorogenic probe for the detection of alkylating agents by esterification and generating fluorescence at 475 nm in solutions at low concentrations.

Isoflavone ME-344 Disrupts Redox Homeostasis and Mitochondrial Function by Targeting Heme Oxygenase 1.

ME-344 is a second-generation isoflavone with unusual cytotoxic properties that is in clinical testing in cancer. To identify targets that contribute to its anticancer activity and therapeutic index, we used lung cancer cell lines that are naturally sensitive or resistant to ME-344. Drug-induced apoptosis was linked with enhanced levels of reactive oxygen species and this initiated a nuclear erythroid factor 2-like 2 signaling response, downstream of which, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) was also found to be time-dependently inhibited by ME-344.