Publications by authors named "Parkinson C"

Objective: This study aims to evaluate extrinsic tooth stain removal and whitening efficacy of two experimental dentifrices containing (i) 5% sodium tripolyphosphate (STP)/1% micronized alumina or (ii) 5% STP/1% micronized alumina with abrasive silica (ED2) compared to a regular fluoride dentifrice (RFD) following 8 weeks of use.

Materials And Methods: This was a single-center, randomized, controlled, blind, three-arm, stratified, parallel-group study. Eligible participants underwent clinical assessment of stain on the facial/lingual surfaces of maxillary and mandibular teeth using the modified Lobene stain index (MLSI), and shade of the facial surfaces of the central and lateral maxillary incisors using the VITA Bleachedguide 3D-Master (VITA) shade guide.

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Does aligning misinformation content with individuals' core moral values facilitate its spread? We investigate this question in three behavioral experiments ( = 615; = 505; ₂ = 533) that examine how the alignment of audience values and misinformation framing affects sharing behavior, in conjunction with analyzing real-world Twitter data ( = 20,235; 809,414 tweets) that explores how aligning the moral values of message senders with misinformation content influences its dissemination in the context of COVID-19 vaccination misinformation. First, we investigate how aligning messages' moral framing with participants' moral values impacts participants' intentions to share true and false news headlines and whether this effect is driven by a lack of analytical thinking. Our results show that framing a post such that it aligns with audiences' moral values leads to increased sharing intentions, independent of headline familiarity, and participants' political ideology but find no effect of analytical thinking.

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Natural Killer (NK) cells can target and destroy cancer cells, yet tumor microenvironments typically suppress NK cell recruitment and cytotoxicity. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a potent oncogene that can activate survival, migration, and proliferation pathways, and clinical data suggests it may also play an immunomodulating role in cancers. Recent work has demonstrated a novel role for nuclear EGFR (nEGFR) in regulating transcriptional events unique from the kinase domain.

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Objectives: This qualitative study aimed to develop an understanding of patients' barriers and facilitators of conversations about dentine hypersensitivity (DH) with their dentist.

Methods: The Theoretical Domains Framework shaped the topic guide for 26 participants who were troubled (High H) or not particularly troubled (Low L) by DH. Inductive thematic analysis of anonymised, transcribed, online focus group conversations was undertaken to identify reasons for non-discussion of DH during dental consultations.

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The NA62 experiment at CERN, configured in beam-dump mode, has searched for dark photon decays in flight to electron-positron pairs using a sample of 1.4×10^{17} protons on dump collected in 2021. No evidence for a dark photon signal is observed.

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Objectives: Since their introduction in 1952, per-prescribed item charges in England have continually risen. This study investigated the acceptability and impact of per-prescribed item charges, and awareness and use of initiatives designed to reduce prescription charge financial burden (the prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) initiative), in people living with and without long-term health conditions (LTHCs) in the UK.

Design: Cross-sectional mixed-method survey of people with and without an LTHC across the UK.

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Understanding the proximate and ultimate causes of phenotypic variation is fundamental in evolutionary research, as such variation provides the substrate for selection to act upon. Although trait variation can arise due to selection, the importance of neutral processes is sometimes understudied. We presented the first reference-quality genome of the Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) and used range-wide 'omic data to estimate the degree to which neutral and adaptive evolutionary processes shaped venom evolution.

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The idea that individuals ascribe value to social phenomena, broadly construed, is well-established. Despite the ubiquity of this concept, defining social value in the context of interpersonal relationships remains elusive. This is notable because while prominent theories of human social behavior acknowledge the role of value-based processes, they mostly emphasize the value of individual actions an agent may choose to take in a given environment.

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Even in our highly interconnected modern world, geographic factors play an important role in human social connections. Similarly, social relationships influence how and where we travel, and how we think about our spatial world. Here, we review the growing body of neuroscience research that is revealing multiple interactions between social and spatial processes in both humans and non-human animals.

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Objective: To determine whether an enteral, clonidine-based sedation strategy (CLON) during therapeutic hypothermia (TH) for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy would decrease opiate use while maintaining similar short-term safety and efficacy profiles to a morphine-based strategy (MOR).

Study Design: This was a single-center, observational study conducted at a level IV neonatal intensive care unit from January 1, 2017, to October 1, 2021. From April 13, 2020, to August 13, 2020, we transitioned from MOR to CLON.

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We present a case of neurotoxic effects in a pediatric patient after envenomation by a timber rattlesnake () in the Appalachian upstate of South Carolina. Though some members of this species are capable of primarily neurotoxic envenomation, there is heterogeneity in venom composition, and neurotoxic timber rattlesnakes are not endemic to the Appalachian region. However, neurotoxic effects caused by species lacking typical neurotoxins have been suspected, though not previously confirmed in the medical literature.

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Article Synopsis
  • Nature exposure has been recognized as a helpful coping mechanism for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, but prior reviews didn't assess the evidence quality or bias of empirical studies.
  • A systematic review and meta-analysis, using the Navigation Guide methodology, evaluated 113 studies on how different types of nature exposure correlate with various mental health outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and stress.
  • Results indicated that access to gardens and increased time spent in green spaces were associated with lower depression and anxiety levels and improved general mental well-being, but overall evidence quality was rated very low due to high bias in many studies.
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  • The genus Mixcoatlus includes three species: M. barbouri, M. browni, and M. melanurus, with detailed venom analysis primarily conducted on the latter two.
  • This study identifies and characterizes the venom compositions of M. barbouri and M. browni, revealing 12 protein families in M. barbouri and 13 in M. browni, with significant components like phospholipases A and snake venom serine proteases.
  • The research also highlights a specific protein from M. browni, named Mixcoatlutoxin, which shows lethal effects similar to traditional rattlesnake venoms, indicating the need for further studies on M. barbouri's venom.
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Background: University spring break carries a two-pronged SARS-CoV-2 variant transmission risk. Circulating variants from universities can spread to spring break destinations, and variants from spring break destinations can spread to universities and surrounding communities. Therefore, it is critical to implement SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance and testing strategies to limit community spread before and after spring break to mitigate virus transmission and facilitate universities safely returning to in-person teaching.

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-Phylogenomics allows us to uncover the historical signal of evolutionary processes through time and estimate phylogenetic networks accounting for these signals. Insight from genome-wide data further allows us to pinpoint the contributions to phylogenetic signal from hybridization, introgression, and ancestral polymorphism across the genome. Here, we focus on how these processes have contributed to phylogenetic discordance among rattlesnakes (genera Crotalus and Sistrurus), a group for which there are numerous conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses based on a diverse array of molecular datasets and analytical methods.

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Oxidative stress from excess HO activates transcription factors that restore redox balance and repair oxidative damage. Although many transcription factors are activated by HO, it is unclear whether they are activated at the same HO concentration, or time. Dose-dependent activation is likely as oxidative stress is not a singular state and exhibits dose-dependent outcomes including cell-cycle arrest and cell death.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how developmental changes in venom expression and diet in eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are linked to age and size, highlighting the unknown molecular mechanisms behind these adaptive traits.
  • - Researchers combined genome assembly with expression and epigenomic analysis to discover regulatory elements and transcription factors involved in venom changes, revealing that epigenomic modifications correlate with alterations in gene expression as snakes mature.
  • - The findings show that adult snakes have increased expression of transcription factors related to growth and biological timing, indicating a complex gene regulation process that changes venom composition with age, providing insights into broader patterns of life-history evolution across different species.
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Recently, several ATP-binding cassette (ABC) importers have been found to adopt the typical fold of type IV ABC exporters. Presumably, these importers would function under the transport scheme of "alternating access" like those exporters, cycling through inward-open, occluded, and outward-open conformations. Understanding how the exporter-like importers move substrates in the opposite direction requires structural studies on all the major conformations.

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Background: Gingivitis is driven by plaque accumulation and, if left untreated, can progress to irreversible periodontitis. For many, the mechanical action of toothbrushing does not achieve adequate plaque control. The aim of this study was to investigate whether twice-daily use of a toothpaste containing 0.

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Bidirectional interactions between the immune system and the gut microbiota are key contributors to various physiological functions. Immune-associated diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity, and efficacy of immunomodulatory therapies, have been linked to microbiome variation. Although COVID-19 infection has been shown to cause microbial dysbiosis, it remains understudied whether the inflammatory response associated with vaccination also impacts the microbiota.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers are exploring new artemisinin triple combination therapies to combat artemisinin-tolerant strains using combinations of artemisone or other amino-artemisinins, a redox-active drug, and a third drug with a different action.
  • Three potential redox partners have been evaluated: AD01, PhX6, and DpNEt, with PhX6 showing the most promising pharmacokinetic profile and efficacy against CQ-sensitive and resistant strains.
  • Future studies will expand drug combinations to include artemiside and test the effectiveness of artemisone with PhX6 and the related compound SSJ-183.
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Purpose: Early results from the phase II MEDIOLA study (NCT02734004) in germline BRCA1- and/or BRCA2-mutated (gBRCAm) platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer (PSROC) showed promising efficacy and safety with olaparib plus durvalumab. We report efficacy and safety of olaparib plus durvalumab in an expansion cohort of women with gBRCAm PSROC (gBRCAm expansion doublet cohort) and two cohorts with non-gBRCAm PSROC, one of which also received bevacizumab (non-gBRCAm doublet and triplet cohorts).

Patients And Methods: In this open-label, multicenter study, PARP inhibitor-naïve patients received olaparib plus durvalumab treatment until disease progression; the non-gBRCAm triplet cohort also received bevacizumab.

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Aim: Although dentine hypersensitivity is widespread, can cause substantial pain and impact quality of life, it is not routinely discussed during dental consultations. This qualitative study aimed to develop an understanding of the barriers and facilitators to these discussions.

Materials And Methods: Using the Theoretical Domains Framework to shape the topic guide, N = 7 online focus groups were organized with a total N = 40 participants comprising experienced dentists, dental foundation trainees and dental care professionals.

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Aim: To develop and validate a new health-related quality of life measure to capture a wide range of gum-related impacts.

Materials And Methods: The measure was developed using a multi-stage approach and a theoretical model. Development involved semi-structured interviews, pilot testing, cross-sectional analysis among a general population (n = 152) to assess psychometric properties and test-retest reliability among a subsample (n = 27).

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