A Theoretically Informed Process Evaluation in Parallel to a Feasibility Study of a Complex Oral Health Intervention Using NICE Guidelines in a Care Home Setting.

Background: A theoretically informed process evaluation was undertaken in parallel to a study examining the feasibility of an oral health intervention based on an existing guideline for care homes. The objectives were to explore the factors that influenced the implementation of the intervention in order to understand the potential pathway to impact. The research team initially utilised Pfadenhauer et al.

Engagement and access to support for oral health, substance use, smoking and diet by people with severe and multiple disadvantage: A qualitative study.

Background: Severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD) is the combined effect of experiencing homelessness, substance use and repeat offending. People experiencing SMD have high burden of physical and mental health issues. Oral health is one of the most common health problems in people experiencing SMD which interacts with substance use, smoking, and unhealthy diet to create a cycle of harm and disadvantage.

Socioeconomic Position and Oral Health in Chinese Older Adults: A Life Course Approach.

Objectives: We investigated associations between socioeconomic position (SEP) across childhood, adulthood, and older age and number of teeth among Chinese older adults.

Methods: Data came from 15,136 participants aged 65 to 105 y in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2018 wave). The outcome was number of teeth.

Physiological iron chelators pyrophosphate and citrate have different effects on the proportions of monoferric transferrin metalloforms.

Human serum transferrin can bind up to two iron atoms, one in each of its two domains which are known as the N-lobe and the C-lobe. Ferric pyrophosphate and ferric citrate have been shown to direct loading into the C-lobe and N-lobe, respectively. We report that the iron supplement ferric pyrophosphate citrate directs iron to the C-lobe.

Automated face recognition assists with low-prevalence face identity mismatches but can bias users.

We present three experiments to study the effects of giving information about the decision of an automated face recognition (AFR) system to participants attempting to decide whether two face images show the same person. We make three contributions designed to make our results applicable to real-word use: participants are given the true response of a highly accurate AFR system; the face set reflects the mixed ethnicity of the city of London from where participants are drawn; and there are only 10% of mismatches. Participants were equally accurate when given the similarity score of the AFR system or just the binary decision but shifted their bias towards match and were over-confident on difficult pairs when given only binary information.

A framework for developing Generic Implant Safety Procedures (GISPs) for scanning patients with medical implants and devices in MRI.

UK guidelines for MR safety recommend that MRI departments refer to the implant manufacturer for advice regarding the MRI safety of scanning patients with an implantable medical device prior to scanning [1]. This process of assuring safety can be time consuming, leading to delays and potential cancellations of a patient's MRI. Furthermore, at times the implant cannot be identified, or the implant manufacturers cannot provide up to date MRI safety information.

Multi-site analysis of biosynthetic gene clusters from the periodontitis oral microbiome.

Bacteria significantly influence human health and disease, with bacterial biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) being crucial in the microbiome-host and microbe-microbe interactions. Despite extensive research into BGCs within the human gut microbiome, their roles in the oral microbiome are less understood. This pilot study utilizes high-throughput shotgun metagenomic sequencing to examine the oral microbiota in different niches, particularly focusing on the association of BGCs with periodontitis.

Exploring the Acceptability of HIV Testing in the UK Dental Setting: A Qualitative Study.

HIV point of care testing (POCT) is a common approach to expanding testing into non-specialised settings. Dental services have untapped potential to screen for health conditions including HIV. However, the perspectives of UK dental patients, dental professionals, and people with HIV are unknown.

Analysis of public records of lobbying practices of the ultra-processed sugary food and drink industries in Chile: a qualitative study.

Background: Given the role of commercial determinants on sugar consumption and health, this study aimed to describe lobbying practices of the ultra-processed sugary food and drinks industries in Chile between 2014 and 2022.

Methods: Official meetings between ultra-processed sugary food and drinks industries and related commercial actors and Chilean government officials were obtained from the Chilean Lobby Registry. Relevant commercial names were initially identified based on their market share and expanded iteratively based on information from relevant meetings.

Point of care HIV testing in dental settings in high-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review.

Objectives: Expanding HIV testing beyond specialized services has been a key strategic approach to eliminating the transmission of HIV. In recent years, dental settings have been identified as offering an opportunity for delivering point of care HIV testing (POCT) interventions. Intervention components and implementation strategies have varied across studies and there is uncertainty about the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV in the dental patient population.

Embedding patient and public involvement into a doctoral study: developing a point-of-care HIV testing intervention for dental settings.

Introduction: Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) can have a positive impact on research. PPI can make research more meaningful and appropriate as well as preventing research waste. For decades, patient advocates with HIV have played a key part in public health and research.

Improving oral health and related health behaviours (substance use, smoking, diet) in people with severe and multiple disadvantage: A systematic review of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions.

Background: People experiencing homelessness co-occurring with substance use or offending ('severe and multiple disadvantage' SMD) often have high levels of poor oral health and related health behaviours (particularly, substance use, smoking, poor diet). This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions in adults experiencing SMD to improve oral health and related health behaviours.

Methods And Findings: From inception to February 2023, five bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus) and grey literature were searched.

Social Disadvantage and Multimorbidity Including Oral Conditions in the United States.

Existing studies on multimorbidity have largely excluded oral diseases in multimorbidity prevalence estimates. The reason behind this is somewhat unclear, as chronic oral conditions are highly prevalent, affecting over half the global population. To address this gap, we examined the relationship between social disadvantage and multimorbidity, stratifying by the inclusion and exclusion of oral conditions.

Subgingival microbial changes in Down Syndrome adults with periodontitis after chlorhexidine adjunct non-surgical therapy and monthly recalls-A 12-month case series study.

Objectives: Down Syndrome (DS) adults are at risk for periodontitis. Previous reports indicated difficulties in periodontopathogen reduction or eradication in DS individuals after periodontal treatment. This case series follows the subgingival microbial changes in adult DS individuals with periodontitis who received chlorhexidine adjunct non-surgical therapy plus 12-month recalls.

A differentiable simulation package for performing inference of synchrotron-radiation-based diagnostics.

The direction of particle accelerator development is ever-increasing beam quality, currents and repetition rates. This poses a challenge to traditional diagnostics that directly intercept the beam due to the mutual destruction of both the beam and the diagnostic. An alternative approach is to infer beam parameters non-invasively from the synchrotron radiation emitted in bending magnets.

Factors influencing implementation and sustainability of interventions to improve oral health and related health behaviours in adults experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage: a mixed-methods systematic review.

Objectives: Among people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD), poor oral health is common and linked to smoking, substance use and high sugar intake. Studies have explored interventions addressing oral health and related behaviours; however, factors related to the implementation of these interventions remain unclear. This mixed-methods systematic review aimed to synthesise evidence on the implementation and sustainability of interventions to improve oral health and related health behaviours among adults experiencing SMD.

Prescription patterns of analgesics for oral conditions in india - Analysis of large medical audit data of outpatients in India's private healthcare sector.

Background: Analgesic use needs to be regulated due to its adverse effects. This study aimed to analyse the change in prescription rates and patterns of the analgesics prescribed for various oral conditions and to analyse their trends across different age groups and gender to promote rational prescription of drugs and eventually influence regulatory policies.

Methods: Secondary analysis was conducted on medical audit data collected from the private health sector in India.

Severe COVID anxiety among adults in the United Kingdom: cohort study and nested feasibility trial.

Background: People with severe COVID anxiety have poor mental health and impaired functioning, but the course of severe COVID anxiety is unknown and the quality of evidence on the acceptability and impact of psychological interventions is low.

Methods: A quantitative cohort study with a nested feasibility trial. Potential participants aged 18 and over, living in the UK with severe COVID anxiety, were recruited online and from primary care services.

Interventions to improve oral health and related health behaviours of substance use, smoking, and diet in people with severe and multiple disadvantage: a systematic review of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Background: Homelessness overlapping with substance use and offending is described as severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD). People experiencing SMD have poor oral health along with high levels of related behaviours such as substance use, smoking, and poor diet. Existing evidence largely describes the prevalence of oral health problems, substance use, and smoking in SMD groups.

An efficient method for high molecular weight bacterial DNA extraction suitable for shotgun metagenomics from skin swabs.

The human skin microbiome represents a variety of complex microbial ecosystems that play a key role in host health. Molecular methods to study these communities have been developed but have been largely limited to low-throughput quantification and short amplicon-based sequencing, providing limited functional information about the communities present. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing has emerged as a preferred method for microbiome studies as it provides more comprehensive information about the species/strains present in a niche and the genes they encode.

Functional Characterization of Small Alarmone Synthetase and Small Alarmone Hydrolase Proteins from Treponema denticola.

The stringent response enables bacteria to survive nutrient starvation, antibiotic challenge, and other threats to cellular survival. Two alarmone (magic spot) second messengers, guanosine pentaphosphate (pppGpp) and guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp), which are synthesized by RelA/SpoT homologue (RSH) proteins, play central roles in the stringent response. The pathogenic oral spirochete bacterium Treponema denticola lacks a long-RSH homologue but encodes putative small alarmone synthetase (Tde-SAS, TDE1711) and small alarmone hydrolase (Tde-SAH, TDE1690) proteins.