The thermal degradation and soil recovery of thermal treatment of field-weathered decabrominated diphenyl ether-contaminated soil.

A farm at Taoyuan in Taiwan was highly contaminated with decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209), a widely used commercial brominated flame retardant and persistent in the environment, more than 10 years. Since crops are able to absorb and accumulate BDE-209 from soils in our previous research, posing a hazardous risk for humans, it is essential to develop a practical method of soil treatment. Thermal treatment was studied among different approaches. In our previous study (Ko et al., 2022), we found that heating to 450 °C for 30 min achieved a complete removal of BDE-209 in soil. However, the high temperature significantly decreased the original soil organic matter (SOM) from 2.47% to 0.27%, altering the soil texture, damaging microbial biomass, and thus affecting the revegetation after the thermal treatment. Sugarcane bagasse, a common agricultural residue, served as an amendment to restore soil fertility. Current results indicate that 2.5% bagasse can improve the SOM in soil by up to 2.73% and restore its bacterial composition, making the plant growth conditions similar to those of the untreated contaminated soil. In light of the high removal efficiency provided by the 450°C-thermal treatment and the high recovery efficiency of sugarcane bagasse, the strategy presented in this study serves to be a promising method for sustainable remediation.

Dental caries and anthropometrics of children living in an informal floating Amazonian community: a cross-sectional pilot study.

AIMS: Increasing evidence supports a relationship between poor oral health and growth in children. Our objective was to assess the association between the presence of dental caries and anthropometric measurements of children residing in Claverito, a floating slum community in the Peruvian Amazon. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, presence of caries was assessed using dmft/DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth) scores and the SiC Index (mean dmft/DMFT of one-third of the study group with the highest caries score). Anthropometric categories for age-sex-specific z-scores for height and weight were calculated based on WHO standardized procedures and definitions. The association between SiC (measured by dmft/DMFT) and anthropometric measures was estimated using unadjusted and adjusted multivariable linear regression models. Critical value was established at 5%. RESULTS: Our study population consisted of 67 children between the ages of 1 and 18 years old. Mean age was 9.5 years old (SD: 4.5), and the majority were female (52.2%). Almost all had dental caries (97.0%) and the mean dmft/DMFT score was 7.2 (SD: 4.7). The SiC Index of this population was 9.0. After adjusting for confounding variables, participants who had permanent dentition with the highest dmft/DMFT levels had statistically significant decreased height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) (p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: We found an inverse linear association between SiC Index and height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) among children living in poverty in a floating Amazonian community in Peru. Children from under-resourced communities, like floating slums, are at high risk for oral disease possibly negatively impacting their growth and development.

Social disparities in dental insurance and annual dental visits among medically insured patients with diabetes: the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE) Survey.

INTRODUCTION: People with diabetes are at increased risk of periodontal disease and tooth loss. Healthy People 2010 set a goal that 71% or more of people with diabetes should have an annual dental exam. METHODS: We assessed dental insurance and annual dental visits among dentate respondents from the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE) Survey cohort (N = 20,188), an ethnically stratified, random sample of patients with diabetes aged 30 to 75 years receiving medical care from Kaiser Permanente Northern California. We calculated predicted probabilities for an annual dental visit (PPADV) by using regression models that incorporated age, sex, education level, annual household income, and self-reported race/ethnicity, stratified by whether the respondent had dental insurance. RESULTS: Among 12,405 dentate patients, 9,257 (75%) had dental insurance. Annual dental visits were reported by 7,557 (82%) patients with dental insurance and 1,935 (61%) patients without dental insurance. The age-sex adjusted odds ratio for an annual dental visit was 2.66 (95% confidence interval, 2.33-3.03) for patients with dental insurance compared to those without dental insurance. For patients with dental insurance, the PPADV was 71% or more for all except those with the lowest household income. In contrast, for those without dental insurance, the PPADV was less than 71% for all except those with the most education or the highest income. We found some racial/ethnic subgroups were more likely than others to take advantage of dental insurance to have an annual dental visit. CONCLUSION: Patients with diabetes in this managed care population who lacked dental insurance failed to meet the Healthy People 2010 goal for an annual dental visit. An increased effort should be made to promote oral health among people with diabetes.

Integrating Global Health Within Dental Education: Inter-University Collaboration for Scaling Up a Pilot Curriculum.

Background: New education programs are developing to improve global health awareness. Dental students have demonstrated interest in international settings but are largely unaware of global health topics. The Timothy A. DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health of the University of Washington (UW) and Harvard School of Dental Medicine expanded a competency-based global health curriculum (Global Health Starter Kit) by integrating it within the UW School of Dentistry (UW SOD) existing elective course "Global Oral Health" to undergraduates, pre-, and doctorate students from the UW SOD and Public Health. The study objective was to evaluate the curriculum effectiveness by assessing 1) Knowledge and Attitudes (survey), and 2) Didactic coursework (global trends, global goals, primary care, social determinants and risks, and ethics and sustainability). Methods: Eligibility included enrolled students with both pre- and post-assessments. Descriptive statistics were conducted to present demographic data. Significant changes on survey and didactic evaluations were analyzed with paired t-tests (p < 0.05). Findings: The population (N = 15) represented 88% of the class. All Knowledge categories had a significant increase (p < 0.05), except in the topic of tropical diseases. At baseline, Attitudes categories had high scores and did not significantly increase by the end of the course. Even though all Didactic categories improved, only Social Determinants and Risks showed a significant increase (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Competency-based global health learning can be implemented in the dental curriculum. While the study shows promising results, efforts to identify areas for improvement as well as considerations of the institution's culture need to be assessed and addressed for each teaching cycle.

Mitigating Global Oral Health Inequalities: Research Training Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Although oral diseases are largely preventable, they are among the most non-communicable diseases globally, and they disproportionately burden disadvantaged communities, specially within low- and middle-income nations. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the social, economic, and health inequalities in our society, including the existing global oral health inequalities. There is a shortage of dentist-scientist all around the world, especially in developing countries, such as Thailand. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and Fogarty International Center (FIC), joined efforts on creating research capacity in oral health in South East Asia through the Fogarty International Center Training Program in Clinical, Public Health and Behavioral Oral Health Research for Thailand (2006-2016). The University of Washington (USA), Thammasat University (Thailand) and Khon Kaen University (Thailand) partnered to conduct short-, medium- and long-term training programs to build regional oral health research capabilities. Investing in research has not only impacted trainees' career development but enhanced advancement of oral health research of South East Asia. The success of partnership calls for expanding oral health research training in other low-income countries.

Dental caries and anthropometrics of children living in an informal floating Amazonian community: a cross-sectional pilot study

Abstract Aims: Increasing evidence supports a relationship between poor oral health and growth in children. Our objective was to assess the association between the presence of dental caries and anthropometric measurements of children residing in Claverito, a floating slum community in the Peruvian Amazon. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, presence of caries was assessed using dmft/DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth) scores and the SiC Index (mean dmft/DMFT of one-third of the study group with the highest caries score). Anthropometric categories for age-sex-specific z-scores for height and weight were calculated based on WHO standardized procedures and definitions. The association between SiC (measured by dmft/DMFT) and anthropometric measures was estimated using unadjusted and adjusted multivariable linear regression models. Critical value was established at 5%. Results: Our study population consisted of 67 children between the ages of 1 and 18 years old. Mean age was 9.5 years old (SD: 4.5), and the majority were female (52.2%). Almost all had dental caries (97.0%) and the mean dmft/DMFT score was 7.2 (SD: 4.7). The SiC Index of this population was 9.0. After adjusting for confounding variables, participants who had permanent dentition with the highest dmft/DMFT levels had statistically significant decreased height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) (p=0.04). Conclusions: We found an inverse linear association between SiC Index and height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) among children living in poverty in a floating Amazonian community in Peru. Children from under-resourced communities, like floating slums, are at high risk for oral disease possibly negatively impacting their growth and development.

Resumo Objetivos: Há cada vez mais evidências apoiando uma relação entre a saúde bucal precária e o crescimento das crianças. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar a associação entre a presença de cárie dentária e medidas antropométricas de crianças residentes em Claverito, uma comunidade flutuante de favelas na Amazônia peruana. Métodos: Para este estudo transversal, a presença de cárie foi avaliada utilizando os escores dmft/DMFT (dentes cariados, ausentes, preenchidos) e o Índice SiC (média dmft/DMFT de um terço do grupo de estudo com a maior pontuação de cárie). As categorias antropométricas para pontuações z específicas de idade e sexo para altura e peso foram calculadas com base nos procedimentos e definições padronizados da OMS. A associação entre SiC (medido por dmft/DMFT) e medidas antropométricas foi estimada usando modelos de regressão linear multivariável não ajustados e ajustados. O valor crítico foi estabelecido em 5%. Resultados: A população do estudo consistia de 67 crianças entre 1 e 18 anos de idade. A idade média era de 9,5 anos (DP: 4,5), e a maioria era do sexo feminino (52,2%). Quase todas tinham cárie dentária (97,0%) e a média da pontuação dmft/DMFT foi de 7,2 (DP: 4,7). O índice SiC desta população era de 9,0. Após ajuste para variáveis confusas, os participantes que tinham dentição permanente com os níveis mais altos de dmft/DMFT tinham diminuído estatisticamente a pontuação z de altura por idade (HAZ) (p=0,04). Conclusões: Encontramos uma associação linear inversa entre o Índice SiC e as pontuações z de altura por idade (HAZ) entre crianças que vivem na pobreza em uma comunidade amazônica flutuante no Peru. Crianças de comunidades com poucos recursos, como favelas flutuantes, correm alto risco de contrair doenças orais, possivelmente impactando negativamente seu crescimento e desenvolvimento.

Lip hypertrophy secondary to cyclosporine treatment: a rare adverse effect and treatment considerations.

Gingival hypertrophy is a well-known and extensively documented undesirable side effect of cyclosporine in posttransplant patients. However, severe lip enlargement associated with cyclosporine is less recognized and has seldom been reported in the literature. Lip enlargement may lead to social, physical, and psychological stress, especially in the older childhood and adolescent age groups. We present a case of marked lip hypertrophy and concomitant gingival hypertrophy secondary to cyclosporine (Neoral) treatment in a pediatric bilateral lung transplant recipient. We also discuss the various side effects and treatment considerations available including more recent substitution therapy. Cyclosporine has most effectively and conclusively enabled transplantation of solid organs by reducing transplant-associated morbidity. We believe clinicians should be knowledgeable and aware of lip hypertrophy associated with cyclosporine use. This rare and less understood adverse effect should be recognized during the clinical evaluation of the posttransplant patient.