Enabling educator oral health literacy: An impetus for oral health promotion in early childhood development.

INTRODUCTION: This study reports on the process evaluation of an oral health promotion intervention for educators (principals and teachers) at early childhood development (ECD) centres within a low-socioeconomic community in South Africa. This approach was based on the premise that oral health literacy plays a significant role in shaping personal health and serves as an impetus to influence change in others. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional, descriptive study design, 91 educators participated in the oral health intervention as part of their 1-year ECD training programme. The pre-test questionnaire measured perceived dental status, oral health-related knowledge, attitudes and practices and impact of oral health problems on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). The post-test questionnaire evaluated the usefulness of the oral health workshop to participants, intentions for personal change as well as for the inclusion of oral health in their ECD centre programme. RESULTS: Participants reported: having their natural teeth (80%), being happy with their mouth (56.2%), having oral problems (34%), inadequate oral hygiene practices (43%), dental visits when symptomatic (74%), a compromised OHRQoL and inadequate knowledge of oral problems experienced. Oral health promotion activities at ECD centres were limited, with only 34% reporting on toothbrushing programmes. Following the intervention, participants reported positively on aspects such as, the value of the workshop for themselves and their ECD centres, intentions for personal change to hygiene practices (56%), dietary practices (76%) and dental visits (63%). The incorporation of oral health education in their ECD centres was mentioned by most educators. Daily toothbrushing was noted by up to 40% while some highlighted their engagement with parents. CONCLUSION: Building oral health literacy among educators has the potential for personal change and serves as an impetus to introduce oral health promotion programmes at ECD centres. The findings may be used to advocate for oral health partnerships with established community-based structures to increase access to oral care in ECD centres in underserved communities.

Retrospective testing for mpox virus in routine STI screens from men who have sex with men in England, August-October 2022.

OBJECTIVES: A global outbreak of mpox (monkeypox) has been ongoing since 2022, with most cases in the UK detected in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Asymptomatic and pauci-symptomatic mpox infection has been reported outside of the UK. We aimed to investigate whether mpox could be detected in specimens from GBMSM in England who were attending sexual health services (SHSs) for asymptomatic sexually transmitted infection screening. METHODS: Anonymised, residual clinical specimens from GBMSM undertaking routine asymptomatic screening for gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG)) and chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis (CT)) infection were tested for the presence of mpox virus. Specimens were collected between 1 August and 7 October 2022 from three SHSs in high-mpox incidence areas in England. Testing was performed using a dual-clade, mpox virus-specific real-time PCR. RESULTS: During the collection period, 2927 clinical specimens (951 pharyngeal swabs, 1022 urine specimens and 954 rectal swabs) were obtained from 1159 GBMSM. Mpox virus was detected in four specimens from two participants who attended the same SHS at different times (the first during the week 8-12 of August, the second during the week 19-23 of September). One participant was positive in the urine specimen only, while the other tested positive at all three sites. CONCLUSIONS: A very low prevalence (2 of 1159, 0.17%) of mpox infection was detected in GBMSM attending SHS in England for asymptomatic NG/CT screening, suggesting that undetected infection in this population was unlikely to be a main driver of transmission. Confirmed mpox cases in the UK declined from over 1100 per month in June and July to 764 cumulatively during the collection period. These data give reassurance that the observed reduction in cases during the collection period was not due to undetected infection or changes in presentation among SHS attendees. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support routine testing of asymptomatic GBMSM for mpox infection in England.

French flag gradients and Turing reaction-diffusion versus differentiation waves as models of morphogenesis.

The Turing reaction-diffusion model and the French Flag Model are widely accepted in the field of development as the best models for explaining embryogenesis. Virtually all current attempts to understand cell differentiation in embryos begin and end with the assumption that some combination of these two models works. The result may become a bias in embryogenesis in assuming the problem has been solved by these two-chemical substance-based models. Neither model is applied consistently. We review the differences between the French Flag, Turing reaction-diffusion model, and a mechanochemical model called the differentiation wave/cell state splitter model. The cytoskeletal cell state splitter and the embryonic differentiation waves was first proposed in 1987 as a combined physics and chemistry model for cell differentiation in embryos, based on empirical observations on urodele amphibian embryos. We hope that the development of theory can be advanced and observations relevant to distinguishing the embryonic differentiation wave model from the French Flag model and reaction-diffusion equations will be taken up by experimentalists. Experimentalists rely on mathematical biologists for theory, and therefore depend on them for what parameters they choose to measure and ignore. Therefore, mathematical biologists need to fully understand the distinctions between these three models.

The differentiation code.

In code biology we seek a presumably arbitrary, and thus symbolic relationship between two or more entities, such as the relationship of the DNA triplet code to amino acids. Here we review the differentiation code from the code biology point of view. We observe that lineage trees of mosaic organisms can be subsumed as special cases of differentiation trees of regulating embryos. The latter can be empirically discovered as a bifurcating tree of contraction and expansion differentiation waves that recursively divide the embryo into its cell types. A binary digit, 0 or 1, assigned to each wave results in a binary number corresponding to each cell type, and may be called the differentiation code for that cell type. The differentiation tree has a correspondence in the genome, in terms of the genome's logical structure. For a given cell type, the path to it from the zygote is marked epigenetically on the genome. Thus the differentiation code symbolically maps an epigenetically marked subset of the logical structure of the genome to the phenotype of a particular cell type. The waves involved and signal transduction from the cell state splitter to the genome are intermediaries in this relationship, and may also be arbitrary choices, and thus part of the code. In full, differentiation code ⇔ history along the differentiation tree of the differentiation wave types leading to a given cell type ⇔ contraction or expansion of the cell's cell state splitter ⇔ activation of one of two signal transduction pathways from the cell state splitter to the nucleus ⇔ activation of one of two readied gene cascades (the "nuclear state splitter") ⇔ epigenetic marking of the selected portion of the logical path. Each wave is in effect a cybernetic control system that results in differentiation of a set of cells and initiation of two new waves (cybernetic systems) as its goals. The differentiation code forms a basis for open evolution and its appearance was one of the major evolutionary transitions.

The Mnemonic Consequences of Jurors' Selective Retrieval During Deliberation.

The jury is a defining component of the American criminal justice system, and the courts largely assume that the collaborative nature of jury deliberations will enhance jurors' memory for important trial information. However, research suggests that this kind of collaboration, although sometimes improving memory, can also lead to incomplete and inaccurate "collective" memories. The present research examines whether jury deliberations, where individuals collaboratively recall and discuss trial evidence to render unanimous verdicts, might shape jurors' memories through the robust phenomena of Within-Individual and Socially Shared Retrieval-Induced Forgetting (WI-RIF and SS-RIF, respectively). The results revealed no WI-RIF or SS-RIF. However, we did find evidence in the direction of Within-Individual and Socially-shared Retrieval Induced Facilitation (WI-RIFA and SS-RIFA, respectively) in speakers' and listeners' narrative and open-ended recall of evidentiary details. The present results are discussed in terms of whether jurors' goals during deliberation and the deliberation structure (e.g., six or more discussants) protect against forgetting, or whether possible methodological issues (e.g., the vast amount of information presented) eliminated WI-RIF and SS-RIF and, in turn, make drawing conclusions surrounding the mnemonic impact of jury deliberation difficult. Regardless, the present results suggest jury deliberations are quite limited in terms of how much evidence is actually discussed compared to the total of what could be discussed, and our methodology provides an ecologically valid baseline for future research to better understand the mnemonic consequences associated with jury deliberations and, in turn, jury decision making.

Rethinking the voluntary act requirement: Implications from neuroscience and behavioral science research.

Criminal responsibility in the American legal system requires the presence of an actus reus-a harmful act that was committed voluntarily-and a mens rea, or guilty mind. Courts frequently consider questions surrounding mens rea but rarely question whether an act was committed voluntarily. Thus, courts presume that acts have been committed voluntarily and with an ill will; retribution, which serves the primary basis for punishment in the USA, relies on this presumption. Research in neuroscience and the behavioral sciences, however, suggests that this presumption is flawed and not sufficiently robust to justify punishment that is grounded in retribution. In this paper we discuss the presumption of voluntariness and free will inherent in the law, provide examples of how the courts have conflated actus reus and mens rea and the consequences of doing so, and the implications of neuroscience and behavioral science research for actus reus (also known as the voluntary act requirement). Finally, we propose re-conceptualizing punishment within a consequentialist, empirically-based framework that does not rely on folk psychological notions about human behavior and reinvigorates the actus reus as the foundational requirement for legal responsibility.

Nature, nurture, and capital punishment: How evidence of a genetic-environment interaction, future dangerousness, and deliberation affect sentencing decisions.

Research has shown that the low-activity MAOA genotype in conjunction with a history of childhood maltreatment increases the likelihood of violent behaviors. This genetic-environment (G × E) interaction has been introduced as mitigation during the sentencing phase of capital trials, yet there is scant data on its effectiveness. This study addressed that issue. In a factorial design that varied mitigating evidence offered by the defense [environmental (i.e., childhood maltreatment), genetic, G × E, or none] and the likelihood of the defendant's future dangerousness (low or high), 600 mock jurors read sentencing phase evidence in a capital murder trial, rendered individual verdicts, and half deliberated as members of a jury to decide a sentence of death or life imprisonment. The G × E evidence had little mitigating effect on sentencing preferences: participants who received the G × E evidence were no less likely to sentence the defendant to death than those who received evidence of childhood maltreatment or a control group that received neither genetic nor maltreatment evidence. Participants with evidence of a G × E interaction were more likely to sentence the defendant to death when there was a high risk of future dangerousness than when there was a low risk. Sentencing preferences were more lenient after deliberation than before. We discuss limitations and future directions.

The organelle of differentiation in embryos: the cell state splitter.

The cell state splitter is a membraneless organelle at the apical end of each epithelial cell in a developing embryo. It consists of a microfilament ring and an intermediate filament ring subtending a microtubule mat. The microtubules and microfilament ring are in mechanical opposition as in a tensegrity structure. The cell state splitter is bistable, perturbations causing it to contract or expand radially. The intermediate filament ring provides metastability against small perturbations. Once this snap-through organelle is triggered, it initiates signal transduction to the nucleus, which changes gene expression in one of two readied manners, causing its cell to undergo a step of determination and subsequent differentiation. The cell state splitter also triggers the cell state splitters of adjacent cells to respond, resulting in a differentiation wave. Embryogenesis may be represented then as a bifurcating differentiation tree, each edge representing one cell type. In combination with the differentiation waves they propagate, cell state splitters explain the spatiotemporal course of differentiation in the developing embryo. This review is excerpted from and elaborates on "Embryogenesis Explained" (World Scientific Publishing, Singapore, 2016).

The integrin coactivator kindlin-2 plays a critical role in angiogenesis in mice and zebrafish.

Kindlin-2, a widely distributed cytoskeletal protein, has been implicated in integrin activation, and its absence is embryonically lethal in mice and causes severe developmental defects in zebrafish. Knockdown of kindlin-2 levels in endothelial cells resulted in defective adhesive and migratory responses, suggesting that angiogenesis might be aberrant even with partial reduction of kindlin-2. This hypothesis has now been tested in the kindlin-2(+/-) mice. RM1 prostate tumors grown in kindlin-2(+/-) mice had fewer blood vessels, which were thinner and shorter and supported less tumor growth compared with wild-type littermates. The vessels that did form in the kindlin-2(+/-) mice lacked smooth muscle cells and pericytes and had thinner basement membranes, indicative of immature vessels. VEGF-induced angiogenesis in matrigel implants was also abnormal in the kindlin-2(+/-) mice. Vessels in the kindlin-2(+/-) mice were leaky, and BM transplantation from kindlin-2(+/-) to WT mice did not correct this defect. Endothelial cells derived from kindlin-2(+/-) mice had integrin expression levels similar to WT mice but reduced αVß3-dependent signaling, migration, adhesion, spreading, and tube formation. Developmental angiogenesis was markedly impaired by kindlin-2 morpholinos in zebrafish. Taken together, kindlin-2 plays an important role in pathologic and developmental angiogenesis, which arises from defective activation of integrin αVß3.

More than just skin deep? Personality information influences men's ratings of the attractiveness of women's body sizes.

This study examined the influence of personality information on perceptions of the physical attractiveness of a range of female body sizes. A sample of 2,157 male university students were randomly assigned to one of 10 groups in which they received personality information about women they were rating, or a control group in which they received no personality information. Controlling for participants' age and body mass index, results showed no significant between-group differences in the body size that participants found most attractive. However, participants provided with positive personality information perceived a wider range of body sizes as physically attractive compared with the control group, whereas participants provided with negative personality information perceived a narrower range of body sizes as attractive. Correlations showed that participants' own Extraversion was associated with their body size ratings. These results suggest that non-physical cues have an influence on the perception of physical beauty.

Using an oral health-related quality of life measure in three cultural settings.

AIM: To assess the application of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) index for use in three different language and cultural settings; OBJECTIVES: To develop a Spanish and Afrikaans version of the OIDP for use in the USA and South Africa and to assess its reliability and validity in three counties: UK, USA and South Africa. DESIGN: Co-ordinated pilot studies using the OIDP questionnaire and clinical examination using WHO criteria in the three countries using cross-sectional convenience samples of children. SETTINGS: Two populations in each country: relatively well-off and more socially disadvantaged in three age groups 40 years+, 15-16 and 11-12 year-olds. RESULTS: 525 volunteers participated in the study; 154 in Texas, 177 in Bristol and 194 in Cape Town, the majority being females. The prevalence of oral impacts on daily performances varied between the three sites, with the sample in Bristol showing lower prevalence of 28.8% reporting at least one oral impact in the past six months. Difficulty eating was a common impact in all three sites, reported by 22.7% of the Texas sample, 18.6% of the Bristol sample and 33.0% of the Cape Town sample. Criterion and construct validity: the OIDP performed consistently well in all three sites. The combined dental caries status of the two lower age groups (12- and 16-year-olds) varied by site: Texas had the highest overall mean DMFT of 4.31, then Bristol with 3.07 and Cape Town the lowest at 2.89. CONCLUSIONS: The OIDP index had excellent psychometric properties in the Cape Town and Texas samples and had an overall good performance in the Bristol sample. Potentially the index can be used for oral health needs assessment and planning services. Further studies using larger samples might provide information relevant to the revision of existing oral health care systems.

The school, a viable educational site for interdisciplinary health promotion.

BACKGROUND: An interdisciplinary health promotion module, using the community-based teaching approach, is offered by the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Schools in Delft, a poor socio-economic area with high unemployment, crime and a range of social problems, are used as the teaching site. AIM: To assess the status of the health promotion initiatives in schools where students were placed. METHOD: A self-administered structured questionnaire for teachers and principals. Variables included were demographic data, views of health promotion, health promotion activities at the school, barriers and opportunities to implement health promotion activities. RESULTS: A response rate of 68.75 % (n = 55) for teachers and 100 % (n = 4) for principals was obtained. Most (87%) teachers felt that health promotion has a place within the curriculum. They reportedly focused on topics related to health within the school curriculum. Partners, such as public health nurses, university students, and a pharmaceutical company, offer additional health promotion initiatives. These include general health checks, HIV/AIDS information, adolescent health and dental health. Barriers to initiate and sustain programmes include lack of resources, insufficient staff training, lack of commitment by both teaching staff and the community, insufficient time, the heavy workload of teachers, and communication problems as a result of language barriers. Only 36% of teachers felt the school environment was conducive to learning. CONCLUSION: Health promotion initiatives in the schools concerned are uncoordinated, erratic, based on the resources that the school has access to at a given time and the demands of the curriculum.