Developing a national dental education research strategy:priorities, barriers and enablers

Objectives: This study aimed to identify national dental education research (DER) priorities for the next 3-5 years and to identify barriers and enablers to DER. Setting: Scotland Participants: In this two-stage online questionnaire study we collected data with multiple dental professions (e.g. dentistry, dental nursing, dental hygiene) and stakeholder groups (e.g. learners, clinicians, educators, managers, researchers, academics). Eighty-five participants completed the Stage 1 qualitative questionnaire and 649 participants the Stage 2 quantitative questionnaire. Results: Eight themes were identified at Stage 1. Of the 24 DER priorities identified, the top three were: role of assessments in identifying competence; undergraduate curriculum prepares for practice; and promoting teamwork. Following exploratory factor analysis, the 24 items loaded onto four factors: teamwork and professionalism, measuring and enhancing performance, dental workforce issues, and curriculum integration and innovation. Barriers and enablers existed at multiple levels: individual, interpersonal, institutional structures and cultures, and technology. Conclusion: This priority setting exercise provides a necessary first step to developing a national DER strategy capturing multiple perspectives. Promoting DER requires improved resourcing alongside efforts to overcome peer stigma and lack of valuing and motivation

Antimicrobial Interventions and Application Time Effects on Ground Beef Quality

Small business meat processors can use organic acid antimicrobial interventions to control Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) when producing ground beef; however, many small producers are concerned about the impact on ground beef quality. The effects of two commonly used organic acids, lactic acid and peroxyacetic acid, were evaluated at short (15 seconds) or extended (3 minutes) raw material dip times on ground beef quality parameters. Beef trim dipped in lactic acid for 3 minutes had a reduction in total aerobic bacteria plate count, but also increased ground beef discoloration and lipid oxidation during retail display. Use of a shorter dip time showed minimal differences in ground beef quality compared to untreated controls. In addition, dipping lean trim in peroxyacetic acid for 3 minutes slowed ground beef discoloration during display. Therefore, processors should consider either type of organic acid, and the length of lean trim exposure to organic acid during dipping, to optimize shelf life quality attributes

Antimicrobial Interventions and Application Time Effects on Ground Beef Quality

Small business meat processors can use organic acid antimicrobial interventions to control Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) when producing ground beef; however, many small producers are concerned about the impact on ground beef quality. The effects of two commonly used organic acids, lactic acid and peroxyacetic acid, were evaluated at short (15 seconds) or extended (3 minutes) raw material dip times on ground beef quality parameters. Beef trim dipped in lactic acid for 3 minutes had a reduction in total aerobic bacteria plate count, but also increased ground beef discoloration and lipid oxidation during retail display. Use of a shorter dip time showed minimal differences in ground beef quality compared to untreated controls. In addition, dipping lean trim in peroxyacetic acid for 3 minutes slowed ground beef discoloration during display. Therefore, processors should consider either type of organic acid, and the length of lean trim exposure to organic acid during dipping, to optimize shelf life quality attributes

Our Voices

We reach out to our readers in this second issue of Dissenting Voices and invite you to engage with us in the production of new knowledge and resistance. Our voices continue the commitment to inclusive community building and feminist activism boldly envisioned and initiated by the founders of Dissenting Voices

The Perils of Recreational Marijuana Use: Relationships With Mental Health Among Emergency Department Patients

Abstract Introduction Marijuana is a commonly used drug in the United States. Many states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. The effects of marijuana on mental health are unknown. Methods In this prospective survey study, eligible participants included ED patients age 18 and older, who had ever used recreational marijuana. A survey instrument was developed, piloted, and revised. Data collected included reasons for marijuana use, marijuana\u27s perceived effectiveness, and history of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Results Among 303 participants (86% response rate), the median age of first marijuana use was 16 ([IQR 14, 19], range 6–65). The most commonly cited reasons for marijuana use included recreational use (70%; n = 211), to treat anxiety (30%; n = 89), to treat pain (25%; n = 74), and to treat depression (17%; n = 51). Mental health issues were common in the study population. A majority of patients reported anxiety in the last 30 days (59%; n = 176), and a significant minority of patients reported serious depression in the last 30 days (46%; n = 137). Some patients reported suicidal thoughts in the last 30 days (9%; n = 29). Participants who used marijuana more frequently reported more days of anxiety (median 15.5, compared to 1; P = 0.001). Among participants with mental health conditions, most began using marijuana before the onset of the mental health conditions (77%, n = 167). Earlier age of starting to use marijuana was correlated with higher number of years of anxiety or tension in lifetime (r = −0.11, P = 0.05, n = 301). Perceived effects of marijuana use on mental health were variable. Most participants stated that marijuana improved their mental health (62%; n = 163), and some reported that marijuana did not improve their mental health (37%; n = 98). Conclusions Many ED patients have used marijuana, either currently or in the past. Mental health conditions are also common, including anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Most participants reported marijuana use starting at an age under 18. Marijuana use preceded the onset of mental health conditions in the majority of participants

The changing information environment for nanotechnology: online audiences and content

The shift toward online communication in all realms, from print newspapers to broadcast television, has implications for how the general public consumes information about nanotechnology. The goal of this study is threefold: to investigate who is using online sources for information and news about science and nanotechnology, to examine what the general public is searching for online with regards to nanotechnology, and to analyze what they find in online content of nanotechnology. Using survey data, we find those who report the Internet as their primary source of science and technology news are diverse in age, more knowledgeable about science and nanotechnology, highly educated, male, and more diverse racially than users of other media. In a comparison of demographic data on actual visits by online users to general news and science Web sites, science sites attracted more male, non-white users from the Western region of the United States than news sites did. News sites, on the other hand, attracted those with a slightly higher level of education. Our analysis of published estimates of keyword searches on nanotechnology reveals people are turning to the Internet to search for keyword searches related to the future, health, and applications of nanotechnology. A content analysis of online content reveals health content dominates overall. Comparisons of content in different types of sites—blogs, government, and general sites—are conducted

Structure of the first representative of Pfam family PF04016 (DUF364) reveals enolase and Rossmann-like folds that combine to form a unique active site with a possible role in heavy-metal chelation.

The crystal structure of Dhaf4260 from Desulfitobacterium hafniense DCB-2 was determined by single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) to a resolution of 2.01 Å using the semi-automated high-throughput pipeline of the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG) as part of the NIGMS Protein Structure Initiative (PSI). This protein structure is the first representative of the PF04016 (DUF364) Pfam family and reveals a novel combination of two well known domains (an enolase N-terminal-like fold followed by a Rossmann-like domain). Structural and bioinformatic analyses reveal partial similarities to Rossmann-like methyltransferases, with residues from the enolase-like fold combining to form a unique active site that is likely to be involved in the condensation or hydrolysis of molecules implicated in the synthesis of flavins, pterins or other siderophores. The genome context of Dhaf4260 and homologs additionally supports a role in heavy-metal chelation

Evaluation of a Field-Deployable Reverse Transcription-Insulated Isothermal PCR for Rapid and Sensitive On-Site Detection of Zika Virus

Background: The recent emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil and its precipitous expansion throughout the Americas has highlighted the urgent need for a rapid and reliable on-site diagnostic assay suitable for viral detection. Such point-of-need (PON), low-cost diagnostics are essential for ZIKV control in vulnerable areas with limited resources. Methods: We developed and evaluated a ZIKV-specific field-deployable RT-iiPCR reagent set targeting the E gene for rapid detection of ZIKV in ZIKV-spiked human and mosquito specimens, and compared its performance to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) RT-qPCR assays targeting the E and NS2B genes, respectively. Results: These assays demonstrated exclusive specificity for ZIKV (African and Asian lineages), had limits of detection ranging from 10 to 100 in vitro transcribed RNA copies/μl and detection endpoints at 10 plaque forming units/ml of infectious tissue culture fluid. Analysis of human whole blood, plasma, serum, semen, urine, and mosquito pool samples spiked with ZIKV showed an agreement of 90% (k = 0.80), 92% (k = 0.82), 95% (k = 0.86), 92% (k = 0.81), 90% (k = 0.79), and 100% (k = 1), respectively, between the RT-iiPCR assay and composite results from the reference RT-qPCR assays. Overall, the concurrence between the ZIKV RT-iiPCR and the reference RT-qPCR assays was 92% (k = 0.83). Conclusions: The ZIKV RT-iiPCR has a performance comparable to the reference CDC and PAHO RT-qPCR assays but provides much faster results (~1.5 h) with a field-deployable system that can be utilized as a PON diagnostic with the potential to significantly improve the quality of the health care system in vulnerable areas

Structure of a putative NTP pyrophosphohydrolase: YP_001813558.1 from Exiguobacterium sibiricum 255-15.

The crystal structure of a putative NTPase, YP_001813558.1 from Exiguobacterium sibiricum 255-15 (PF09934, DUF2166) was determined to 1.78 Å resolution. YP_001813558.1 and its homologs (dimeric dUTPases, MazG proteins and HisE-encoded phosphoribosyl ATP pyrophosphohydrolases) form a superfamily of all-α-helical NTP pyrophosphatases. In dimeric dUTPase-like proteins, a central four-helix bundle forms the active site. However, in YP_001813558.1, an unexpected intertwined swapping of two of the helices that compose the conserved helix bundle results in a `linked dimer' that has not previously been observed for this family. Interestingly, despite this novel mode of dimerization, the metal-binding site for divalent cations, such as magnesium, that are essential for NTPase activity is still conserved. Furthermore, the active-site residues that are involved in sugar binding of the NTPs are also conserved when compared with other α-helical NTPases, but those that recognize the nucleotide bases are not conserved, suggesting a different substrate specificity

Structure of the γ-D-glutamyl-L-diamino acid endopeptidase YkfC from Bacillus cereus in complex with L-Ala-γ-D-Glu: insights into substrate recognition by NlpC/P60 cysteine peptidases.

Dipeptidyl-peptidase VI from Bacillus sphaericus and YkfC from Bacillus subtilis have both previously been characterized as highly specific γ-D-glutamyl-L-diamino acid endopeptidases. The crystal structure of a YkfC ortholog from Bacillus cereus (BcYkfC) at 1.8 Å resolution revealed that it contains two N-terminal bacterial SH3 (SH3b) domains in addition to the C-terminal catalytic NlpC/P60 domain that is ubiquitous in the very large family of cell-wall-related cysteine peptidases. A bound reaction product (L-Ala-γ-D-Glu) enabled the identification of conserved sequence and structural signatures for recognition of L-Ala and γ-D-Glu and, therefore, provides a clear framework for understanding the substrate specificity observed in dipeptidyl-peptidase VI, YkfC and other NlpC/P60 domains in general. The first SH3b domain plays an important role in defining substrate specificity by contributing to the formation of the active site, such that only murein peptides with a free N-terminal alanine are allowed. A conserved tyrosine in the SH3b domain of the YkfC subfamily is correlated with the presence of a conserved acidic residue in the NlpC/P60 domain and both residues interact with the free amine group of the alanine. This structural feature allows the definition of a subfamily of NlpC/P60 enzymes with the same N-terminal substrate requirements, including a previously characterized cyanobacterial L-alanine-γ-D-glutamate endopeptidase that contains the two key components (an NlpC/P60 domain attached to an SH3b domain) for assembly of a YkfC-like active site