Home-based toothbrushing interventions for parents of young children to reduce dental caries: A systematic review

Background: Dental caries is the most prevalent preventable condition in children. A key preventive home-based oral health behaviour is the adoption and maintenance of parental supervised toothbrushing until eight years of age. Aim: To examine interventions promoting parental supervised toothbrushing practices to reduce dental caries in young children (<8 years old). Design: Interventions promoting parental involvement in home-based toothbrushing in children under eight years old and their impact on caries were subjected to review. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus and the Cochrane Library), references and unpublished literature databases were searched for relevant literature. Results: Of the 10,176 articles retrieved, forty-two articles were included. The Theoretical Domains Framework was used to code intervention content, with the main domains addressed being knowledge (41/42), skills (35/42), and environmental context and resources (22/42). Sufficient descriptions of the intervention development, delivery and evaluation were lacking, with only 18 studies being underpinned by theory. Twenty-nine studies explored the impact on caries yielding mixed results. Conclusions: There are few interventions targeting home-based oral health behaviours underpinned by theory and methodological rigour in their development and evaluation. This demonstrates a clear need for future interventions to be guided by complex intervention methodology

A novel pairwise comparison method for in silico discovery of statistically significant cis-regulatory elements in eukaryotic promoter regions: application to Arabidopsis

Abstract not availableRoohollah Shamloo-Dashtpagerdi, Hooman Razi, Massumeh Aliakbari, Angelica Lindlöf, Mahdi Ebrahimi, Esmaeil Ebrahimi

Facilitators and barriers to home-based toothbrushing practices by parents of young children to reduce tooth decay: a systematic review

Objectives Parental supervised toothbrushing (PSB) is a collection of behaviours recommended by national guidance to improve oral health. This systematic review aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators to PSB. Materials and methods Studies investigating parental involvement in home-based toothbrushing in children under 8 years old and the impact on tooth decay were included. Electronic databases, references and unpublished literature databases were searched. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was used to code barriers/facilitators to PSB. Results Of the 10,176 articles retrieved, 68 articles were included. Barriers and facilitators were found across all 12 TDF domains. Barriers included an inadequate toothbrushing environment and resources, knowledge of what PSB entails and child behaviour management. Facilitators were increased oral health knowledge, the adaption of the social environment to facilitate PSB and positive attitudes towards oral health. When only high-quality articles were synthesized, knowledge was not a common barrier/facilitator. Conclusions There are a comprehensive range of barriers/facilitators to PSB acting across all domains and at multiple levels of influence. This review identifies the most popular domains, thus informing the focus for supporting resources to supplement oral health conversations. Clinical relevance PSB is a complex behaviour. Practitioners need to understand and be able to explore the wide range of potential barriers and have practical suggestions to enable PSB. This review provides pragmatic examples of different barriers and facilitators and emphasises the importance of listening to parents and exploring their story to identify the barriers and solutions that are relevant to each family

Using intervention mapping to develop a home-based parental-supervised toothbrushing intervention for young children

BACKGROUND: Dental caries in young children is a major public health problem impacting on the child and their family in terms of pain, infection and substantial financial burden on healthcare funders. In the UK, national guidance on the prevention of dental caries advises parents to supervise their child's brushing with fluoride toothpaste until age 7. However, there is a dearth of evidence-based interventions to encourage this practice in parents. The current study used intervention mapping (IM) to develop a home-based parental-supervised toothbrushing intervention to reduce dental caries in young children. METHODS: The intervention was developed using the six key stages of the IM protocol: (1) needs assessment, including a systematic review, qualitative interviews, and meetings with a multi-disciplinary intervention development group; (2) identification of outcomes and change objectives following identification of the barriers to parental-supervised toothbrushing (PSB), mapped alongside psychological determinants outlined in the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF); (3) selection of methods and practical strategies; (4) production of a programme plan; (5) adoption and implementation and (6) Evaluation. RESULTS: The comprehensive needs assessment highlighted key barriers to PSB, such as knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, routine setting and behaviour regulation and underlined the importance of individual, social and structural influences. Parenting skills (routine setting and the ability to manage the behaviour of a reluctant child) were emphasised as critical to the success of PSB. The multi-disciplinary intervention development group highlighted the need for both universal and targeted programmes, which could be implemented within current provision. Two intervention pathways were developed: a lower cost universal pathway utilising an existing national programme and an intensive targeted programme delivered via existing parenting programmes. A training manual was created to accompany each intervention to ensure knowledge and standardise implementation procedures. CONCLUSIONS: PSB is a complex behaviour and requires intervention across individual, social and structural levels. IM, although a time-consuming process, allowed us to capture this complexity and allowed us to develop two community-based intervention pathways covering both universal and targeted approaches, which can be integrated into current provision. Further research is needed to evaluate the acceptability and sustainability of these interventions

Oleuropein derivatives from olive fruit extracts reduce α-synuclein fibrillation and oligomer toxicity

Aggregation of α-synuclein (αSN) is implicated in neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease and has prompted searches for natural compounds inhibiting αSN aggregation and reducing its tendency to form toxic oligomers. Oil from the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) represents the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet and contains variable levels of phenolic compounds, many structurally related to the compound oleuropein. Here, using αSN aggregation, fibrillation, size-exclusion chromatography–multiangle light scattering (SEC-MALS)-based assays, and toxicity assays, we systematically screened the fruit extracts of 15 different olive varieties to identify compounds that can inhibit αSN aggregation and oligomer toxicity and also have antioxidant activity. Polyphenol composition differed markedly among varieties. The variety with the most effective antioxidant and aggregation activities, Koroneiki, combined strong inhibition of αSN fibril nucleation and elongation with strong disaggregation activity on preformed fibrils and prevented the formation of toxic αSN oligomers. Fractionation of the Koroneiki extract identified oleuropein aglycone, hydroxyl oleuropein aglycone, and oleuropein as key compounds responsible for the differences in inhibition across the extracts. These phenolic compounds inhibited αSN amyloidogenesis by directing αSN monomers into small αSN oligomers with lower toxicity, thereby suppressing the subsequent fibril growth phase. Our results highlight the molecular consequences of differences in the level of effective phenolic compounds in different olive varieties, insights that have implications for long-term human health

Prospect of vasoactive intestinal peptide therapy for COPD/PAH and asthma: a review

There is mounting evidence that pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) share important pathological features, including inflammation, smooth muscle contraction and remodeling. No existing drug provides the combined potential advantages of reducing vascular- and bronchial-constriction, and anti-inflammation. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is widely expressed throughout the cardiopulmonary system and exerts a variety of biological actions, including potent vascular and airway dilatory actions, potent anti-inflammatory actions, improving blood circulation to the heart and lung, and modulation of airway secretions. VIP has emerged as a promising drug candidate for the treatment of cardiopulmonary disorders such as PAH, asthma, and COPD. Clinical application of VIP has been limited in the past for a number of reasons, including its short plasma half-life and difficulty in administration routes. The development of long-acting VIP analogues, in combination with appropriate drug delivery systems, may provide clinically useful agents for the treatment of PAH, asthma, and COPD. This article reviews the physiological significance of VIP in cardiopulmonary system and the therapeutic potential of VIP-based agents in the treatment of pulmonary diseases

On Language Distribution in Ilam Province, Iran

As is still the case in many parts of Iran, the distribution of languages and dialects in Ilam Province, western Iran, is unevenly documented. There have been several studies on specific language varieties spoken throughout the province but, in large part because of conflicting perspectives on the relationship between language and ethnicity, the situation for the region as a whole has until now remained unclear. The present study first of all brings together existing sociolinguistic and demographic data on language distribution and highlight areas of uncertainty. The main part of the study provides an overview of local perceptions of language distribution and language use based on field research and interviews conducted in each of the province's ten regions (shahresta¯n) and their twenty-five districts (bakhsh). Here, respondents' assessments of the geographic extent of the province's four main languages - Kurdish, Luri, Laki and Arabic - as well as more minor languages spoken by immigrants from elsewhere in Iran are summarized. For Kurdish in particular, which is the major of the four languages, the article shows the perceived geographic distribution of each major dialect and its affiliation within one of two major Kurdish dialect groups: Ila¯mi (or "Feyli") and Kalho¯ri. This analysis is followed by a brief discussion of multilingualism. The results of the study are brought together in a map of the province's languages

A reflection on the validity of imprisonment and temporary detention as a safeguarding and precautionary action in the Islamic jurisprudence

In this paper, the authors after assuming the kinds of imprisonment and temporary detention as a safeguarding and precautionary action on the human and god right, at first, consider some individuals rights consisting the financial and bodily rights, and then, contrary to the famous shiâit jurists believe that arresting persons claiming insolvency isnât permissible, and criticize the reasons of agreeing persons. Then they claim that on the charge of theft, according to the evidences, it canât arrest the accused and in the continuation, they allow temporary detention for accused of wilful murder, and think that the reasons of opposing persons fail to prove their claims, and demonstrate the evidences in addition to the evidences of agreeing persons. Concerning the charges of assault and battery, authors in agree with shahid avval and mohaggeg-e-sabzevari, believe that the accused can be arrested temporarily, and in their view, the proofs of some who donât agree with temporary detention is imperfect in proving their claims, and criticize them and in addition to proofs of who agree with being permissible, they bring about more documentary evidences, too. On the charge of manslaughter, they forbid temporary detention. And eventually, on the charge of criminal act in divine rights, in addition to lacking of reasons for legitimacy of temporary detention, they provide the evidences indicating it is not to be allowed

Investigation of wood flour size, aspect ratios, and injection molding temperature on mechanical properties of wood flour/polyethylene composites

In the present research, wood flour reinforced polyethylene polymer composites with a coupling agent were prepared by injection molding. The effects of wood flour size, aspect ratios, and mold injection temperature on the composites’ mechanical properties were investigated. For the preparation of the polymer composites, five different formulations were created. The mechanical properties including tensile strength and the modulus, flexural strength and the modulus, and impact energy were measured. To investigate the changes in the properties resulting from different compositions, mechanical static and impact testing was performed. The obtained results indicate that by reducing the flour size, the tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength, and impact energy were reduced. In contrast, the flexural modulus increased. Furthermore, with the increment of injection molding temperature, the tensile strength and the modulus and the impact energy of the specimens were reduced. On the other hand, the flexural strength and the modulus increased. Thus, an optimized amount of injection molding temperature can provide improvements in the mechanical properties of the composite

Association of perforin and granzyme-B levels with hyperandrogenism in polycystic ovary syndrome: A case-control study

Background and Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is shown to be associated with hyperandrogenemia and has some features such as cytotoxic T-cells activation and release of perforin and granzyme-B. Present work was aimed to investigate the relation of perforin and granzyme-B to androgenic state in PCOS. Materials and Methods: Forty three PCOS and 40 control women were recruited. After recording demographic data, sex hormone status and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors were evaluated. Perforin and granzyme-B levels were measured using sandwich ELISA kits. Results: Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels were lower in patients. Luteinizing hormone (LH), free testosterone (FT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), free androgen index (FAI), perforin and granzyme-B values were higher in PCOS group. Perforin and granzyme-B were positively correlated with FT and FAI and with each other in PCOS group. In patients, granzyme-B and perforin were related with FT and FAI, respectively. Conclusion: The results of present study together with evidences about the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in insulin resistance, CVD and PCOS suggest that perforin/granzyme-B may be involved in interactions of sex hormones system in PCOS patients. © 2019 Elham Zarei et al