Teaching and Learning in an Active Learning Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Empirical Cohort Study of Dental Hygiene Students.

The aim of this study was to discover how an active learning classroom (ALC) influenced the teaching and learning of dental radiology with dental hygiene students through a mixed-methods approach. A year-long observation of a dental hygiene professor who was teaching two consecutive courses in an ALC was conducted in 2015-16. Nineteen classes were recorded and transcribed, and observational notes on classroom activities were taken. Towards the end of the academic year, the professor was interviewed with use of a 13-question guide, and the students were surveyed with a 25-question survey. Moreover, five-year grades in the same two courses, including four-year historical grades earned in the traditional classrooms (TCs) and one year from the ALC, were collected along with demographic and prior academic performance data. Thirty-two of the 38 students responded to the survey, for a response rate of 84%. The results showed that 63% of the students preferred to take classes in the ALC rather than TC. They especially enjoyed the ALC's spaciousness, mobility, unobstructed views, and ease of information-sharing and engagement in class. However, the ALC presented both the faculty and students with sensory and technique challenges. The analysis of students' grades suggested that GPA was one of the strongest predictors for both courses' final grades in the TCs but had weaker predicting significance in the ALC setting. Overall, the majority of students enjoyed taking classes in the ALC due to its physical charm and dynamic collaboration. Sensory and technique challenges coexisted with benefits.

Serum response factor indirectly regulates type I interferon-signaling in macrophages.

Serum response factor (SRF) is required for diverse aspects of development and homeostasis, but potential roles in the regulation of inflammation and immunity have not been systematically investigated. Here, we demonstrate that SRF is unexpectedly required for optimal responses of elicited peritoneal macrophages to type I interferons. Knockdown of SRF expression in these cells impairs induction of numerous interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) in response to zymosan, LPS, and poly I:C. This effect is primarily due to a defect in the ability of induced type I interferons to mediate secondary activation of ISGs. SRF does not appear to be required for expression of established components of the type I interferon signaling pathway, with IFN-ß-dependent phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT2 normally occurring in SRF-depleted macrophages. Collectively, these findings suggest that SRF can indirectly modulate type I interferon-signaling, without interfering with the classic JAK/STAT/ISGF3 pathway.

Perception of oral status as a barrier to oral care for people with spinal cord injuries.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the oral health status of people with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and determine if people with a SCI have an accurate perception of their oral status, and if this is potentially a barrier to oral care. Methods consisted of a survey and oral examination given to 92 willing participants of the Methodist Rehabilitation Center who sustained a SCI. The examination consisted of periodontal status using Periodontal Screen and Recording IndexTM and dental status using Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth index. Oral health score was also determined through questioning the participant. These scores, retrieved by the dental hygienist, were then compared to what the SCI individual's perception of their own oral health. Results indicate their perception of oral health was much better than dental assessment showed. Additionally, more than 18% of this population was completely unaware of decay which was found in over half of those studied, and more than 60% were unaware of periodontal disease that was exhibited in over 75% of those studied. This comparison evaluated a major awareness about the need for education and oral care among the SCI population.

Serum response factor utilizes distinct promoter- and enhancer-based mechanisms to regulate cytoskeletal gene expression in macrophages.

Cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage play essential roles in tissue homeostasis and immune responses, but mechanisms underlying the coordinated expression of cytoskeletal genes required for specialized functions of these cells, such as directed migration and phagocytosis, remain unknown. Here, using genetic and genomic approaches, we provide evidence that serum response factor (SRF) regulates both general and cell type-restricted components of the cytoskeletal gene expression program in macrophages. Genome-wide location analysis of SRF in macrophages demonstrates enrichment of SRF binding at ubiquitously expressed target gene promoters, as expected, but also reveals that the majority of SRF binding sites associated with cell type-restricted target genes are at distal inter- and intragenic locations. Most of these distal SRF binding sites are established by the prior binding of the macrophage- and the B cell-specific transcription factor PU.1 and exhibit histone modifications characteristic of enhancers. Consistent with this, representative cytoskeletal target genes associated with these elements require both SRF and PU.1 for full expression. These findings suggest that SRF uses two distinct molecular strategies to regulate programs of cytoskeletal gene expression: a promoter-based strategy for ubiquitously expressed target genes and an enhancer-based strategy at target genes that exhibit cell type-restricted patterns of expression.

Dental professionals' knowledge about treatment of patients with spinal cord injury.

This study investigated the knowledge and training of dental professionals to competently serve persons with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Fifty dental clinics were approached to complete a survey containing questions regarding their special needs training. From the 35 completed surveys, descriptive quantitative data were analyzed. The majority of professionals reported minimal exposure to special needs dentistry during their academic training. Further analysis revealed a lack of expertise in wheelchair transfers or knowledge of possible medical complications. This study suggests that additional training is needed if dental professionals are to comfortably and safely care for patients with SCI.

Anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic roles of PPARgamma.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) regulates adipocyte differentiation and glucose homeostasis and is the molecular target of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) that act as insulin-sensitizers in patients with type 2 diabetes. PPARgamma is also expressed in macrophages and negatively regulates the programme of macrophage activation by repressing a subset of AP1 and NF-kappaB-dependent genes. Recent genetic, molecular and biochemical studies support the idea that PPARgamma inhibits inflammatory gene expression in activated macrophages by a NCoR/sumoylation-dependent pathway. Sumoylation of PPARgamma targets it to NCoR corepressor complexes that are bound to inflammatory response gene promoters and prevents their signal-dependent clearance that is normally a prerequisite for transcriptional activation. As a consequence, genes remain in a repressed state. Because the ligand-induced allosteric changes that promote entry of PPARgamma into this transrepression pathway are distinct from those that mediate interactions with conventional coactivators, these findings may facilitate the development of novel PPARgamma ligands that retain antidiabetic activities but have reduced side effects.