Child refugees and asylum seekers: oral health and its place in the UK system.

Introduction The aim of this article is to provide a summary of the oral health status of child refugees and asylum seekers, and to describe their access to health services in the UK.Methods and analysis A review of the asylum process in the UK, the oral health status of child asylum seekers and the challenges in accessing dental services has been conducted.Conclusion There is limited data on the oral health status of child asylum seekers. Further research is required to estimate the burden of dental diseases and related conditions among this vulnerable population. Dental professionals can contribute to the holistic care of children with a sensitive and informed approach.

Measurements of CO geminate recombination in cytochromes P450 and P420.

The kinetics of CO geminate recombination in cytochrome P450cam are studied at room temperature subsequent to laser photolysis. The geminate rebinding kinetics of P450 are strongly affected by the presence of the camphor substrate. We observe a approximately 2% geminate yield for substrate-bound P450 and a 90% geminate yield when the substrate is absent. The drastic difference in the geminate kinetics suggests that the presence of camphor significantly alters the CO rebinding and escape rates by modifying the heme pocket environment. Two geminate phases and two bimolecular rebinding phases in the substrate free protein were observed, which could arise from slowly interconverting protein conformations. When the temperature or the viscosity of the solution is changed, the fast geminate rate remains the same, whereas the slow geminate rate and the two bimolecular rates change significantly. The geminate rebinding yield of substrate-free P420 is smaller than that of substrate free P450, but its geminate rebinding rate is faster. This demonstrates that in the absence of substrate, CO escapes from the pocket of P420 much more rapidly than from P450 and suggests that the distal pocket environment is altered in the P420 form.

Resonance Raman investigations of Escherichia coli-expressed Pseudomonas putida cytochrome P450 and P420.

High-resolution resonance Raman spectra of the ferric, ferrous, and carbonmonoxy (CO)-bound forms of wild-type Escherichia coli-expressed Pseudomonas putida cytochrome P450cam and its P420 form are reported. The ferric and ferrous species of P450 and P420 have been studied in both the presence and absence of excess camphor substrate. In ferric, camphor-bound, P450 (mos), the E. coli-expressed P450 is found to be spectroscopically indistinguishable from the native material. Although substrate binding to P450 is known to displace water molecules from the heme pocket, altering the coordination and spin state of the heme iron, the presence of camphor substrate in P420 samples is found to have essentially no effect on the Raman spectra of the heme in either the oxidized or reduced state. A detailed study of the Raman and absorption spectra of P450 and P420 reveals that the P420 heme is in equilibrium between a high-spin, five-coordinate (HS,5C) form and low-spin six-coordinate (LS,6C) form in both the ferric and ferrous oxidation states. In the ferric P420 state, H2O evidently remains as a heme ligand, while alterations of the protein tertiary structure lead to a significant reduction in affinity for Cys(357) thiolate binding to the heme iron. Ferrous P420 also consists of an equilibrium between HS,5C and LS,6C states, with the spectroscopic evidence indicating that H2O and histidine are the most likely axial ligands. The spectral characteristics of the CO complex of P420 are found to be almost identical to those of a low pH of Mb. Moreover, we find that the 10-ns transient Raman spectrum of the photolyzed P420 CO complex possesses a band at 220 cm-1, which is strong evidence in favor of histidine ligation in the CO-bound state. The equilibrium structure of ferrous P420 does not show this band, indicating that Fe-His bond formation is favored when the iron becomes more acidic upon CO binding. Raman spectra of stationary samples of the CO complex of P450 reveal VFe-CO peaks corresponding to both substrate-bound and substrate-free species and demonstrate that substrate dissociation is coupled to CO photolysis. Analysis of the relative band intensities as a function of photolysis indicates that the CO photolysis and rebinding rates are faster than camphor rebinding and that CO binds to the heme faster when camphor is not in the distal pocket.

Dual intradermal testing of Barbadian children with tuberculin and Battey bacillus antigen.

PIP: This article reports on a study comparing 2 different tuberculin tests for effective diagnosis of tuberculosis. 908 Barbadian children, ages 4-8 years were tested simultaneously by intradermal injection of 0.05 g standard tuberculin (PPD--S) and an extract of Mycobacterium intracellulare (Battey bacillus)(PPD--B). Of the total number of children tested, 21.8% reacted to both antigens. The reaction to PPD--S was significant in 2.6% and to PPD--B in 13.4%. In 5.9% of the children who reacted to 1 or both antigens the reactions were of equal size; the reaction to PPD--S was larger in 17.4% and to PPD--B in 76.7%. It is concluded that infection with atypical mycobacteria is not uncommon in Barbados and that a large number of moderate and small reactions to tuberculin are the result of atypical infection. There is evidence that atypical mycobacterial infection protects against infection with M. tuberculosis and vice versa. No tuberculous infection was found in the children under 4 years of age. In the 4-5, 6-7, 7-8-year age groups, the age specific infection rates were respectively 1.8%, 4.7%, and 4.6%. It is concluded that the policy of administering BDG vaccine to children of 5 years of age should be continued. There is some indication that a number of cases of tuberculosis in Barbados are either not being diagnosed or not being reported.^ieng

Poliomyelitis, rubella, and dengue antibody survey in Barbados. A follow-up study.

A follow-up study of poliomyelitis, rubella, and dengue antibodies has been made in light of results obtained in a 1972 health and serological survey in Barbados, W.I. Poliomyelitis antibody neutralization tests performed on sera from 307 children under age 15 using overnight serum/virus mixtures on microtiter plates at low serum dilutions revealed the absence of polio antibody at 1:2 dilution in 13.7% for type 1, 6.5% for type 2, and 14.3% for type 3 virus. A significant correlation of the presence or absence of poliomyelitis antibody to types 2 and 3 was seen with the response to immunization histories. Forty-three of 49 girls (88%) given rubella vaccine (RA 27/3) in 1972 had demonstrable haemagglutination-inhibition antibody 4 years later. Neutralization tests for dengue antibody confirmed the results of the complement-fixation tests and indicated that type 2 was probably the sole infecting strain.

Lead Absorption in a community of potters in Barbados.

In a community of potters in Barbados where lead glazes traditionally have been used, a survey of 12 potters, 19 of their family members, and 24 controls revealed elevated blood lead levels in the potters, their family members, and the neighbours who used pottery for culinary purposes. Dust from the potters' homes and work areas contained lead in concentrations up to 320,000 ppm. Pottery was found to have lead release levels up to 3,125 microgram/ml. Six people had upper extremity tremor associated with elevated blood lead levels. This survey demonstrates the risk of using lead glazes in pottery production to family members of potters as well as the potters themselves and emphasizes the need for surveillance of occupational hazards in developing countries.