bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of wearing hearing aids on gait and cognition: A pilot study
Authors: Sakurai Ryota , Nishinakagawa Maki , Hinakura Keigo , Takahashi Masatoki
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Positive effects of hearing aids (HA) have been suggested. However, their impact on gait performance, which is closely associated with hearing loss and cognition, remains unclear. This pilot study assessed the effect of HA use on gait performance among patients with age-related hearing loss (ARHL).
Methods: This single-arm trial compared gait performance in ARHL patients before and after HA use. Participants diagnosed with ARHL and prescribed HA by an audiologist wore the HA gradually over one week. They subsequently underwent a baseline assessment prior to consistent HA use. After one year of HA use, the participants were re-evaluated with assessments of gait and cognitive performance, fear of falling, incidental falls, and well-being using the WHO-5.
Results: Of the 10 participants included, one withdrew during the follow-up period. Intention-to-treat analyses showed improvements in step time at both usual and maximum paces associated with HA use. Cognitive function, measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment and delayed verbal recall on the logical memory test, also improved significantly at follow-up. Furthermore, reduced fear of falling and increased WHO-5 scores were observed after one year of HA use. However, the rate of incidental falls did not decrease.
Conclusion: HA use may contribute to improved gait performance, reduced anxiety related to physical function, enhanced cognitive function, and overall well-being. Although these results should be interpreted with caution due to the non-randomized controlled trial design and small sample size, the findings suggest that improving hearing acuity among older adults may enhance their overall health status.
GENETIKA BENTUK BUAH CABAI
Authors: Arumingtyas Estri Laras
Published: February 2025

Cabai (Capsicum spp.) termasuk dalam famili Solanaceae dan menunjukkan keanekaragaman bentuk buah yang beragam. Awalnya, varietas cabai liar ini menghasilkan buah berbentuk bulat kecil. Namun, melalui domestikasi dan pemuliaan tanaman, beragam bentuk dan ukuran buah telah dikembangkan. Keanekaragaman morfologi buah ini sangat menguntungkan bagi pemulia, karena dapat menjadi sumber variasi yang berharga untuk perbaikan tanaman. Dari sudut pandang ekonomi, bentuk buah merupakan karakteristik penting dalam tanaman hortikultura, yang secara signifikan mempengaruhi nilai komersial dan preferensi konsumen terhadap buah-buahan. Dalam kasus cabai, bentuk buah tidak hanya mempengaruhi daya tarik estetika, tetapi juga berdampak pada efisiensi penanganan, penyimpanan, dan transportasi. Misalnya, buah buahan yang memanjang atau bentuknya seragam lebih mudah dipanen secara mekanis, diproses di industri, dan dikemas untuk dikirim, sehingga lebih cocok untuk produksi komersial skala besar. Dari sudut pandang konsumen, bentuk buah dapat menjadi faktor penentu dalam keputusan pembelian, karena bentuk tertentu sering dikaitkan dengan kualitas atau kegunaan tertentu. Misalnya, cabai kecil dan keras sesuai untuk acar dan lalapan, sementara cabai besar dan berdaging tebal sepertipaprika sesuai untuk dimasak, sementara cabai besar panjang lebih sesuai untuk bumbu masakan. Selain itu, bentuk buah dapat memengaruhi kandungan nutrisi dan profil rasa buah. Bentuk buah diatur oleh mekanisme molekuler genetik yang juga dapat dipengaruhi oleh faktor lingkungan. Mekanisme genetik yang mendasari bentuk buah bersifat kompleks dan merupakan sifat kuantitatif khas yang dikendalikan oleh banyak gen.
“Profane Like Esau”
Authors: Easter Matthew C.
Published: February 2025

The author of Hebrews accuses Esau of sexual immorality in Heb 12:16. This essay argues Esau’s sexual immorality is his marriage to foreign women, which sowed seeds of discord in the family and led ultimately to his unredeemable exclusion from the community. Esau’s exogamous marriage, as such, is not the concern in Hebrews, but rather how his mixed marriage introduced bitterness into the family and led ultimately to him abandoning the group. Like the wilderness generation in Num 13–14, Esau lost his inheritance by failing to persevere with the community. Tested against recent studies of conversion and deconversion, we see how Esau becomes a paradigmatic community-abandoning apostate and a warning against similar abandonment.
Who Are “We” in Romans?
Authors: Thorsteinsson Runar M.
Published: February 2025

Pauline scholarship has often struggled with the question of who is included when Paul uses the first-person plural, “we,” in Romans, but so far an overall analysis of this language in Paul’s letter has been lacking. This article provides a general overview of the first-person plural in Romans, proposes a methodological approach to the problem, and applies that approach in order to solve several intricate and controversial cases, including ἐλάβομεν in 1:5, προεχόμεθα in 3:9a, and the notable crux interpretum, προῃτιασάμεθα in 3:9b. It is argued that “we” in Romans can be classified into three basic categories in this respect: (1) “we” including Paul and his addressees and/or Jesus believers in general, (2) “we” including Paul and his co-workers, and (3) “we” including the diatribal addressees (not including Paul himself). While the last category applies to προεχόμεθα, both ἐλάβομεν and προῃτιασάμεθα include Paul and his co-workers (category 2).
Shifting Attitudes toward the “Saucer” Question in Mid-Century American Pentecostalism
Authors: Crace Benjamin D.
Published: February 2025

After some basic background and outlining of key contextual elements, this article examines the commentaries of William Branham, O.L. Jaggers, Gordon Lindsay, and Frank Stranges on the rise and growing popularity of the UFO phenomenon through the 1950s and 1960s. This brief survey tracks the shift from pluralistic interpretations to the dominant demonic interpretation while highlighting the accompanying nationalistic and apocalyptic milieu. It concludes with a brief deconstruction to clear the ground for future potential research.
Swedish Pentecostal Churches’ Use of the Concept of Mission
Authors: Kuhlin Julia
Published: February 2025

Over the past two decades, the Swedish pentecostal movement has undergone a major transformation in its way of organizing and collaborating around mission work. In this explorative study, the purpose is to investigate how these and other changes have influenced how contemporary Swedish pentecostal churches understand and make use of the concept of mission. The data for the study consists of texts from the churches’ websites and draws on conceptual history in its theoretical and methodological approach. The findings of the study indicate a theological shift within the Swedish pentecostal movement. Among other things, it highlights a disconnect between the concept of mission and eschatological urgency and notes that priority is no longer given to mission as evangelism, over social work. The study also points to a linguistic instability associated with the concept of mission wherein the term “international work” is being used interchangeably with it and has, on some churches’ websites, even replaced the “mission” altogether, a finding that suggests an ongoing dispute over the definition of mission.
The Imago Dei and the Indwelling Spirit
Authors: Warren E. Janet
Published: February 2025

Charismatic theology has engaged little with the concept of the imago Dei and has sometimes emphasized eschatology over creation. This article reconsiders views on the imago Dei in light of the concept of divine presence, building on notions of intensification and suggesting the concept of activation. I propose that as God breathes his Spirit into the first humans and pours out his Spirit on all flesh, a primary way in which we image God is by manifesting his divine presence in the world. Through the indwelling Spirit (a structural aspect of the imago Dei that is activated through belief in Christ), we are united with God the Father and one another (relational aspects of the imago Dei) and enabled to exercise responsible dominion over creation (a functional aspect). Thus the Spirit at creation is continuous with the Spirit at Pentecost.
Animal Glossolalia
Authors: Rizzo Daniela
Published: February 2025

This article extends the concept of glossolalia to encompass the idea of creaturely “sighs and groans,” emphasizing that animals, despite the apparent absence of reflective consciousness, harbor the capacity for expressions such as praise, lament, and prophecy. Within this research, a model of “animal glossolalia” is introduced, transcending the confines of human experience to delve into how animals engage in this unique form of spiritual expression through the Spirit. It posits that God hears the voices of all his non-human creatures through their sighs and groans. This exploration of animal spirituality and glossolalia challenges prevailing anthropocentric perspectives, advocating for a broader and more inclusive comprehension of glossolalia that embraces all of God’s creatures through the interceding Spirit.
A Holy Human Spirit
Authors: Griffiths John D.
Published: February 2025

Luke’s use of πνεῦμα ἅγιον stands out from the other phrases that he utilises in Luke-Acts, due to its anarthrous form. While most scholars understand the anarthrous phrase πνεῦμα ἅγιον as a one-of-a-kind expression, the presence of other πνεῦμα, both divine and human, in Luke-Acts indicates that the anarthrous phrase πνεῦμα ἅγιον might refer to something other than the Holy Spirit. In this article, I posit that the anarthrous phrase πνεῦμα ἅγιον refers to a holy human spirit in Luke 4:1 and Acts 2:4. That is, πνεῦμα ἅγιον describes the resultant state of the human spirit after the Holy Spirit has come upon a person.
Russia on Our Mind
Authors: Davidsson Tommy H.
Published: February 2025

Russia has had a bad reputation in the West for most of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine in February 2022 reversed any lingering optimism that followed in the wake of Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika and glasnost reform programs at the end of the 1980s. Western Pentecostals not only have shared this negative view of Russia but also have viewed Russia in a negative eschatological light. This article aims to show, however, that Western Pentecostal perceptions have not always been negative, at least in early Pentecostalism. By a historical analysis of Western Pentecostal periodicals from the last years of the Russian Empire (1910–1917), through the Russian Civil War (1917–1922), to the initial years of the Soviet Union (1922–1929), the article demonstrates that perceptions of early Western Pentecostals fluctuated quite significantly in this period and were due to a changing historical situation and the efforts of influential leaders like William Fetler. The article concludes with an analysis of the reasons for the shifting perceptions.
What Would an Ancient Person Think of Tongues of Fire?
Authors: Glover Daniel
Published: February 2025

This article seeks to answer the question, What would an ancient person have thought of the tongues of fire in Acts 2:1–4? In seeking to answer this question, it contextualizes both Luke’s earliest readers and their probable interpretation within ancient Mediterranean literary culture. The article argues that the framework most readily available to such readers would have been epiphany narratives. After demonstrating the validity of this reading, the article turns to the literary purpose for epiphany and argues that Acts 2:1–4 shares that same purpose: to justify the introduction of a new god (Jesus), his worship, and his community of followers. The article concludes with implications for Luke’s literary procedure and role in defining and norming early “Christianity.”
Translation as Social and Ecological Justice
Authors: Yong Amos
Published: February 2025

This review essay focuses on a variant of Roman Jakobson’s interlingual typology of translation. It suggests that we reevaluate our interpretation of natural signs to secure a broader ontological and cosmological platform from which to theologize about the interlingual forms of communicative interpretation. Pamela Beattie, Simona Bertacco, and Tatjana Soldat-Jaffe’s Time, Space, Matter in Translation; Maria Dasca and Rosa Cerarols’ Translation Studies and Ecology; and Wine Tesseur’s Translation as Social Justice provide a ramp in precisely this direction.
Forced Migrants In Europe and Their Cultural Rights: In Need of Minority Protection
Authors: Xanthaki Alexandra
Published: February 2025

Discussions and efforts to improve the rights of forced migrants in Europe are ongoing as the situation continues to be dire. All such discussions and policies though have completely neglected so far the protection that the human rights system recognises to members of minorities. This article argues that forced migrants are entitled to such minority protection. It further argues that their recognition, as beneficiaries of such protection will address more comprehensively their needs and strengthen their rights. The article focuses on the cultural rights of forced migrants, as important rights connected to their identity. It demonstrates the gaps in the international law machinery used at the moment as well as the added value that the minority protection would have on their rights. Using such protection for migrants’ rights is consistent with international law, will strengthen their protection but also will be beneficial to the minority rights protection too.
Mapping the Field
Authors: Hofmann Rainer , Malkmus Moritz
Published: February 2025

International law does not provide for a universally accepted definition of the notion of ‘minorities’. This situation has prompted large numbers of states, especially in the European context, to adopt rather restrictive approaches, making any recognition of a minority status conditional on criteria such as citizenship or a temporal link to a particular territory. In contrast thereto, there has been a clear tendency in the ever growing corpus of opinions of international expert (treaty) bodies that free self identification, rather than the restrictive criteria mentioned above, should be the decisive criterion for assessing minority membership. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate these developments.
Decolonising Minority Rights Discourse
Authors: Shahabuddin Mohammad
Published: February 2025

Mainstream discourse on minority rights embodies a series of normative biases and assumptions, which ignore the colonial underpinning of some of the core concepts such as the definition of minority and the notion of minority protection. In this paper, I argue that contemporary minority rights discourse needs to engage closely with relations of power and subaltern agency to ‘decolonise’ conventional thinking within the discipline. I unpack this decolonising agenda and map out what such an agenda would entail by critically analysing five key areas of relevance: reconceptualising the minority to expose ‘otherness’ embedded in the concept; scrutinising the reification of the state as a prerequisite for decolonising minority rights discourse; mainstreaming subaltern resistance; reevaluating a priori assumptions about the need for legal interventions; and finally, taking seriously the political economy of neo-colonial violence. Thus, the paper offers a framework for systematically thinking about decolonial promises of minority rights discourse.
1. All creatures great and small
Authors: Seshasayee Aswin Sai Narain
Published: February 2025

Bacteria are the most numerous form of free-living cellular life on Earth. They were discovered back in the late 17th century by a Dutch draper and microscopist, concomitant with the rise of formal scientific communication. Later, bacteriology found new wind in the second half of nineteenth century through discoveries of their roles in disease and biogeochemical processes. In the first half of the twentieth century, the discovery of antibiotics and bacterial resistance to these drugs led to the rise of medical microbiology. All through this period, a simmering underlying theme in bacteriology and, more broadly, microbiology was the extraordinary metabolic plasticity and adaptability characterizing these organisms.
5. Reading and organising the genome
Authors: Seshasayee Aswin Sai Narain
Published: February 2025

The genome is informational rather than functional. This information must be read or “expressed”, eventually producing proteins or functional RNA molecules, for the cell to be active. This is a tightly regulated process orchestrated by a complex network of interactions between regulatory proteins and other molecules. Functional regions on a genome are usually non-randomly positioned, and this, while driven by how the genome is replicated during reproduction, also enables efficient gene expression.
Atmospheric Water Resources and Their Exploitability in the Middle East
Authors: Li Fang-Fang , Lu Hou-Liang , Wang Hong-Ru , Sun Peng , Qiu Jun
Published: February 2025

The Middle East (ME) has suffered from severe water stress owing to the limited availability of surface freshwater. The exploitation of atmospheric water may be a potential solution for resolving the water crisis in the ME. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of atmospheric water resources, as well as their exploitability, mainly including the evaluation of precipitation and atmospheric water resources, imbalance analysis between precipitation and atmospheric water, and trend analysis. The exploitability of air water resources was also studied in combination with the vertical distribution of air water vapor. The results indicate that the precipitable water in most areas of the ME shows a significant increasing trend, but the Arabian Peninsula is becoming drier due to the decline in the ability to convert atmospheric water resources to precipitation; the most recommended areas for artificial precipitation exist in southern Sudan and Chad and western Turkey, which have rich background water vapor and preferred precipitation conversion mechanisms. Such knowledge provides a reference for the exploitation of atmospheric water resources in the ME.
What We Now Know About Parental Engagement, Which Will Guide the Future
Authors: Jeynes William H.
Published: February 2025

Social Scientists, educators, and parents have often thought of parental engagement as being a major force affecting school outcomes. Over the last more than two decades, there have been some very noteworthy advancements in the understanding of the workings of parental engagement in urban settings. A lot of this progress is due to the growth of: (1) quantitative analysis examining parental involvement and (2) the resultant increase in the level of sophistication of the theories that have been propounded. The advancements have been particularly puissant, due to the quantitative results informing recent theoretical advancements that are being propounded. However, the question arises as to just what has the academic community learned. In addition, what are some of the policy actions and attitudes that need to be incorporated to help incorporate these advances that will help students, educators, and families. This paper addresses these issues.
Fermenting alternatives through the more-than-human relations of craft entrepreneuring
Authors: Bell Emma
Published: February 2025

The practice turn creates possibilities for more relational approaches to entrepreneuring that challenge anthropocentric logics which exclude naturalized others, including animals, plants and ecologies, from consideration. This article uses feminist materialism to develop a more-than-human understanding of entrepreneurship, drawing empirically on qualitative data collected from a study of artisanal bakeries. I show how practices of craft, that rely on embodied proximity to materials and care(ful) making, require bakers to engage affirmatively with and become relationally dependent upon the microorganisms needed to make bread. The heterogeneous elements of artisanal bread making become connected and acquire agency through fermentation, which alerts bakers to invisible life forces they do not control and must treat with care. Through empirical insights of proximity, connections and collective agitation, fermentation offers a transversal metaphor for thinking differently about what entrepreneurial bodies can do. The article contributes to understanding craft entrepreneuring as a vital, self-organizing, emergent process of meeting with and extending care to others. By drawing attention to the more-than-human relations of artisanal bread making, it demonstrates the ethical possibilities of an entrepreneuring that remains open, attentive and curious towards others and the capacities of matter, as a basis for collective future-making.
Targeting Aurora A to Overcome Cisplatin Resistance in Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Li X. , Wang Z. , Oakley G.G. , Wang L. , Lanzel E.A. , Buchakjian M.R. , Peng A.
Published: February 2025

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is a cornerstone treatment for advanced recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the effectiveness of the treatment is often hindered by intrinsic and acquired resistance and associated toxicity, highlighting a pressing unmet clinical need. Here, our compound screening identified Aurora kinase inhibitors, particularly those targeting Aurora A kinase, as potential agents to sensitize resistant HNSCC cells to cisplatin. While Aurora kinases are well-established regulators of mitosis, their precise role in cisplatin resistance is largely unknown, given that cisplatin confers toxicity primarily in cells undergoing DNA replication. We confirmed that depletion of Aurora A or its activators enhanced cisplatin response in resistant HNSCC cells. Analyses of a comprehensive database and locally treated HNSCC patient samples revealed compelling associations between Aurora A overexpression/activation and cisplatin resistance, tumor recurrence, and poor patient survival. Pharmacologic inhibition of Aurora A effectively synergized with cisplatin treatment in cellular assays and a syngeneic mouse tumor model of HNSCC. Mechanistically, Aurora A inhibition enhanced apoptosis induction after cisplatin treatment, particularly in S-phase cells; induced replication stress; and suppressed the repair of cisplatin-induced DNA crosslinking. Taken together, our findings shed light on important functions of Aurora A kinase beyond mitotic regulation. The multifaceted roles of Aurora A suggest its potential as a prime anticancer drug target. Given the ongoing investigations into numerous Aurora inhibitors for cancer therapy, exploring their clinical applications in HNSCC, especially in combination with platinum drugs, may hold significant promise.
Effects of the Threatened Moral Self on Visitors’ Environmentally Responsible Behavior: Insights From a Lab-in-the-Field Experiment
Authors: Hu Xianyang , Hua Feifei , Chen Ganghua , Lu Minyue
Published: February 2025

Although the threatened moral self has received increasing academic attention, researchers have not yet considered its priming prerequisite in the tourism context or its influence on visitor-related behavior. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring boundary conditions of the threatened moral self and how it influences visitors’ environmentally responsible behavior. A lab-in-the-field experiment reveals the following regarding boundary conditions of the threatened moral self in tourism: the moral behavior that stimulus material depicts must be related to group interests rather than to personal interests; a threatened moral self promotes environmentally responsible behavior; and connectedness to nature plays a mediating role whereas environmental protection knowledge serves as a moderator. These findings expand the body of knowledge and conceptual framework related to visitors’ morality, presenting a novel perspective on investigations of environmentally responsible behavior.
Name Heuristic Bias: How Can the Names of Accommodations Influence Individual Judgments?
Authors: Xue Kai-Ni , Li Hui , Gao Lan-Fei
Published: February 2025

During online purchases, tourists typically begin by retrieving the names of accommodations and subsequently proceed to explore additional information such as peer reviews and the host’s gender. However, it remains unclear whether and how name cues bias tourists’ attitudes and purchase decisions, and how additional information may modify these biases. In a series of studies, we find, firstly, that tourists perceive accommodations with feminine names as being warmer, while those with masculine names are seen as more competent. Secondly, the host’s gender and peers’ ambivalent reviews, can moderately adjust but cannot reverse the initial judgments of warmth or competence induced by the names. Thirdly, this effect is consistent across different tourists’ genders. These findings contribute to our understanding of how tourists formulate judgments in contexts of uncertainty and abundant information, underscore the significance of the initial cues given by the names of accommodations, and expand upon the heuristic bias theory.
Adolescents' satisfaction with academic achievement and the development of psychological resources: The moderating role of parental satisfaction
Authors: Jang Hayun , Park Gum-Ryeong , Kim Jinho
Published: February 2025

Although a positive association between students' satisfaction with academic achievement and psychological well-being has been well-documented, less is known about whether this association is moderated by parental satisfaction with children's academic achievement. The objective of this study is to address this knowledge gap. This study utilized data from Wave 1 (2018) to Wave 3 (2020) of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2018 (KCYPS 2018), comprising a sample of 3,871 students from Grades 4 and 7. Children's and parents' satisfaction with academic achievement were considered as key independent variables. Psychological outcomes included depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and self-esteem. Fixed effects models were estimated to account for unobserved time-invariant confounding factors. Children's satisfaction with academic achievement was significantly associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms ( b = −0.398) and an increase in life satisfaction ( b = 0.593) and self-esteem ( b = 0.643). The interaction model revealed that the association between students' satisfaction with academic achievement and psychological outcomes is strengthened when parental satisfaction is higher. Efforts to foster a positive attitude toward academic achievement in both students and parents can enhance adolescents' psychological well-being. Interactive communication between parents and children regarding academic achievement will be required.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AS A PREDICTOR OF BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES IN LATER LIFE
Authors: Paszthy Bea
Published: February 2025

Despite remarkable progress in health status and life expectancy in the developed countries over the past decades, large inequalities remain not only across countries but also across population groups in each country. These inequalities in health status are linked to many factors, including differences in exposure to risk factors to health and in access to health care.

Inequalities in health status are due to many factors, including differences in living and working conditions and in behavioral factors. Lifestyle behaviors ( eg. nutrition habits, physical inactivity, obesity, smoking and alcohol drinking) are important risk factors for many diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancers and vastly affect oral health as well.

People in lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to smoke, be obese and be exposed to other important behavioral risk factors. Efforts targeting behavioral risk factors among disadvantaged groups can play an important role in promoting healthier lifestyles, offering individuals better choices, and reducing health inequalities.

A key focus should be early child development. Good early development is a predictor of better health outcomes in later life.

During pregnancy and the first few weeks and months of life, critical stages in the child’s mental and physical development follow each other in rapid succession. Each stage serves as a foundation for the next. Any faltering in early childhood therefore puts at risk subsequent stages of growth and development.

There is an increasing number of mental health problems. One in five children and adolescents experience psychological conditions and/or psychiatric disorders.

People with mental illness have increased risk of dental diseases due to several factors: fear, habits, life-style choices, cost, distrust of dentists, negative past experiences or stigma felt at a dentist visit, lack of knowledge about oral hygiene, lack of awareness of their own oral health problems, side effects of certain medications. However many people living with mental illness, dental health may be a low priority. Oral symptoms may be the first or only manifestation of a mental health problem.
SOCIAL GRADIENT IN CARIES EXPERIENCE AND ORAL HYGIENE BEHAVIOURS IN THE BELGIAN POPULATION
Authors: De Reu G. , Lambert M. , Declerck D. , Bottenberg P. , Vanobbergen J.
Published: February 2025

Methods: The data are derived from the Belgian “Oral Health Data Registration and Evaluation System (OHDRES) 2009”, collected between September 2009 and November 2010. A multi-stage, stratified cluster sampling technique was used to obtain a sample representative of the Belgian population aged 5 years and older. Data collection consisted of an Oral Health Interview (self-administered questionnaire, pre- tested and validated) and a standardized Oral Health Examination by a dentist during a home visit. ANOVA and multivariable regression analyses were used to reveal associations between social parameters and oral hygiene related parameters with oral health outcomes after correction for age and sex. School aged children, students and retired people were excluded for inferential analyses.

Results: 2742 subjects completed the questionnaire, a clinical oral examination was done for 2563 participants. 53% (N= 1,495) of the participants were female, mean age of 43 years. From the total population 11.1 % were caries-free. The mean DMFT was 10.8 (±8.71). Employment status had a significant influence on untreated tooth decay (p=0.05) and edentulism (p=0.02) while untreated tooth decay was also influenced by frequency of tooth brushing and plaque index (p<0.002 and p>0.001 respectively). People having higher education versus lower or no education or having Belgian nationality versus non-Belgian nationality have lower DMFT-scores (both p=0.003).

Conclusions: Caries prevalence, expressed as mean DMFT and proportion of untreated tooth decay in Belgium are influenced by level of education and employment status respectively. Underprivileged groups have higher DMFT and more untreated dental decay.
CARIES, MALOCCLUSION AND OHRQL IN CUZCO, PERU
Authors: M.F. Orellana Valvekens , Ricse E. , Melgar J. , Castillo J.L.
Published: February 2025

Aims: Caries and Malocclusion are considered public health problems due to high prevalence and their impact on quality of life. The overall goal of this study was to assess the prevalence of caries, malocclusion and their impact in the Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQL) in a Peruvian population.

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, five calibrated trained orthodontists examined a sample of 301 adolescents (42% male and 58% female). Subjects were randomly selected from public schools in Cuzco, Peru to ensure that this was a representative sample. Interviews were conducted using the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) to determine the impact of caries and malocclusion in OHRQL. A visual clinical examination was carried out using the index of decayed, missing and filled surface (DMFS). The need for orthodontic treatment was assessed using the index of complexity, outcome and need (ICON). The associations between measurements of caries, malocclusion, and the five conceptually distinct subscales of the COHIP index were examined. Statistical analysis was performed by means of STATA software program. The significance of differences for DMFS and ICON grades was assessed by means of chi-square tests (p<0.05).Committee in Human research approval was obtained. Parents gave written consent before their children took part of this study. Results: The age of the children ranged from 11 to 19. The mean DMFS was 7.6 with 64% of the subjects presenting with more than 5 caries lesions, 30% had pulpal involvement. More than 60% of the population was in need of orthodontic treatment, 48% of them were considered moderate to difficult to treat. We found a direct relationship between malocclusion and OHRQL (p=0.006) and caries and OHRQL (p=0.001).

Conclusion: The prevalence of caries and malocclusion in this population is high, affecting the quality of life of children and adolescents.
DENTAL ANXIETY AMONG PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS CHILDREN IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY
Authors: Duygu E. , Sari H. , Kargul B.
Published: February 2025

The aim of this pilot survey was to evaluate the reported prevalence of dental attendance, anxiety and associated factors among a sample of children in Istanbul, Turkey.

Method: The information was gathered through self-completion questionnaires distributed to children in the randomly selected secondary public and private schools from different socioeconomic areas. A total of 215 children (aged from 11-15 years) were randomly selected in a public school (n=134) and a private school (n=81) from different parts of Istanbul. For the purpose of this study, the list of secondary schools that included 6th, 7th and 8th grades was obtained from the Provincial National Education Directorate. All children (mean age (SD) 13.12 (0.86) years) completed the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) which also contained items related to dental attendance. The MDAS has been validated in Turkey (Tunc EP et al., 2005 and Ilguy D. Et al., 2005). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0. The unpaired t-test was used to compare the groups. It was approved by the ethics committee of the Institute of Health Sciences of Marmara University (ethics number: 46). Consent was gained from the parents of the children.

Results: MDAS score was 10.7 (sd 4.63) of the total sample in the survey (11-15 years of age). MDAS score was higher in boys, but there were no statistically differences in MDAS scores between boys and girls (p>0.05). Private school children n=43 (53%) visited the dentist more regularly than public school children n=53 (40%) and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.005). However, the majority of children (public n=58 (43%), private n=18 (22%) attended the dentist only in an emergency. The main reason for irregular attendance was reported as “treatment not needed” (n=103, 48%).

Conclusions: Despite the advances in the availability of modern dentistry, a higher proportion of public school children reported irregular dental attendance and anxiety about certain of aspects dental treatment.
DENTAL CARIES EVALUATION USING ICDAS FOR CHILDREN FROM A DEPRIVED ROMANIAN REGION
Authors: SAVA-ROSIANU R.  , Oancea R. , Podariu A.C. , Matichescu A.M.
Published: February 2025

The aim of the study was to evaluate dental caries in children aged 7-10 coming from deprived area in Romania using the ICDAS criteria.

Methods: 485 children from the South- East region of Romania were selected from all primary schools according to the geographical area (county) and the size of the school (small, average, and large). Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Romania and the written informed consent forms were signed by the parent/carer. All the examinations were conducted in standard dental chairs by two trained and calibrated examiners. Before the study, a 90 minutes e-learning program of the ICDAS system was sent to the examiners and calibration sessions were arranged at the examination site before starting the study. ICDAS caries codes 1, 2, and 3 were counted together as a measure of enamel caries (D1−3) and 4, 5, and 6 as dentine caries (D4−6). The data was analysed by IBMSPSS Statistics 20.0. The association between first permanent and the second primary molars was analysed by Spearman correlation coefficient (r) and the mean caries indices according to the age by Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results: The inter- and intra- examiner correlation was high, all the weighted kappa values being >0.9. Altogether 450 children (92.7%) participated in the clinical examinations, 45.5% (n=205) boys and 54.4% (n=245) girls. The mean age was 8.8 years (0.38). There was a clear prevalence of lower ICDAS scores (1-3) for permanent molars and higher ICDAS scores (4-6) for temporary molars. The most prevalent score was 2 on the occlusal surfaces of permanent upper and lower molars. The highest ICDAS scores (4-6) were recorded on the occlusal surfaces of lower temporary molars. All the mean caries indices were not statistically different according to age. However, the mean number of dentine caries (d/D4−6T, d/D4−6S) seemed to decrease according to the increasing age. When analysing the association of the distributions of ICDAS codes on the different surfaces of the first permanent and second primary molars, the strongest correlations were on the occlusal surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular molars and on the lingual surfaces of the mandibular molars.

Conclusion: A high prevalence of dental caries in both primary and permanent teeth was found. It can be concluded that the ICDAS method gives relevant information about caries status for children coming from a deprived community in Romania.
EFFECT OF INTENSIFIED PREVENTION ON DENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN DEPENDING ON SES
Authors: Winter J. , Jablonski-Momeni A. , Pieper K. , Ladda A.
Published: February 2025

This study aimed to ascertain whether the dental health of primary school children can be improved by introducing a group prevention program based on applications of fluoride gel and supervised tooth-brushing, following intensive preventive care in kindergarten.

Method: Twenty schools in Northern Hesse, Germany were chosen by lot to be included in the intensified prevention based on tooth- brushing with fluoride gel (fluoride content 12,500 ppm) under supervision of a dental assistant at intervals of three weeks during school session (test group). Pupils in 23 other primary schools (control) received instruction on tooth brushing three to four times a year from specially trained dental assistants and were given free toothpaste for home use (basic prevention). The test and control subjects (total n=1079) were further classed into three groups based on the preventive care received in kindergarten (intensive prevention, basic prevention or no organised prevention in kindergarten). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Marburg and written consent was obtained from parents. The study was performed from September 2010 to June 2012. Caries ex- perience and increment from second grade (7- year-olds) to fourth grade (9-yearolds) were recorded by one trained and calibrated examiner (A.L.). A standardised questionnaire was used to record independent variables. Socioeconomic status (SES) was collected through parents schooling, occupational training and occupational status. To compare the caries scores of subgroups, non-parametric tests were used.

Results: While second-graders without professionally supported daily tooth-brushing in kindergarten exhibited an average d3- 6mft of 2.17, in those who had enjoyed intensive dental prevention the value was 19% lower, (d3- 6mft=1.74). The caries increment was significantly lower mainly among children who had received the maximum of group prevention (intensive prevention in kindergarten and gel program at school) compared to the group with basic prevention in kindergarten and no fluoride gel at school (p=0.039). A significant difference was found in the mean DMFT depending on socioeconomic status (no prevention in kindergarten, fluoride gel at school with low SES DMFT=0.47 vs. with high SES DMFT=0.18; p=0.023). Class-specific differences were no longer visible among children who had taken part in a basic preventive program.

Conclusions: The results show that intensified preventive programs in kindergartens and schools, based mainly on supervised tooth brushing, have a positive effect on the dental health of primary school children.
THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMMES ON CHILD KNOWLEDGE
Authors: Inquimbert C. , Dray M. , Giraudeau N. , Tramini P. , Valcarcel J.
Published: February 2025

A survey was conducted from April to May 2015, in private and public primary schools of Montpellier to compare pupils knowledge about oral hygiene, with and without school-based educational programmes. The aim of this study was to test the efficiency of such prevention programmes.

A survey was conducted from April to May 2015, in private and public primary schools of Montpellier to compare pupils knowledge about oral hygiene, with and without school-based educational programmes. The aim of this study was to test the efficiency of such prevention programmes.

Methods: Two schools were randomly selected from the 5th and 6th years (49.5% of 5th year and 50.5% of 6th year). A total of 204 children (90 from public and 114 from private schools) participated in this study: 55% boys, 45% girls. They were randomly divided in two groups (test and control). A first questionnaire (A) was distributed to all the children to evaluate their knowledge at baseline. Then a first intervention programme was implemented in the test group. The same intervention was repeated 1 month later. Then all the children, from the test and control groups, were asked again to fill in the same questionnaire (A). The primary endpoint was a score (from 0 to 14), corresponding to the number of correct answers.

Results: The mean age was 10.4 in the control group and 10.2 in the test group with no significant difference (p=0.24). In the test group, the scores were significantly increased after the intervention programme. In the control group, the difference was not significant. ANOVA showed that gender was not significant (p=0.38), but the type of school was significant (p=0.002): the scores were greater in private schools (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: This primary school survey confirms the impact of school-based programmes on childrens knowledge of oral prevention. Moreover, such preventive programmes could ideally become part of the school curriculum.
INITIAL PHASE EXPLORING BARRIERS TO ORAL HEALTH AMONG YOUNG CARERS IN SURREY, ENGLAND
Authors: Sarah Kaddour S. , Sowerbutts J.
Published: February 2025

Young carers; those under 18 years, caring for someone with a condition or disability, are a hard to reach and vulnerable group in society. They provide valuable care that can sometimes compromise their own wellbeing, including their dental care.

Aims: This pilot study aimed to explore the barriers young carers face with their oral health. Before structured focus groups could be arranged, themes around inequity issues to accessing care, barriers to good oral health and experiences of oral care needed to be explored. Within Surrey, an area in the South East of England, 6% of primary and secondary school children identify as young carers.

Method: A member of the Surrey County Council public health team who was a general dental practitioner attended a young carers forum. The session was part of an activities and social evening, informal in nature. Pictures were used to highlight key topics, and discussion was informal and interactive. Topics included self-care, oral care for a relative, accessing a dentist and emergency dental care. At the end of the session young carers were asked about personal dental access and the person they care for, emergency care and dental anxiety.

Results: Eight carers attended aged between 8-10 years. Five children regularly attended a dentist with their families, while the rest of the group did not have a dentist or had only ever attended once. The main barriers around access were travel, dental anxiety and looking after relatives with disabilities. Most of the children had heard of NHS 111 (telephone helpline) but were not aware it could be used for advice on dental emergencies. Five children knew to call the dentist or tell a family/friend if they were in pain. All participants found the session engaging and useful.

Conclusion: Although the sample was small, the session highlighted the need for further research into barriers to care faced by young carers. This group is unique as they not only have to be aware of their own oral health needs, but that of the relative for whom they care. Oral health interventions need to target both hard to reach groups and should aim to improve equity in access to services. Oral health information has now been placed on a national young careers website.
DENTISTS RELIABILITY SCORING THE PLAQUE INDEX USING A FLUORESCENT COLOURING AGENT
Authors: Nishi M. , Harding M. , Allen F.
Published: February 2025

Aim: Plaque level is one of the risk factors for assessing individual caries risk. While disclosing agents are effective for the detection of dental plaque, patients do not like having their teeth and soft tissue dyed. Fluorescein is an alternative plaque detection agent which fluoresces yellow-green when activated with blue light. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the level of agreement of Silness-Löe Plaque Index measurements using a fluorescent colouring agent among eight dentists.

Methods: Eight practice owning general dental practitioners (volunteers) in Cork, Ireland, were recruited as examiners for a randomised clinical study investigating the impact of a personalised caries prevention approach. Prior to the commencement of the study a training and calibration programme was delivered. The Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Cork Teaching Hospitals approved the calibration exercise, subjects provided informed consent prior to being examined. The dentists were trained in the use of the Silness-Löe Plaque Index (1964) in the Oral Health Services Research Centre (OHSRC), Cork, in February 2015; Plaque Test® (Ivoclar Vivadent, Liechtenstein) was used to highlight plaque. The gold standard examiner (the Professor of Restorative Dentistry (Periodontology) in University College Cork) and the eight dentists examined 12 subjects (a convenience sample) aged between 19 and 75 years (mean age±SD: 40.9±23.9 years) who were recruited from patients attending the restorative clinic in the University Dental Hospital, applying. Plaque Test® before each clinical examination. We calculated weighted Kappa statistics to evaluate the inter-examiner and intra-examiner reproducibility.

Results: The weighted Kappa statistics varied from 0.3 to 0.5 for inter-examiner reproducibility and from 0.4 to 0.7 for intra-examiner reproducibility. A problem reported by the examiners indicated that Plaque Test® did not stay on tooth surfaces and that it was difficult to detect plaque consistently.

Conclusions: The agreements of Plaque Index using Plaque Test® were fair to good in this calibration session. Although patients would prefer invisible agents to ordinal disclosing agents due to the advantage of not dyeing teeth and soft tissue, clinicians should note viscosity of Plaque Test® in use.