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Global Oral Health suffers from a lack of political attention, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This paper analyses the reasons for this political neglect through the lens of four areas of political power: the power of the ideas, the power of the issue, the power of the actors, and the power of the political context (using a modified Political Power Framework by Shiffman and Smith. Lancet370 [2007] 1370). The analysis reveals that political priority for global oral health is low, resulting from a set of complex issues deeply rooted in the current global oral health sector, its stakeholders and their remit, the lack of coherence and coalescence; as well as the lack of agreement on the problem, its portrayal and possible solutions. The shortcomings and weaknesses demonstrated in the analysis range from rather basic matters, such as defining the issue in an agreed way, to complex and multi-levelled issues concerning appropriate data collection and agreement on adequate solutions. The political priority of Global Oral Health can only be improved by addressing the underlying reasons that resulted in the wide disconnection between the international health discourse and the small sector of Global Oral Health. We hope that this analysis may serve as a starting point for a long overdue, broad and candid international analysis of political, social, cultural, communication, financial and other factors related to better prioritisation of oral health. Without such an analysis and the resulting concerted action the inequities in Global Oral Health will grow and increasingly impact on health systems, development and, most importantly, human lives.

High prevalence of poverty diseases such as diarrhoea, respiratory tract infection, parasitic infections and dental caries among children in the developing world calls for a return to primary health care principles with a focus on prevention. The 'Fit for School' program in the Philippines is based on international recommendations and offers a feasible, low-cost and realistic strategy using the principles of health promotion outlined in the Ottawa Charter. The cornerstone of the programme is the use of school structures for the implementation of preventive health strategies. 'Fit for School' consists of simple, evidence-based interventions like hand washing with soap, tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste and other high impact interventions such as bi-annual de-worming as a routine school activity for all children visiting public elementary schools. The programme has been successfully rolled-out in the Philippines covering 630,000 children in 22 provinces and it is planned to reach 6 million children in the next three years. The programme is a partnership project between the Philippine Department of Education and the Local Government Units with support for capacity development activities from the German Development Cooperation and GlaxoSmithKline.

Toothpastes are the most universally accepted form of fluoride delivery for caries prevention. To provide anti-caries benefits, they must be able to release fluoride during the time of tooth brushing or post brushing into the oral cavity. However, there is no standard accepted procedure to measure how much fluoride in a toothpaste may be (bio) available for release. The European Organization for Caries Research proposed and supported a workshop with experts in fluoride analysis in toothpastes and representatives from industry. The objective of the workshop was to discuss issues surrounding fluoride analysis in toothpaste and reach consensus on terminology and best practices, wherever the available evidence allowed it. Participants received a background paper and heard presentations followed by structured discussion to define the problem. The group also reviewed evidence on the validity, reliability and feasibility of each technique (namely chromatography and fluoride electroanalysis) and discussed their strengths and limitations. Participants were able to reach a consensus on terminology and were also able to identify and summarize the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. However, they agreed that most currently available methods were developed for regulatory agencies several decades ago, utilizing the best available data from clinical trials then, but require to be updated. They also agreed that although significant advances to our understanding of the mechanism of action of fluoride in toothpaste have been achieved over the past 4 decades, this clearly is an extraordinarily complex subject and more work remains to be done.

SummaryBackground As EHR adoption in US hospitals becomes ubiquitous, a wide range of IT options are theoretically available to facilitate physician-nurse communication, but we know little about the adoption rate of specific technologies or the impact of their use.Objectives To measure adoption of hardware, software, and telephony relevant to nurse-physician communication in US hospitals. To assess the relationship between non-IT communication practices and hardware, software, and telephony adoption. To identify hospital characteristics associated with greater adoption of hardware, software, telephony, and non-IT communication practices.Methods We conducted a survey of 105 hospitals in the National Nursing Practice Network. The survey captured adoption of hardware, software, and telephony to support nurse-physician communication, along with non-IT communication practices. We calculated descriptive statistics and then created four indices, one for each category, by scoring degree of adoption of technologies or practices within each category. Next, we examined correlations between the three technology indices and the non-IT communication practices index. We used multivariate OLS regression to assess whether certain types of hospitals had higher index scores.Results The majority of hospitals surveyed have a range of hardware, software, and telephony tools available to support nurse-physician communication; we found substantial heterogeneity across hospitals in non-IT communication practices. More intensive non-IT communication was associated with greater adoption of software (r=0.31, p=0.01), but was not correlated with hardware or telephony. Medium-sized hospitals had lower adoption of software (r =−1.14,p=0.04) in comparison to small hospitals, while federally-owned hospitals had lower software (r=−2.57, p=0.02) and hardware adoption (r=−1.63, p=0.01).Conclusions The positive relationship between non-IT communication and level of software adoption suggests that there is a complementary, rather than substitutive, relationship. Our results suggest that some technologies with the potential to further enhance communication, such as CPOE and secure messaging, are not being utilized to their full potential in many hospitals.Citation: Holmgren AJ, Pfeifer E, Manojlovich M, Adler-Milstein J. A novel survey to examine the relationship between health IT adoption and nurse-physician communication.

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS II) experiment aims to detect dark matter particles that elastically scatter from nuclei in semiconductor detectors. The resulting nuclear-recoil energy depositions are detected by ionization and phonon sensors. Neutrons produce a similar spectrum of low-energy nuclear recoils in such detectors, while most other backgrounds produce electron recoils. The absolute energy scale for nuclear recoils is necessary to interpret results correctly. The energy scale can be determined in CDMS II silicon detectors using neutrons incident from a broad-spectrum $^{252}$Cf source, taking advantage of a prominent resonance in the neutron elastic scattering cross section of silicon at a recoil (neutron) energy near 20 (182) keV. Results indicate that the phonon collection efficiency for nuclear recoils is $4.8^{+0.7}_{-0.9}$% lower than for electron recoils of the same energy. Comparisons of the ionization signals for nuclear recoils to those measured previously by other groups at higher electric fields indicate that the ionization collection efficiency for CDMS II silicon detectors operated at $\sim$4 V/cm is consistent with 100% for nuclear recoils below 20 keV and gradually decreases for larger energies to $\sim$75% at 100 keV. The impact of these measurements on previously published CDMS II silicon results is small., Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, 1 table, 1 appendix

SuperCDMS SNOLAB will be a next-generation experiment aimed at directly detecting low-mass (< 10 GeV/c$^2$) particles that may constitute dark matter by using cryogenic detectors of two types (HV and iZIP) and two target materials (germanium and silicon). The experiment is being designed with an initial sensitivity to nuclear recoil cross sections ~ 1 x 10$^{-43}$ cm$^2$ for a dark matter particle mass of 1 GeV/c$^2$, and with capacity to continue exploration to both smaller masses and better sensitivities. The phonon sensitivity of the HV detectors will be sufficient to detect nuclear recoils from sub-GeV dark matter. A detailed calibration of the detector response to low energy recoils will be needed to optimize running conditions of the HV detectors and to interpret their data for dark matter searches. Low-activity shielding, and the depth of SNOLAB, will reduce most backgrounds, but cosmogenically produced $^{3}$H and naturally occurring $^{32}$Si will be present in the detectors at some level. Even if these backgrounds are x10 higher than expected, the science reach of the HV detectors would be over three orders of magnitude beyond current results for a dark matter mass of 1 GeV/c$^2$. The iZIP detectors are relatively insensitive to variations in detector response and backgrounds, and will provide better sensitivity for dark matter particle masses (> 5 GeV/c$^2$). The mix of detector types (HV and iZIP), and targets (germanium and silicon), planned for the experiment, as well as flexibility in how the detectors are operated, will allow us to maximize the low-mass reach, and understand the backgrounds that the experiment will encounter. Upgrades to the experiment, perhaps with a variety of ultra-low-background cryogenic detectors, will extend dark matter sensitivity down to the "neutrino floor", where coherent scatters of solar neutrinos become a limiting background., SuperCDMS SNOLAB Projected sensitivity reach

While originally developed in response to a need to provide effective restorative and preventive treatment in underserved communities where running water and electricity might not always be available, over the past two decades, the atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) approach has become a worldwide phenomenon; used not only in some of the poorest developing countries but also in some of the most wealthy. The ART approach involves the removal of infected dentine with hand-instruments followed by the placement of a restoration where the adjacent pits and fissures are sealed simultaneously using high viscosity glass-ionomer inserted under finger pressure. Reliable results can only be obtained if the treatment protocol, as described in this article, is closely followed. ART should be considered as a therapeutic option especially in children, anxious patients and those with special needs.

The Event Builder and Level 3 trigger systems of the CDF experiment at Fermilab are required to process about 300 events per second, with an average event size of ∼200 KB. In the event building process the event is assembled from 15 sources supplying event fragments with roughly equal sizes of 12–16 KB. In the subsequent commercial processor-based Level 3 trigger, the events are reconstructed and trigger algorithms are applied. The CPU power required for filtering such a high data throughput rate exceeds 45 000 MIPS. To meet these requirements a distributed and scalable architecture has been chosen. It is based on commodity components: VME-based CPU's for the data read out, an ATM switch for the event building and Pentium-based personal computers running the Linux operating system for the event processing. Event flow through ATM is controlled by a reflective memory ring. The roughly homogeneous distribution of the expected load allows the use of 100 Mbps Ethernet for event distribution and collection within the Level 3 system. Preliminary results from a test system obtained during the last year are presented.

The oral health status of 6- and 12-year-old Filipino children was assessed in a representative national sample of 2030 6-year-old and 2022 12-year-old children, using WHO Basic Methods for Oral Health Surveys (4th edition, 1997) and the PUFA (pulpal involvement [P/p], ulceration caused by dislocated tooth fragments [U/u], fistula [F/f], and abscess [A/a]) index. A subsample of 242 12-year-old children was included to assess backward comparability between the 1998 Oral Health Survey that used WHO Basic Methods (3rd edition, 1987). The results showed that 97% of 6-year-old children had caries (mean dmft 8.4), 85% showed dental infection (mean pufa 3.4), 20% reported pain when examined. In all, 82% of 12-year-old children had caries (mean DMFT 2.9), 56% prevalence of pulp involvement (mean PUFA 1.0), and 16% reported pain when examined. Differences in methodology between the 1998 and the 2006 surveys are likely to have had an effect on the observed reduction in DMFT, indicating that the real caries prevalence had not changed much and remains very high.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed total and free fluoride concentrations in samples of toothpaste from Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, the Netherlands and Suriname, and investigated the labelling practices of the respective manufacturers.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Convenience samples were bought in the five countries and sent for analysis to the Netherlands. Levels of total and free available fluoride were measured. Details of the information declared on the packaging about type of fluoride and abrasives were recorded, and manufacturing and expiry dates were noted.RESULTS: A total of 119 samples of toothpaste were analysed. With one exception, all samples from the Netherlands complied with ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) labelling requirements and there were no differences between the fluoride content declared and that found to be present on analysis. In samples purchased in the other countries, sodium monofluorophosphate (SMFP) toothpastes predominantly showed a low percentage of free available fluoride and the majority of toothpastes did not follow standard labelling guidelines.DISCUSSION: This study is not representative of any of the brands analysed, yet it highlights problematic discrepancies in products across countries. These may be related to the lack of a generally accepted methodology for analysing total and free fluoride content, absence of an agreement on the minimum concentration of fluoride required to ensure efficacy, weak regulating institutions that are unable to control labelling and consumer information, as well as a possible influx of counterfeit low-quality toothpaste.CONCLUSIONS: Renewed international focus should be directed towards closing gaps in guidelines and standards. Consumers should use only non-expired toothpaste, which should preferably be silica-based fluoride toothpaste that does not include abrasives containing calcium and that is properly labelled.

Dental volunteers and their NGOs may have the potential to make a significant and long-lasting contribution to global oral health. However, their traditional approach to volunteering in developing countries can be questioned as to its appropriateness and sustainability combined with potential harmful effects that it might bring to the local health system. This article reviews the positive and negative aspects of this approach to dental volunteering and examines possible changes that could be made to the prevailing volunteer paradigm.

The Data Acquisition System for the CDMS II dark matter experiment was designed and built when the experiment moved to its new underground installation at the Soudan Lab. The combination of remote operation and increased data load necessitated a completely new design. Elements of the original LabView system remained as stand-alone diagnostic programs, but the main data processing moved to a VME-based system with custom electronics for signal conditioning, trigger formation and buffering. The data rate was increased 100-fold and the automated cryogenic system was linked to the data acquisition. A modular server framework with associated user interfaces was implemented in Java to allow control and monitoring of the entire experiment remotely.