INTRODUCTION:The role of small-group facilitators is of pivotal importance for the success of curricula based on active learning. Disorganised tutorial processes and superficial study of the problem have been identified as main hindering factors for students' learning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of consistency of facilitation on students' performance in knowledge-based basic science assessments in a hybrid, enquiry-based (EBL) undergraduate dental curriculum.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This was a retrospective study of 519 first- and second-year undergraduate dental students, enrolled at Peninsula Dental School between 2013 and 2018. Twice in each academic year, students sat a 60-item single-best-answer, multiple-choice examination. Percentage and Z-scores were compared between students whose EBL groups had the same facilitator throughout the academic year, and those whose EBL group was facilitated by different members of staff. All EBL facilitators were dentally qualified but with different levels of expertise in basic dental sciences, prior EBL facilitation, involvement in the curriculum design and university affiliation.RESULTS:No statistically significant difference was observed in the percentage or Z-scores of students whose EBL sessions were supported by consistent or variable facilitators in any of the 18 MCQ tests. Z-scores of first-year students were more variable than for second-year students. In addition, pairwise comparisons revealed no statistically significant differences in students' Z-scores between any of the permanent facilitators' groups.CONCLUSIONS:The results of our study may influence the design and delivery of enquiry-based curricula as well as human resources management by shifting the focus from maintaining facilitator consistency to ensuring comparable training and approaches across facilitators.

In March 2017, a group of teachers of human disease/clinical medical science (HD/CMSD) representing the majority of schools from around the UK and Republic of Ireland met to discuss the current state of teaching of human disease and also to discuss how the delivery of this theme might evolve to inform improved healthcare. This study outlines how the original teaching in medicine and surgery to dental undergraduate students has developed into the theme of HD/CMSD reflecting changing needs as well as guidance from the regulators, and how different dental schools have developed their approaches to reach their current state. Each school was also asked to share a strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of their programme and to outline how they thought their HD/CMSD programme may develop. The school representatives who coordinate the delivery and assessment of HD/CMSD in the undergraduate curriculum have extensive insight in this area and are well-placed to shape the HD/CMSD development for the future.

PURPOSE The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the impact of integrating the teaching of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and Bachelor of Dental Therapy and Hygiene (BScDTH) students in enquiry-based learning (EBL) sessions, using performance on multiple related integrated dental science (IDS) multiple-choice question assessments. METHOD IDS assessments are sat twice in the first stages of both the BDS and BScDTH programmes. IDS scores from integrated and non-integrated cohorts were collated and compared across test occasions (first or second assessment of the stage) and programmes (BDS and BScDTH). RESULTS The results revealed that IDS scores were, overall, significantly higher for students in integrated (M = 63.46, SD = 13.06) than non-integrated EBL groups (M = 60.75, SD = 13.67; F(1,207) = 4.277, P = 0.040, < ! [ C D A T A [ η p 2 ] ] > = 0.020). Although this effect was not statistically significant when each programme was considered separately, the effect of integration on both programmes was nevertheless positive, with a more pronounced improvement for BScDTH (+7.88) than BDS (+0.63) students. CONCLUSIONS Integrating students from different programmes for the teaching of core dental knowledge in team environments improves student performance in subsequent dental science assessments-and more so for BScDTH than BDS students. The fact that both groups benefit from integration should go some way towards reassuring institutions that are considering integration but are cautious of threats to "established" programmes.

INTRODUCTION Oral Medicine focuses on care for patients with chronic, recurrent and medically related disorders of the orofacial region that are distinct from diseases of the periodontal and tooth tissues, with an emphasis on non-surgical management. At present, there are no shared outcomes for Oral Medicine to define the standards to be achieved before new graduates become registered dentists engaged with ongoing professional development. CURRICULUM We present a consensus undergraduate curriculum in Oral Medicine agreed by representatives from 18 Dental Schools in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The scope of Oral Medicine practice includes conditions involving the oral mucosa, salivary glands, neurological system or musculoskeletal tissues that are not directly attributable to dental (tooth and periodontium) pathology. Account is taken of the priorities for practice and learning opportunities needed to support development of relevance to independent clinical practice. The outcomes triangulate with the requirements set out by the respective regulatory bodies in the UK and Republic of Ireland prior to first registration and are consistent with the framework for European undergraduate dental education and greater harmonisation of dental education. CONCLUSIONS This curriculum will act as a foundation for an increasingly shared approach between centres with respect to the outcomes to be achieved in Oral Medicine. The curriculum may also be of interest to others, such as those responsible for the training of dental hygienists and dental therapists. It provides a platform for future collective developments with the overarching goal of raising the quality of patient care.

OBJECTIVE:The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of concurrent LPS and cytokine priming, reflective of the in vivo milieu, on macrophage production of key periodontitis associated cytokines TNF, IL-1β and IL-6. DESIGN:THP-1 cells were pre-treated with combinations of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS), concurrently with polarising cytokines IFNγ and IL-4, or PMA as a non-polarised control. Production of key periodontitis associated cytokines in response to subsequent LPS challenge were measured by enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS:Compared with cells incubated with IFNγ or IL-4 alone in the "polarisation" phase, macrophages that were incubated with LPS during the first 24h displayed a down-regulation of TNF and IL-1β production upon secondary LPS treatment in the "activation" phase. In all three macrophage populations (M0, M1 and M2), pre-treatment with P. gingivalis LPS during the polarisation process led to a significant decrease in TNF production in response to subsequent activation by LPS (p=0.007, p=0.002 and p=0.004, respectively). Pre-treatment with E. coli LPS also led to a significant down-regulation in TNF production in all three macrophage populations (p<0.001). Furthermore, the presence of E. coli LPS during polarisation also led to the down-regulation of IL-1β in the M1 population (p<0.001), whereas there was no measurable effect on IL-1β production in M0 or M2 macrophages. There was no significant effect on IL-6 production. CONCLUSIONS:Macrophages become refractory to further LPS challenge, whereby production of key periodontitis associated cytokines TNF and IL-1β is reduced after exposure to LPS during the polarisation phase, even in the presence of inflammatory polarising cytokines. This diminished cytokine response may lead to the reduced ability to clear infection and transition to chronic inflammation seen in periodontitis.

European Journal of Dental EducationVolume 17, Issue 2 p. 72-72 Commentary ADEE meetings focus on the basic sciences: meeting reports J. Bennett, J. Bennett jon.bennett@pds.ac.uk Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Plymouth Campus, Room C317 Portland Square, Plymouth, PL4 8AA UKSearch for more papers by this authorJ.A. Beeley, J.A. Beeley Jarrett Building, Garscube Estate, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH UKSearch for more papers by this author J. Bennett, J. Bennett jon.bennett@pds.ac.uk Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Plymouth Campus, Room C317 Portland Square, Plymouth, PL4 8AA UKSearch for more papers by this authorJ.A. Beeley, J.A. Beeley Jarrett Building, Garscube Estate, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 11 April 2013 https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12035Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume17, Issue2May 2013Pages 72-72 RelatedInformation

Although progress testing (PT) is well established in several medical schools, it is new to dentistry. Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry has recently established a Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme and has been one of the first schools to use PT in a dental setting. Issues associated with its development and of its adaption to the specific needs of the dental curriculum are considered.

Abstract Background The widespread problem of antibiotic resistance in pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus has prompted the search for new antimicrobial approaches. In this study we report for the first time the use of a light-activated antimicrobial agent, methylene blue, to kill an epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (EMRSA-16) strain in two mouse wound models. Results Following irradiation of wounds with 360 J/cm2 of laser light (670 nm) in the presence of 100 μg/ml of methylene blue, a 25-fold reduction in the number of viable EMRSA was seen. This was independent of the increase in temperature of the wounds associated with the treatment. Histological examination of the wounds revealed no difference between the photodynamic therapy (PDT)-treated wounds and the untreated wounds, all of which showed the same degree of inflammatory infiltration at 24 hours. Conclusion The results of this study demonstrate that PDT is effective at reducing the total number of viable EMRSA in a wound. This approach has promise as a means of treating wound infections caused by antibiotic-resistant microbes as well as for the elimination of such organisms from carriage sites.

Humanitarian professionals are on the front lines of today's internal armed conflicts, negotiating access through physical and diplomatic roadblocks to reach imperiled civilians. They frequent the corridors of power, interceding with politicians and diplomats in countries wracked by violence, in capitals of donor governments that underwrite humanitarian work, and at the United Nations Security Council. They provide the media with authoritative and catalytic information about situations of humanitarian extremity. Humanitarian Diplomacy offers a compendium of humanitarian operations in settings as diverse as the Balkans, Nepal, Somalia, and East Timor, from the 1970s in Cambodia and 1980s in Lebanon to more recent engagements in Colombia and Iraq. These unique experiences and insights from the field are framed by context-setting essays on the theory and practice of humanitarian diplomacy. This volume provides a unique resource for practitioners, policy communities, and students of humanitarian action, as well as for the concerned public.

Gentle saline extraction releases a heterogeneous mixture of proteins associated with the cell surface of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomintans, termed the surface protein fraction (SF). Some SF components are biologically active and may modulate cell behaviour in a manner of putative importance in the aetiology of periodontitis. To further characterize this activity, the ability of the SF to induce mitosis and apoptosis in MG63 cells was investigated. Cells were plated at 10(3)-10(4) cells/cm(2) and allowed to attach before culture in the serum-free medium in the presence of 25 microg/ml SF for 2-24 h. The apoptotic and mitotic figures present were counted and the results expressed as an apoptotic or mitotic index. The apoptotic and mitotic compartments were very small, but there was an inverse correlation between mitosis and apoptosis. In control experiments the mitotic was higher than the apoptotic index, whilst in the presence of SF this was reversed. These results were confirmed using in situ end-labelling. SF, therefore, may stimulate apoptotic, but inhibit mitotic, activity in MG63 cells. This raises the possibility that components of SF might induce subtle changes in the balance between apoptosis and mitosis, which, in turn, could contribute to the progression of periodontitis.

Developments within Sudan are complex enough, but in recent years they have been further complicated by the impact of upheavals, not of its own making, in various parts of the Horn of Africa, next door. The most tangible effect is the hundreds of thousands of refugees that have to be maintained in the Sudan. But there has also been a political dilemma for the present regime. It is drawn, like its reactionary Arab allies, to support movements that oppose a proclaimedly socialist and Soviet‐backed regime like Ethiopia's, and it does promote the more conservative groups, for it is uneasy about the radical, anti‐imperialist stance of the more dominant national liberation groups. The wider conflicts in Eritrea, in the provinces of Ethiopia and between Somalia and Ethiopia also pose a dilemma for the left in Sudan. It tries to tread a difficult, diplomatic path between criticism of the Numeiri regime's automatic anti‐Soviet anti‐socialist stance whilst keeping its distant but open lines of communication with the more progressive movements in the Horn. Our final Briefing does raise one such issue on which many of our Sudanese collaborators maintain a diplomatic silence, one of a set of issues that nevertheless is part of the context of Sudanese politics. The Reviewhas concentrated its attention within the Horn on Eritrea, but has also hosted some on‐going debate on the national question in that region. But this is the first contribution to that discussion which focuses on Tigray, an area which famine has brought very much into the headlines as we go to press. We hope this overview of present conditions and review of the position of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, by a recent visitor to areas the TPLF controls, will both inform but also stimulate further contributions to the debate.

The reality of working in Sudan, however, means our choices were always limited. Many of the regular multilateral channels for direct support (e.g. World Bank, IMF and African Development Bank) are not available. The minimal presence of private sector implementing partners - e.g. PWC, Crown Agents - has increased our dependence on NGOs and pooled mechanisms through and with other development agencies. Concerning the South, we took a deliberate decision to try and reduce transaction costs for a new governance apparatus by using pooled funding mechanisms. In line with good practice in fragile states, the range of funding options that we kept open has meant that we spread our exposure, but inevitably therefore were exposed to the risks of a number of under-performing institutions. However we also consider it an appropriate part of our role to work with these essential institutions to ensure that they are capable of taking up their proper roles in the aid architecture for all parts of Sudan. We partly accept the report's suggestion that the international community as a whole underestimated the very low levels of capacity in the South. The international community also did not anticipate the impact of John Garang's death, a matter of weeks after the signing of the CPA, on governance capacity in the South. The introduction of the Joint Donor Office in Juba was intended to ensure that donor demands on this weak administration were minimised. Following on from this, we agree that it is important to keep the organisation of our in-country presence under review. Our response currently to the capacity issue in Southern Sudan is twin-track: firstly to work with other donor partners on gap-filling of the important operational roles against a single coordinated and prioritised strategy; and secondly to focus on the longer-term, for example with a programme to enhance teacher training. Organisationally, DFID is implementing a change management programme that places programme management responsibilities more clearly where they should be, deploys more staff to Juba, and reprofiles our portfolio to fewer, bigger programmes. Particularly in the South of Sudan, DFID is constantly reviewing our choice of aid instruments in order to try and address the tensions that arise between state-building and peace-building objectives. As noted earlier, the latter has led us - for good reason - to by-pass the very weak state in order to achieve some level of basic service delivery usually through NGOs. But the international community has struggled with the sequencing and modalities of the transfer of these responsibilities so that we also begin to build state accountability and capacity. This is something that we are addressing in our policy dialogue with the Government of Southern Sudan and in the design of the basic services programme that will replace the Basic Services Fund. The most significant disagreement we have with the findings of the evaluation report, is with regard to the Common Humanitarian Fund. We do not agree its remit should be broadened to include 'recovery' or state-building objectives. It is a new global mechanism and part of the UK's wider commitment to reform of the international humanitarian architecture. While it has had its share of teething problems, it has been independently and positively reviewed as a catalyst for reform: promoting more accountable financing, better sectoral coordination, stronger leadership by the Humanitarian Coordinator, and greater donor harmonisation. Learning lessons from the Pooled Fund in Democratic Republic of Congo, it has also recently begun reporting the cumulative results of the projects that it funds. This has helped to increase DFID Sudan's corporate reporting on targets in water and sanitation, health, and education sectors.