Oral Health Strategy - General Dental Services (PDF 121 KB)

Equality Impact Assessments

Oral Health Strategy - General Dental Services - Preliminary Consultation Report (PDF 144 KB)

Equality Impact Assessments

Equality Impact Assessments - Oral Health Strategy - General Dental Services - May 2001 (PDF 72KB)

In 1998, a new law came into force in Northern Ireland – the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Section 75 of the Act places a legal obligation on each public authority to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity: • between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation; • between men and women generally; • between persons with a disability and persons without; and • between persons with dependants and persons without. åÊ

Sunk costs, extensive R&D subsidies and permanent inducement effects

We study whether there is scope for using subsidies to smooth out barriers to R&D performance and expand the share of R&D firms in Spain. We consider a dynamic model with sunk entry costs in which firms’ optimal participation strategy is defined in terms of two subsidy thresholds that characterise entry and continuation. We compute the subsidy thresholds from the estimates of a dynamic panel data type-2 tobit model for an unbalanced panel of about 2,000 Spanish manufacturing firms. The results suggest that “extensive” subsidies are a feasible and efficient tool for expanding the share of R&D firms.

Biometal muscle to restore atrial transport function in a permanent atrial fibrillation animal model: a potential tool in the treatment of end-stage heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Half of the patients with end-stage heart failure suffer from persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial kick (AK) accounts for 10-15% of the ejection fraction. A device restoring AK should significantly improve cardiac output (CO) and possibly delay ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation. This study has been designed to assess the mechanical effects of a motorless pump on the right chambers of the heart in an animal model. METHODS: Atripump is a dome-shaped biometal actuator electrically driven by a pacemaker-like control unit. In eight sheep, the device was sutured onto the right atrium (RA). AF was simulated with rapid atrial pacing. RA ejection fraction (EF) was assessed with intracardiac ultrasound (ICUS) in baseline, AF and assisted-AF status. In two animals, the pump was left in place for 4 weeks and then explanted. Histology examination was carried out. The mean values for single measurement per animal with +/-SD were analysed. RESULTS: The contraction rate of the device was 60 per min. RA EF was 41% in baseline, 7% in AF and 21% in assisted-AF conditions. CO was 7+/-0.5 l min(-1) in baseline, 6.2+/-0.5 l min(-1) in AF and 6.7+/-0.5 l min(-1) in assisted-AF status (p<0.01). Histology of the atrium in the chronic group showed chronic tissue inflammation and no sign of tissue necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: The artificial muscle restores the AK and improves CO. In patients with end-stage cardiac failure and permanent AF, if implanted on both sides, it would improve CO and possibly delay or even avoid complex surgical treatment such as VAD implantation.

Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) - Service Utilisation and Treatment Need (Lot 9)

Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) – Service Utilisation and Treatment Need (Lot 9) Since 2002, following agreement between the Department of Health and Children and the GMS Payments Board, data from the DTSS payments database has been transferred routinely to the Oral Health Services Research Centre (OHSRC), in University College, Cork for analysis. Queries have been developed in the OHSRC to provide individual level data on the treatments provided to patients, such as examinations, extractions, fillings, scale and polish, removal/amputation of roots, root treatment (upper and lower anterior teeth), radiographs, partial dentures and full dentures, and also data on the characteristics of the dentist providing services. Click here to download PDF 2.4mb

A Report on Probity Assurance within the Dental Care Sector

A Report on Probity Assurance within the Dental Care Sector Click here to download PDF 294kb

Darrera de la màscara de Comediants. L'imaginari d'un grup de teatre català : Creació d'una exposició permanent per a museu Comediants

TFC que segueix l'esquema d'un projecte cultural. D'una banda, s'analitzen els factors interns i externs de l'organització que poden influir en l'execució d'aquest projecte. El clímax és la creació d'una exposició permanent per a un museu Comediants. Interpretant el discurs de Comediants es proposa un discurs expositiu. Interessant elecció de missatges i divertits recursos expositius. Des del començament s'ha volgut fugir de la idea d'elaborar un TFC on solament se sintetitzessin dades i informació. Tanmateix, aquest TFC és un treball de recerca i, com a tal, la major part és la síntesi de dades i informacions obtingudes mitjançant investigació. No obstant això, hi ha una altra part molt important amb aportacions personals on s'ha posat a prova la pròpia creativitat i la capacitat de proporcionar aspectes innovadors, els quals, al cap i a la fi, han sorgit arran del treball en grup.

Formació Permanent del professorat a la xarxa : una experiència de treball cooperatiu

Aquest projecte s'insereix en l'àmbit de les TIC. La participació en aquest entorn virtual cooperatiu s'ofereix com a complement a les reunions presencials de formació per a donar continuïtat al treball elaborat. La intervenció psicopedagògica es centra en dos objectius: a) dinamitzar l'entorn virtual per a afavorir el treball cooperatiu entre docents en xarxa oferint-los els medis per a participar-hi; b) dissenyar un entorn de participació que faciliti l'intercanvi i la cooperació entre docents i que, alhora, ajudi els professors a assumir una actitud positiva davant les TIC.

Atención a la caries dental y a las inclusiones dentarias : proceso asistencial integrado

Publicado en la página web de la Consejería de Igualdad, Salud y Políticas Sociales: www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud (Consejería de Igualdad, Salud y Políticas Sociales/ Profesionales / Nuestro Compromiso por la Calidad / Procesos Asistenciales Integrados)

Helicobacter pylori detection in gastric biopsies, saliva and dental plaque of Brazilian dyspeptic patients

Helicobacter pylori is an important human pathogen that causes chronic gastritis and is associated with the development of peptic ulcer disease and gastric malignancies. The oral cavity has been implicated as a potential H. pylori reservoir and may therefore be involved in the reinfection of the stomach, which can sometimes occur following treatment of an H. pylori infection. The objectives of this paper were (i) to determine the presence of H. pylori in the oral cavity and (ii) to examine the relationship between oral H. pylori and subsequent gastritis. Gastric biopsies, saliva samples and dental plaques were obtained from 78 dyspeptic adults. DNA was extracted and evaluated for the presence of H. pylori using polymerase chain reaction and Southern blotting methods. Persons with gastritis were frequently positive for H. pylori in their stomachs (p < 0.0001) and there was a statistically significant correlation between the presence of H. pylori in gastric biopsies and the oral cavity (p < 0.0001). Our results suggest a relationship between gastric infection and the presence of this bacterium in the oral cavity. Despite this, H. pylori were present in the oral cavity with variable distribution between saliva and dental plaques, suggesting the existence of a reservoir for the species and a potential association with gastric reinfection.

Esophageal leaks repaired by a muscle onlay approach in the presence of mediastinal sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Nineteen patients were evaluated after closure of intrathoracic esophageal leaks by a pediculated muscle flap onlay repair in the presence of mediastinal and systemic sepsis. METHODS: Intrathoracic esophageal leaks with mediastinitis and systemic sepsis occurred after delayed spontaneous perforations (n = 7) or surgical and endoscopic interventions (n = 12). Six patients presented with fulminant anastomotic leaks. Seven patients had previous attempts to close the leak by surgery (n = 4) or stenting (2) or both (n = 1). The debrided defects measured up to 2 x 12 cm or involved three quarters of the anastomotic circumference and were closed either by a full thickness diaphragmatic flap (n = 13) or a pediculated intrathoracically transposed extrathoracic muscle flap (n = 6). All patients had postoperative contrast esophagography between days 7 and 10 and an endoscopic evaluation 4 to 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: There was no 30-day mortality. During follow-up (4 to 42 months), 16 patients (84%) revealed functional and morphological restoration of the esophagointestinal integrity without further interventions. One patient required serial dilatations for a stricture, and 1 underwent temporary stenting for a persistent fistula; both patients had normal control endoscopy during follow-up. A third patient requiring permanent stenting for stenosis died from gastrointestinal bleeding due to stent erosion during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Intrathoracic esophageal leaks may be closed efficiently by a muscle flap onlay approach in the presence of mediastinitis and where a primary repair seems risky. The same holds true for fulminant intrathoracic anastomotic leaks after esophagectomy or other surgical interventions at the gastroesophageal junction.