Publications

Climate change has amplified the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including snow, floods, and heatwaves, which pose significant challenges to emergency service provision. While existing literature on the impacts of extreme weather on emergency services is limited, the United Kingdom (UK), with its varying weather patterns, faces considerable risks to infrastructure, health, and service delivery during these events, which are no longer extremely rare occurrences. This study investigates the effectiveness of multiagency, immersive simulation training in preparing emergency responders for extreme weather scenarios. Specifically, it evaluates the 2024 Winter Storm Exercise organized by Cheshire Constabulary, focusing on how extreme cold weather conditions (below 0 °C) affect operational responses. Using an exploratory quasi-experimental design, we employed pre- and post-surveys to assess changes in participants' knowledge, preparedness, and confidence. The exercise involved a series of realistic simulations, including medical trauma care and a multivehicle crash response in snowy conditions, followed by debriefing sessions. Data from 32 pre-survey and 22 post-survey respondents were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Preliminary results indicate that the training improved participants' confidence in handling extreme weather, although challenges such as equipment limitations and communication difficulties in cold weather persisted. This research highlights the importance of tailored, evidence-based training and underscores the need for ongoing development of policies and equipment to improve resilience in emergency service delivery amidst climate change-induced extreme weather events in the UK.

Collaboration between higher education and local emergency management agencies remains underutilized in disaster management education. This paper presents three case studies formed from a partnership between an undergraduate student, a faculty member, and local emergency management professionals. The case studies include (1) an active shooter preparedness training at a long-term care facility, (2) an interactive field day introducing undergraduate students to careers and competencies in emergency services, and (3) a search-and-rescue demonstration using drones to support local response efforts. Each case study incorporated active learning and received positive feedback from participants and collaborators. Key findings suggest that undergraduate students and faculty can meaningfully contribute to local disaster risk reduction efforts through place-based disaster education and training. We conclude that academic-practitioner partnerships offer a valuable model for enhancing disaster preparedness and response while advancing educational and community outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines heterogeneity in healthy aging among U.S. Latinos using a dual functionality perspective-the absence of both cognitive and physical limitations. We aim to quantify age-related changes and subgroup disparities by heritage and nativity, disaggregated by sex.

METHODS: We analyzed 16 years of nationally representative data from the American Community Survey (2008-2023), including 1,902,870 Latino adults. Logistic regression models estimated age-specific probabilities of dual functionality across heritage and nativity subgroups, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Analyses were stratified by sex, and subgroup deviations from pan-ethnic Latino averages were calculated.

RESULTS: Dual functionality declines with age, but subgroup differences are pronounced. At age 45, South American male and female respondents had the highest dual functionality (≥97%), whereas island-born Puerto Ricans had the lowest (≤89%). By age 85, South Americans maintained a relative advantage, while Puerto Ricans remained disadvantaged. Foreign-born Latinos generally exhibited higher dual functionality than U.S.-born peers; this advantage narrowed or reversed with age, particularly among women. Notably, U.S.-born South American men showed steep declines after age 75, in contrast to sustained advantages among foreign-born Central Americans.

DISCUSSION: These findings reveal deep inequities in functional aging that emerge well before old age. Dual functionality offers a culturally grounded and policy-relevant metric for assessing aging equity. The persistent disadvantage among Puerto Ricans-particularly island-born-signals the enduring impact of structural inequality. Addressing these disparities requires life-course informed interventions that prioritize functional health, autonomy, and dignity in aging.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) models unlock new ways to create images, emerging as a new medium alongside paintings, photographs, physically based renderings (PBR), etc. Generative AI images can be perceptually convincing without being physically plausible, allowing to investigate the boundaries of visual perception. This study examines whether generative AI images adhere to a medium-independent perceptual space converged from previous studies. We compared the perceptual similarity of images from three generative AI models against a bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs) PBR image dataset, using human similarity judgments. In experiment 1, we used the text descriptions of 32 materials (e.g., blue acrylic) from the Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL) BRDF dataset, prompting two text-to-image models, DALL-E 2 and Midjourney v2, to generate 32 sphere-shaped stimuli per model. Perceptual spaces derived from similarity judgments revealed that both AI models resulted in two-dimensional spaces whereas the MERL space was confined to one dimension, probably owing to a lack of surface texture. These unrelated perceptual spaces suggest the AI models generated unique and different images from identical text prompts. In experiment 2 we used the text-to-image model Stable Diffusion v1.5 with ControlNet for additional depth-map constraints. Using the same 32 descriptions, we generated 3 sets using 3 different depth maps. The three resulting perceptual spaces are all two-dimensional, exhibiting high similarity, indicating a robust and non-random structure. They also show a similar structure to the MERL space and perceptual spaces from other material studies using photographs, PBR, and depictions, suggesting AI-generated imagery may indeed be used as a new medium to explore material perception.

When two probes are flashed at different times within a moving frame, they can be perceived as dramatically separated from each other even though they are at the same location in the display. This effect suggests that we perceive object position relative to the surrounding frame even when it is moving (Özkan et al., 2021). Here, eight experiments reveal new properties of this frame effect. First, the influence of the frame on the perceived probe positions extends beyond its bounding contours by several degrees of visual angle, both in the direction of the frame's motion and orthogonal to it. It is also undiminished when the probes and the frame are in different depth planes. However, the influence of the frame's motion shows no extension in time-there is no effect on probes presented after the frame is removed and none retroactively before the frame appears either. The frame effect is also driven primarily by the displacement of the frame, not by its motion signals: the effect is stronger for moving bounded frames compared with moving unbounded random dot textures. When the bounded region has an internal texture that moves with or against the frame's motion or remains static, it is the displacement of the frame that produces the perceived position shifts of the probes, and the effect of the internal motion is mostly suppressed. The frame's influence is unaffected by whether the motion is self-initiated or not and does not diminish in strength across 2 hours of testing.

Blinks serve not only to maintain ocular lubrication, but may also contribute to visual processing, although their functional role remains poorly understood. Recent research has shown that spontaneous and voluntary blinks serve distinct functions in perceptual competition involving binocular interactions (Sato & Kimura, 2024). To disentangle the retinal and extra-retinal contributions of blinking, this study investigated how different types of blinks affect perceptual alternation using a bistable apparent motion stimulus where the perceived motion direction alternates between vertical and horizontal. Results showed that instructed (i.e., voluntary) blinks facilitated perceptual alternation, whereas spontaneous blinks did not. The time to perceptual alternation was longer on spontaneous-blink trials, but these blinks showed no clear temporal association with the alternation. Physical blackouts simulating blinks also did not affect perceptual alternation. However, these same blackouts did modulate it when susceptibility to perceptual alternation was high, suggesting that retinal transients have a limited but condition-dependent effect. Moreover, the lack of modulation from instructed key presses suggests that extra-retinal self-motion signals per se cannot account for the effect. Notably, instructed eye widenings, which do not involve eyelid closure, also facilitated perceptual alternation. Taken together, these results suggest that the facilitatory effects of voluntary blinking primarily reflect extra-retinal signals associated with voluntary eyelid movements.

AIM: To compare the nano-surface characteristics and antimicrobial efficacy of calcium hydroxide-coated stainless steel crowns (SSCs) and zirconia crowns using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and agar diffusion method.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: An in vitro study was conducted using 10 crowns, divided into two groups: Five calcium hydroxide-coated zirconia crowns (Group I) and five calcium hydroxide-coated SSCs (Group II). Both crown types were uniformly coated with calcium hydroxide nanoparticles. Nanosurface topography was assessed using AFM, and antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus species was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method. Antimicrobial plates were incubated for 24 hours before zone measurement. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Atomic force microscopy analysis revealed significantly higher nanoscale surface roughness in zirconia crowns compared to SSCs. Antimicrobial testing demonstrated markedly larger zones of inhibition for zirconia crowns against S. mutans and Lactobacillus compared to SSCs, statistically indicating highly significant differences.

CONCLUSION: Calcium hydroxide-coated zirconia crowns exhibit superior nanoscale roughness and enhanced antimicrobial efficacy compared to calcium hydroxide coated stainless steel crowns.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study addresses the clinical need for restorative options that not only restore form and function but also actively contribute to caries prevention in high-risk patients. Enhancing the antibacterial performance of preformed crowns through calcium hydroxide coatings may help limit bacterial colonization at crown margins, reduce the incidence of secondary caries, and support better longevity of both zirconia and SSCs. How to cite this article: Seth S, Ravikumar R. Comparison of Nanosurface Evaluation and Antimicrobial Efficacy of Calcium Hydroxide-Coated Stainless Steel and Zirconia Crowns in Pediatric Dentistry: An Atomic Force Microscopic Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2026;27(1):37-43.

AIM: This study aims to evaluate the probable impression of the tongue forces on the posterior mandibular dentoalveolar structure through the assessment of the reflected stress distribution and the possible resultant displacement by finite element analysis on the mandibular model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The AutoCAD (2010) software was used to design the three-dimensional mandibular study model for finite element analysis. A force of 2, 90, and 500 g/cm2 that represents the forces expressed by the tongue during the normal rest posture, the normal function, and abnormal function, respectively, is applied perpendicularly to the lingual aspect of the mandibular model posterior portion.

RESULTS: Higher displacement values in the three axes of space X, Y, and Z are complementary to high von Mises stresses seen in abnormal tongue function state, and lowest for the normal rest posture, with normal function state in between.

CONCLUSION: This study showed that abnormal lingual habits possibly have an adverse effect on the mandibular posterior structure. It may lead to abnormal deviation in the form and position during growth. How to cite this article: Alsultan MMH, Al Zubaidi SH, Alsaleem NR. Abnormal Tongue Behavior with Its Imaginable Influence on the Posterior Mandibular Dentoalveolar Structure. J Contemp Dent Pract 2026;27(1):27-32.

AIM: Gingival recession (GR) is a significant determinant of both the functional and cosmetic aspects of patients. Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) using collagen membranes is considered a desirable option among the various strategies for GR coverage using barrier membranes. Therefore, this clinical research was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of GTR using bioabsorbable collagen membrane (GTRbcm) and subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) in the treatment of GR over a duration of 6 months.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 24 patients diagnosed with Miller's class I and II GR participated in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, which was divided into two groups, with 12 patients in each group. Group I received a coronally advanced flap (CAF) with GTR, whereas group II had CAF with SCTG following the first periodontal treatment. Paired t-tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used for evaluating parameters within and across groups.

RESULTS: Analysis of covariance revealed that the recession depth (RD) in group I was significantly greater than in group II at 3 months (1.27 ± 0.17 compared to 0.65 ± 0.17) and 6 months (1.06 ± 0.16 compared to 0.19 ± 0.16), respectively. Group II had a more substantial reduction in RD, with a reduction of 74, 83, and 95% observed at all subsequent examinations.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that both surgical procedures may effectively treat Miller's class I and II GRs, resulting in satisfactory root coverage.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The GTR technique with collagen membrane can be an alternative to the SCTG in the management of GR. It will help clinicians in evidence-based decision-making and careful case selection for successful outcomes in treating GR. How to cite this article: Siddiqui LT, Amirisetty R, Shetty RM, et al. Guided Tissue Regeneration and Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft in the Treatment of Gingival Recession: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Contemp Dent Pract 2026;27(1):12-20.

AIM: To evaluate the mean overbite depth indicator (ODI) and anteroposterior dysplasia index (APDI) values in a sample of Arab Jordanian individuals and compare these findings to the original reference norms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 240 subjects (mean age: 10.54 ± 2.3 years), comprising 123 females and 117 males, were selected based on the presence of an angle class I molar relationship and average vertical and sagittal skeletal and dental patterns. Participants were evenly distributed into four age-based cohorts: group I (7-8 years), group II (9-10 years), group III (11-12 years), and group IV (13-14 years). The mean values of the ODI and APDI were calculated for each age and gender subgroup. These values were statistically analyzed and compared with the original reference norms using SPSS software. A significance threshold of p < 0.05 was applied.

RESULTS: Across the total sample, the mean ODI value was significantly lower (72.10° ± 3.34°), while the mean APDI value was significantly higher (82.70° ± 3.03°) compared to the original reference norms. No statistically significant differences in ODI or APDI values were observed among the four age subgroups. Gender-based analysis revealed no significant differences in APDI values between males and females. However, females exhibited significantly higher ODI values compared to males.

CONCLUSION: The derived mean values for the ODI and APDI serve as clinically relevant benchmarks for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning in Arab populations and contribute to the refinement of global cephalometric standards through population-specific insights.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows that Arab Jordanian children have different average ODI and APDI values compared to the original standards. Knowing these differences helps orthodontists make better treatment decisions that match the needs of this population. How to cite this article: Alrbata RH, Rahamneh AS. Evaluation of the Overbite Depth Indicator and Anteroposterior Dysplasia Index in a Sample of the Arab Population. J Contemp Dent Pract 2026;27(1):51-54.