Abstract: Background: Engaging diverse populations including Muslims in research activities is important to support patient-centered research and improve health equity. Objectives: To describe the community engagement steps that informed conducting research with five distinctively diverse U.S. Muslim communities. Methods: Researchers engaged with leaders, advisory members, and people from five diverse communities. Strategies to support sampling, recruitment, multi-language interpretation methods, and how to support closed communities and address their concerns are discussed. Lessons Learned: Researchers interested in working with Muslim communities should be aware of principles of seclusion when interacting with sex-discordant participants. Including language concordant researchers demonstrated effectiveness and efficiency in the process. Researchers should be open to rejections from communities and accept stepping back to give community members the space needed to decide whether to participate in research. Conclusion: Flexibility and adaptability are integral in recruitment and data collection as diverse communities may respond differently to methods successfully used elsewhere.

Abstract: Dental anxiety is a common experience and can be considered a public health issue. This qualitative evidence synthesis used a thematic synthesis approach, to identify and synthesise findings of qualitative studies exploring adults’ lived experiences of dental anxiety.Systematic searches of Embase, Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ProQuest, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library identified eleven qualitative studies (total N = 308; age range 18–75 years; 62% female) exploring adults’ dental anxiety experiences Data were extracted and critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP, 2018) checklist for qualitative research, then synthesised with confidence in synthesised findings assessed using GRADE‑CERQual criteria.Eleven qualitative studies (308 adult participants) yielded 18 review findings, which were organised into nine descriptive themes and synthesised into four analytical themes. The constructed themes captured dental anxiety as a convergence of past and present experiences, shaped by the patient-clinician relationships and systemic factors in dental care. The role of shame contributed to avoidance behaviours, and the use of personal coping strategies was linked to regaining a sense of control which was perceived to be minimal whilst in the dental chair. Findings highlight the benefits of qualitative research methods for understanding the complexity of dental anxiety.

Abstract: Early childhood caries (ECC) is routinely described as a complex, multifactorial disease shaped by biofilm ecology, host susceptibility, diet, behavior, and social context. Yet, a growing strand of public-health messaging and implementation practice increasingly treats ECC as a one-step problem solvable by a topical “magic paint” (most prominently silver diamine fluoride, SDF) and deliverable by non-dental or minimally trained providers. This commentary argues that the core contradiction—declaring ECC polycausal while operationalizing it as monocausal—drives a harmful evidence-to-policy drift: research designs favor short-term, easily marketable surrogate endpoints (e.g., “arrest” defined partly by SDF-induced black staining) and implementation strategies shift diagnosis and management to underprepared personnel without robust guardrails.Using a journal-style critical lens anchored in ROB-2, CONSORT, and STROBE principles, I examine recent Canadian work frequently cited to justify “paint-and-go” approaches, including open-label randomized trials of SDF application intervals and microbiome-focused substudies, and I integrate the delegation axis through the Canadian Caries Risk Assessment Tool (CCRAT) and its embedding into primary care workflows. While SDF and non-dental screening can be valuable adjuncts in a continuum of care, overselling them as substitutes for dentist-led diagnosis, pulpal assessment, and definitive rehabilitation risks institutionalizing a two-tier standard for children—especially for Indigenous and remote communities. I conclude with concrete research and policy guardrails: comparator-driven trials, multilevel modeling, lesion-specific sampling where mechanistic claims are made, patient-centered outcomes, defined referral timelines, and a dental-home–anchored pathway that treats SDF as a bridge—not a destination.

Abstract: Light exposure is a primary zeitgeber for the human circadian system and plays a key role in shaping sleep–wake patterns during adolescence, a period marked by biological sensitivity and social constraints. How the temporal organization and spectral composition of daily light exposure differ between weekdays and weekends remains poorly un-derstood. Eighteen adolescents (15–17 years) were monitored for seven days using wrist actigraphy with integrated light sensors. Sleep parameters, nonparametric circadian rhythm indices, and time-resolved profiles of ambient and spectral (blue, green, and red) light exposure were analyzed. Repeated-measures ANOVA tested the effects of time of day and day type. Total sleep time and time in bed were longer on weekdays than on weekends (p < 0.05), while sleep latency and WASO did not differ. Circadian indices indicated preserved rhythmic organization. Light exposure showed a robust diurnal profile, with higher spectral irradiance on weekends (p < 0.001), especially in the morning and early afternoon. Significant time × day-type interactions were observed across all spectral bands (p < 0.001), indicating systematic reshaping of daily light profiles. Ado-lescents exhibit weekday–weekend differences in the temporal and spectral organization of light exposure, affecting the amplitude and shape of overall daily profiles.

Abstract: Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most common congenital viral infection worldwide and a leading cause of neurodevelopmental abnormalities, including sensorineural hearing loss, microcephaly, and developmental delay in neonates. Transmission occurs primarily through vertical maternal–fetal infection during early pregnancy. Although most infected neonates are asymptomatic at birth, a significant proportion develop long-term neurological sequelae. In low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria, routine screening for congenital CMV is rarely performed, and molecular epidemiological data remain limited. This study aimed to determine the molecular prevalence and characterize congenital CMV infection among neonates attending tertiary health institutions in Jos, Nigeria. A cross-sectional molecular study was conducted among neonates aged ≤21 days recruited from three tertiary hospitals in Jos between January 2021 and December 2022. Buccal swab samples were collected and tested for CMV DNA using standardized in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Positive samples were subjected to Sanger sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis was performed. Data were analyzed descriptively, and molecular prevalence was reported with exact 95% confidence intervals. Out of 180 neonates enrolled, one tested positive for CMV DNA, giving a molecular prevalence of 0.6% (95% CI: 0.02–3.1%). BLAST analysis revealed 98.9% nucleotide sequence similarity to Human herpesvirus 5 strain HAN22, and the sequence was assigned the GenBank accession number PV668598. Phylogenetic analysis showed clustering with previously reported African isolates. The CMV-positive neonate presented with microcephaly and small-for-gestational-age status. Although congenital CMV infection was rare in this cohort, molecular detection and genomic characterization provide valuable baseline data on CMV epidemiology in Nigeria and underscore the importance of continued surveillance and early diagnosis.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Functional decline and depression often coexist in older adults, yet local Singapore-based research often lacks detailed temporal resolution due to heterogeneity in ageing. This study employs non-parametric, data-driven longitudinal clustering to analyse functional trajectories and their association with depression, using high-frequency data to pinpoint key intervention periods. Methods: Data were drawn from 4,273 older adults from Singapore Life Panel® (2020–2024). Participants completed quarterly self-reported assessments of ADL, IADL and depressive symptoms (8-item CES-D). We employed k-means longitudinal clustering (kml) to identify functional trajectory groups and Cox regression to evaluate the hazard of worsening depression (≥5-point increase in CES-D). Results: Three trajectories emerged: Stable, Medium (gradual increase in functional difficulty), and High (rapid increase in functional difficulty). The High cluster, comprising older and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, exhibited worse baseline health and psychosocial factor scores. Depression scores escalated in the Medium and High groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a faster rate of symptom worsening in these groups than in the Stable group. The High ADL trajectory predicted a 1.65-fold increased hazard of depression worsening after adjusting for sociodemographic and psychosocial confounders. Conclusions: Rapid functional decline acts as a precursor to worsening depressive symptoms. Routine monitoring of functional trajectories offers a strategic window for proactive mental health interventions in at-risk older adults.