Douching and genital talc use: Patterns of use and reliability of self-reported exposure

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Douching and genital talc use: Patterns of use and reliability of self-reported exposure via Epidemiology - Published Ahead-of-Print Background: Feminine hygiene products contain chemicals that may be harmful to human health. Observational studies of the long-term health effects of such products largely rely on self-reported, recalled exposure. We sought to capture patterns of use over the life-course and evaluate the reliability of self-reported data. Methods: We collected retrospective data on douching and genital talc use in the US-based Sister Study at two time points and evaluated the consistency of reporting. At enrollment (2003-09), participants were asked to report use in the last year and during ages 10-13. On a follow-up questionnaire (2017-19), participants were asked about their use of douche or genital talc over their lifetimes. Results: Among 36,202 women who completed both questionnaires, 14% initially reported ever douching and 27% initially reported ever using genital talc. On the follow-up questionnaire, 51% of participants reported ever douching and 32% reported ever using genital talc. Comparisons across the two questionnaires for use in the year prior to enrollment showed good consistency, with 90% providing the same responses about douching and 87% providing the same responses about genital talc use. Reliability did not vary by cancer status, race and ethnicity, attained education, or age, though there was some evidence of recall bias for genital talc use among ovarian cancer survivors. Conclusions: Classification of ever use of feminine hygiene products may be recalled with good consistency, but agreement was lower for specific time periods and trends may vary by subgroup. These potential differences warrant careful consideration in future studies. Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Cardio SEM: A Novel Approach for a Traffic Light System for Heart Failure Warning Signs

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Cardio SEM: A Novel Approach for a Traffic Light System for Heart Failure Warning Signs via Computers Informatics Nursing - Published Ahead-of-Print Existing literature on the follow-up of heart failure patients with warning signs shows that it is necessary to increase patients' knowledge and of seeking help in a timely manner. This suggests an opportunity to implement strategies that integrate technology to visualize the risk of decompensation. This article studies the acceptance of Cardio Sem, a traffic light system mobile application for patients with heart failure. A descriptive, observational pilot study was performed with 23 outpatients belonging to a heart failure program. For 4 weeks, patients used Cardio Sem, which allows visualizing the risk of decompensati on through a series of questions that patients must answer daily and provides guidance for managing signs and symptoms of decompensation. A technology acceptance questionnaire was applied to all patients, resulting in acceptance of the application, especially in the dimensions that emphasized perceived usefulness (100%), social influence (100%), and behavioral intent (99.8%). Cardio Sem is useful for early detection of symptoms that allow for early response to complications. Acceptance of the application by patients and its ease of use present the possibility to implement it as a complementary tool to promote self-care and effective management of symptoms. View on Web

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Vitamin D Levels and Oral Health in Stroke Patients During Inpatient Rehabilitation

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Vitamin D Levels and Oral Health in Stroke Patients During Inpatient Rehabilitation via Journal of Oral Rehabilitation Abstract Background Stroke is a severe that restricts the individual's functions, effects the oral health. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral health and vitamin D levels in stroke patients in rehabilitation units. Methods Participants with stroke, and age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited for the study. Oral Health Impact Scale-14 (OHIP-14), Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index, Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), Gingival Index (GI), and Plaque Index (PI) were assesed for all participants. Barthel Index (BI), and Brunnstrom Recovery Scale (BRS), and Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) assessed for the stroke patients. Vitamin D levels of each participant were recorded. Results The stroke patients' DMFT index and OHIP-14 values were higher than those of the healthy controls (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in terms of CPTIN, PI, or GI scores (p>0.05). No statistically significant difference was determined in the DMFT index, OHIP-14 scores, Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), PI (Plaque Index), and GI (Gingival Index) scores according to vitamin D levels among the stroke patients (p>0.05). Stroke patients' functional scores (BRS, MAS, and BI), vitamin D levels, and oral health status (OHIP-14, DMFT, CPITN, PI, and GI) were subjected to correlation analysis. This revealed significant negative correlation between BRS (arm, hand, and leg), and BI and OHIP-14 scores (p<0.05). Conclusion Although the DMFT index and health-related quality of life were adversely affected in stroke patients, no relationship was found between vitamin D and oral health status. View on Web

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Portable Device (Bruxoff®) to Measure Sleep Bruxism

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Diagnostic Accuracy of a Portable Device (Bruxoff®) to Measure Sleep Bruxism via Journal of Oral Rehabilitation Abstract Background Diagnosis of sleep bruxism (SB) challenges clinicians every day due to multiple forms of assessment tools available, including self-reported questionnaires, clinical examinations, portable devices, and laboratory polysomnography (PSG). PSG has become the gold standard for evaluating SB but it can be limited due to cost and restricted accessibility which often is characterized by long waiting times. Hence, there is a need for the development of a reliable method that can assess SB in a simple and portable manner, which would offer acceptable sensitivity and specificity to evaluate SB. Objective To investigate reliability and validity of the Bruxoff® device for the diagnosis of SB compared to the PSG. Methods 49 subjects underwent one night of polysomnographic study with simultaneous recording with the Bruxoff® device. Rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) index was scored according to published criteria. Pearson correlation, Bland-Altman plot, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve outcomes were used to quantify the agreement between both methods. Results ROC analysis showed an acceptable accuracy for the Bruxoff® with sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 72% when the cut-off was set at 2 events per hour. Pearson correlation analysis showed a nearly significant correlation between PSG and Bruxoff® for RMMA index (r= .282 p= .071) and for total sleep bruxism episodes per night (r=.295 p=.058). Additionally, the Bland-Altman plot revealed a consistent and systematic difference in the measurement of events between devices. Conclusion The Bruxoff® device appears to be a promising diagnostic method for clinical use but further study is needed. View on Web

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adverse events in analgesic trials of third molar removal

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Nocebo response in dentistry: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of adverse events in analgesic trials of third molar removal via Journal of Oral Rehabilitation Abstract Background The nocebo response refers to the phenomenon where nonspecific factors, including negative verbal suggestion and treatment expectations, cause adverse events (AE) following a placebo treatment. Nonspecific factors are also likely to influence AE occurrence following administration of active pharmacological treatments. Objective This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the nocebo response in dentistry by assessing the AEs prevalence in placebo- and active arms of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing analgesic treatment following third molar (M3) surgery. Methods A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Eligible studies had to report the number of patients experiencing at least one drug-related AE (patients with AE ≥ 1) separately for the active and placebo arms. The proportion of patients with AE ≥ 1 and drug-related dropouts were pooled, and risk differences (RDs) between patients in the placebo- and active arm were calculated. Results In 50 independent RCTs of 47 identified articles, the pooled rates of patients with AE ≥ 1 were 22.8% in the placebo arm and 20.6% in the active arm. The pooled rates of drug-related dropout were 0.24% in the placebo arm and 0.08% in the active arm. There were no significant RDs in patients with AE ≥ 1 and drug-related dropouts. Conclusion These results show that patients in the placebo arm reported AEs to the same extent as patients receiving active treatment, suggesting that most AEs in analgesic medication following M3 surgery may be attributed to the nocebo phenomenon. View on Web

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Banter in psychotherapy: Relationship to treatment type, therapeutic alliance, and therapy outcome

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Banter in psychotherapy: Relationship to treatment type, therapeutic alliance, and therapy outcome via Journal of Clinical Psychology Abstract Introduction The use of humor in psychotherapy is widely considered to improve therapy outcomes and typically depends on context, patient sensitivity, and the therapist's humor style. Different types of humor may impact treatment type, therapeutic alliance, and therapy outcome; however, evidence from psychotherapy sessions on the role of banter has been sparse to date. Therefore, the study aims to examine banter in a secondary analysis of psychotherapy sessions. Method The sample consisted of 68 depressed outpatients treated with one of three treatment types: psychoanalytic therapy (PA), psychodynamic therapy (PD), and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Banter and therapeutic alliance were rated for therapy sessions taken from the middle phase of treatment, outcome was assessed at the end of treatment. Results The main findings were (1) clinical examples of banter in psychotherapy were found in 62 from 68 sessions, (2) significantly more bantering in the main bantering category of facilitation for CBT sessions as compared to other treatment types, (3) facilitative banter as a significant predictor for the positive introject, (4) a significant correlation between bantering and bond between therapist and client. Furthermore, based on these results, psychometric properties of the Klagenfurt Bantering Instrument (KBI) are reported. Conclusion From a bantering perspective, this study emphasizes the need to consider session context, client response, and sarcastic markers when categorizing negative banter using the KBI. View on Web

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Prediction and validation of microbial community function from normal pulp to pulpitis caused by deep dentinal caries

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Prediction and validation of microbial community function from normal pulp to pulpitis caused by deep dentinal caries via International Endodontic Journal Abstract Introduction Microbial function changes may be responsible for dental pulp transformation from normal to diseased. However, studies on the prediction and verification of the function of the microbial community in the deep dentine and pulp of caries-induced pulpitis are lacking. Methods This study included 171 cases of deep dentinal caries divided into normal pulp (NP), reversible pulpitis (RP), and irreversible pulpitis (IRP). In Experiment I, the microbial-community composition was identified in 111 samples using 16S ribosomal DNA. Function prediction was performed through phylogenetic investigation of communities by PICRUSt prediction and qPCR. In Experiment II, different microbiome functions were confirmed in 60 samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results In Experiment I, microbial abundance significantly differed in the IRP group compared to the other two groups. The RP and NP groups had the same microbiome composition, but the predicted functional difference between the RP and NP groups pertained to membrane transport (P<0.010). The predicted functional difference between the IRP and NP groups pertained to amino-acid, co-factor, and vitamin metabolism (P<0.010). In Experiment II, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional annotation revealed that the differential metabolites between the RP and NP groups did not participate in membrane transport; however, the differential metabolites between the IRP and NP groups participated in amino-acid metabolism. Conclusions The near-pulp microbiome in RP and NP with deep dentinal caries had the same differential function. However, amino acid metabolism in near the pulp microbial community differed between IRP and NP with deep dentinal caries. View on Web

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