Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of non-surgical periodontal treatment on HbA1c: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) was conducted to evaluate whether non-surgical periodontal treatment can reduce the HbA1c% level in type 2 diabetic patients. Recent accumulation of RCTs necessitates updating of the findings of previous reviews. METHODS A search of the literature on English publications was conducted in Cochrane CENTRAL, Medline and EMBASE (until 31 March 2012). An RCT was selected if the study population was type 2 diabetic patients (≥16 years old) diagnosed with periodontitis, and compared HbA1c% change with or without non-surgical periodontal treatment for at least three months of the study duration. Weighted mean differences for pooled data and antibiotic use strata were calculated. Heterogeneity and publication bias were explored. RESULTS A total of 358 articles were identified but only six were suitable. Compared to the control group, the pooled analysis (n = 422) showed -0.41% (95% CI: -0.73% to -0.09%, p = 0.013) absolute difference in HbA1c% with treatment. Studies without adjunctive antibiotic had HbA1c% change of -0.64% (95% CI: -1.06% to -0.23%, p = 0.002), but we could not conclude on the effect of adjunctive antibiotic use (p = 0.734). Publication bias was significant with Egger's test (p = 0.014) but not with Begg's test (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS The meta-analysis suggested that non-surgical periodontal treatment was associated with a reduction in HbA1c%.
Introduction To the Special Issue

Since the middle 1980s, when the U.S. drug war switched into high gear, youth drug prevention or prevention education research has been conducted under a fearful miasma. By attempting to engage in critical scientific discourse, many researchers have been labeled as &dquo;soft on drugs&dquo; or &dquo;drug legalizers. &dquo; Without engaging on that level in this special issue, they have experienced censure and professional damage that is documented in a recent magazine article (Glass 1997). The censuring aspect of this miasma has left us with a paucity of important information that might otherwise facilitate scientific discourse. And in the interim, the well-being of youths has become all but a rhetorical tool, where the program evaluators seem to forget about the actual experience of the students in these programs, experiences that seem to have been detrimental in some instances (see D’Emidio-Caston and Brown 1998 [this issue]). It has taken until now to simply appreciate the gravity of the youth experience in these programs and to initiate a critical scientific discourse. The research in this issue represents one of the first coordinated attempts to challenge the myopic approach to program evaluation (explicated in this special issue) and to look at the broader issues of students’ well-being. All articles are written by independent researchers, who are not evaluators of their own new programs and, for the most part, outsiders of this field. While editing the articles presented in this issue, several topics emerged. Each topic is of direct relevance to drug prevention and is related to how we conduct and report drug prevention research. The topics discussed in this introduction are based on general and pervasive aspects of this research that
The effect of a change in selection procedures on students' motivation to study dentistry.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in student selection criteria at The University of Adelaide effected a change in motivation and influencing factors to study dentistry by comparing cohorts. METHODS Online questionnaire completed by first-year dentistry students at The University of Adelaide between 1993-1996 and 1997-2005. RESULTS All 666 students completed the questionnaire with 647 suitable for analysis. The likelihood of students being motivated for a career in dentistry because it 'fits with family' was greater for the 1997-2005 cohort (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.14-2.49, p < 0.01) than it was for 1993-1996 enrollees, whereas 'status' became less important (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.30-0.73, p < 0.01). Being influenced by a dentist (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.63-3.55, p < 0.001) or a dental employee (OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 0.90-4.85, p < 0.001) was much greater for the 1997-2005 group than it was for the 1993-1996 cohort. Where students came from, parents' level of education and gender were not significant in the multivariate analysis of factors associated with motivation and influences of students' career choice. CONCLUSIONS Changes to the selection procedure were associated with increased emphasis on lifestyle factors and the dental profession, but not with the desire to help people or the importance of the work itself in students' decision to study dentistry.
Influence of Gender on Falls

ABSTRACT This study examined whether gender influenced fall-related risk factors among community-dwelling adults of 50 years of age and older who lived in a rural county in eastern North Carolina. Over a 4-year period, a semistructured fall questionnaire was administered. Significant findings at the 0.05 level included (a) women fell more frequently than men in the 71–80-year-old group; (b) women notified other people about their falls more often than men; (c) women who lived alone fell more often than men living alone; and (d) women were more fearful of falling than men. New findings from this study included the percentage of participants who felt like they were going to fall again; comparison of gender to the location of fall; activities engaged in when the fall occurred; fall-related injuries; bathroom safety equipment; and activity restriction due to a fear of falling.
Effect of QMix irrigant on the microhardness of root canal dentine.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of QMix, EDTA + CHX, EDTA + NaOCl and maleic acid on the microhardness of root canal dentine. METHODS Forty recently extracted human maxillary canine teeth were longitudinally sectioned into 80 segments and then embedded in an autopolymerizing acrylic resin. The microhardness of the dentine in the specimen was measured with a Vickers diamond indenter at the coronal, middle and apical thirds of the roots. Finally, the specimens were divided randomly into four groups: 17% EDTA + 2.5% NaOCl; 17% EDTA + 2% CHX; QMix; and 7% maleic acid. Post-treatment microhardness values were obtained and the decrease in microhardness was calculated as a percentage. Microhardness values were statistically analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS Maleic acid significantly decreased microhardness in all regions, compared to the other groups. In the coronal and middle regions, there was no significant difference among the other groups. In the apical region, there was no significant difference between QMix and 17% EDTA + 2% CHX but these groups presented significant dentine microhardness reduction compared to the 17% EDTA + 2.5% NaOCl group. CONCLUSIONS While maleic acid showed the greatest reduction in dentine microhardness, it was found that QMix, 17% EDTA + 2% CHX and 17% EDTA + 2.5% NaOCl cause the same reduction in the microhardness of root canal dentine in the coronal and middle regions.
Influência das características sociodemográficas e epidemiológicas na capacidade funcional de idosos residentes em Ubá, Minas Gerais

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the functional capacity of elderly individuals and its determinants. METHODS: A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted with a sample of 397 elderly residents in the urban area of the city of Uba, Minas Gerais. A semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire was applied as an interview in order to assess the sociodemographic, economic and health characteristics of elderly individuals. The functional capacity was assessed by means of the scale of basic and instrumental activities of daily living. The associations between functional capacity and socioeconomic, demographic and epidemiological characteristics were investigated. Data were analyzed with the softwares Epi Info version 6.0 and SigmaStat. A significance level of 0.05 was considered. For statistical analysis, frequency distribution and measures of association (odds ratio) were performed between the functional capacity and the socioeconomic, demographic and epidemiological variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS: The impaired functional capacity was related to self-referred deteriorated health conditions, falls, female gender, widowhood, more advanced age, low educational level and income, and retirement from the job market. CONCLUSION: The lack of integral health care for the elderly, especially those without financial resources, can contribute negatively to worsened health conditions, especially functional capacity.
Effect of intramyocardial bone marrow cell injection on left ventricular dyssynchrony and global strain

Objective: To evaluate the effect of bone marrow cell injection on global strain and left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony. Methods: In 14 patients with severe postinfarction heart failure, 93 (14)×106 autologous bone marrow cells were percutaneously injected in the infarction border zone. LV ejection fraction (LVEF), LV dyssynchrony and echocardiographic global strain were assessed at baseline and 3 months in patients and in a non-randomised control group of 10 patients with a history of infarction who developed heart failure and were treated medically. Results: No periprocedural complications occurred during bone marrow cell injection. At 3 months mean (SD) LVEF increased from 23 (8)% to 27 (9)% (p = 0.02) and global strain improved from −7.7 (4.7)% to −8.5 (4.9)% (p = 0.04). In patients with ⩾5% improvement in LVEF after bone marrow cell injection, global strain improved from −8.7 (4.6)% to −10.6 (4.5)% (p<0.01). Global strain remained unchanged in patients with <5% improvement in LVEF (−6.6 (4.9)% vs −6.4 (4.5)%, p = NS). The relation between the increase in LVEF and improvement in global strain was significant (r = 0.84, p<0.01). In patients with ⩾5% improvement in LVEF, LV dyssynchrony decreased from 173 (64) ms to 116 (64) ms (p = 0.01). In patients with <5% improvement in LVEF, LV dyssynchrony remained unchanged (155 (67) ms vs 177 (81) ms, p = NS). The correlation between improvement in LVEF and reduction in LV dyssynchrony was good (r = −0.77, p<0.01). In the control group, LVEF, global strain and LV dyssynchrony did not improve. Conclusions: Bone marrow cell injection improves LVEF in patients with severe postinfarction heart failure. The improvement in LVEF was related to reduced LV dyssynchrony and increased global strain.
“Am I qualified? How do I Know?” A Qualitative Study of Sexuality Educators' Training Experiences

Abstract Background: National Health Education Standards in the U. S. focus on key concepts and skills around health issues, including sexuality. However, little is known about the extent to which classroom teachers are trained to deliver sexuality education. Purpose: The purpose is to explore pre-service training experiences and needs of sexuality educators in Minnesota. Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted with a diverse sample of 41 sexuality educators, and qualitative analysis was used to detect themes across groups. Results: Results indicate a wide variety of pre-service teaching experience, ranging from no instruction to extensive training. Teachers had numerous suggestions for ways their training could have better prepared them to teach sexuality education, such as ways of working with culturally diverse students. Teachers described many ways in which they were unprepared in their first year of teaching sexuality education. Discussion: Training programs to prepare sexuality educators are not adequately preparing teachers for their multifaceted role. Findings point to the need to train sexuality educators differently than teachers for other subjects. Translation to Health Education Practice: Findings indicate that pre-service training programs should greatly expand their offerings, tighten requirements and hone methodologies in sexuality education to meet the needs of today's teachers and students.
Endothelial dysfunction and pathophysiological correlates in atrial fibrillation

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) increases oxidative stress and proinflammatory agents, and impairs nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vasorelaxation. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a risk factor for ED as documented by (1) impaired acetylcholine-mediated blood flow increase; (2) reduced plasma nitrite/nitrate levels; (3) additive impairment of flow-mediated dilatation by comorbidities causing ED; and (4) efficacy of cardioversion. Several possible mechanisms sustain the AF-ED association: (1) An impaired rheology. Endothelial NO release is tightly regulated by laminar shear stress and AF induces a turbulent flow which may impair arterial vessel distension and responsiveness. Specifically, Ca2+ elicits NO synthase (eNOS) activation, and shear stress application to endothelial cells increases intracellular Ca2+ primarily in response to regular pulsatile flow at a rate higher than that observed in the presence of oscillatory pulsatile flow. (2) The atrium activity on arterial vessels. The left atrium produces NO and may serve as an endocrine organ releasing nitroso compounds. A disorganised atrial contraction markedly reduces eNOS expression. (3) AF induces atrial inflammation and elevation of C reactive protein and cytokines, exerting a proinflammatory activity on endothelial cells. (4) Systemic factors such as the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may be prominent. In fact, RAS and inflammation reciprocally “cross-talk”. Angiotensin II increases atrial cell death and RAS contributes to myocardial and vascular oxidative stress in AF. RAS inhibition prevents AF. Important clinical correlates of ED in AF patients are muscle underperfusion, premature lactic acidosis and ergoreflex oversignalling during physical activity. This review focuses on the evidence of an association of AF with ED, the possible underlying mechanisms and the pathophysiological correlates.
Exploration of the mechanisms of biofilm formation by Enterococcus faecalis in glucose starvation environments.

BACKGROUND Enterococcus faecalis is the most common single species present in teeth after failed root canal therapy. This is mainly due to its ability to maintain viability for a long time in filled root canals where nutrients are normally sparse. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism of E. faecalis survival and biofilm formation in glucose-starved environments. METHODS Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 33186 was inoculated in energy starvation media for biofilm formation. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescent DNA-binding agents were employed to assess biofilm-forming ability. The physiochemical properties of the biofilm cell wall were investigated by measuring the hydrophobicity, extracellular polysaccharide and ATPase activity. The expression of stress and virulence genes was quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The ability for biofilm formation decreased with a decreasing concentration of glucose. The cell surface hydrophobicity increased dramatically with decreasing glucose concentration. Water-soluble exopolysaccharide (WSE) synthesis decreased in glucose starvation media, whereas water-insoluble exopolysaccharide (WIE) synthesis increased. A marked decrease in ATPase activity was observed only in a no glucose medium. In addition, transcription of ace, fsrB and gelE genes increased under glucose starvation stress while atpE, salB and esp genes were down-regulated. CONCLUSIONS Enterococcus faecalis survival and biofilm formation under glucose starvation stress may be attributed to an increase in cell-surface hydrophobicity and additionally to the up-regulation of some genes involved in stress response and biofilm formation. These characteristics may explain why E. faecalis can maintain viability for a long time in an energy-starved environment and why it is frequently isolated from persistently infected root canals.
Evaluation of cone beam computed tomography and periapical radiography in the diagnosis of root resorption.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and periapical radiography in diagnosing root resorption and verify the influence of filling material in detecting these lesions. METHODS Digital periapical radiographs and CBCT images of patients with root resorption and a history of dental trauma from a radiology clinic were reviewed retrospectively. The sample comprised 40 teeth with root resorption and 20 normal teeth as controls. Images were analysed by two radiologists and two endodontists. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were determined. The kappa coefficient assessed interobserver agreement and the t test determined significant differences between the imaging methods. RESULTS The accuracy of CBCT in diagnosing external (P = 0.0144) and internal (P = 0.0038) inflammatory resorption was significantly higher than for periapical radiography. For replacement resorption, no statistical difference was noted (P > 0.05). In endodontically treated teeth, CBCT was statistically superior in diagnosing root resorption (P = 0.0138). CONCLUSIONS CBCT was superior to digital periapical radiography in diagnosing external and internal inflammatory root resorption after dental trauma and can be considered in the differential diagnosis of resorptive lesions in teeth with endodontic treatment.
Performance of serially concatenated space-time QPSK systems

In this paper, error performance of a serially concatenated QPSK space-time system is investigated on quasi-static, block and rapid fading channels. We consider outer nonrecursive convolutional and inner recursive space-time trellis code case and iterative decoding based on the maximum a posteriori (MAP) algorithm. The performance is evaluated by means of computer simulations and it is observed that when the recursive versions of some of the previously known space-time trellis codes are used as the inner codes, the Euclidean distance criterion based spaced-time codes lead to better error performance for both quasi-static and rapid fading channels. We also investigate the effects of various system parameters on the performance. We obtain the error performance for the large number of transmit and/or receive antennas increases the error performance improves.
Prescribing patterns of dental practitioners in Australia from 2001 to 2012. Antimicrobials

BACKGROUND The development of antibiotic resistance by bacteria is of global concern. Inappropriate prescribing has the potential to exacerbate this issue. We aimed to examine the patterns of prescribing of antimicrobial medicines by dental practitioners in Australia from 2001 to 2012. METHODS Data were collected from Medicare Australia on prescriptions from dental practitioners dispensed to concessional beneficiaries between 2001 and 2012. We examined patterns of use over time. RESULTS There was an overall increase in number of prescriptions and in dispensed use (standardized by dose and population) of antibiotics and antifungals for the concessional population over the 12-year period. The use of dentally prescribed antibiotics increased 50%. Amoxicillin was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic accounting for 66% of all prescriptions in 2012. Generally, there was preferential prescribing of the highest dose formulations. The use of the two antifungals increased 30% over the study period with a preference for amphotericin B (74%) rather than nystatin. CONCLUSIONS These data show a concerning increase in prescribing of antibiotics and antifungals by dentists in Australia. It would appear that Australian dentists may not be prescribing these medicines appropriately; however, further research is needed to understand prescribing behaviours and decision-making by dentists.
Association of red cell distribution width, haematocrit and other RBC indices with coronay artery disease: A case control study

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is mainly caused by atherosclerosis and its complications. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a numerical measure of the variability in size of circulating erythrocytes. Several studies reported a strong, independent relation between higher levels of RDW, hematocrit (Hct), and the risk of death and cardiovascular events in people with prior CAD. We tested the hypothesis that RDW, Hct, and other red blood corpuscle (RBC) indices are associated with CAD. Hence, we measured RDW, Hct, and other RBC indices in AMI and stable CAD (SCAD) and compared them with age- and sex-matched controls. Objectives: To study the changes in RDW and RBC indices in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and SCAD and compare them with age- and sex-matched controls. Materials and Methods: This was a comparative study of 128 subjects (39 patients with AMI, 24 patients with SCAD, and 65 controls). Venous sample were drawn from AMI subjects on admission (within 6 h of chest pain) and collected in standardized ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) sample tubes. RDW and RBC indices were assayed within 30 min of blood collection, using Sysmex KX21-N autoanalyzer. Venous samples were also drawn from stable CAD patients who were admitted for angiography and subject attending routine checkups. Results: There was no significant difference in RDW in patients with CAD (14.12 ± 1.31%) as compared to controls (15.62 ± 6.51%). There was no significant difference in RWD in patients with AMI (14.36 ± 1.4%) as compared to stable CAD (13.7 ± 1.09%) and controls (15.62 ± 6.51%). There was no significant difference in Hct in patients with CAD (43.16 ± 5%) as compared to controls (41.9 ± 6.9%). Conclusions: There was no association between RWD, Hct, and other RBC indices with CAD, AMI, and stable CAD.
Does cigarette smoking exacerbate the effect of total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol on the risk of cardiovascular diseases?

Objective: To explore whether an interaction between smoking and serum total cholesterol (TC) and/or decreased levels of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) exists for any major subtype of cardiovascular disease. Design: An individual participant overview of 34 cohort studies. Setting: The Asia-Pacific region. Participants: People aged ⩾20 years without a particular condition or risk factor. Mean outcome measures: Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for both TC and HDLC by smoking status were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age and systolic blood pressure and stratified by study and sex. Results: During follow-up (median 4.0 years), 3298 coronary heart disease (CHD) and 4318 stroke events were recorded. For CHD, the HR (95% CI) for an additional 1.06 mmol/l increment in TC was greater in current smokers than in non-smokers: 1.54 (1.43 to 1.66) versus 1.38 (1.30 to 1.47); p = 0.02. Similarly, the HR (95% CI) for an additional 0.40 mmol/l decrement in HDLC was greater in current smokers than in non-smokers: 1.67 (1.35 to 2.07) versus 1.28 (1.10 to 1.49); p = 0.04. The positive association of TC with ischaemic stroke, and the negative association of TC with haemorrhagic stroke, were broadly similar for current smokers and non-smokers. Similarly, the risks of both the subtypes of stroke remained broadly unchanged as HDLC decreased in both current smokers and non-smokers. Conclusions: Smoking exacerbated the effects of both TC and HDLC on CHD, although no interaction between smoking and TC or HDLC existed for either of the subtypes of stroke.