Nevin Manimala

Trials. 2022 Aug 9;23(1):637. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06583-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common disorders among young women. Medicinal herbs are one of the alternative methods for the treatment of dysmenorrhea. This study will investigate the effect of Rosa foetida extract, along with self-care behavior education on primary dysmenorrhea among female students of Babol University of medical sciences.

METHODS/DESIGN: A randomized clinical trial will be performed on single students, aged 18 to 24 years. The research samples will be divided into three groups. The students will receive self-care behavior education on dysmenorrhea. Following the education, two of the groups will receive Rosa foetida extract capsules and placebo capsules in two consecutive cycles every 8 h for two successive days, respectively. The capsules will have similar physical appearance. The third group will not receive any medication. Data will be collected through demographic characteristic questionnaire, visual analog scale, dysmenorrhea self-care behaviors scale questionnaire, pictorial chart, and menstrual distress scale questionnaire. In order to determine and compare the effect of pharmacological and educational interventions on the severity of dysmenorrhea in groups, an ANOVA analysis of variance test with repeated measures will be used by SPSS software version 22.

DISCUSSION: The results will show the effects of Rosa foetida extract along with self-care behavior education on primary dysmenorrhea, and beneficial effects that may be found in the trial of this plant may be of use for women with the same problem.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study is approved by the Ethics Committee of Babol University of Medical Sciences (IR.MUBABOL.REC.1397.059).

TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT 20190318043086N1. Registered on 14 June 2019.

PMID:35945594 | DOI:10.1186/s13063-022-06583-4

BMC Oral Health. 2022 Aug 9;22(1):338. doi: 10.1186/s12903-022-02368-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Tanaka and Johnson equation is commonly used in mixed dentition analysis. However, the analysis is based on a Caucasian population making clinical decisions challenging when used in different ethnic groups. This study developed a prediction equation based on a Kenyan population.

DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study done in 68 13-17 years old Kenyans of African descent in two boarding secondary schools. Alginate impressions were taken, study models obtained, and mesiodistal tooth-widths measured on upper and lower study models from the first molar to the contralateral first molar. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests and independent t-tests were conducted and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients calculated (p < 0.05).

RESULTS: The mean age was 13.78 years (SD ± 0.70), females were 59%. The mesiodistal tooth-widths of the permanent canines and premolars were different between males and females (p ˂ 0.1). The Tanaka and Johnston equation significantly under-estimated the mesiodistal tooth-widths of the permanent canines and premolars (p ˂ 0.05). The addition of lower first permanent molars to the permanent lower incisors provided higher correlation coefficients than the Tanaka Johnston equation.

CONCLUSIONS: A new equation that includes the permanent lower incisors and first permanent molars as predictor teeth seems to be more suitable for mixed dentition analysis for this Kenyan population. A larger study is needed to validate these findings.

PMID:35945576 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-022-02368-y

BMC Oral Health. 2022 Aug 9;22(1):337. doi: 10.1186/s12903-022-02373-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Sense of Coherence (SOC) construct has been used worldwide in oral health research, but rigorous factor analyses of the scale are scarce. We aim to test the dimensional structure of the Brazilian short version of the SOC scale with 13 items.

METHODS: This study is a secondary analysis of four independent cross-sectional Brazilian studies on oral health, using the 13-items SOC scale. Sample 1 was conducted on 1760 mothers and 1771 adolescents. Sample 2 comprised 1100 adults. Sample 3 had 720 adults and older individuals. Sample 4 comprised 664 adolescent students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted on sample 1 to compare two models: 3-factor versus 1-factor. Because they were refuted, Exploratory Factor Analysis was implemented in samples 2 and 3. Modified models were tested in sample 4 using CFA. All analyses were conducted with MPlus version 7.11.

RESULTS: CFA of sample 1 resulted in an unacceptable fit (RMSEA = 0.12;CFI = 0.78; TLI = 0.73; and WRMR = 3.28) for 1-factor model and 3-factor (RMSEA = 0.10; CFI = 0.87; TLI = 0.84; and WRMR = 2.50). The EFA on samples 2 and 3 showed, respectively, two eigenvalues greater than 1 (4.11 and 1.56) and (4.32 and 1.42), but the scale items soc1, soc2 and soc3 formed an uninterpretable second factor. Another CFA, using sample 4, showed acceptable model fit after removing those three items and also soc11 (RMSEA = 0.05; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.99; and WRMR = 0.71).

CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the SOC-13 scale needs further adjustments. The one-factor model with nine items showed a good statistical fit, but the implications of excluding items should be further investigated, considering the scale’s content validity, cross-cultural adaptation and theoretical background.

PMID:35945574 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-022-02373-1

BMC Med Educ. 2022 Aug 9;22(1):610. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03678-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Complete denture, as an important restoration method for edentulism, is difficult to study for beginners, especially in linking the theory with clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to compare the teaching effects between case-based learning combined with Rain Classroom teaching and traditional lecture method in the clinical course of complete denture prosthesis for undergraduate interns.

METHODS: In a course called “Problems and treatment strategies of complete denture after wearing”, interns were divided into two groups: one for traditional lecture-based teaching with PowerPoint slideshow (the control group, n = 28); and the other for case-based learning combined with Rain Classroom teaching, which published information before class, discussed specific clinic cases in class and got real-time interns’ feedback via WeChat (the test group, n = 22). Both groups received the same exam and questionnaire survey after class. The Q&A participation of interns in class, theoretical test scores and questionnaire survey responses were used to evaluate the teaching effects. An independent sample t-test and the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test were used for statistical analysis in this study.

RESULTS: The Q&A participation of interns in the test group was much better than that of the control group. The average score on the theoretical test after class in the test group (72.14 ± 12.24) was significantly higher than that in the control group (61.29 ± 20.12) (P < 0.05). In the test group, 94.54% (21/22) of the interns preferred the new teaching mode.

CONCLUSION: Case-based learning combined with Rain Classroom teaching is helpful to enliven the classroom atmosphere, inspire studying enthusiasm, and achieve a good learning effect in both theory and clinical practice related to complete denture prosthesis.

PMID:35945563 | DOI:10.1186/s12909-022-03678-z

J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2022 Aug 10;13(1):94. doi: 10.1186/s40104-022-00741-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Carnitine facilitates the flux of long-chain fatty acids for hepatic mitochondrial beta-oxidation, which acts to ameliorate the negative energy balance commonly affecting high-yielding dairy cows. Inflammation triggered by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) load can however pose a challenge to the metabolic integrity via the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators, leading to immune system activation and respective metabolic alterations. The effect of enhanced carnitine availability on hepatic metabolome profiles during an inflammatory challenge has not yet been determined in dairy cows. Herein, Holstein cows were supplemented with 25 g/d rumen-protected carnitine from 42 d prepartum until 126 d postpartum (n = 16) or assigned to the control group with no supplementation during the same period (n = 14). We biopsied the liver of the cows before (100 d postpartum) and after (112 d postpartum) an intravenous injection of 0.5 µg/kg LPS. Liver samples were subjected to a targeted metabolomics analysis using the AbsoluteIDQ p180 Kit (Biocrates Life Sciences AG, Innsbruck, Austria). RESULTS: Multivariate statistical analyses revealed that hepatic metabolome profiles changed in relation to both the carnitine supplementation and the LPS challenge. Comparing the metabolite profiles on 100 d, carnitine increased the concentration of short- and long-chain acyl-carnitines, which may be explained by an enhanced mitochondrial fatty acid shuttle and hence greater energy availability. The LPS injection affected hepatic metabolite profiles only in the carnitine supplemented group, particularly altering the concentration of biogenic amines.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results point to interactions between an acute hepatic inflammatory response and biogenic amine metabolism, depending on energy availability.

PMID:35945561 | DOI:10.1186/s40104-022-00741-z

BMC Med Educ. 2022 Aug 10;22(1):611. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03675-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Interprofessional education (IPE) at university level is an essential component of undergraduate healthcare curricula, as well as being a requirement of many associated regulatory bodies. In this study, the perception of pharmacy and medical students’ of remote IPE was evaluated.

METHODS: A series of IPE sessions took place via Zoom and students’ feedback was collected after each session. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed.

RESULTS: 72% (23/32) of medical students strongly agreed that the sessions had helped to improve their appreciation of the role of pharmacists, whereas 37% (22/59) of pharmacy students strongly agreed, reporting a median response of ‘somewhat agreeing’, that their appreciation of the role of general practitioners had improved. This difference was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.0143). Amongst students who responded, 55% (53/97) identified remote teaching as their preferred mode of delivery for an IPE session.

CONCLUSIONS: The survey demonstrated that the students valued the development of their prescribing skills as well as the ancillary skills gained, such as communication and teamwork. Remote IPE can be a practical means of improving medical and pharmacy students’ understanding of each other’s professional roles, as well as improving the skills required for prescribing.

PMID:35945560 | DOI:10.1186/s12909-022-03675-2

Arthritis Res Ther. 2022 Aug 9;24(1):190. doi: 10.1186/s13075-022-02883-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We conducted a single-center cohort study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients from 2011 to 2020 to understand their real world treatment and outcomes, especially changes in physical function and quality of life (QOL) in elderly patients, including those aged ≥ 80 years.

METHODS: For RA patients attending our outpatient clinic, we annually recorded tender and swollen joint counts, laboratory findings, therapeutic drugs, and scores from the Japanese Health Assessment Questionnaire and EuroQoL-5 Dimensions questionnaire. We examined changes in treatment and outcomes over time, by age group, in patients enrolled over a 10-year period, from 2011 to 2020.

RESULTS: One thousand eight hundred thirty RA patients were enrolled and data were recorded once a year, and a total of 9299 patient records were evaluated. The average age of patients increased by 3.7 years during the study period; the patients aged rapidly. Intensive pharmacological treatment was more frequent in younger patients. Disease activity, physical function, and QOL showed improvement in all age groups over the study period. Physical function and QOL showed greater changes with aging, compared with disease activity. This may be due to the effects of accumulated RA damage, disability due to aging, and depression.

CONCLUSIONS: Intensive pharmacological treatment contributes to not only control of disease activity but also the improvement of physical activity and QOL, even in elderly patients. Relieving age-related physical impairment and depression may improve the QOL of very elderly RA patients.

PMID:35945556 | DOI:10.1186/s13075-022-02883-x

BMC Endocr Disord. 2022 Aug 9;22(1):199. doi: 10.1186/s12902-022-01116-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Graves’ disease (GD) and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) can be concomitant. The existence of a link between these entities has long been investigated, but a clear correlation hasn’t been established. We report a case of GD resistant to medical treatment in which surgery revealed unsuspected PTC and we aim to study the prevalence of PTC in Graves’ disease, its clinical characteristics and review of the literature.

CASE PRESENTATION: Report of a 32 yo man who presented with weight loss and was found to be biochemically hyperthyroid. Antibodies were positive. Incremental doses of methimazole provided no improvement in thyroid tests. Hypervascularity and a spongiform nodule were noted on ultrasound. Thyroid uptake and scan showed 70.2% uptake. Thyroidectomy was performed due to inadequate therapeutic response. Pathology revealed PTC with extrathyroidal extension and positive lymph nodes. A retrospective review (2000-2021) and literature review of PTC in GD was performed. Clinical data were reviewed. Statistical analysis was calculated to identify correlations. 243 GD patients had total thyroidectomy at an academic center, 50 (20%) had PTC, 14% were microcarcinomas. 76% of cases were less than 55yo, 82% female, 78% stage 1, PTC diagnosis was incidental in 48%, hyperthyroidism was difficult to treat in 10% and only 2% had recurrence of PTC. There was no correlation between demographic or clinical data.

CONCLUSIONS: Evidence is controversial with some studies showing GD does not affect PTC prognosis. PTC may not be well recognized in GD, pre-operative assessment should consider risk of cancer.

PMID:35945543 | DOI:10.1186/s12902-022-01116-1

BMC Public Health. 2022 Aug 9;22(1):1514. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13889-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Researchers conducting cohort studies may wish to investigate the effect of episodes of COVID-19 illness on participants. A definitive diagnosis of COVID-19 is not always available, so studies have to rely on proxy indicators. This paper seeks to contribute evidence that may assist the use and interpretation of these COVID-indicators.

METHODS: We described five potential COVID-indicators: self-reported core symptoms, a symptom algorithm; self-reported suspicion of COVID-19; self-reported external results; and home antibody testing based on a ‘lateral flow’ antibody (IgG/IgM) test cassette. Included were staff and postgraduate research students at a large London university who volunteered for the study and were living in the UK in June 2020. Excluded were those who did not return a valid antibody test result. We provide descriptive statistics of prevalence and overlap of the five indicators.

RESULTS: Core symptoms were the most common COVID-indicator (770/1882 participants positive, 41%), followed by suspicion of COVID-19 (n = 509/1882, 27%), a positive symptom algorithm (n = 298/1882, 16%), study antibody lateral flow positive (n = 124/1882, 7%) and a positive external test result (n = 39/1882, 2%), thus a 20-fold difference between least and most common. Meeting any one indicator increased the likelihood of all others, with concordance between 65 and 94%. Report of a low suspicion of having had COVID-19 predicted a negative antibody test in 98%, but positive suspicion predicted a positive antibody test in only 20%. Those who reported previous external antibody tests were more likely to have received a positive result from the external test (24%) than the study test (15%).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the use of proxy indicators of past COVID-19, with the caveat that none is perfect. Differences from previous antibody studies, most significantly in lower proportions of participants positive for antibodies, may be partly due to a decline in antibody detection over time. Subsequent to our study, vaccination may have further complicated the interpretation of COVID-indicators, only strengthening the need to critically evaluate what criteria should be used to define COVID-19 cases when designing studies and interpreting study results.

PMID:35945541 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-022-13889-0

BMC Public Health. 2022 Aug 9;22(1):1513. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13879-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Diet is considered as one of the modifiable factors that appears to exert a vital role in psychological status. In this way, we designed this study to examine the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII), dietary antioxidant index (DAI), and mental health in female adolescents.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 364 female adolescents selected from high schools in the five regions of Tabriz, Iran. A 3-day food record was used to extract the dietary data and calculate DII/DAI scores. DII and DAI were estimated to assess the odds of depression, anxiety, and stress based on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Adjusted relationships of the DII and DAI with depression, anxiety, and stress were determined using multiple regression after adjusting for age, energy intake, BMI, family income and mother and father education. Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI)-for-age > + 1 z-score relative to world health organization standards.

RESULTS: Depression, anxiety, and stress were observed in 21.4%, 26.6%, and 25.7% of subjects, respectively. The percentage of overweight among adolescents was 19.4%. The association between DII and score of mental health profile was positive among subjects in the third tertile of DII compared to subjects in the first tertile. However, this association was not statistically significant after adjusting for confounding variables. Moreover, there was a significant inverse association between DAI and depression and anxiety; and a statistically insignificant association between DAI and stress after adjusting for confounders.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlighted the importance of a healthy and anti-inflammatory diet on mental health in female adolescents. Therefore, modifying unhealthy dietary habits are likely to be effective in the management of psychosocial disorders.

PMID:35945535 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-022-13879-2