Tag: nevin manimala

Front Oral Health. 2025 Apr 10;6:1568252. doi: 10.3389/froh.2025.1568252. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the impact of different telephone follow-up frequencies on periodontal clinical parameters after non-surgical periodontal therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with Stage II-IV periodontitis were enrolled and randomly assigned to high-frequency (once every 2 weeks), medium-frequency (once a month), and low-frequency (once in 3 months) follow-up groups. All patients received standard non-surgical periodontal treatment. The full mouth probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), gingival index (GI), and plaque index (PI) were evaluated at baseline, after treatment (T1) and post treatment 3 months (T2).

RESULTS: From T1 to T2, the high-frequency follow-up group had significant reduced in PD (p = 0.03), improved in GI (p = 0.04) and PI (p = 0.03) compared with the medium and low-frequency groups. There was no significant difference in PD, GI, and PI between the medium-frequency group and the low-frequency group. No statistical difference was found in CAL among the three groups.

CONCLUSION: More frequent telephone follow-up helps maintain and enhance non-surgical periodontal therapy effects.

PMID:40276684 | PMC:PMC12018391 | DOI:10.3389/froh.2025.1568252

Clin Kidney J. 2025 Feb 20;18(4):sfaf059. doi: 10.1093/ckj/sfaf059. eCollection 2025 Apr.

ABSTRACT

An artificial intelligence boom is currently ongoing, mainly due to large language models, leading to significant interest in artificial intelligence and subsequently also in machine learning (ML). One area where ML is often applied, prediction modelling, has also long been a focus of conventional statistics. As a result, multiple studies have aimed to prove superiority of one of the two scientific disciplines over the other. However, we argue that ML and conventional statistics should not be competing fields. Instead, both fields are intertwined and complementary to each other. To illustrate this, we discuss some essentials of prediction modelling, elaborate on prediction modelling using techniques from conventional statistics, and explain prediction modelling using common ML techniques such as support vector machines, random forests, and artificial neural networks. We then showcase that conventional statistics and ML are in fact similar in many aspects, including underlying statistical concepts and methods used in model development and validation. Finally, we argue that conventional statistics and ML can and should be seen as a single integrated field. This integration can further improve prediction modelling for both disciplines (e.g. regarding fairness and reporting standards) and will support the ultimate goal: developing the best performing prediction models for the patient and healthcare provider.

PMID:40276681 | PMC:PMC12019231 | DOI:10.1093/ckj/sfaf059

Front Psychol. 2025 Apr 10;16:1468949. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1468949. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered various sectors, with education being one of the most impacted. In Peru, the shift from in-person to virtual education was imperative due to the pandemic’s constraints. This study investigates the perception of virtual education and clinical practice among final-year dentistry students at a Peruvian institution during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

METHODS: Utilizing a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 97 students via a survey assessing their experiences and expectations related to virtual learning and clinical skills. Instruments with dichotomous response scales measured students’ experiences with virtual education and their expectations regarding clinical practice.

RESULTS: Results indicated that most students reported a moderate experience with virtual education, with similar moderate expectations for clinical practice. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences among experience levels and practice expectations, highlighting a disparity between students’ perceived skills and their confidence in applying these skills (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION: The study’s findings suggest that while virtual education has provided continuity, there remains considerable room for improvement in both the quality of online instruction and practical training. Enhancements in virtual teaching methods and additional support for clinical practice could better meet the needs of dental students. This study emphasizes the importance of ongoing evaluation and adaptation of virtual education strategies to address the evolving challenges and improve educational outcomes for future dental professionals.

PMID:40276670 | PMC:PMC12018325 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1468949

Front Psychol. 2025 Apr 10;16:1571447. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1571447. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

Application of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) within performance environments is increasing, however measures that assess irrational beliefs in specific populations are encouraged. A population that may benefit from REBT is sports officials. This paper reports the development, validation and reliability of the Irrational Beliefs Scale for Sports Officials (IBSSO). Item development was drawn from original items of the Irrational Performance Beliefs Inventory (iPBI), then refined over three stages using an expert panel, novice panel and industry panel. Officials (N = 402; 349 male, 50 female, 3 undisclosed) from 11 sports (M years’ experience = 13.02; SD = 10.24) completed the inventory, with exploratory factor analysis suggesting a 3, 4, and 5-factor model from 22 remaining items. A new sample of 154 officials (140 male, 12 female, 2 undisclosed) representing 9 sports (M years’ experience = 14.61, SD = 11.96) completed the IBSSO, along with 6 other related measures (e.g., Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, Affective Reactivity Index) to assess criterion validity. A four-factor model showed acceptable fit, with self-depreciation, peer rejection demands, emotional control demands, and approval identified as subscales, as well as a three-factor model. The IBSSO was positively correlated with the additional measures and negatively correlated with age, demonstrating concurrent validity. To assess convergent validity, 94 new officials (83 male, 10 female, 1 undisclosed; M _age = 36.74 years, SD = 15.03) completed the IBSSO and iPBI simultaneously. The IBSSO was positively correlated with the iPBI, indicating convergent validity. Furthermore, 29 officials (25 male, 4 female, M years’ experience = 14.57, SD = 12.44) completed the IBSSO over three-time points, with a repeated-measures MANCOVA and Intra-Class Coefficients confirming test-retest reliability. The 16-item four-factor model was accepted based on statistical and theoretical fit. The paper presents a measure of irrational beliefs in sports officials, with investigation into the effectiveness of REBT with this population recommended.

PMID:40276669 | PMC:PMC12018365 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1571447

Appl Netw Sci. 2025;10(1):13. doi: 10.1007/s41109-025-00694-y. Epub 2025 Apr 22.

ABSTRACT

In models of infectious disease dynamics, the incorporation of contact network information allows for the capture of the non-randomness and heterogeneity of realistic contact patterns. Oftentimes, it is assumed that this underlying network is known with perfect certainty. However, in realistic settings, the observed data usually serves as an imperfect proxy of the actual contact patterns in the population. Furthermore, event times in observed epidemics are not perfectly recorded; individual infection and recovery times are often missing. In order to conduct accurate inferences on parameters of contagion spread, it is crucial to incorporate these sources of uncertainty. In this paper, we propose the use of Network-augmented Mixture Density Network-compressed ABC (NA-MDN-ABC) to learn informative summary statistics for the available data. This method will allow for Bayesian inference on the parameters of a contagious process, while accounting for imperfect observations on the epidemic and the contact network. We will demonstrate the use of this method on simulated epidemics and networks, and extend this framework to analyze the spread of Tattoo Skin Disease (TSD) among bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia.

PMID:40276656 | PMC:PMC12014783 | DOI:10.1007/s41109-025-00694-y

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2025 Apr 10;13:1543636. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1543636. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent known for its efficacy against various cancers, but its clinical application is often limited by its cardiotoxic effects. The exact mechanisms of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity remain unclear, requiring further investigation. Early diagnosis is essential to enhance the quality of life and prognosis for patients with malignancies. This study aims to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets for DOX cardiotoxicity.

METHODS: Heart tissue samples from 20 DOX-treated cardiotoxic mice and 19 normal controls were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Multivariate statistical analysis identified differential metabolites. Key metabolites were assessed using a random forest algorithm, and ROC curves evaluated diagnostic value. H9C2 rat cardiomyoblast cells were cultured to investigate the protective effects of these metabolites.

RESULTS: Among 291 metabolites, significant differences emerged between cardiotoxic and normal mice. Five metabolites-4-hydroxy-valeric acid, 2-methylbutanoic acid, traumatic acid, PI (18:2 (9Z, 12Z)/0:0), and MIPC (t18:0/24:0 (2OH))-showed diagnostic potential. ROC analysis indicated excellent value for 4-hydroxy-valeric acid and PI (18:2 (9Z, 12Z)/0:0) and high discriminatory power for 2-methylbutanoic acid (AUC = 0. 99). Pathway analysis highlighted glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor biosynthesis, unsaturated fatty acids biosynthesis, pantothenate and CoA pathways, among others, associated with DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. In addition, we found that the differential metabolite Cer (d18:0/12:0) can improve DOX-induced myocardial cell damage and inhibit apoptosis-related protein expression at the cellular level.

CONCLUSION: Heart tissue metabolomics with LC-MS identified critical metabolites and pathways associated with DOX cardiotoxicity, suggesting biomarkers for early diagnosis and potential therapeutic targets to mitigate DOX-related cardiotoxicity and improve clinical outcomes.

PMID:40276655 | PMC:PMC12018317 | DOI:10.3389/fcell.2025.1543636

Front Health Serv. 2025 Apr 10;5:1383292. doi: 10.3389/frhs.2025.1383292. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The health and wellbeing of small and sick newborns and their families can be enhanced through family systems care (FSC) along the care continuum. FSC encompasses a broader approach than family-centered care. FSC identifies individual and family strengths while acknowledging illness-related suffering and providing expertise to help soften it through relational family systemic interventions. Contextual factors of the targeted healthcare setting need to be understood to implement FSC. This study aims to assess healthcare professionals’ perceptions of health system features that may influence the successful context-adapted implementation of FSC into the care continuum for small and sick newborns and their families in the Ghanaian healthcare setting.

METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected from 143 healthcare professionals, comprising nurses, midwives, and physicians who provide maternal and newborn care at a secondary facility and 13 primary health facilities in the Hohoe Municipality, Ghana. The Context Assessment for Community Health (COACH) instrument, employing Likert scales ranging from 1 to 5 and including questions on training history, was used to collect data on FSC through self-administered interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with STATA.

RESULTS: While 48.9% of healthcare professionals reported never receiving any didactic or school-based training, the majority (96.5%) indicated a need for in-service training in FSC. From the highest score of 5, the COACH dimension for organizational resources had the lowest score (2.8). Community engagement, commitment to work, monitoring services for action, and informal payment reported scores between 3.7 and 3.9. The highest scores were reported for the leadership and work culture dimensions, at 4.1 and 4.2, respectively. Among the different units of the care continuum, the largest variations were observed in the subdimensions of organizational resources (2.5-3.4) and informal payment (3.6-4.4).

CONCLUSION: The COACH tool provided contextual guidance for developing training strategies to implement a contextually appropriate FSC program in Ghana, which is likely to be adaptable and relevant in other low- and middle-income countries. Healthcare professionals perceive themselves as committed, with a favorable work culture and a positive perception toward their leaders, but they report limited resources and challenges in accessing knowledge sources. These findings indicate a readiness for FSC training along the continuum of care in the perinatal period.

PMID:40276641 | PMC:PMC12018503 | DOI:10.3389/frhs.2025.1383292

J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2025 May;51(5):e16298. doi: 10.1111/jog.16298.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To compare the outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of fresh and cryopreserved sperm obtained via microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in cases of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA).

METHODS: A total of 147 patients with NOA who underwent micro-TESE and obtained viable sperm via micro-TESE at Istanbul Medipol In Vitro Fertilization unit were recruited retrospectively. The cases were divided into two groups depending on the sperm used (fresh or frozen-thawed) for ICSI: The micro-TESE group (n = 93) underwent ICSI cycles with fresh spermatozoa and the micro-TESE-Thaw group (n = 54) underwent ICSI cycles with cryopreserved spermatozoa. Patient demographics, embryo development, and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS: No statistical difference was observed between the two groups in terms of demographic features (age, body mass index, etc.) and cycle characteristics (induction protocol, gonadotropin dose, etc.). Fertilization rates and embryo quality were also similar between the groups. Higher clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were observed in the micro-TESE group than in the micro-TESE-Thaw group (p <0.04 and p <0.003, respectively). The miscarriage rate was higher in the micro-TESE-Thaw group, although the difference did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSION(S): In cases where frozen sperm obtained by micro-TESE are used, even if viable and motile sperm are found after thawing, there may be a negative impact on the ICSI result. Fresh testicular spermatozoa appear to result in better clinical pregnancy and live birth rates than cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa in males with NOA.

PMID:40275434 | DOI:10.1111/jog.16298

BMC Psychol. 2025 Apr 24;13(1):429. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02747-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience high levels of parental stress. This has exacerbated during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programme in the Chinese population, which is feasible among Chinese parents during the COVID-19 pandemic period in reducing the parental stress of parents compared with the usual care group.

METHODS: This study was designed as a pilot randomized controlled trial with single-blind repeated measures. Parents of children aged 3-12 years with a diagnosis of ADHD were recruited from the parent resource center (PRC) of a local nongovernmental organization between June and August 2022. The participants were randomly assigned to the MBSR intervention group (n = 18) or usual care group (n = 18).

RESULTS: With respect to the feasibility of the study, all 36 participants who were randomized fully completed the MBSR programme and assessments, resulting in a 100% attendance rate. 66% of the participants in the intervention group reported satisfaction with the intervention, which was helpful in reducing stress. They were willing to stay on this mindfulness-based programme in the future. The results of the repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant difference in self-perceived stress reduction between the groups (p < 0.001, ES = 0.192). The of within-group results revealed that the mean score of the intervention group decreased from 29.44 before the intervention to 25.50 (p < 0.001) immediately after intervention, and further decreased to 24.72 (p < 0.05) at one month after the intervention. By using the parental stress scale, the interaction effects also revealed significant differences between groups (p < 0.001, ES = 0.599). The stress level of the intervention group decreased from 74.50 before intervention, to 68.94 (p < 0.001) immediately after intervention, and further decreased to 67.50 (p < 0.05) at one month after intervention. These reports revealed statistically significant improvements in stress reduction and parental stress reduction in the intervention group.

CONCLUSION: The pilot study revealed that MBSR is feasible and acceptable for parents of children with ADHD in Chinese culture. The findings also suggested that the MBSR programme was effective in reducing parental stress and enhancing mental well-being. This study was registered in the National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information Clinical Trials Registry as Version 1, and the trial registration data are available as NCT06210113, 28/2/2024.

PMID:40275428 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-02747-4

BMC Psychol. 2025 Apr 24;13(1):432. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02749-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The perceived social stigma of caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may negatively affect caregivers’ mental health and, consequently, the quality of care for these children. Religious and spiritual well-being may serve as protective factors against such stigma. This study aimed to examine the relationship between spirituality, religiosity, and perceived social stigma among caregivers of children with ASD.

METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2022 to June 2023 in Qom, Iran. A total of 102 caregivers were recruited from specialized rehabilitation centers through convenience sampling. Participants completed the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious-Spiritual Well-being (MI-RSB 48) and the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illnesses (SSCI-8), along with a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS: The mean perceived social stigma score was 16.85 ± 6.76, with 45.5% of participants reporting higher-than-average social stigma. All dimensions of spiritual-religious well-being, except belief in the afterlife and the experience of meaning, showed a significant negative correlation with perceived social stigma (P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the child’s age (β = 0.401, P = 0.018) and hope transcendent (β = 0.418, P = 0.012) were significant negative predictors of perceived stigma, explaining 59% of the variance.

CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that fostering transcendent hope and spiritual connectedness may mitigate the perceived stigma among caregivers of children with ASD, highlighting the potential of spirituality-based interventions in rehabilitation programs.

PMID:40275426 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-02749-2