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The classification of self-inflicted skin lesions proposed by the European Society for Dermatology and Psychiatry (ESDaP) group generated questions with regard to specific treatments that could be recommended for such cases. The therapeutic guidelines in the current paper integrate new psychotherapies and psychotropic drugs without forgetting the most important relational characteristics required for dealing with people with these disorders. The management of self-inflicted skin lesions necessitates empathy and a doctor-patient relationship based on trust and confidence. Cognitive behavioural therapy and/or psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy (alone, or combined with the careful use of psychotropic drugs) seem to achieve the best results in the most difficult cases. Relatively new therapeutic techniques, such as habit reversal and mentalization-based psychotherapy, may be beneficial in the treatment of skin picking syndromes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of 75 original articles from clinical cancer research in Norway is presented. Articles published in 1993 and with at least one Norwegian author were included in the review. Sixty papers were observational, whereas 15 were experimental. Of the observational studies 44 were retrospective. Most of the papers concerned prognostic factors. Prior hypotheses were explicitly defined in 16 papers only, and less than half of the articles described inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sample size calculations were performed in four papers only. The choice of statistical method was considered to be suitable in 22 of the 58 articles presenting statistical inferences. Problems related to multiple significance testing were rarely addressed, although the median number of p-values reported was as high as 8. Confidence intervals for main findings were presented in 14 papers. For proper planning of studies, as well as for analysis and interpretation of study results, statistical advice is indeed required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitive skin is a frequent complaint in the general population, in patients, and among subjects suffering from itch. The International Forum for the Study of Itch (IFSI) decided to initiate a special interest group (SIG) on sensitive skin. Using the Delphi method, sensitive skin was defined as "A syndrome defined by the occurrence of unpleasant sensations (stinging, burning, pain, pruritus, and tingling sensations) in response to stimuli that normally should not provoke such sensations. These unpleasant sensations cannot be explained by lesions attributable to any skin disease. The skin can appear normal or be accompanied by erythema. Sensitive skin can affect all body locations, especially the face". This paper summarizes the background, unresolved aspects of sensitive skin and the process of developing this definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic itch affects millions of patients worldwide and has a significant impact on quality of life. The assessment of itch and its associated effects is a significant compo-nent of clinical practice in itch management. Despite itch being a common complaint, there are few studies descri-bing the use of structured questionnaires for evaluation and measurement of itch and its sensory and affective dimensions. The International Society of the Study of Itch (IFSI) has recently provided invaluable data on the use of visual analogue scales as an assessment tool for itch. However, it is clear that additional tools are needed to better assess the different dimensions of chronic itch and better tailor management. With this goal in mind, a Special Interest Group was initiated by members of IFSI to determine which of the various psychometric properties of itch questionnaires offer the greatest uti-lity in the evaluation of chronic itch. This first consen-sus paper addresses what domains and structure of itch questionnaires need to be implemented to better assess chronic itch and guide therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the efficiency of AI methods in finding radiographic features in Endodontic treatment considerations. This review was based on the PRISMA guidelines and QUADAS 2 tool. A systematic search was performed of the literature on cases with endodontic treatments, comparing AI algorithms (test) versus conventional image assessments (control) for finding radiographic features. The search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and the Cochrane library. Inclusion criteria were studies on the use of AI and machine learning in endodontic treatments using dental X-rays. The initial search retrieved 1131 papers, from which 24 were included. High heterogeneity of the materials left out a meta-analysis. The reported subcategories were periapical lesion, vertical root fractures, predicting root/canal morphology, locating minor apical foramen, tooth segmentation and endodontic retreatment prediction. Radiographic features assessed were mostly periapical lesions. The studies mostly considered the decision of 1–3 experts as the reference for training their models. Almost half of the included materials campared their trained neural network model with other methods. More than 58% of studies had some level of bias. AI-based models have shown effectiveness in finding radiographic features in different endodontic treatments. While the reported accuracy measurements seem promising, the papers mostly were biased methodologically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is still no consensus on managing zone II level partial flexor tendon lacerations, and the management of zone II partial flexor tendon injuries is controversial. No reliable large cohort studies or metaanalysis papers on partial flexor tendon laceration management are available in PubMed or Embase. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Insight, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for primary research articles investigating outcomes of patients with partial flexor tendon injuries. The initial search was limited to human studies that were published from 1970–2021 and indexed as randomized controlled or clinical trials or observational, cross-sectional, or cohort studies. We used statistical package R version 4.1.2 for this meta-analysis. Results: The Standardised mean difference (SMD) of the common effects model was 2.020 (95% CI; 1.583–2.457; P < 0.0001), indicating that the results of conservative treatment without surgical intervention are similar to surgical intervention or better in some articles. The SMD of the random effect model was 7.093 (95% CI; 1.090–13.096; P < 0.0206), indicating the same result. Higgins' I2 value was 97.6%, indicating serious heterogeneity. Conclusions: In this first meta-analysis on flexor zone II conservative treatment, five papers with publication bias were analyzed. It is meaningful to verify the result of conservative treatment statistically. Even though this is a heterogeneous paper, conservative treatment seems to have a lot of benefits for the patient, including offering a fairly solid longterm prognosis with very few complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. During the last decades the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of breast cancer have changed and improved in Denmark. The first mammography screening programme started in 1991. However, for many years only about 20% of Danish women aged 50-69 were offered screening. The national roll-out of screening took place in 2008-2010. Material and methods. Based on published Danish data, this overview describes the status of diagnosis and treatment, and the screening programme. For further evaluating the potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment, additional Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG) data are included. Results and conclusion. Using incidence-based mortality method, reduction in breast cancer mortality was estimated to be 25% in the target group of women after 10 years of screening in Copenhagen; an outcome comparable to that of randomised controlled trials. A recent Danish study has indicated overdiagnosis to be around 4%. Others have estimated overdiagnosis to be 33%. National DBCG data showed that the rude breast cancer incidence increased during the period 1990-2011 from 126 to 206 per 100 000. The incidence was almost constant for women younger than 50 years. In regions not offering screening, the incidence increased with 3% per year for women aged 50-69 years with similar trends for small and large tumours. After introduction of screening the increase in the age group 50-69 years was confined to small tumours ≤ 20 mm, and most pronounced for node negative patients. From the 1990s, the use of breast conserving surgery has increased from around 25% to 69% in 2010. Screening has not increased the number of mastectomies. Breast cancer treatment in Denmark is evidence based and in agreement with international recommendations. After the introduction of mammography screening the absolute number of patients with a more advanced stage at diagnosis and the absolute number of patients undergoing mastectomy have decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terminology, classification, diagnosis and treatment of self-inflicted dermatological lesions are subjects of open debate. The present study is the result of various meetings of a task force of dermatologists, psychiatrists and psychologists, all active in the field of psychodermatology, aimed at clarifying the terminology related to these disorders. A flow chart and glossary of terms and definitions are presented to facilitate the classification and management of self-inflicted skin lesions. Several terms are critically discussed, including: malingering; factitious disorders; Miinchausen's syndrome; simulation; pathomimicry; skin picking syndrome and related skin damaging disorders; compulsive and impulsive skin picking; impulse control disorders; obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders; trichotillomania; dermatitis artefacta; factitial dermatitis; acne excoriée; and neurotic and psychogenic excoriations. Self-inflicted skin lesions are often correlated with mental disorders and/or pathological behaviours, thus it is important for dermatologists to become as familiar as possible with the psychiatric and psychological aspects underlying these lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several papers discussed at the annual meeting of the Swedish Oncology Society in Stockholm, Sweden is presented. Topics include studies of histamine and natural killer cells-activating cytokines, histamine and cytokines in experimental neoplasia and immunotherapy with histamine in human cancer.

Chronic itch is a common and distressing symptom that arises from a variety of skin conditions and systemic diseases. Despite this, there is no clinically based classification of pruritic diseases to assist in the diagnosis and cost-effective medical care of patients with pruritus. The proposed classification focuses on clinical signs and distinguishes between diseases with and without primary or secondary skin lesions. Three groups of conditions are proposed: pruritus on diseased (inflamed) skin (group I), pruritus on non-diseased (non-inflamed) skin (group II), and pruritus presenting with severe chronic secondary scratch lesions, such as prurigo nodularis (group lII). The next part classifies the underlying diseases according to different categories: dermatological diseases, systemic diseases including diseases of pregnancy and drug-induced pruritus, neurological and psychiatric diseases. In some patients more than one cause may account for pruritus (category "mixed") while in others no underlying disease can be identified (category "others"). This is the first version of a clinical classification worked out by the members of the international Forum for the Study of itch. it is intended to serve as a diagnostic route for better evaluation of patients with chronic pruritus and aims to improve patients' care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the influence of implant fixation on prosthesis longevity evaluated in the interplay with the individual prosthesis brands. It mentions the risk of stem revision for periprosthetic fracture after surgery. It mentions that periprosthetic fracture as more common cause of revision after uncemented than after cemented fixation.

The article explores how registry data can improve outcomes from joint replacement. It discusses the aim to make hip replacement safer and more reliable for patients and to evaluate the performance of surgeons and implants, along with information on the costs of the register and the expense of data analysis.

Chronic neck pain, a common cause of disability, seems to be the result of several interacting mechanisms. In addition to degenerative and inflammatory changes and trauma, psychological and psychosocial factors are also involved. One common type of trauma associated with chronic neck pain is whiplash injury; this sometimes results in whip-lash-associated disorder (WAD), a controversial condition with largely unknown pathogenetic mechanisms. We studied the prevalence of chronic neck pain of traumatic and non-traumatic origin and compared the prevalence of, sociodemographic data, self-perceived health, workload and chronic lowback pain in these groups. In a ready-made questionnaire (MONICA study), we added questions about cervical spine and low-back complaints. 6,000 (72%) completed a self-administered questionnaire. 43% reported neck pain: 48% of women and 38% of men. Women of working age had more neck pain than retired women, a phenomenon not seen in men. 19% of the studied population suffered from chronic neck pain and it was more frequent in women. A history of neck trauma was common in those with chronic neck pain. Those with a history of neck trauma perceived their health worse and were more often on sick-leave. About 50% of those with traumatic and non-traumatic chronic neck pain also had chronic low-back pain. We assessed the subjective and objective neuropsychological functioning in 42 patients with chronic neck pain, 21 with a whiplash trauma, and 21 without previous neck trauma. Despite cognitive complaints, the WAD patients had normal neuropsychological functioning, but the WAD group especially had deviant MMPI results—indicating impaired coping ability and somatization.WAD patients had no alterations in cerebral blood-flow pattern, as measured by rCBF-SPECT and SPM analysis, compared to healthy controls. This contrasts with the non-traumatic group with chronic neck pain, which showed marked blood-flow changes. The blood-flow changes in the non-trau-matic group were similar to those described earlier in pain patients but— remarkably enough—were different from those in the WAD group. Chronic neck pain of whiplash and non-traumatic origin appears to be unique in some respects. A better understanding of the underlying pathological mechanisms is a prerequisite for prevention of the development of such chronic pain syndromes and for improvement of the treatment of patients with severe symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1990s, the large-scale collaboration Kreftbildet i Norden (KIN) drew attention to the need for timely cancer statistics for cancer control planning in the Nordic countries. Supported by the Nordic Cancer Union (NCU), a web-based version of NORDCAN was continually developed by the Association of Nordic Cancer Registries (ANCR) from 2003, with website support and hosting by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Despite empirical evidence of its global reach, the question of whether recurrent investment in NORDCAN brings added value was raised; we sought to formally assess this. Scientific value was determined by extracting publications citing NORDCAN from PubMed. We compared the funds allocated to the KIN project and later Nordic studies on cancer predictions and survival, with those allocated to NORDCAN. 96 publications in 43 journals were retrieved. Two publication peaks, in 2010 and in 2016 relate to Nordic cancer survival and Danish age care projects, respectively. Papers citing NORDCAN increased substantially from 4 published in 2017 to the 24 papers in 2022. The integration of survival and prediction projects into NORDCAN reduced the costs of investment to one-quarter of the those required in earlier years, in real terms. User statistics and scientific output clearly points to NORDCAN bringing added value given resources expended, even with the additional costs imposed to ensure GDPR compliance. Research funding indicates that the databases and interactive tools are critical as both research and education resources. Nonetheless, a sustainable funding model is needed if NORDCAN is to continue to fulfill its utility in cancer control, health care planning and cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor in response to the article "Influence of mammography screening on use of mastectomies in Denmark" by K. Jørgensen and others in a 2015 issue is presented.

Background and purpose — The main purpose of arthroplasty registries is to collect information on patients, techniques, and devices to monitor and improve the outcome of the specific procedure. This study analyses the role played by registries in the orthopedic research community and describes publication trends, characteristics, and patterns of this field of research. Patients and methods — A descriptive-bibliometric review was conducted. Scopus was the database used for the research. All articles published from 1991 to December 2020 containing keywords related to registries and arthroplasty were considered. In particular, the following dimensions were analyzed in detail: (i) papers/year; (ii) journals; (iii) countries; (iv) research growth rate; (v) collaboration among countries. VOSviewer software was used to perform the bibliometric analysis. Finally, the 50 most cited papers of the last 10 years were briefly analyzed. Results — 3,933 articles were identified. There has been growing interest in the topic since 2010. Acta Orthopaedica ranked first for the number of articles published. The country with the largest number of articles citing registries was the United States, followed by the United Kingdom and Sweden. The relative number of articles per 100,000 inhabitants is 0.60 for Europe and 0.38 for the United States. The literature in this research area has an average yearly growth rate of 28%. Interpretation — The publication rate in the field of arthroplasty registries is constantly growing with a noteworthy impact in the evolution of this research and clinical area. The growth rate is significantly higher than that of arthroplasty literature (28% vs. 10%) and the collaboration among countries is strong and increasing with time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the abstract of the research paper "Visual analog scales for interpretation of back and leg pain intensity in patients operated for degenerative lumbar spine disorders," which was published in the June 3, 2005 issue of the periodical "Acta Orthopaedica."

The topic of fluoride release and uptake by glass-ionomer (glass polyalkenoate) dental cements is reviewed. The study was based on a literature search carried out using PubMed. The main key words used were glass-ionomer and fluoride, and further refinements were made by adding the keywords anti-microbial, anti-caries and remineralization. Papers were selected from the initial search, which concentrated on fundamental aspects of fluoride release, including kinetics and the influence of the cement composition, and resulting clinical performance against caries. Other relevant papers were cited where they added useful and relevant data. From these published papers, it was possible to explain the detailed mechanism of fluoride release by glass-ionomer cements and also its uptake. Fluoride release has been shown to be a two-step process. In neutral solutions, the steps can be divided into early wash-out and long-term diffusion. In acid conditions, the early wash-out remains, though with greater amounts of fluoride released, and the long-term release becomes one of slow dissolution. The effect of fluoride on the viability of oral micro-organisms has been described, and glass-ionomers have been shown to release sufficient fluoride to reduce the size and viability of adjacent populations of oral bacteria. The effect of low levels of fluoride on the remineralization of tooth tissue has been considered. Levels needed to increase remineralization are much lower than those needed to adversely affect oral bacteria, from which we conclude that glass-ionomers release sufficient fluoride to promote remineralization. Despite this, there remains uncertainty about their overall contribution to sound oral health, given the widespread use of other sources of fluoride, such as toothpastes. Glass-ionomer cements of both types (conventional and resin-modified) release fluoride for considerable periods of time after setting. They release sufficient fluoride to inhibit the growth of oral bacteria, and this level is more than sufficient to promote remineralization of tooth mineral. This shows that these materials provide sufficient fluoride to inhibit caries though, with the widespread use of fluoridated products such as toothpaste, this may have only limited benefit on the oral health of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the publishing success of the journal "Acta Dermato-Venereologica" due to its paper and online publications.

Medical adhesive tapes are commonly recommended for the prevention of friction blisters during hiking and military marches. The aim of this paper is to report on the results of investigations into an outbreak of taperelated foot dermatitis in 26 military conscripts following continuous use of medical adhesive tapes for several days during a field exercise. Patch tests were performed using baseline series and aimed testing was performed with colophonium-related substances and different medical adhesive tapes. Contact allergy to the adhesive tapes used was found in 20 (77%) subjects, and contact allergy to colophonium in 16 (61%). Chemical analysis detected colophonium-related substances in the culprit tapes. Compared with consecutive dermatitis patients investigated at our Department of Occupational and Environmental Dermatology in the previous 10 years, conscripts with colophonium allergy had increased odds ratios for concomitant contact allergy to phenol formaldehyde resins and fragrance substances including hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool. The results show that prolonged use of medical adhesive tapes on intact skin carries a high risk for allergic contact dermatitis. Prior to their introduction on the market, medical devices should be assessed for possible side-effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the abstract of the research "SF-36 profiles before and one year after spinal stenosis surgery — a prospective comparison of two techniques in two nations," which was published in the June 3, 2005 issue of the periodical "Acta Orthopaedica."

Presents the abstract of the research "SF-36 for outcomes assessment of spine surgery," which was published in the June 3, 2005 issue of the periodical "Acta Orthopaedica."

Presents the abstract of the research "SF-36 scores in degenerative lumbar spine disorders: analysis of prospective data from 451 patients," which was published in the June 3, 2005 issue of the periodical "Acta Orthopaedica."

Presents the abstract of the study "Reliability of the prospective data collection protocol of the Swedish Spine Register: test-retest analysis of 119 patients," which was published in the June 3, 2005 issue of the periodical "Acta Orthopaedica."

Given the potentially fatal consequences of inadequate adherence with oral anticancer treatment in persons with cancer, understanding the determinants of adherence is vital. This paper aims at identifying psychosocial determinants of adherence to oral anticancer treatment. We reviewed the literature on psychosocial determinants of adherence with oral anticancer treatment, based on published literature in English, from 2015 to present. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Emcare, and PsychINFO, with 'cancer', 'medication adherence', 'psychology', and 'oral anticancer treatment' as search terms. The obtained 608 papers were screened by two independent reviewers. In the 25 studies identified, illness perceptions, medication beliefs, health beliefs, and depression were found to be the major psychosocial determinants of adherence to oral anticancer treatment; sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were found to be of no major importance. The quality of the identified studies as assessed by two independent reviewers was found to be acceptable overall. The majority of papers were from North America and focused on patients with breast cancer; sample size varied from 13 to 1371; adherence was assessed with questionnaires derived from various theoretical models, pill counts and electronic pharmacy records; illness perceptions reflecting adaptive coping, and medication beliefs reflecting high necessity and low concerns were found to be associated with adherence. Psychosocial concepts are major determinants of adherence with oral anticancer treatment. 'Beliefs about medicines' and 'illness perceptions' in particular determine adherence with this treatment. Studies aiming at impacting adherence would benefit from interventions with a solid basis in behavioral theory in order to help health care providers explore and address illness perceptions and medication beliefs. Pre-consultation screening of adherence behavior may be a helpful supportive approach to improve adherence. Blaming the victim ('patients should be educated about the importance of adherence') is better replaced by encouraging health professionals to identify and address maladaptive psychosocial determinants of adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of ceramic surface pretreatment, effect of resin cement and dentin surface roughness on shear bond strength. Methodology: Zirconia rods (n = 140) were randomly assigned to air born particle abrasion with aluminum oxide (Al2O3) or hot etching with potassium hydrogen difluoride (KHF2). Lithium disilicate rods (LDS; n = 50) etched with hydrofluoric acid served as reference material. In Part 1 of the study, ceramic rods were cemented to bovine dentin using 5 dual-polymerizing resin cements (Variolink Esthetic, Multilink Automix (Ivoclar Vivadent), Duo-Link (BISCO Dental), Panavia F2.0 (Kuraray Dental), RelyX Unicem (3 M)). Shear bond strength was tested and fracture morphology determined. In Part 2 of the study, test groups with the highest frequency of adhesive fractures between cement and dentin were selected for further bond strength testing with different surface roughness of dentin; ground with P1200 or P80 silicon carbide paper. Dentin samples were fractured vertically to the cemented surface and the adherence between cement and dentin was studied. Results: The results of Part 1 showed that hot etching of zirconia significantly improved bond strength to Duo-Link cement. In Part 2, RelyX Unicem showed significantly higher bond strength to P1200 compared to P80 ground dentin. For Variolink Esthetic, bond strengths to P1200 and P80 ground dentin were similar. Adhesive fracture between cement and dentin dominated. Conclusions: A smooth dentin surface (P1200) improved bond strength to RelyX Unicem. Surface roughness was not important for Variolink Esthetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this open, controlled, multicentre and prospective observational study, smartphone teledermoscopy referrals were sent from 20 primary healthcare centres to 2 dermatology departments for triage of skin lesions of concern using a smartphone application and a compatible digital dermoscope. The outcome for 816 patients referred via smartphone teledermoscopy was compared with 746 patients referred via the traditional paper-based system. When surgical treatment was required, the waiting time was significantly shorter using teledermoscopy for patients with melanoma, melanoma in situ, squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma in situ and basal cell carcinoma. Triage decisions were also more reliable with teledermoscopy and over 40% of the teledermoscopy patients could potentially have avoided face-to-face visits. Only 4 teledermoscopy referrals (0.4%) had to be excluded due to poor image quality. Smartphone teledermoscopy referrals allow for faster and more efficient management of patients with skin cancer as compared to traditional paper referrals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Statistical methods play an important role in medical and dental research. In earlier studies it has been observed that current use of methods and reporting of statistics are responsible for some of the errors in the interpretation of results. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of statistical reporting in dental research articles. Methods. A total of 200 articles published in 2010 were analysed covering five dental journals: Journal of Dental Research, Caries Research, Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, Journal of Dentistry and Acta Odontologica Scandinavica. Each paper underwent careful scrutiny for the use of statistical methods and reporting. A paper with at least one poor reporting item has been classified as 'problems with reporting statistics' and a paper without any poor reporting item as 'acceptable'. Results. The investigation showed that 18 (9%) papers were acceptable and 182 (91%) papers contained at least one poor reporting item. Conclusions. The proportion of at least one poor reporting item in this survey was high (91%). The authors of dental journals should be encouraged to improve the statistical section of their research articles and to present the results in such a way that it is in line with the policy and presentation of the leading dental journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the abstract of the research "Lessons learned searching for a HRQoL instrument to assess the results of treatment in persons with lumbar disorders," which was published in the June 3, 2005 issue of the periodical "Acta Orthopaedica."

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to identify the 100 top cited systematic reviews and meta-analyses on dental journals so as to gain insight into the influential publications in dentistry.Material and methods: The Web of Science was used to comprehensively identify the 100 most cited papers without year and language restriction. Specific parameters regarding the title, journal, publication year, authors, country of origin, institution and university, collaborations, keyword analysis and field of study of each manuscript were retrieved.Results: The citations ranged from 642 to 140. The most productive years were 2008 and 2009. The majority of top cited papers were published in Clinical Oral Implants Research and Journal of Clinical Periodontology. The leading countries were United States, followed by Switzerland. The University of Zurich was the most productive institution with 8 articles. Major topics of interest in the top 100 most-cited papers were dental implants and periodontology. The most frequently occurring keywords were systematic review, dental implants and meta-analyses.Conclusions: Systematic reviews published in high impact factor Dental journals focused on implantology and periodontology had the highest citation rates. Obviously, the top cited list is dynamic, as scientific interests and research tendencies evolve over the years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of different adhesion primers on the repair bond strength of bulk-fill resin composite and short-term hydrolytic stability of the repair interface before and after accelerated aging. In addition, direction of debonding stress was examined. Bulk-fill substrates were aged in water for 14 days at 37 °C. Smooth resin composite surfaces were prepared for the substrates with a superfine grinding paper (FEPA #500, #1200, #2000). Test specimens were produced by attaching bulk-fill composite to the substrate surfaces, using three different primer/bonding systems. Specimens were aged 24 h at 37 °C in water, or thermal cycled (5–55 °C/5,000 cycles). Subsequently, shear bond strength and micro-tensile bond strength were evaluated. In total there were 60 specimens for the shear bond strength and 60 specimens for the micro-tensile bond strength measurements (30 stored in water 24 h, 30 thermal cycled, n = 10 in each primer/bonding mode). The mean shear bond strength was 9.1–13.1 MPa after 24 h water storage and 6.9–10.7 MPa after thermal cycling. The mean micro-tensile bond strength was 28.7–45.8 MPa after 24 h water storage and 22.7–37.9 MPa after thermal cycling. The Ceramic primer (silane containing) seems to perform better than the three-step etch and rinse adhesive or the Composite primer. Shear-type stress had an adverse effect on the repair bond strength of bulk-fill resin composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performing a reliable assessment of chronic pruritus remains a challenge. Electronic diaries are often used, but many of the scales have not been validated. ItchApp© was developed for Android smartphones in order to address this lack. A total of 40 subjects with chronic pruritus completed questionnaires both on paper and with ItchApp© (verbal rating scale, numerical rating scale, dynamic pruritus score) in order to validate the software application. Strong correlations were found for test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.865-0.977) and convergent validity (Spearman's r: 0.442-0.924). A feasibility questionnaire for ItchApp© revealed a high level of user friendliness and compliance. This was confirmed in a randomized controlled trial with 68 subjects, for which the clinically important difference in the numerical rating scale values for ItchApp© was calculated (2.61 points). In summary, ItchApp© is a recently developed eDiary that can provide experts with a reliable evaluation of patients with chronic pruritus. It will be made available for future clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is a routine method for correcting transverse maxillary deficiency. This paper investigated the effect of RME on anchorage alveolar bone and examined the differences between micro-implant-assisted RME and conventional RME. Relevant articles were selected from the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. Review Manager software (v.5.3) was used for the pooled analysis and Cochran Q and I2 statistic tests were used to assess the heterogeneity. Following conventional RME, the distal buccal alveolar bone thickness and the mesiobuccal alveolar thickness of the maxillary first molars were significantly reduced. Hyrax (standard mean difference [SMD]: −0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −1.20–0.66) and Haas procedures (SMD: −0.88, 95% CI: −1.40–0.36) significantly reduced the buccal vertical alveolar height of the maxillary first molars. Similar results were obtained for the maxillary first premolars following RME. The thickness of the buccal alveolar bone decreased with conventional RME compared to when using the method assisted by micro-implants. Conventional RME can reduce the thickness and vertical height of maxillary alveolar bone, and there is less loss of alveolar bone when using micro-implant-assisted RME. Further research is needed to validate the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose — The trochanteric stabilizing plate (TSP) may be used as an adjunct to a sliding hip screw (SHS) in the treatment of trochanteric fractures to increase construct stability. We performed a scoping review of the literature to clarify when and how the TSP may be useful. Methods — A systematic search was performed in 5 databases and followed by a backwards-and-forwards citation search of the identified papers. 24 studies were included. Results — 6 biomechanical studies and 18 clinical studies were included in the review. The studies presented mainly low-level evidence. All studies were on unstable trochanteric fractures or fracture models. Due to the heterogeneity of methods and reporting, we were not able to perform a meta-analysis. In the biomechanical trials, the TSP appeared to increase stability compared with SHS alone, up to a level comparable with intramedullary nails (IMNs). We identified 1,091 clinical cases in the literature where a TSP had been used. There were 82 (8%) reoperations. The rate of complications and reoperations for SHS plus TSP was similar to previous reports on SHS alone and IMN. It was not possible to conclude whether the TSP gave better clinical results, when compared with either SHS alone or with IMN. Interpretation — The heterogeneity of methods and reporting precluded any clear recommendations on when to use the TSP, or if it should be used at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Evidence for the safety and benefits of exercise training as a therapeutic and rehabilitative intervention for cancer survivors is accumulating. However, whereas the evidence for the efficacy of exercise training has been established in several meta-analyses, synthesis of qualitative research is lacking. In order to extend healthcare professionals' understanding of the meaningfulness of exercise in cancer survivorship care, this paper aims to identify, appraise and synthesize qualitative studies on cancer survivors' experience of participation in exercise-based rehabilitation. Material and methods. Five electronic databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, EMBASE, Cinahl and Scopus) were searched systematically for articles published up to May 2014 using keywords and MeSH terms. To be included, studies had to contain primary data pertaining to patient experiences from participation in supervised, structured moderate to vigorous-intensity exercise. Results. In total 2447 abstracts were screened and 37 papers were read in full. Of these, 19 studies (n = 390) were selected for inclusion and critically appraised. Synthesis of data extracted from eight studies including in total 174 patients (77% women, age 28-76 years) exclusively reporting experiences of participation in structured, supervised exercise training resulted in nine themes condensed into three categories: 1) emergence of continuity; 2) preservation of health; and 3) reclaiming the body reflecting the benefits of exercise-based rehabilitation according to cancer survivors. Accordingly, the potential of rebuilding structure in everyday life, creating a normal context and enabling the individual to re-establish confidentiality and trust in their own body and physical potential constitute substantial qualities fundamental to the understanding of the meaningfulness of exercise-based rehabilitation from the perspective of patients. Conclusions. In addition to the accumulating evidence for the efficacy of exercise training in cancer rehabilitation, it is incumbent upon clinicians and policy-makers to acknowledge and promote the meaningfulness of exercise for the individual, and to use this knowledge to provide new solutions to current problems related to recruitment of underserved populations, long-term adherence and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on several European Cancer Rehabilitation and Survivorship (ECRS) meetings in which 140 papers published in Acta Oncologica. It mentions the course and risk of late effects in childhood cancer survivors are well described and risk factors identified are all closely related to the specific treatment provided for the cancer disease; and also mentions the papers address Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) use and readiness for e-health solutions during therapy and rehabilitation.

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and influence of predatory journals in the field of dermatology in Austria. A total of 286 physicians (50.5% men) completed a questionnaire. The vast majority of subjects read scientific articles (n = 281, 98.3%) and took them into consideration in their clinical decisionmaking (n = 271, 98.5% of participants that regularly read scientific literature). Open access was known by 161 (56.3%), predatory journals by 84 (29.4%), and the Beall's list by 19 physicians (6.7%). A total of 117 participants (40.9%) had been challenged by patients with results from the scientific literature, including 9 predatory papers. Participants who knew of predatory journals had a higher level of education as well as scientific experience, and were more familiar with the open-access system (p < 0.001). These results indicate that the majority of dermatologists are not familiar with predatory journals. This is particularly the case for physicians in training and in the early stages of their career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]