Search

Objective: To identify the impact of MUC5B polymorphisms on dental caries. Methods: A case–control study was performed with patients recruited at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná. These individuals were aged 12 years old or more. Dental caries was diagnosed using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System, and the effects of socioeconomic, dietary, and hygiene factors on dental caries were investigated. Furthermore, buccal cells were collected, and their DNA was extracted and amplified using PCR. Uni‐, bi‐, and multivariate analyses were performed. Results: Two hundred patients were recruited, 100 were assigned to the case group and 100 to the control group. In the bivariate analysis, the following variables showed significant results: ethnicity (p = .008), biofilm (p < .001), and gingivitis (p < .001). The MUC5B gene affected dental caries with the markers rs2735733 (p < .001), rs2249073 (p < .001), and rs2857476 (p < .001). In the multivariate analysis, the biofilm variable remained significant (p = .026), as did the following markers from the MUC5B gene: rs2735733 (p = .019), rs2249073 (p < .025), and rs2857476 (p < .005). Conclusion: Genetic variations in the MUC5B gene can influence dental caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This qualitative systematic review and meta-aggregation aimed to synthesise evidence regarding perceptions of patients, practitioners, and stakeholders on the use of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) for the management of dental caries., Data: This review was reported in alignment with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023390301) and the Joanna Briggs Systematic Reviews register., Sources: References were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE using a pre-established search strategy., Study Selection: Qualitative and mixed-methods studies examining perspectives of patients, practitioners, and/or stakeholders on the use of SDF were included. The initial search identified 650 articles eligible for inclusion, out of which 14 articles were included in the review. Reviewers synthesised findings and generated 11 distinct categories grouped into three synthesised findings: 1) Clinical use; 2) Staining; 3) Facilitators and barriers., Conclusions: Practitioners and patients viewed SDF as a therapeutic option with multiple benefits. While aesthetic concerns may be a barrier to some groups, the acceptance of the treatment was influenced by other factors, such as trusting professional advice., Clinical Significance: Patient education is key for increased SDF acceptance. This systematic review can assist clinicians in addressing concerns regarding SDF therapy. Findings have the potential to inform policy decisions that address oral health inequities through patient-centred health care models., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Inferring causal relationships from observational data is a key challenge in understanding the interpretability of Machine Learning models. Given the ever-increasing amount of observational data available in many areas, Machine Learning algorithms used for forecasting have become more complex, leading to a less understandable path of how a decision is made by the model. To address this issue, we propose leveraging ensemble models, e.g., Random Forest, to assess which input features the trained model prioritizes when making a forecast and, in this way, establish causal relationships between the variables. The advantage of these algorithms lies in their ability to provide feature importance, which allows us to build the causal network. We present our methodology to estimate causality in time series from oil field production. As it is difficult to extract causal relations from a real field, we also included a synthetic oil production dataset and a weather dataset, which is also synthetic, to provide the ground truth. We aim to perform causal discovery, i.e., establish the existing connections between the variables in each dataset. Through an iterative process of improving the forecasting of a target's value, we evaluate whether the forecasting improves by adding information from a new potential driver; if so, we state that the driver causally affects the target. On the oil field-related datasets, our causal analysis results agree with the interwell connections already confirmed by tracer information; whenever the tracer data are available, we used it as our ground truth. This consistency between both estimated and confirmed connections provides us the confidence about the effectiveness of our proposed methodology. To our knowledge, this is the first time causal analysis using solely production data is employed to discover interwell connections in an oil field dataset., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aim: This systematic review was to explore the potentialities and limitations of Interprofessional Education (IPE), from the perspective of undergraduate students., Background: The increasing complexity in health increasingly demand professionals with the capacity to act in the face of new global challenges. Thus, this pedagogical approach presents itself as one of the most promising choices in facing these new obstacles., Design: A synthesis of quantitative studies and mixed methods., Methods: Studies involving quantitative analyzes were included, with no restriction on the date of publication and language. The search strategy was carried out in the electronic databases: PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), Cochrane Library and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). In addition, searches were carried out in gray literature on the ERIC platforms (ProQuest), ProQuest Disserts and Theses Full text and Academic Google. The assessment of the quality of the studies was carried out using the instrument by Downs and Black. The risks of bias in the studies were examined with the aid of the adapted version of the Cochrane Collaboration tool, with the domains of the Downs and Black instrument., Results: After standardized filter procedures, critical summaries and assessment of relevance to the eligibility criteria, 11 articles were included. The results showed that most students have a positive perception of IPE, with different factors influencing this research finding. The need to develop more robust assessment instruments is highlighted, in view of the insufficiency of tools with sufficient methodological rigor to measure real changes in attitudes among different groups of students., Conclusion: More consistent research is needed, which assesses, in a longitudinal way, the effects that the IPE has on the teaching and learning of undergraduate students and its impact after professional training., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of information on the internet about vaginal meshes available to the general population., Study Design: The terms "vaginal sling," "sling vagina," "vaginal mesh," "mesh vagina," "vaginal tape," and "tape vagina" were used every time on three major search engines, and the first 10 websites retrieved by each search engine were selected and evaluated using the DISCERN questionnaire. The websites were divided into four categories based on the type of agency that created the website. These included websites created by private health institutions, non-private health institutions, and non-health institutions and websites for encyclopedias, libraries, articles and scientific papers. They were compared in terms of the reliability, information quality, and total DISCERN score., Results: The survey yielded 98 different websites; after applying the exclusion criteria, 62 sites were selected. Websites for articles, magazines, libraries, and encyclopedias and those by non-private health services had significantly high scores for the reliability dimension of the DISCERN tool as compared to the other two website categories (p < 0.05). Regarding the quality of information, websites for non-specific health services and those for articles, magazines, libraries, and encyclopedias presented significantly lower scores as compared to the other two website categories. Websites for non-specific health services had significantly lower average total DISCERN points when compared to other website categories. The websites for private health services and those for articles, magazines, libraries, and encyclopedias had significantly lower DISCERN scores than the websites for non-private health services did., Conclusion: Our findings showed that the quality of information regarding vaginal meshes on the first 10 websites on major search engines was moderate., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the structural validity of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) instrument in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations from Australia and Brazil using a network analysis approach., Methods: Cross-sectional data collected using OHIP-14 were obtained for Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations from Australia and Brazil. Networks were estimated using the Gaussian graphical model. Items of the OHIP-14 instrument are represented as nodes and the partial correlations between items as edges. Dimensionality was assessed using exploratory graph analysis. Structural consistency and item stability were computed using a bootstrap sampling method. Standardized node strength across each dimension was also calculated., Results: Four dimensions were identified across all samples, although the item arrangement of most dimensions presented variation. Similarities with the theoretical domains of the instrument were found. Items from the conceptually derived OHIP-14 domains formed separated clusters or blended with other items in a single dimension. Most dimensions across all samples showed an acceptable structural consistency. Item stability revealed some discrepancies among items of dimensions of both Indigenous networks., Conclusion: The psychometric network perspective adopted in this study provides validation of the OHIP-14 structure in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. The structural consistency and item stability analyses showed that both Indigenous networks present a higher number of cross-domain items and less defined boundaries between dimensions. These findings indicate that OHIP-14 does not measure attributes in the same extent among different cultures., Knowledge Transfer Statement: This study demonstrates a new analytical framework from which to conceptualize and interpret the construct oral health-related quality of life using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Network graphs facilitate knowledge translation of findings to professionals with no expertise in psychometric methods. OHIP-14 is a valuable tool to oral health research and clinical practice. Differences in conceptions of health may influence the extent that the instrument measures oral health impacts. Consequently, dimension scores do not always provide appropriate measures and should be avoided in research reports and assessments of treatment outcomes.

This research presents a methodology for volume fraction predictions in water-gas-oil multiphase systems based on gamma-ray densitometry and artificial neural networks. The simulated geometry uses a dual-energy gamma-ray source and dual-modality (transmitted and scattered beams). The Am-241 and Cs-137 sources and two NaI(Tl) detectors have been used in this methodology. Different data from the pulse height distribution were used to train the artificial neural network to evaluate the volume fraction prediction. The MCNPX code has been used to develop the theoretical model for stratified regime and to provide data for the artificial neural network. 5-layers feed-forward multilayer perceptron using backpropagation training algorithm and General Regression Neural Networks has been used with different designs. The artificial neural network design that presented the best results of volume fraction prediction has a mean relative error below 2.0%., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To present a genetic and protein interaction analysis associated with dental caries., Material and Methods: The first step was to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) through an electronic database search. Case-controls that reported associations between genes and dental caries were the main type of study design used as inclusion criteria, retrieved from the PubMed and the Virtual Health Library databases, comprising the chronological range from 1982 to 2017. The SLR was guided by PRISMA protocol and the methodological quality of the studies was established through Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). In the second step, the String Protein Interaction (SPI) approach was used to analyze protein interaction (by esyN software) and also the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to check biological pathways associated with dental caries genes., Results: A total of 51 articles were included to perform this SLR, describing a number of 27 genes associated with dental caries development. At the genetic level, 23 genes have at least one other gene with which they interact. The genes TUFT1, VDR, TFIP11, LTF, HLA-DRB1, MMP2, MMP3 and MUC5B were shown to be connected in interactive networks by at least 10 other genes., Conclusion: It is essential to apprehend the multifactorial pattern of inheritance in human disease. This study presents pathways which may be directly correlated with several dental caries phenotype and this contributes to a better understanding of this disease, opening up a wider range of biotechnology options for its effective control in the future., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify the impact of MUC5B polymorphisms on dental caries., Methods: A case-control study was performed with patients recruited at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná. These individuals were aged 12 years old or more. Dental caries was diagnosed using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System, and the effects of socioeconomic, dietary, and hygiene factors on dental caries were investigated. Furthermore, buccal cells were collected, and their DNA was extracted and amplified using PCR. Uni-, bi-, and multivariate analyses were performed., Results: Two hundred patients were recruited, 100 were assigned to the case group and 100 to the control group. In the bivariate analysis, the following variables showed significant results: ethnicity (p = .008), biofilm (p < .001), and gingivitis (p < .001). The MUC5B gene affected dental caries with the markers rs2735733 (p < .001), rs2249073 (p < .001), and rs2857476 (p < .001). In the multivariate analysis, the biofilm variable remained significant (p = .026), as did the following markers from the MUC5B gene: rs2735733 (p = .019), rs2249073 (p < .025), and rs2857476 (p < .005)., Conclusion: Genetic variations in the MUC5B gene can influence dental caries., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of this research was to identify and replicate the participation of KLK4 gene polymorphisms in the susceptibility to dental decay., Methods: A total of 200 patients were recruited using ICDAS criteria - 100 of them with dental caries and 100 with no history of the disease. Buccal cells were collected and the DNA was extracted and amplified using PCR., Results: During the descriptive analysis, the variables ethnicity, biofilm, and gingivitis and the markers rs2242670 and rs2978642 were statistically significant. In the multivariate analysis, the marker rs2242670 and the variable biofilm maintained statistical significance., Conclusion: Genetic variations in the KLK4 gene may contribute to dental decay., (© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Dental implants have been widely used to replace missing teeth, accomplishing aesthetics and function. Due to its large use worldwide, the small percentage of implant loss becomes significant in number of cases. Lactotransferrin (LTF) is a pleiotropic protein, expressed in various body tissues and fluids, which modulates the host immune-inflammatory response and bone metabolism, and might be involved in dental implant osseointegration. Recently, a few studies have been investigating genetic aspects underlying dental implant failure., Purpose: This case-control study aimed to investigate the association of genetic markers (tag SNPs) in LTF gene and clinical parameters with dental implant loss., Material and Methods: 278 patients, both sexes, mean age 51 years old, divided into 184 without and 94 with implant loss, were genotyped for sixteen tag SNPs, representative of the whole LTF gene. Also, clinical oral and systemic parameters were analyzed. Univariate and Multivariate Logistic Regression model were used to analyze the results (p < .05)., Results: No association was found between the tag SNPs and implant loss in the study population. Clinical association was found with medical treatment, hormonal reposition, edentulism, number of placed implants, plaque, calculus, and mobility., Conclusion: Clinical variables, but not LTF gene polymorphisms, were associated with implant loss., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Dental caries is a common multifactorial disease, resulting from the interaction of biofilm, cariogenic diet and host response over time. Lactotransferrin (LTF) is a main salivary glycoprotein, which modulates the host immune-inflammatory and antibacterial response. Although a genetic component for caries outcome has been identified, little is known over the genetic aspects underlying its susceptibility. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between LTF polymorphisms and caries susceptibility. Six hundred seventy seven 12-year-old students were selected: 346 with (DMFT ≥ 1) and 331 without caries experience (DMFT = 0). Also, individuals concentrating higher levels of disease (polarization group, DMFT ≥ 2, n = 253) were tested against those with DMFT ≤ 1 (n = 424). Along with clinical parameters, three representative LTF tag SNPs (rs6441989, rs2073495, rs11716497) were genotyped and the results were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Allele A for tag SNP rs6441989 was found to be significantly less frequent in the polarization group, conferring a protective effect against caries experience [AA + AG × GG (OR: 0.710, 95% CI: 0.514-0.980, p = 0.045)], and remained significantly associated with caries protection in the presence of gingivitis (p = 0.020) and plaque (p = 0.035). These results might contribute to the understanding of the genetic control of caries susceptibility in humans., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The global health scenario shows an epidemic of non-communicable diseases that lead to long-term chronic conditions, some of which are incurable. Many infectious diseases, owing to their development and length, also generate chronic conditions. Similarly, non-morbid states, such as pregnancy, and some life cycles such as adolescence and ageing, follow the same logic. Among all these chronic conditions there is a significant interrelationship with oral health, both in parallel events and common risk factors. This article presents cross-sectional qualitative research into World Health Organisation recommended health policies to address chronic conditions. Several documents published by the organisation were analysed to verify the presence of references to oral health in relation to chronic conditions, particularly cardiovascular diseases and diabetes as these most frequently have oral manifestations. The analysis showed no significant references to oral health or its indicators within the published texts. The study recognises the value of the work developed by the World Health Organisation, as well as its worldwide leadership role in the development of health policies for chronic conditions. This article proposes a coalition of dentistry organisations that could, in a more forceful and collective way, advocate for a greater presence of oral health in drafting policies addressing chronic conditions., (© 2013 FDI World Dental Federation.)

Despite recent advances revealing genetic factors influencing caries susceptibility, questions regarding the model of inheritance involved are yet to be addressed. We conducted a Complex Segregation Analysis on decayed teeth in a sample of homogenous, isolated families recruited from the Brazilian Amazon. A dominant, major gene effect controlling resistance to phenotype was detected. The frequency of the resistance allele "A" was 0.63; mean numbers of decayed teeth were 1.53 and 9.53 for genotypes AA/AB and BB, respectively. These results represent a step toward a description of the exact nature of the genetic risk factors controlling human susceptibility to caries.

Objective: To review the scientific literature concerning dental fluorosis and to evaluate its occurrence among children attending public schools in the city of Curitiba, which is in the state of Paraná in Brazil., Methods: We reviewed the international literature on fluorosis that was published between 1998 and 2001, focusing on systematic critical reviews that were listed in such electronic bibliographical sources as MEDLINE, LILACS, the Cochrane Library, and Sci-ELO Public Health. In addition, in 2000 we carried out a cross-sectional study with 12-year old schoolchildren (n = 1,494) in Curitiba., Results: Our literature review found that there is still much controversy regarding the benefits associated with fluoride supplementation and the impact of fluorosis. In our cross-sectional study with the Curitiba schoolchildren, we found a fluorosis prevalence of 23% for grade 2, 3, 4, or 5 on the Dean index. The observed fluorosis had little impact on the biopsychosocial health of the children studied, as shown by the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The analysis showed that the presence of fluorosis was not significantly associated with dissatisfaction with tooth color. However, there was an association between the independent variable of place of residence (sanitary district within Curitiba) and fluorosis (P = 0.00), in both the bivariate and multivariate analyses., Conclusions: Based on our results, we concluded that dental fluorosis is not now a crucial epidemiological problem for the population studied in Curitiba. Any initiatives to control fluorosis should take into account the population's perception of the problem. Nevertheless, it is still extremely important to monitor the levels of fluoride in drinking water.