Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire.

The Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) was completed with five visual analog scales to assess systemic sclerosis (SSc) called Scleroderma HAQ (SHAQ). We performed a validation of the European Portuguese version of SHAQ for patients with SSc. Patients with different forms of SSc from five Hospital Centers were invited. The reliability of the Portuguese SHAQ was evaluated by internal consistency and by test-retest reliability. Content validity was checked by two rheumatologists and by a panel of patients. Construct validity was assessed by structural validity and by known-groups hypothesis tests. Criterion validity was addressed with selected dimensions from the UCLA GIT 2.0, the SF-36v2, and the EuroQoL EQ-5D-5L. A total of 102 SSc patients agreed to participate, 31 of which answered to the retest. HAQ-DI demonstrated high internal consistency reliability (α = 0.866) and SHAQ also showed high test-retest reliability (ICC 0.61-0.95). We evidenced the unidimensionality of all VASs. HAQ-DI scores were worse in males, patients older than 65 years, and individuals with a diffuse form of SSc. Criterion validity was mainly evidenced through the correlation between the HAQ-DI and SF-36v2 physical summary measure (r = -0.688) and EQ-5D-5L index score (r = -0.723). Likewise, the SHAQ overall disease severity VAS was also correlated with SF-36v2 physical summary measure (r = -0.628). Mental score correlations were smaller. With the exception of the Raynaud's VAS, all the other VASs correlated well with similar clinical variables. This paper provides evidence to demonstrate how reliable and valid the European Portuguese version of SHAQ is, to be used in SSc patients to assess the clinical severity under the perspective of patients.

Investigation of Material Loading on an Evolved Antecedent Hexagonal CSRR-Loaded Electrically Small Antenna.

Recent advances in embedded antenna and sensor technologies for 5G communications have galvanized a response toward the investigation of their electromagnetic performance for urban contexts and civil engineering applications. This article quantitatively investigates the effects of material loading on an evolved antecedent hexagonal complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR)-loaded antenna design through simulation and experimentation. Optimization of the narrowband antenna system was first performed in a simulation environment to achieve resonance at 3.50 GHz, featuring an impedance bandwidth of 1.57% with maximum return loss and theoretical gain values of 20.0 dB and 1.80 dBi, respectively. As a proof-of-concept, a physical prototype is fabricated on a printed circuit board followed by a simulation-based parametric study involving antenna prototypes embedded into Ordinary Portland Cement pastes with varying weight percentages of iron(III) oxide inclusions. Simulation-derived and experimental results are mutually verified, achieving a systemic downward shift in resonant frequency and corresponding variations in impedance matching induced by changes in loading reactance. Finally, an inversion modeling procedure is employed using perturbation theory to extrapolate the relative permittivity of the dielectric loaded materials. Our proposed analysis contributes to optimizing concrete-embedded 5G antenna sensor designs and establishes a foundational framework for estimating unknown dielectric parameters of cementitious composites.

Effect of contamination and decontamination methods on the bond strength of adhesive systems to dentin: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: In a suitable condition, it is important to perform any dental restorative procedure using an operatory field isolated. Then, the aim of this study was to compare the bond strength of composite restorations to dentin affected by any contamination agent through a systematic review. METHODS: This systematic review was performed following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The literature search was conducted until September 2022 by scanning the following databases: Embase, PubMed, Scielo, Scopus, and Web of Science. Manuscripts evaluated the bond strength of resin-based materials to permanent human dentin contaminated with blood or saliva were selected for full-text review. The risk of bias was assessed by the RoBDEMAT tool. RESULTS: A total of 3750 papers resulted from the search from all databases. After the full-text reading, a total of 62 articles remained for the qualitative analysis. The contamination agents used were blood, saliva, and hemostatic agents. A great variety of protocols were used to contaminate the dentin surface, and the contamination process occurred in several steps of the bonding process, including before and after the etching process, after the primer application and after the adhesive application. Also, several decontamination procedures were tested, including reapplication of the etching material, rinsing with water, chlorhexidine or sodium hypochlorite and reapplication of the adhesive system. CONCLUSION: Any contamination with blood or saliva impaired the bond strength of resin-based materials to dentin. Decontamination procedures including water-spray and reapplication of the bonding system could revert the impairment produced by the saliva or blood contamination. The use of hemostatic agents as a method of blood decontamination is not recommended. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Clinicians should avoid contamination during a bonding procedure, otherwise, a reduction in the bond quality is expected.

Machine learning-aided LiDAR range estimation.

Automotive light detection and ranging (LiDAR) requires accurate and computationally efficient range estimation methods. At present, such efficiency is achieved at the cost of curtailing the dynamic range of a LiDAR receiver. In this Letter, we propose using decision tree ensemble machine learning models to overcome such a trade-off. Simple and yet powerful models are developed and proven capable of performing accurate measurements across a 45-dB dynamic range.

Sequential use of nutritional additives in diets for finishing Nellore steers in confinement.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of using prebiotics (Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii) or Monensin in the confinement initial phase and replacing monensin with probiotics (Bacillus toyonensis) in the final phase. Forty-eight Nellore steers were used, with an initial mean body weight of 356.2 ± 17.98 kg, distributed in a completely randomized design. Two animals per pen were confined in 80 m2 pens. The experiment was divided into two stages. The first phase lasted from day 1 to the 30th day, during which the animals were divided into two groups of 24 animals each. The treatments were the nutritional additives added to the diet: monensin or prebiotics (Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii). In the second phase, each group was subdivided into 12 animals by treatment, which received monensin or probiotics (Bacillus toyonensis). Dry matter intake (DMI), animal performance, and economic evaluation of the use of additives were evaluated. There was no additive effect on DMI, average daily gain, and total weight gain of the animals in the first experimental stage (0-30th day). Likewise, in the second stage (31st-100th day), there was no treatment effect for the variables of intake and performance. There was no effect of the use of different nutritional additives on carcass characteristics. The use of prebiotics sequentially to probiotics promoted gross and net yield that was superior to that of the animals that consumed monensin. Yeasts and bacteria respectively in the first and second phases of confinement can replace monensin in confinement diets.

Avaliação do uso de estratégias não invasivas em pacientes com insuficiência respiratória por COVID-19 / Evaluation of the use of non-invasive strategies in patients with respiratory failure by COVID-19

Introdução: Durante a pandemia de COVID-19, tornou-se necessário o uso de estratégias no tratamento dos pacientes que evoluem com insuficiência respiratória aguda. Objetivo: Avaliar o uso de estratégias não invasivas no desfecho de pacientes com insuficiência respiratória aguda ou crônica agudizada por COVID-19. Métodos: Pesquisa de caráter observacional e retrospectivo por meio da coleta de dados em prontuário eletrônico com pacientes submetidos ao uso de cânula nasal de alto fluxo (CNAF) e/ou ventilação mecânica não invasiva (VNI). Resultados: 81 pacientes, sendo 70,4% (57) do sexo masculino, com 56,5 ± 14,6 anos. 49,4% (40) dos indivíduos fizeram uso de CNAF e VNI, 9,9% (8) e 40,7% (33) apenas VNI ou CNAF, respectivamente. O tempo médio de uso da CNAF foi de 4,4 ± 3,7 dias e de VNI foi de 2,7 ± 3,4 dias. Observou-se que 43 (53,1%) dos pacientes pesquisados evoluíram para intubação orotraqueal (IOT) e 40 (49,4%) para óbito. Destes, 22 encontravam-se em IOT. Houve diferença estatística quando comparados idade entre os grupos IOT e não IOT, 60,5 ± 13,9 anos vs 52,1 ± 14,2 anos (p = 0,012), respectivamente. Conclusão: O uso de VNI e/ou CNAF pode ser considerado como alternativa no tratamento de pacientes com COVID-19. Contudo, os diversos fatores intrínsecos e extrínsecos ao paciente ainda contribuem para a alta taxa de IOT e de mortalidade.

Effect of Different Application Modalities on the Bonding Performance of Adhesive Systems to Dentin: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Diverse types of dental adhesives exhibit different cytotoxic outcomes on cells in vitro. Currently, no standard adhesive application technique has so far been decisive for clinicians for better durability of resin-dentin bonds of adhesive systems. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature to evaluate the bonding performance of adhesive systems to dentin by using different application modalities. The systematic research strategy was conducted by two reviewers among multiple databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Scielo. In vitro studies reporting the effects of additional steps for the application of adhesive systems on the bond strength to dentin were selected. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager Software version 5.3.5 using the random effects model. The methodological quality of each in vitro study was assessed according to the parameters of a previous systematic review. The electronic research through different databases generated a total of 8318 references. After the examination of titles and abstracts, a total of 106 potentially relevant studies accessed the full-text evaluation phase. After full-text examination, 78 publications were included for the qualitative analysis, and 68 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Regarding the etch-and-rinse adhesive systems, the application modalities that improved the overall bond strength were the application of a hydrophobic resin layer (p = 0.005), an extended application time (p < 0.001), an application assisted by an electric current (p < 0.001), a double-layer application (p = 0.05), the agitation technique (p = 0.02), and the active application of the adhesive (p < 0.001). For self-etch adhesive systems, the techniques that improved the overall bond strength were the application of a hydrophobic resin layer (p < 0.001), an extended application time (p = 0.001), an application assisted by an electric current (p < 0.001), a double-layer application (p < 0.001), the agitation technique (p = 0.01), and the active application of the adhesive (p < 0.001). The in vitro evidence suggests that the application of adhesive systems using alternative techniques or additional strategies may be beneficial for improving their bond strength to dentin. The application modalities that favored the overall bond strength to dentin were an extended application time, a double-layer application, an application assisted by an electric current, the active application of the adhesive, and the application of a hydrophobic resin layer. Worth mentioning is that some techniques are intended to increase the degree of the conversion of the materials, and therefore, improvements in the biocompatibility of the materials can be expected.

Creation and Validation of a Portuguese Version of the UCLA Scleroderma Clinical Trial Consortium Gastrointestinal Tract Instrument.

(1) Background: The UCLA GIT 2.0 questionnaire has been recognized as a feasible and reliable instrument to assess gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and their impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to create and validate UCLA GIT 2.0 for Portuguese patients with SSc. (2) Methods: A multi-center study was conducted enrolling SSc patients. UCLA GIT 2.0 was validated in Portuguese using reliability (internal consistency, item -total correlation, and reproducibility) and validity (content, construct, and criterion) tests. Criterion tests included EQ-5D and SF-36v2. Social-demographic and clinical data were collected. (3) Results: 102 SSc patients were included, 82.4% of them female, and with a mean sample age of 57.0 ± 12.5 years old. The limited form of SSc was present in 62% of the patients and 56.9% had fewer than five years of disease duration. Almost 60% presented with SSc-GI involvement with a negative impact on quality of life. The means for SF-36v2 were 39.3 ± 10.3 in the physical component summary and 47.5 ± 12.1 in the mental component summary. Total GI score, reported as mild in 57.8% of the patients, was highly reliable (ICC = 0.912) and the Cronbach's alpha was 0.954. There was a high correlation between the total GI score and EQ-5D-5L and SF-36v2 scores. (4) Conclusion: The Portuguese version of UCLA GIT 2.0 showed good psychometric properties and can be used in research and clinical practice.

Testing the predictive accuracy of COVID-19 forecasts.

We test the predictive accuracy of forecasts of the number of COVID-19 fatalities produced by several forecasting teams and collected by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the epidemic in the United States. We find three main results. First, at the short horizon (1 week ahead) no forecasting team outperforms a simple time-series benchmark. Second, at longer horizons (3 and 4 week ahead) forecasters are more successful and sometimes outperform the benchmark. Third, one of the best performing forecasts is the Ensemble forecast, that combines all available predictions using uniform weights. In view of these results, collecting a wide range of forecasts and combining them in an ensemble forecast may be a superior approach for health authorities, rather than relying on a small number of forecasts.

Viver com hiv/aids em situação de rua: representações sociais de pessoas hospitalizadas / Vivir con vih/sida en la calle: representaciones sociales de personas hospitalizadas / Living with hiv/aids in street situation: social representations of hospitalized people

Objetivos: apreender as representações sociais sobre o viver com HIV para pessoas hospitalizadas em situação de rua e identificar os conteúdos, elementos e estrutura dessas representações. Método: trata-se de estudo descritivo, embasado na Teoria das Representações Sociais, realizado com pessoas hospitalizadas, que vivem com HIV em situação de rua. Para coleta de dados utilizou-se um formulário e o Teste de Associação Livre de Palavras. A análise de dados ocorreu por meio da estatística descritiva e do software EVOC. Resultados: dos 65 participantes, 46 eram do sexo masculino, com idade média de 39 anos. Observou-se como núcleo central das representações sociais: medo, doente e preconceito, indicando as proporções funcionais e relacionadas à imagem do objeto investigado. O grupo investigado representou o viver com HIV/aids na rua por meio de palavras negativas, carregadas de mágoa, tristeza e medo. Conclusão: as representações têm um provável núcleo central na palavra "medo".

Objetivos: aprehender las representaciones sociales sobre el vivir con VIH para personas hospitalizadas en situación de calle e identificar los contenidos, elementos y estructura de esas representaciones. Método: se trata de estudio descriptivo, basado en la Teoría de las Representaciones Sociales, realizado con personas hospitalizadas, que viven con VIH en situación de calle. Para recolección de datos se utilizó un formulario y el Test de Asociación Libre de Palabras. El análisis de datos se realizó por medio de la estadística descriptiva y del software EVOC. Resultados: de los 65 participantes, 46 eran hombres, con edad media de 39 años. Se observó como núcleo central de las representaciones sociales: miedo, enfermo y prejuicio, indicando las proporciones funcionales y relacionadas a la imagen del objeto investigado. El grupo investigado representó el vivir con VIH/sida en la calle por medio de palabras negativas, cargadas de dolor, tristeza y miedo. Conclusión: las representaciones tienen un probable núcleo central en la palabra "miedo".

Objective: to apprehend the social representations about living with HIV for homeless people hospitalized and to identify the contents, elements and structure of these representations. Method: this is a descriptive study, based on the Theory of Social Representations, conducted with homeless hospitalized people living with HIV. For data collection, a form and the Free Word Association Test were used. Data analysis occurred through descriptive statistics and EVOC software. Results: of the 65 participants, 46 were male, with a mean age of 39 years. The central core of social representations included: fear, illness and prejudice, indicating the functional proportions and related to the image of the investigated object. The investigated group represented living with HIV/aids on the street through negative words, loaded with hurt, sadness and fear. Conclusion: representations have a probable core in the word "fear".

A segurança da pessoa em situação crítica vítima de trauma: intervenção de enfermagem especializada / The safety of people in critical situations who are victims of trauma: specialized nursing intervention

As lesões traumáticas acarretam graves consequências pessoais, familiares e sociais. A pessoa vê-se confrontada com mudanças significativas, e por vezes definitivas, da imagem corporal, da cognição, da mobilidade e da autonomia. É frequente alguns elementos da família alterarem o quotidiano e interromper a atividade laboral para cuidar da pessoa vítima de trauma. A sociedade vê-se privada de jovens e adultos em idades produtivas, pois é uma das principais causas de morte e incapacidade, o que implica custos muito significativos. Cuidar da pessoa em situação crítica vítima de trauma é desafiante e exige do enfermeiro a mobilização de conhecimentos e competências específicos nos diversos contextos. Ao longo deste percurso, o enfermeiro mestre em enfermagem na área de especialização à pessoa em situação crítica coloca à disposição da pessoa vítima de trauma, as suas capacidades de vigilância, de monitorização e de juízo e raciocínio clínico, respondendo aos apelos de cuidados manifestados que podem ser realizados de forma direta (manifestações verbais e/ou corporais) ou de forma indireta, através da monitorização, da vigilância e do suporte vital (alterações hemodinâmicas, entre outras). A segurança na prestação de cuidados de enfermagem especializados à pessoa em situação crítica vítima de trauma é determinante, pois a implementação de medidas e processos que visem a mitigação de eventos adversos trazem ganhos em saúde para a pessoa e família. A escolha desta temática teve na sua génese motivações pessoais e profissionais, constituindo-se uma estratégia para a aquisição e desenvolvimento de competências especializadas de enfermagem na área da pessoa em situação crítica. Foi escolhido o modelo de Dreyfus de aquisição de competências e seguida a linha de pensamento de Benner para a prática de enfermagem, pois realça a importância e a necessidade da experiência e do domínio das capacidades, tendo como objetivo a melhoria da prestação de cuidados. Foi determinante a realização de estágios em contexto de urgência e cuidados intensivos, para o desenvolvimento de diversas atividades com vista ao cumprimento dos objetivos propostos e a concretização das metas definidas pela Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa para este curso de mestrado, das metas enunciadas nos descritores de Dublin para o 2º ciclo de estudos e a aquisição das competências comuns e específicas de enfermeiro especialista na área da pessoa em situação crítica, definidas legalmente pela Ordem dos Enfermeiros.

Traumatic injuries have serious personal, family and social consequences. The person is faced with significant and sometimes definitive changes in body image, cognition, mobility and autonomy. It is common for some family members to change their daily lives and interrupt their work activities to take care of the trauma victim. Society is deprived of young people and adults of productive ages, as it is one of the main causes of death and disability, which implies very significant costs. Caring for a person in a critical situation who is a victim of trauma is challenging and requires nurses to mobilize specific knowledge and skills in different contexts. Along this path, the nurse with a master's degree in nursing in the area of specialization for the person in a critical situation makes available to the person who is a victim of trauma, their surveillance, monitoring and judgment and clinical reasoning skills, responding to the manifested care calls that they can be performed directly (verbal and/or bodily manifestations) or indirectly, through monitoring, surveillance and vital support (hemodynamic changes, among others). Safety in the provision of specialized nursing care to the person in a critical situation who is a victim of trauma is crucial, as the implementation of measures and processes aimed at mitigating adverse events bring health gains to the person and family. The choice of this theme had in its genesis personal and professional motivations, constituting a strategy for the acquisition and development of specialized nursing skills in the area of the person in critical situation. The Dreyfus model of skills acquisition was chosen and Benner's line of thought for nursing practice was followed, as it emphasizes the importance and need for experience and mastery of skills, with the objective of improving care delivery. It was crucial to carry out internships in an emergency and intensive care context, for the development of various activities with a view to fulfilling the proposed objectives and achieving the goals defined by Lisbon Higher School of Nursing for this master's course, the goals set out in the Dublin descriptors for the 2nd cycle of studies and the acquisition of common and specific skills of a specialist nurse in the area of the person in critical situation, legally defined by the Ordem dos Enfermeiros.

Implantação de testagem rápida para HIV na assistência pré-natal da atenção básica / Implementation of rapid HIV testing in prenatal care in primary health care / Implementación de pruebas rápidas de VIH en asistencia prenatal de atención primaria

Objetivo: avaliar a implantação do teste rápido para HIV na assistência ao pré-natal da atenção básica de uma macrorregião de saúde. Método: estudo transversal, realizado com equipes da Estratégia de Saúde da Família de uma Macrorregião de Saúde do Ceará. Foi utilizada a estatística descritiva e inferencial, com a determinação do valor-p, por meio da aplicação do teste do qui-quadrado de Pearson (x2). Resultados: no marcador relacionado a Estrutura, 64,6% das Unidades Básicas de Saúde apresentaram grau de implantação parcialmente adequado (p<0,0001), diferente do marcador relacionado a Processo, no qual 87,3% obtiveram grau de implantação adequado (p<0,0001), e do marcador de Resultado, onde prevaleceu o grau de implantação adequado em 64,6% (p<0,0001). Conclusão: identificou-se uma adequada implantação relacionada aos marcadores de processo de organização do serviço e de resultado da realização dos testes. Com relação aos marcadores de estrutura, apresentou uma implantação parcialmente adequada.

Objective: to evaluate implementation of HIV rapid testing in prenatal primary health care in a health macro-region. Method: this cross-sectional study was conducted with Family Health Strategy teams from a Health Macro-region in Ceará State. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used and p-values determined by applying Pearson's chi-square test (X2). Results: the structure marker showed 64.6% of the primary care facilities to be achieving a satisfactory degree of implementation (p < 0.0001), unlike the process marker, by which 87.3% showed satisfactory implementation (p < 0.0001), or the results marker, by which the degree of implementation was satisfactory in 64.6% (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: implementation was found to be satisfactory by service organization process markers and test results. By structure markers, implementation was partially satisfactory.

Objetivo: evaluar la implementación de la prueba rápida de VIH en la asistencia prenatal en la atención primaria de una macrorregión de salud. Método: estudio transversal, realizado junto a equipos de la Estrategia de Salud de la Familia de una Macrorregión de Salud de Ceará. Se utilizó la estadística descriptiva e inferencial, con determinación del valor p, mediante la aplicación de la prueba chi-cuadrado de Pearson (X2). Resultados: en el marcador relacionado a Estructura, el 64,6% de las Unidades Básicas de Salud presentaron un grado de implementación parcialmente adecuado (p<0,0001), a diferencia del marcador Proceso, en el que el 87,3% obtuvo un grado de implementación adecuado (p< 0,0001), y del marcador Resultado, donde prevaleció el grado de implementación adecuado en un 64,6% (p<0,0001). Conclusión: se identificó una implementación adecuada relacionada con los marcadores del proceso de organización del servicio y del resultado de la realización de las pruebas. En cuanto a los marcadores de estructura, presentó una implementación parcialmente adecuada.

Entropy loading for capacity maximization of RGB-based visible light communications.

In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an entropy loading technique based on probabilistic constellation shaping for a visible light communication (VLC) system. The aggregated achievable bit rate of a multi-carrier signal is maximized, considering a given pre-estimated signal-to-noise ratio. A study of the ideal number of subcarriers and signal bandwidth was performed using multiplexed red, green and blue lasers diodes with a bandwidth of 1 GHz. With a 20 degree optical diffuser, the communication system is able to cover a wide area at a free-space distance of 0.90 m, while achieving a record aggregate bit rate of 31.2 Gbit/s for single-polarization RGB-VLC systems.

Metaheuristics-Based Optimization of a Robust GAPID Adaptive Control Applied to a DC Motor-Driven Rotating Beam with Variable Load.

This work aims to analyze two metaheuristics optimization techniques, Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), with six variations each, and compare them regarding their convergence, quality, and dispersion of solutions. The optimization target is the Gaussian Adaptive PID control (GAPID) to find the best parameters to achieve enhanced performance and robustness to load variations related to the traditional PID. The adaptive rule of GAPID is based on a Gaussian function that has as adjustment parameters its concavity and the lower and upper bound of the gains. It is a smooth function with smooth derivatives. As a result, it helps avoid problems related to abrupt increases transition, commonly found in other adaptive methods. Because there is no mathematical methodology to set these parameters, this work used bio-inspired optimization algorithms. The test plant is a DC motor with a beam with a variable load. Results obtained by load and gain sweep tests prove the GAPID presents fast responses with very low overshoot and good robustness to load changes, with minimal variations, which is impossible to achieve when using the linear PID.

The Use of Probiotics as Adjuvant Therapy of Periodontal Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.

For many years, the use of probiotics in periodontitis treatment was reflected in their abilities to control the immune response of the host to the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and to upset periodontopathogens. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to assess the use of probiotics as adjuvant therapy on clinical periodontal parameters throughout a systematic review and meta-analysis. The literature was screened, up to 4 June 2021, by two independent reviewers (L.H. and R.B.) in four electronic databases: PubMed (MedLine), ISI Web of Science, Scielo, and Scopus. Only clinical trials that report the effect of the use of probiotics as adjuvants in the treatment of periodontal disease were included. Comparisons were carried out using Review Manager Software version 5.3.5 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark). A total of 21 studies were considered for the meta-analysis. For the index plaque, the use of probiotics did not improve this clinical parameter (p = 0.16). On the other hand, for the periodontal pocket depth, the clinical attachment loss, the bleeding on probing, and the use of probiotics as adjuvant therapy resulted in an improvement of these parameters, since the control group achieved statistically higher values of this parameter (p < 0.001; p < 0.001; and p = 0.005, respectively). This study suggests that the use of probiotics led to an improvement in periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, and bleeding on probing parameters. On the other hand, this protocol seems to not be beneficial for the index plaque parameter.

Immediate Dentin Sealing for Adhesive Cementation of Indirect Restorations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Immediate dentin sealing (IDS) involves applying an adhesive system to dentin directly after tooth preparation, before impression. This was considered an alternate to delayed dentin sealing (DDS), a technique in which hybridization is performed following the provisional phase and just before the indirect restoration luting procedure. This study aimed to compare the bond strength of restorations to dentin of the IDS and the DDS techniques throughout a systematic review and meta-analysis. The following PICOS framework was used: population, indirect restorations; intervention, IDS; control, DDS; outcomes, bond strength; and study design, in vitro studies. PubMed (MedLine), The Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science, Scielo, Scopus, and Embase were screened up to January 2022 by two reviewers (L.H. and R.B.). In vitro papers studying the bond strength to human dentin of the IDS technique compared to the DDS technique were considered. Meta-analyses were carried out by using a software program (Review Manager v5.4.1; The Cochrane Collaboration). Comparisons were made by considering the adhesive used for bonding (two-step etch-and-rinse, three step etch-and-rinse, one-step self-etch, two-step self-etch, and universal adhesives). A total of 3717 papers were retrieved in all databases. After full-text assessment, 22 potentially eligible studies were examined for qualitative analysis, leaving a total of 21 articles for the meta-analysis. For the immediate bond strength, regardless of the adhesive strategy used, the IDS technique improved the bond strength of restorations to the dentin (p < 0.001). Taking into account the subgroup analysis, it seems that the use of the IDS technique with a two-step etch-and-rinse or a one-step self-etch adhesive system does not represent any advantage over the DDS technique (p = 0.07, p = 0.15). On the other hand, for the aged bond strength, regardless of the adhesive strategy used, the IDS technique improved the bond strength of restorations to the dentin (p = 0.001). The subgroups analysis shows that this improvement is observed only when a three-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system (p < 0.001) or when a combination of an adhesive system plus a layer of flowable resin (p = 0.01) is used. The in vitro evidence suggests that the use of the IDS technique improves the bond strength of dentin to resin-based restorations regardless of the adhesive strategy used. The use of a three-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system or the combination of an adhesive system plus a layer of flowable resin seems to considerably enhance the bond strength in the long term.

Increasing Acid Concentration, Time and Using a Two-Part Silane Potentiates Bond Strength of Lithium Disilicate-Reinforced Glass Ceramic to Resin Composite: An Exploratory Laboratory Study.

There is still a lack of consensus concerning the recommended etching concentration, application time and type of silane when bonding lithium disilicate-reinforced glass ceramics manufactured by CAD/CAM. The purpose of this study was thus to conduct an in vitro study which investigates the influence of hydrofluoric acid (HF) concentration, etching time and silane type on the microtensile bond strength (µTBS) of lithium disilicate to resin composites. Thirty-nine IPS e.max CAD blocks were randomly divided between thirteen groups (n = 3). The variables were HF concentration (9.5 or 4.9%), etching time (20 or 60 s) and silane type (Bis-Silane, Monobond Plus and ESPE Sil Silane). The blocks were cut into beams, aged for 10,000 cycles in a thermocycler and submitted to tensile stress to determine µTBS. A control group featuring the Monobond Etch & Prime (MEP) agent that combines etching/silanisation into a simultaneous process was also added. This group was discarded from the analysis due to only having pre-test failures. The data were analysed using a three-way ANOVA (α = 0.05). The HF concentration, etching time and silane type significantly influenced µTBS (p < 0.001). Significant interactions between time and silane type (p = 0.004), HF concentration and silane type (p < 0.001) and among the three factors (p < 0.001) were noted. Etching lithium disilicate with 9.5% HF (60 s), followed by the application of Bis-Silane, resulted in the highest µTBS (16.6 ± 9.0 MPa). The highest concentration and etching time under study, combined with a two-part silane, resulted in the highest bond strength, while the application of MEP showed a complete pre-test failure.

Determinantes psicológicos da qualidade-de-vida em pessoas com artrite reumatóide / Determinantes psicológicos de la calidad de vida en personas con artritis reumatoide / Psychological determinants of quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar o estado emocional, nas dimensões ansiedade e depressão, e a qualidade de vida, em pessoas com artrite reumatóide. Métodos Estudo primário, descritivo e transversal, desenvolvido na região norte de Portugal, com uma amostra de 139 pessoas com artrite reumatóide (79,86% mulheres) e com média de idades de 63.05 anos. Foram aplicados: um questionário sociodemográfico, a escala "Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale" e o questionário "EQ-5D - Avaliação de Ganhos em Saúde". Na análise de dados, por meio do programa IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics 24 , recorreu-se à estatística inferencial, considerando-se estatisticamente significativo um p < 0,05. Resultados Os achados sobre o estado emocional mostraram níveis de ansiedade severos em 45,3%, ansiedade moderada em 36,7%, ansiedade leve em 10,1% e apenas 7,9% dos participantes pontuaram sem ansiedade. A maioria não apresenta sintomatologia depressiva (71,9%) e 13,7% manifestou depressão leve. Os baixos níveis de depressão foram associados a uma melhor qualidade-de-vida, contrariamente aos níveis de ansiedade, onde uma diminuição dos mesmos diminui a qualidade-de-vida (p=0,000). Conclusão Observou-se que a ansiedade e a depressão emergiram como preditores da QDV em pessoas com AR. Para proteger e melhorar a saúde dos pacientes, destaca-se a necessidade de implementar intervenções de enfermagem direcionadas ao controle dos fatores que induzem comportamentos ansiogênicos e depressivos.

Resumen Objetivo Evaluar el estado emocional, en las dimensiones ansiedad y depresión, y la calidad de vida, en personas con artritis reumatoide. Métodos Estudio primario, descriptivo y transversal, desarrollado en la región norte de Portugal, con una muestra de 139 personas con artritis reumatoide (79,86 % mujeres) con un promedio de edad de 63.05 años. Se aplicaron: un cuestionario sociodemográfico, la escala "Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale" y el cuestionario "EQ-5D - Avaliação de Ganhos em Saúde". En el análisis de datos, por medio del programa IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics 24 , se recorrió a la estadística inferencial, y se consideró estadísticamente significante un p < 0,05. Resultados Los hallazgos sobre el estado emocional mostraron niveles de ansiedad severos en 45,3 %, ansiedad moderada en 36,7 %, ansiedad leve en 10,1 % y apenas el 7,9 % de los participantes puntuaron sin ansiedad. La mayoría no presenta sintomatología depresiva (71,9 %) y el 13,7 % manifestó depresión leve. Los bajos niveles de depresión estuvieron asociados a una mejor calidad de vida, contrariamente a los niveles de ansiedad, en la que una disminución en ellos disminuyó la calidad de vida (p=0,000). Conclusión Se observó que la ansiedad y la depresión emergieron como predictores de la CDV en personas con AR. Para proteger y mejorar la salud de los pacientes, se destaca la necesidad de implementar intervenciones de enfermería direccionadas al control de los factores que inducen a comportamientos ansiogénicos y depresivos.

Abstract Objective To assess the emotional states of the anxiety and depression dimensions and the quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods A primary, descriptive, and cross-sectional study conducted in the northern region of Portugal, using a sample of 139 people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (79.86% of whom were women) with a mean age of 63.05 years. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the "Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale" and the "EQ-5D - Health Gains questionnaire were administered. Inferential statistics were used to conduct data analysis. IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics 24 program was the instrument of choice and p < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results Findings on emotional state showed severe/extreme anxiety levels in 45.3% of the respondents, moderate anxiety in 36.7% of them, mild anxiety in 10.1% and only 7.9% of participants showed no sign of anxiety. Most of the participants did not present any sort of depressive symptoms (71.9%) and 13.7% of them were diagnosed with mild depression. Low levels of depression were associated with a better quality of life. On the other hand, low levels of anxiety see to lead to poorer quality of life (p=0.000). Conclusion Evidence shows that anxiety and depression are predictors of QOL in patients with RA. That way, nursing interventions aimed at controlling the factors that trigger anxiogenic and depressive behaviours must be implemented to protect and improve patients' health.

A qualidade de sono de fisioterapeutas de um hospital público durante a pandemia de Covid-19 / The quality of sleep of physiotherapists in a public hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic

INTRODUÇÃO: A pandemia de covid-19 tornou necessário estudos sobre o impacto da pandemia e das novas rotinas de trabalho impostas ao trabalhador no estado de saúde de profissionais de saúde, em especial os fisioterapeutas hospitalares. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a qualidade de sono e sonolência diurna de profissionais de fisioterapia hospitalar durante o período de pandemia do covid-19. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Pesquisa observacional, transversal, prospectiva em um hospital público do nordeste brasileiro. A pesquisa teve como público-alvo fisioterapeutas hospitalares atuantes ou não em setores covid durante a pandemia de covid-19. Foram aplicados os instrumentos Índice de Qualidade do Sono de Pittsburgh (IQSP), Escala de Sonolência de Epworth (ESE) e questionários com características demográficas, trabalho, saúde e percepção de estresse. RESULTADOS: Participaram do estudo 45 fisioterapeutas e foi observado que 62,2% eram do sexo feminino, 66,7% relataram trabalhar 60h por semana e 55,6% trabalharam em setor covid e não covid. Observou-se elevada frequência de má qualidade do sono (68,9%) independente de carga horária ou setor de trabalho. Houve maior prevalência de sonolência diurna excessiva (43,3%) entre os fisioterapeutas que trabalhavam 60h por semana. CONCLUSÃO: Os fisioterapeutas hospitalares de uma instituição pública têm má qualidade do sono e aqueles que trabalham com maior carga horária apresentam maior prevalência de sonolência diurna excessiva.

INTRODUCTION: The covid-19 pandemic has made it necessary to study the impact of the pandemic and the new work routines imposed on workers on the health status of health professionals, especially hospital-based physical therapists. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness of hospital-based physical therapists during the covid-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an observational, cross-sectional, prospective study conducted in a public hospital in northeastern Brazil. The research had as target audience, hospital-based physical therapists working or not in covid sectors during the covid-19 pandemic. We applied the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and questionnaires with demographic, work, health, and stress perception characteristics. RESULTS: Forty-five physical therapists participated in the study, and it was observed that 62.2% were female, 66.7% reported working 60h per week, and 55.6% worked in the covid and non-covid sectors. A high frequency of poor sleep quality (68.9%) was observed regardless of workload or work sector. In addition, there was a higher prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (43.3%) among physical therapists who worked 60h per week. CONCLUSION: Hospital-based physical therapists in a public institution have poor sleep quality, and those who work more hours have a higher prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness.