Periodontitis and Neuropathic Diseases: A Literature Review.

Aim: This narrative review aimed at identifying the existing scientific literature investigating periodontitis and neuropathic diseases. Materials and Methods: A search of the literature published between 2000 and 2022 was carried out in the electronic databases of Scopus and PubMed. Studies in which the eligible articles were mainly published in English were included. Descriptive correlational studies, case-control studies, comparative studies, and cohort studies were also included. The following main keywords were used: "Neuropathic diseases," "Periodontitis," "Alzheimer's disease," and "Porphyromonas gingivalis." Results: This narrative review found that cognitively impaired persons with severe periodontitis had a higher prevalence and incidence of periodontal diseases than the rest of the population. A significant positive correlation of salivary interleukin (IL)-1beta and immediate recall scores involved in cognition was also evident. It indicates that the most investigated parameter was whether there is any common link between periodontal disease and neurodegeneration. No randomized controlled clinical studies were found in the current literature review. Conclusions: Based on the literature reviewed, there is currently no strong scientific evidence to support or discourage the cause-effect relationship of periodontal diseases and neurodegenerative diseases.

Global Scientific Overview of Dermatology Related to COVID-19: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on dermatology, but to date no bibliometric analysis of this field has been identified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a bibliometric indicator analysis of the worldwide scientific production of COVID-19 in dermatology. Materials and Methods: An advanced bibliographic search was performed in the Scopus database to identify articles on COVID-19 and dermatology from 2020 to 2021. The collected information was analysed with SciVal software. Bibliometric data were described through figures and summary tables. Results: A total of 1448 documents were collected and analysed. Torello Lotti was the author with the greatest scientific production; however, Esther Freeman had the greatest impact. Harvard University was the institution with the highest number of published articles. Most papers were published in the first quartiles. The United States and Italy were the leading countries in terms of production. Articles with international collaboration had the highest impact. Conclusion: Articles related to dermatology and COVID-19 are mostly published with American and Italian affiliations. In addition, there has been an increase in the distribution of articles published in the first quartile, which would reflect a growing interest in the community. Publications with international collaboration reported the highest impact, so future authors should take this into account.

Overview, Trends, and Collaboration on Immunization, Vaccination, and Immunomodulation Therapies for Periodontitis: A Scientometric Study.

AIM: To identify patterns and trends in the field of immunization, vaccination, and immunomodulation therapies for periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Metadata were collected from the Scopus database on publications related to these topics from January 1986 to February 2024. Several types of papers were included in this study, a total of 22 publications. Data were extracted from relevant publications and loaded into SciVal for analysis that were used to identify trends and patterns in the data, including cross-country collaboration, thematic evolution, and keyword distribution. RESULTS: Mohsen Amin of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran and S. Aadil Ahamed and Annie Kitty George of Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences in India were found to be notable contributors in this field. India leads in terms of academic paper production, followed by Iran and China. The journals Expert Review of Vaccines and International Immunopharmacology have published significant papers in this field. CONCLUSIONS: According to Lotka's Law, most authors have written only one paper, reflecting the distribution of productivity in many academic and scientific fields. Collaborations were observed between Iran and Canada, Korea and New Zealand, and the United States and Belgium. This study provides useful insight into the predominant trends and patterns in the scientific literature in the field of immunization, vaccination, and immunomodulation therapies for periodontitis. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The findings of this study may help to understand the dynamics of the production on immunization, vaccination, and immunomodulation therapies could reduce the inflammation and progression of periodontitis, thus improving the patient's oral and overall health. How to cite this article: Mauricio F, Mendoza R, Silva H, et al. Overview, Trends, and Collaboration on Immunization, Vaccination, and Immunomodulation Therapies for Periodontitis: A Scientometric Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(2):128-133.

Association between frailty and in-hospital outcomes in patients undergoing leadless pacemaker implantation: A nationwide analysis.

Background: Leadless pacing has recently emerged as a promising therapy. The impact of frailty on the prognosis of these patients is currently unknown. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between frailty and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing leadless pacemaker implantation. Methods: We included adult patients who underwent leadless pacemaker implantation using the National Inpatient Sample from 2017 to 2019. Frailty was evaluated using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score and stratified into low, intermediate, and high risk. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and any complication (vascular, pericardial, pneumothorax, infectious, or device related), and secondary outcomes were the length of hospital stay and total charges. Results: A total of 16,825 patients were included in the final analysis, with 62% at intermediate or high risk of frailty. There was a higher risk of in-hospital mortality in patients at high (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 6.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.31-12.26) or intermediate (aRR 5.15, 95% CI 3.04-8.72) risk of frailty compared with those at low risk. Similarly, those at high or intermediate risk of frailty had higher total expenses and stayed in the hospital longer. Patients with a high (aRR 1.14, 95% CI 0.71-1.81) or intermediate (aRR 1.19, 95% CI 0.94-1.51) risk of frailty had a similar risk of any complication as patients with a low risk. Conclusion: Frailty was common in patients undergoing leadless pacemaker implantation. Higher levels of frailty were a strong predictor of in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, and hospital charges, except for any complication.

Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Gut Microbiota: A Scientometric Analysis.

Objective: To perform a bibliometric analysis of the scientific production related to intestinal microbiota and bariatric surgery between January 2016 and December 2022. Materials and Methods: A bibliographic search was performed in the Scopus database to identify published papers. Free and controlled terms (MeSH and Emtree) were used. The information collected was analyzed with SciVal. Results: A total of 518 published papers were included in the analysis. Carel Le Roux was the author with the highest scientific production; however, Edi Prifti had the highest impact. French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale) was the institution with the highest number of published articles. Six of the 10 institutions with the highest production were in France, yet the United States had the highest volume of scientific production in this research topic. Most papers were published in first quartile journals. Articles with international collaboration had the highest impact. There is a sustained increase in the number of publications since 2019. Conclusions: The study found that the vast majority of research on gut microbiota changes following bariatric surgery are conducted in the United States and European countries. In addition, the sustained increase in production coupled with the articles being published in high-quality journals and having good citation impact are indictors of the current interest in this research field.

Zirconia Dental Implants as a Different Alternative to Titanium: A Literature Review.

Aim: This article aims to provide an overview of the scientific evidence comparing zirconium dental implants with titanium implants. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the MEDLINE database accessed through PubMed and Scopus. The search included the keywords "dental implant," "zirconia dental implant," and "titanium dental implant" without any date restrictions. Results: The review examined research articles focusing on the physical and chemical characteristics of titanium and zirconia dental implants. Additionally, studies investigating the strength and translucency of zirconia, as well as the osseointegration of both materials, were analyzed. However, no conclusive evidence demonstrating the superiority of either material was found in the current literature. Conclusion: Taking into account the findings of this narrative study, no significant differences were identified between zirconium and titanium dental implants. Further scientific research is required to establish a definitive recommendation regarding the use of one material over the other.

A Bibliometric Study of Trends, Indicators, and Characteristics in the Global Scientific Production on Fluorosis.

AIM: To perform an analysis of the trends, indicators, and characteristics of the world scientific production on fluorosis, and to evaluate its impact on scientific research in this field. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with a bibliometric approach of the worldwide scientific production on fluorosis published during the years 2018-2023. All metadata were extracted from the Scopus database. The articles were exported in .csv format to SciVal (Elsevier). Of the collected articles, 69 were original, 17 were reviews, 2 were conference papers, 6 were book chapters, among others. RESULTS: It was found that among the journals with the highest number of articles were Biological Trace Element, Caries Research, Children, Fluoride, and Indian Journal of Forensics. In addition, the highest percentage of authors have published between 1 and 2 articles, with a smaller proportion having 3-4 publications. Among the journals with the highest number of articles are Biological Trace Element, Caries Research, Children, Fluoride, and Indian Journal of Forensics. The Universidade de São Paulo has the most publications, although it is also one of those with the lowest citation-weighted impact in relation to the global average (FWCI: 0.9). CONCLUSION: The collaboration map shows a wide international cooperation network, with an active participation of Brazil among Latin American countries. Scientific production in fluorosis has a negative trend from 2018 to 2023 and is mainly concentrated in high-impact scientific journals. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The study shows a wide network of international cooperation on fluorosis, so the results provide important information to guide future clinically focused research on fluorosis and its impact on public health.

Use of Artificial Pancreas in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus: A Bibliometric Study.

Objectives: To describe the trends and characteristics of the worldwide scientific production on the use of artificial pancreas (AP) in the management of diabetes mellitus (DM). Materials and Methods: Scientific papers published between 2017 and 2022 were retrieved from the Scopus database using relevant keywords. Only original articles, reviews, and short surveys were included. The metadata were exported to the SciVal software for retrieving quantitative data and the main characteristics such as journals, authors, institutions, journal metrics by quartiles, subcategories, and collaborative networks were extracted. Results: A total of 642 articles were included after applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria: original articles, 489; reviews, 151; and short surveys, 2. The most common type of collaboration was at the national level (38.3%; citations per publication: 22.3; field-weighted citation index [FWCI]: 2.2) followed by international collaboration (29.4%; citations per publication: 19.6; FWCI: 1.94). More than 70% of articles in each year were published in journals listed in Q1. Two journals, Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics and Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, accounted for about 22% of all publications. Six of the top 10 universities were from the United States, with The University of Virginia having the most publications (n = 54; 59 authors; citations per publication: 38.4; FWCI: 3.73). Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight that most research on this topic is published in high-quality journals and has a good citation impact. Notably, most research has been conducted in developed countries, thereby indicating the need for research efforts in this field from developing countries.

Shear strength of metal brackets using LED lamps with different wavelengths: An in vitro comparative study.

AIM: To evaluate the shear strength of Orthocem and BracePaste polymerizable cement light-cured with light-emitting diode (LED) units with different wavelengths (Bluephase N) with their high power, low power, and soft start programs in the bonding of metal brackets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro experimental research was performed. Mini Roth 0.022 metal brackets (Roth Orthometric brackets) were used. The adhesives were placed on the metal brackets with Orthocem and BracePaste resin cement. To compare the average strengths, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used (P < 0.05). RESULTS: The average shear strength was better with Bracepaste polymerizable cement compared to Orthocem cement in all its high power, low power, and soft star programs; the highest was Bracepaste with soft start of 26.52 MPa, and the lowest was Orthocem with soft start of 13.92 MPa. When evaluating the differences, it was found that these were statistically significant in all groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Differences were found in the shear strength of light-curing Orthocem and Bracepaste light-curing cement cured with LED units with different wavelengths in bonding metal brackets to the tooth in vitro.

Emerging trends, collaboration, and impact of global scientific production on tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus coinfection: A bibliometric study.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) coinfection represents a serious public health problem that requires new approaches for its prevention and comprehensive management. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the bibliometric profile of the worldwide scientific production on TB and HIV coinfection. Methods: Bibliometric study that retrieved publications indexed in Scopus, from the design of a search strategy based on Medical Subject Heading terms and logical operators. The sample consisted of 219 articles, whose metadata were analyzed with SciVal, VOSviewer, and RStudio. Results: Between 2017 and 2018, there was a notorious interest in the interrelationship between HIV and TB, as well as in the role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the context of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The United States and South Africa clustered the most publications. On the other hand, the most productive authors have a US Institution affiliation, Brust James CM and Gandhi Neel R had seven publications. The categories of "Infectious Diseases" and "Microbiology (medical)" accumulated 94 and 35 publications. In addition, the most productive journals were PLOS One and the International Journal of TB and Lung Disease, while clinical infectious diseases had the best CiteScore 2021 (17.3). Conclusions: Scientific production has been mainly disseminated in high-impact journals, with a slight increase in recent years. The United States is the leading and most influential country, followed by South Africa; in addition, Brust James CM, an American National, is recognized as the most productive.

Bibliometric analysis of the worldwide scientific production on COVID-19 infection and cerebrovascular disease.

Objective: To identify the worldwide bibliometric characteristics of research on SARS-CoV-2 infection and cerebrovascular disease. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive, and bibliometric study was performed. We analyzed 1834 publications about COVID-19 and cerebrovascular disease from the Scopus database considering the time since the beginning of the pandemic between 2019 and 2020. Bibliometric indicators were evaluated such as number of citations, citations per publication by authors, countries, journals, and collaborations at national, international, institutional, and impact levels according to Cite Score Quartile and h-index metrics. All analysis was performed using SciVal software. Results: The highest percentage of articles corresponded to universities in the United States, including Harvard and New York with 59 and 20 publications, respectively, and the University of Toronto in Canada with 22 publications. In relation to citation indicators, journals such as Stroke and Journal Stroke and Cerebrovascular diseases obtained 1971 and 561 citations, respectively. Regarding collaboration indicators, the national collaboration index was 39.4% and the institutional collaboration index was 31.1%. Finally, neurology, cardiovascular medicine, and cardiology and surgery were the subject areas with the highest research results, with 424, 217, and 128 studies, respectively. Conclusion: It was observed that the United States was the country with the highest scientific production on COVID-19 and cerebrovascular disease in the year 2020 in the different health areas; however, more research is still needed worldwide for a better analysis of the bibliometric indicators on the subject.

Dynamicity, emerging patterns, and spatiotemporal trends of scientific production on the use of activated carbon in oral health: a scientometric study.

BACKGROUND: The use of activated carbon (AC) in oral hygiene products has gained significant interest; however, its potential benefits for oral health remain uncertain. This study aimed to conduct a scientometric analysis to examine the dynamicity, emerging patterns, and trends over time in scientific production concerning the use of AC in oral health. METHODS: The Web of Science database was searched for articles published between 2005 and 2022. Various bibliometric indicators, including the H-index, annual growth, Lotka's law, Bradford's law, and Sankey diagram, were used for data analysis. Overlay maps, timezone visualization, and three field plots were used to evaluate visualization patterns, time-temporal relationships, and trends. Information retrieval process was performed on March 11, 2023. RESULTS: The analysis revealed that only six studies constituted the top references with the highest number of citations in recent years, with Brooks' 2017 study demonstrating the most significant increase in citation. The dual-map overlay demonstrated a close citation relationship between cluster 4 (Molecular Biology Immunology) and the areas of Environmental, Toxicology, and Nutrition. The visualization graph of publication patterns indicated the journals that accumulated the highest number of citations during the study period. CONCLUSION: This scientometric study provides valuable insights into the use of AC in oral health and its impact on the field of dentistry. It determines the most productive journals, authors, and countries with the greatest influence. AC effectively removes pollutants and is gaining interest for use in dental effluent treatment. Thus, it may be a viable option for professionals.

Osseointegration of Dental Implants in Patients with Congenital and Degenerative Bone Disorders: A Literature Review.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the mechanism of dental implants osseointegration in patients with congenital and degenerative genetic bone disorders. Materials and Methods: A PubMed and Scopus documents search was carried out between November 2021 in the, using words such as "osseointegration," "degenerative disease," "congenital disease," and "dental implants." Results: The thirteen articles selected dealt with dental implants osseointegration in patients with congenital and degenerative bone disorders. The influence and repercussion of these diseases on the bone system, as well as the osseointegration process were described from healing to bone remodeling. In addition, certain articles described some considerations to improve the osseointegration process in patients suffering from these types of conditions. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this literature review we can conclude that osseointegration in patients with ectodermal dysplasia and osteoporosis could be achieved. However, the planning process for dental implant placement in these patients should be more meticulous and individualized considering the degree of tissue involvement as well as the patient's age and skeletal development compared to systemically healthy patients.

Bibliometric analyses of global output on neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a neuroimmune disease, i.e. under constant research. The aim of this bibliometric study is to perform a bibliometric indicator analysis of the worldwide academic production of NMOSD during the period 2017-2021. METHODS: A bibliographic search was assessed in the Scopus database to identify NMOSD-related articles published during the period 2017-2021. Collected publications were exported and analyzed in Scival (Elsevier). Bibliographic data were described through absolute values and percentages in descriptive tables. VOSviewer was used to visualize collaborative networks. RESULTS: A total of 1920 documents were collected, and the highest percentage of these belonged to the area of neurology. Friedemann Paul was the author with the highest scientific production, but Brian Weinshenker had the greatest impact worldwide. Three of the institutions with the highest production were North American. Multiple sclerosis and related disorders were the journal with the highest production of publications. Most papers were published in Q1 or Q2 journals. CONCLUSION: NMOSD-related articles are mostly published in first and second quartile journals, which would reflect a high interest of the scientific community. Publications with international collaboration reported a higher impact. Although African and South American regions have considerable prevalence of this disease, they do not have institutions with high productivity developing research on this disease.

Trends, collaboration, and visibility of global scientific production on birth complications in pregnant women with tuberculosis: A scientometric study.

Background: The increase in the number of pregnant women with tuberculosis is an important factor that should be analyzed at present. Thus, It is important to evaluate the bibliometric characteristics of the scientific production indexed in Scopus on complications of pregnancy and childbirth in pregnant women with tuberculosis. Methods: A cross-sectional bibliometric study was carried out analyzing the publications of journals indexed in Scopus between January 2016 and May 2022. A search strategy was developed using MESH terms and Boolean operators. The SciVal program (Elsevier) was used for bibliometric analysis of the information in the documents. Results: Of the 287 publications analyzed, 13 were in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology presented 11.9 citations per publication. Gupta Amita, from the United States, presented the most published papers; however, Myer London, from South Africa, had the highest impact, with 17.8 citations per publication. Johns Hopkins University was the institution with the highest number of publications (34). 51.9% of the publications were in journals in the Q1 quartile while 41.8% were international collaborations. Conclusions: In each year analyzed, scientific production was similar, with the highest proportion of publications in journals located in the Q1 and Q2 quartile. The institutions with the highest production were from the United States and South Africa. Therefore, there is a need to promote collaborative production in countries with greater presence of this disease.

Applications and Perspectives of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and "Dentronics" in Dentistry: A Literature Review.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe artificial intelligence, machine learning, and "Dentronics" applications and perspectives in dentistry. Materials and Methods: A literature review was carried out to identify the applications of artificial intelligence in the field of dentistry. A specialized search for information was carried out in three databases such as Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. Manuscripts published from January 1988 to November 2021 were analyzed. Articles were included without any restriction by language or country. Results: Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science were found to have 215, 1023, and 98 registered manuscripts, respectively. Duplicates (191 manuscripts) were eliminated. Finally, 4 letters, 12 editorials, 5 books, 1 erratum, 54 conference papers, 3 conference reviews, and 222 reviews were excluded. Conclusions: Artificial intelligence has revolutionized prediction, diagnosis, and therapeutic management in modern dentistry. Finally, artificial intelligence is a potential complement to managing future data in this area.

Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Peri-implantitis: A Literature Review.

Aim: The aim of this article is to describe the existing scientific literature on photodynamic therapy (PDT) effectiveness for peri-implantitis treatment. Materials and Methods: A date-restricted electronic search strategy was performed in PubMed and Scopus databases. The following words were used: "peri-implant photodynamic therapy," "photodynamic therapy in implantology," "effectives of photodynamic therapy in peri-implantitis," "Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy," "Photodynamic Therapy for the treatment of peri-implantitis," and "Mechanical debridement and photodynamic therapy in implantology." Results: Of the 15 articles, 13 articles were selected, of which 11 were prospective and experimental studies and 2 were longitudinal. The PDT effectiveness of peri-implantitis inflammation treatment was the most reported and investigated. Conclusion: There is scientific evidence that may support the use of PDT for peri-implantitis treatments. However, even more studies would still be needed to have solid evidence.

Efficacy of Tunnel Technique (TUN) versus Coronally Advanced Flap (CAF) in the Management of Multiple Gingival Recession Defects: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: We systematically assessed the efficacy of tunnel technique (TUN) vs. coronally advanced flap (CAF) in the management of multiple gingival recession defects in adults. Methods: Five databases were searched until September 2021 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing TUN vs. CAF; grafts of interest were acellular dermal matrix (ADM) and connective tissue graft (CTG). Primary outcomes were root coverage (RC) and complete root coverage (CRC). Secondary outcomes were clinical attachment level (CAL), keratinized tissue width (KTW), probing depth (PD), and recession coverage (REC). Effect measures were risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) with their confidence intervals (95% CI). Inverse variance methods and random-effects model meta-analyses were used. Subgroup analyses by the type of graft were performed. Quality of evidence was assessed using GRADE methodology. Results: Five RCTs (n = 173) were included, with a follow-up of 6 months for all outcomes. In comparison to CAF, TUN did not significantly reduce CRC (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.002-176.7; p = 0.51) and did not increase RC (MD 0.99%; 95% CI -6.7 to 8.6; p = 0.80). In comparison to CAF, TUN showed no significant reduction of secondary outcomes. Subgroup analyses by type of graft showed no differences in comparison to primary analyses for primary and secondary outcomes. Three RCTs had a high risk of bias, and five RCTs had very low quality of evidence for all outcomes. Conclusions: In adults with gingival recessions, TUN had similar primary and secondary outcomes in comparison with CAF. Subgroup analyses by the type of graft did not affect main conclusions. More RCTs with better design are needed to further characterize the effects of TUN vs. CAF in the treatment of multiple gingival recession defects.

Effects of Probiotics on Intermediate Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials evaluating the effect of probiotics on cardiovascular intermediate outcomes have been scarce in recent years. We systematically evaluated the efficacy of probiotics on intermediate cardiovascular outcomes in patients with overweight or obesity. METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in four databases (until August 2021) that evaluated the effects of probiotics versus controls on intermediate cardiovascular outcomes. The outcomes were body mass index (BMI), weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Inverse variance random effects meta-analyses were used. The effects were reported as mean difference (MD), with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The quality of evidence (QoE) was assessed with GRADE (grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluations) methodology. RESULTS: A total of 25 RCTs were included (n = 2170), with a range of follow-up from two to six months. Probiotics likely reduced BMI (MD -0.27 kg/m2, 95%CI: -0.35 to -0.19; 17 RCTs; I2 = 26%, QoE: moderate), as well as likely reduced weight (MD -0.61 kg, 95%CI: -0.89 to -0.34; 15 RCTs; I2 = 0%, QoE: moderate), and may have slightly reduce LDL (MD -4.08 mg/dL; 95%CI: -6.99 to -1.17; 9 RCTs; I2 = 87%, QoE: low) in comparison to the controls. However, probiotics had no effect on SBP (MD -0.40 mmHg; 95%CI: -5.04 to 4.25; 7 RCTs; I2 = 100%, QoE: very low), DBP (MD -1.73 mmHg; 95%CI: -5.29 to 1.82; 5 RCTs; I2 = 98%, QoE: very low), glucose (MD -0.07 mg/dL; 95%CI -0.89 to 0.75; I2 = 96%, QoE: very low), HDL (MD -1.83 mg/dL; 95%CI: -4.14 to 2.47; 14 RCTs; I2 = 98%, QoE: very low), or triglycerides (MD -3.29 mg/dL, 95%CI -17.03 to 10.45; 14 RCTs, I2 = 95%, QoE: very low) compared to control arms, and the evidence was very uncertain. CONCLUSIONS: In obese or overweight patients, BMI, weight, and LDL were lower in patients who received probiotics compared to those who received controls. Other lipids, glucose, and blood pressure were not affected by the probiotics.

Trends, characteristics, and impact of global scientific production on mental health of health workers in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers are under significant constant stress as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study, therefore, was to analyze bibliometrically the impact, trend, and characteristics of scientific production related to the mental health of health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A bibliometric analysis of the scientific production on the mental health of health professionals and COVID-19 in Scopus from December 2019 to December 2021 was performed. An advanced search was designed using Boolean operators in Scopus and applied in April 2022. The metadata was entered into Microsoft Excel for the elaboration of the tables, SciVal to obtain the bibliometric indicators, and VosViewer to plot collaborative networks. RESULTS: A total of 1393 manuscripts, 1007 of which met the eligibility criteria, were found on the mental health of health workers and COVID-19. The country with the highest academic production was the United States and Harvard University with 27 manuscripts as the most productive institution. The scientific journal with the highest scientific production was the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health with 138 manuscripts and 1580 citations, and the author with the most citations per publication was Carnnasi Claudia with 69.8. CONCLUSION: The countries with the highest economic income occupy the first places in scientific production on the mental health of health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the United States as the leader. There is a gap in the scientific knowledge on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in middle- and low-income countries.