The impact of indoor pollution on asthma-related outcomes: A systematic review for the EAACI guidelines on environmental science for allergic diseases and asthma.

Systematic review using GRADE of the impact of exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), cleaning agents, mould/damp, pesticides on the risk of (i) new-onset asthma (incidence) and (ii) adverse asthma-related outcomes (impact). MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched for indoor pollutant exposure studies reporting on new-onset asthma and critical and important asthma-related outcomes. Ninety four studies were included: 11 for VOCs (7 for incidenceand 4 for impact), 25 for cleaning agents (7 for incidenceand 8 for impact), 48 for damp/mould (26 for incidence and 22 for impact) and 10 for pesticides (8 for incidence and 2 for impact). Exposure to damp/mould increases the risk of new-onset wheeze (moderate certainty evidence). Exposure to cleaning agents may be associated with a higher risk of new-onset asthma and with asthma severity (low level of certainty). Exposure to pesticides and VOCs may increase the risk of new-onset asthma (very low certainty evidence). The impact on asthma-related outcomes of all major indoor pollutants is uncertain. As the level of certainty is low or very low for most of the available evidence on the impact of indoor pollutants on asthma-related outcomes more rigorous research in the field is warranted.

Global Prevalence and Mental Health Outcomes of Intimate Partner Violence Among Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the magnitude of the association between types of intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health outcomes and shed light on the large variation in IPV prevalence rates between low- to middle-income countries and high-income countries. The study is a systematic review and meta-analysis. The following databases were searched for this study: Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts. The inclusion criteria for this study are as follows: quantitative studies published from 2012 to 2020 on IPV exposure in women aged 16+, using validated measures. Random effects meta-analyses and subgroup analysis exploring heterogeneity across population groups in different economic contexts are used in this study. In all, 201 studies were included with 250,599 women, primarily from high-income countries. Higher prevalence rates were reported for women's lifetime IPV than past year IPV. Lifetime psychological violence was the most prevalent form of IPV. Women in the community reported the highest prevalence for physical, psychological, and sexual violence in the past year compared to clinical groups. Perinatal women were most likely to have experienced lifetime physical IPV. Prevalence rates differed significantly (p = .037 to <.001) for "any IPV" and all subtypes by income country level. Meta-analysis suggested increased odds for all mental health outcomes associated with IPV including depression (odds ratio [OR] = 2.04-3.14), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (OR = 2.15-2.66), and suicidality (OR = 2.17-5.52). Clinical and community populations were exposed to high prevalence of IPV and increased likelihood of depression, PTSD, and suicidality. Future research should seek to understand women's perspectives on service/support responses to IPV to address their mental health needs. Work with IPV survivors should be carried out to develop bespoke services to reduce IPV in groups most at risk such as pregnant and/or help-seeking women.

Using evidence to decision frameworks led to guidelines of better quality and more credible and transparent recommendations.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the use of Evidence to Decision (EtD) frameworks is associated to higher quality of both guidelines and individual recommendations. METHODS: We identified guidelines recently published by international organizations that have methodological guidance documents for their development. Pairs of researchers independently extracted information on the use of these frameworks, appraised the quality of the guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation II Instrument (AGREE-II), and assessed the clinical credibility and implementability of the recommendations with the Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch & Evaluation Recommendations Excellence (AGREE-REX) tool. We conducted both descriptive and inferential analyses. RESULTS: We included 66 guidelines from 17 different countries, published in the last 5 years. Thirty guidelines (45%) used an EtD framework to formulate their recommendations. Compared to those that did not use a framework, those using an EtD framework scored higher in all domains of both AGREE-II and AGREE-REX (P < 0.05). Quality scores did not differ between the use of the The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation-EtD framework (17 guidelines) or another EtD framework (13 guidelines) (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The use of EtD frameworks is associated with guidelines of better quality, and more credible and transparent recommendations. Endorsement of EtD frameworks by guideline developing organizations will likely increase the quality of their guidelines.

Dental caries prevention in pediatric patients with molar incisor hypomineralization: a scoping review.

This scoping review aims to summarize the available evidence on strategies employed in preventing caries in patients with molar incisor hypo-mineralization (MIH). MIH refers to an enamel defect involving opacities, and sometimes post-eruptive degradation due to enamel porosity; resulting in outcomes ranging from a mild atypical caries to severe coronary destruction. A systematic review was conducted for literature in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos and Literatura Latinoamericana y del Caribe en Ciencias de la Salud (LILACS). The search was aimed at studies published between January 2010 and February 2022. Data were independently selected and extracted. 989 studies were found from the systematic search and 8 studies met the eligibility criteria. Most studies evaluated remineralization and cariogenic risk, both of which are crucial elements in caries prevention, as well as decreased sensitivity. The included studies investigated fluoride varnish, dental sealants, giomers, casein, and Icon as preventative methods for dental caries. Several methods for preventing dental caries in paediatric patients with MIH exist, but more research is needed to determine their effectiveness and safety. Any preventive intervention should consider the etiological aspects of the disease, the risk of caries, the type and extent of lesions, hypersensitivity level and patient's age. Collaboration between patients and carers is critical for disease diagnosis and caries prevention.

Effectiveness of the use of platelet-rich fibrin associated with open flap debridement compared to open flap debridement alone for the treatment of periodontal intrabony defects: Overview of systematic reviews.

In the recent years, platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) has gained importance in regenerative medicine due to its attributed tissue-inducing properties. However, it is still unclear whether there are benefits from using PRF with open flap debridement (OFD) for the treatment of intrabony defects compared to OFD alone. For this reason, in this study, we performed an overview of systematic reviews with Friendly Summaries of the Body of Evidence using Epistemonikos methodology on the use of PRF with OFD compared to OFD alone for the treatment of intrabony defects. We performed a systematic search in the Epistemonikos database. We extracted data from the included systematic reviews and reanalyzed the data of primary studies and generated a summary of the findings table. We used Review Manager (RevMan) v5.3 software and GRADEpro software for data analysis and data presentation. Eighteen systematic reviews were included after full-text screening, which had 16 clinical trials. Results were reported by the mean difference (MD); the following outcomes were analyzed: change in intrabony defect depth (MD: 1.37 mm more), change in radiographic bone defect filling (MD: 37.26% more), change in probing depth (MD: 1.22 mm more), change in clinical attachment level (MD: 1.32 mm more), and change in gingival margin level (MD: 0.31 more). We concluded that applying PRF with OFD to treat an intrabony defect has some clinical advantages compared to OFD alone.

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Monitoring Studies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)-A Systematic Review of Study Designs and Methods.

BACKGROUND: Post-marketing vaccine safety surveillance aims to monitor and quantify adverse events following immunization in a population, but little is known about their implementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to synthesize methodological approaches used to assess adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination in LMICs. METHODS: For this systematic review, we searched articles published from 1 December 2019 to 18 February 2022 in main databases, including MEDLINE and Embase. We included all peer-reviewed observational COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring studies. We excluded randomized controlled trials and case reports. We extracted data using a standardized extraction form. Two authors assessed study quality using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. All findings were summarized narratively using frequency tables and figures. RESULTS: Our search found 4254 studies, of which 58 were eligible for analysis. Many of the studies included in this review were conducted in middle-income countries, with 26 studies (45%) in lower-middle-income and 28 (48%) in upper-middle-income countries. More specifically, 14 studies were conducted in the Middle East region, 16 in South Asia, 8 in Latin America, 8 in Europe and Central Asia, and 4 in Africa. Only 3% scored 7-8 points (good quality) on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale methodological quality assessment, while 10% got 5-6 points (medium). About 15 studies (25.9%) used a cohort study design and the rest were cross-sectional. In half of them (50%), vaccination data were gathered from the participants' self-reporting methods. Seventeen studies (29.3%) used multivariable binary logistic regression and three (5.2%) used survival analyses. Only 12 studies (20.7%) performed model diagnostics and validity checks (e.g., the goodness of fit, identification of outliers, and co-linearity). CONCLUSIONS: Published studies on COVID-19 vaccine safety surveillance in LMICs are limited in number and the methods used do not often address potential confounders. Active surveillance of vaccines in LMICs are needed to advocate vaccination programs. Implementing training programs in pharmacoepidemiology in LMICs is essential.

Use of enamel matrix- derived proteins combined with bone graft for the treatment of intrabony defects: overview of reviews (FRISBEE review) / Uso de proteínas derivadas de la matriz del esmalte combinado con injerto óseo para el tratamiento de defectos intraóseos: resumen estructurado de revisiones sistemáticas (revisión FRISBEE)

Introduction: The use of enamel matrix-derived proteins (EMD) has increased in recent years due to their tissue-inducing properties that support periodontal regeneration. This study is an overview of systematic reviews with FRISBEE methodology on the use of EMD alone or combined with autologous bone graft materials (BGM) in the treatment of intrabony defects. Materials and Methods: A systematic search in the Epistemonikos database was performed. RevMan 5.3 and GRADEpro were used for data analysis and presentation Results: Four systematic reviews and two clinical trials were identified. All studies analysed change in probing depth, clinical attachment level, gingival margin level and bone defect depth (all changes in favour of EMD+BGM groups: mean difference (MD): 0.37 mm more, MD: 0.7 mm more, MD: 0.3 mm less, MD: 0.75 more, respectively). Conclusions: Adding autologous bone graft to EMD to treat intrabony defects showed better results, but not a relevant clinical difference compared to the use of EMD alone.

Introducción: El uso de proteínas derivadas de la matriz del esmalte (EMD) ha aumentado en los últimos años debido a sus propiedades inductoras de tejidos que apoyan la regeneración periodontal. Este estudio es una revisión sistemática de revisiones sistemáticas utilizando metodología FRISBEE sobre el uso de EMD solo o combinado con materiales injerto óseo autólogo (BGM) en el tratamiento de defectos intraóseos. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en la base de datos Epistemonikos. Se utilizaron RevMan 5.3 y GRADEpro para el análisis y la presentación de los datos. Resultados: Se identificaron cuatro revisiones sistemáticas y dos ensayos clínicos. Todos los estudios analizaron el cambio en la profundidad de sondaje, el nivel de inserción clínica, el nivel del margen gingival y la profundidad del defecto óseo (todos los cambios a favor de los grupos EMD+BGM: MD: 0,37 mm más, media de diferencia (MD): 0,7 mm más, MD: 0,3 mm menos, MD: 0,75 más, respectivamente). Conclusión: La adición de injerto óseo autólogo a la EMD para tratar defectos intraóseos mostró mejores resultados, pero no una diferencia clínica relevante en comparación con el uso de la EMD sola.

Rehabilitation Treatment in Pediatric Patients with Molar Incisor Hypomineralization: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the available evidence on the different treatment types for the rehabilitation of MIH-affected teeth in children. Material and Methods: A search was carried out in Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, Lilacs and Google Scholar. Observational studies published until June 2022 were included. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Results: 1593 studies were screened and a total of 38 articles were included, which were mainly case reports published in Brazil. Most included studies concluded that the evaluated treatment was "beneficial" or "probably beneficial". Reported treatments included: glass ionomer cements (GIC), composite resin restorations, preformed metal crowns, laboratory fabricated crowns, microabrasion management of incisors and resin infiltration. Conclusion: Successful treatment options have been identified, such as GIC as a provisional restoration for severe cases and for uncooperative children; restorations with composite, indirect restorations, or preformed metal crowns also seem suitable treatment options for young patients diagnosed with MIH. There is still little evidence to support an approach for anterior teeth affected by MIH.

Vaccines for the common cold.

BACKGROUND: The common cold is a spontaneously remitting infection of the upper respiratory tract, characterised by a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, cough, malaise, sore throat, and fever (usually < 37.8 ºC). Whilst the common cold is generally not harmful, it is a cause of economic burden due to school and work absenteeism. In the United States, economic loss due to the common cold is estimated at more than USD 40 billion per year, including an estimate of 70 million workdays missed by employees, 189 million school days missed by children, and 126 million workdays missed by parents caring for children with a cold. Additionally, data from Europe show that the total cost per episode may be up to EUR 1102. There is also a large expenditure due to inappropriate antimicrobial prescription. Vaccine development for the common cold has been difficult due to antigenic variability of the common cold viruses; even bacteria can act as infective agents. Uncertainty remains regarding the efficacy and safety of interventions for preventing the common cold in healthy people, thus we performed an update of this Cochrane Review, which was first published in 2011 and updated in 2013 and 2017. OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of vaccines for preventing the common cold in healthy people. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (April 2022), MEDLINE (1948 to April 2022), Embase (1974 to April 2022), CINAHL (1981 to April 2022), and LILACS (1982 to April 2022). We also searched three trials registers for ongoing studies, and four websites for additional trials (April 2022). We did not impose any language or date restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of any virus vaccine compared with placebo to prevent the common cold in healthy people. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used Cochrane's Screen4Me workflow to assess the initial search results. Four review authors independently performed title and abstract screening to identify potentially relevant studies. We retrieved the full-text articles for those studies deemed potentially relevant, and the review authors independently screened the full-text reports for inclusion in the review, recording reasons for exclusion of the excluded studies. Any disagreements were resolved by discussion or by consulting a third review author when needed. Two review authors independently collected data on a data extraction form, resolving any disagreements by consensus or by involving a third review author. We double-checked data transferred into Review Manager 5 software. Three review authors independently assessed risk of bias using RoB 1 tool as outlined in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We carried out statistical analysis using Review Manager 5. We did not conduct a meta-analysis, and we did not assess publication bias. We used GRADEpro GDT software to assess the certainty of the evidence and to create a summary of findings table.  MAIN RESULTS: We did not identify any new RCTs for inclusion in this update. This review includes one RCT conducted in 1965 with an overall high risk of bias. The RCT included 2307 healthy young men in a military facility, all of whom were included in the analyses, and compared the effect of three adenovirus vaccines (live, inactivated type 4, and inactivated type 4 and 7) against a placebo (injection of physiological saline or gelatin capsule). There were 13 (1.14%) events in 1139 participants in the vaccine group, and 14 (1.19%) events in 1168 participants in the placebo group. Overall, we do not know if there is a difference between the adenovirus vaccine and placebo in reducing the incidence of the common cold (risk ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 2.02; very low-certainty evidence). Furthermore, no difference in adverse events when comparing live vaccine preparation with placebo was reported. We downgraded the certainty of the evidence to very low due to unclear risk of bias, indirectness because the population of this study was only young men, and imprecision because confidence intervals were wide and the number of events was low. The included study did not assess vaccine-related or all-cause mortality.  AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: This Cochrane Review was based on one study with very low-certainty evidence, which showed that there may be no difference between the adenovirus vaccine and placebo in reducing the incidence of the common cold. We identified a need for well-designed, adequately powered RCTs to investigate vaccines for the common cold in healthy people. Future trials on interventions for preventing the common cold should assess a variety of virus vaccines for this condition, and should measure such outcomes as common cold incidence, vaccine safety, and mortality (all-cause and related to the vaccine).

Comparison of the effectiveness and safety between autologous bone grafts and xenografts for the treatment of alveolar bone defects: overview of systematic reviews using frisbee methodology / Comparación sobre la efectividad y seguridad entre los injertos óseos autólogos y xenoinjertos para el tratamiento de defectos óseos alveolares: overview de revisiones sistemáticas con metodología frisbee

Introduction: Due to the extensive number of studies developed on periodontal pathologies and the clinical need generated to correct bonvze defects, we have carried out an Overview of systematic reviews using the FRISBEE methodology. Material and Methods: Through this study we expect to bridge the knowledge gap generated regarding the clinical question on the effectiveness of autologous bone substitutes and xenografts in maxillary and mandibular bone defects. Results: For this study, we carried out a systematic search in Epistemonikos and PubMed, we included 3 systematic reviews and 5 primary studies included in these reviews to extract their data. We analyzed data using RevMan 5.4. and GRADEpro. Assessed outcomes included: bone gain [MD 0.06 mm lower (0.26 lower to 0.14 higher)] and bone resorption [MD 0.03 mm higher (0.12 lower to 0.18 higher)], where no significant differences were found between the study groups. The certainty of the evidence was moderate for both outcomes. Bone length and bone density outcomes were not measured or reported in the included studies. Conclusion: We concluded that there are no significant clinical differences between the application of autologous bone grafts and xenografts for bone defects correction for the assessed outcomes, therefore, these biomaterials should be applied at the discretion of the clinician and according to the needs and preferences of patients.

Introducción: Debido al extenso número de estudios desarrollados sobre patologías periodontales y a la necesidad clínica generada para corregir defectos óseos, hemos realizado un Overview de revisiones sistemáticas tipo FRISBEE para acortar la brecha de conocimiento generada respecto a la pregunta clínica sobre la efectividad de sustitutos óseos tipo autólogo y xenoinjertos en defectos óseos a nivel maxilar y mandibular. Material y Métodos: Para este estudio realizamos una búsqueda sistemática en Epistemonikos y PubMed, de los cuales incluimos 3 revisiones sistemáticas y 5 estudios primarios incluidos en estas revisiones para extraer sus datos. Los datos fueron analizados a través de RevMan 5.4. Y GRADEpro. Resultados: Los estudios analizaron los desenlaces propuestos: ganancia ósea posterior a la aplicación del injerto óseo [MD 0.06 mm menos (0.26 menos a 0.14 más)] y reabsorción ósea posterior a la aplicación del injerto óseo [MD 0.03 mm más (0.12 menos a 0.18 más)], donde no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los grupos de estudio. La certeza de la evidencia fue moderada para ambos desenlaces. Los desenlaces longitud ósea y densidad ósea no fueron medidos o reportados en los estudios incluidos. Conclusión: Se concluyó que no hay diferencias que sean clínicamente significativas entre la aplicación de injertos óseos autólogos y xenoinjertos para la corrección de defectos óseos para los desenlaces analizados, por lo que, la aplicación de estos biomateriales queda a criterio del clínico, y de acuerdo a las necesidades y preferencias de los pacientes.

Quality appraisal of antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines to prevent infective endocarditis following dental procedures: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the use of antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent infective endocarditis in indicated dental procedures. STUDY DESIGN: We searched on Medline/OVID, CINAHL/EBSCO, and EMBASE from January 2011 to January 2022. We included de novo guidelines and excluded adapted or adopted guidelines, and guidelines published before 2011. The guidelines were independently appraised by 4 reviewers using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE II) Instrument. RESULTS: Four eligible CPGs were appraised: the European Society of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS). Their AGREE II first overall assessments (OA1) were 63%, 58%, 92%, and 71%, respectively. Both NICE and JCS scored the highest in OA1 (>70%), Domain 3 Rigor of Development (85%, 65%), and Domain 5 Applicability (76%, 48%), respectively. The second overall assessment (OA2) of using the CPGs in daily practice was not significantly variable (recommended for use with modifications). CONCLUSION: Three out of 4 CPGs support that the benefits of prevention of infective endocarditis outweigh the risks of antibiotic resistance.

Evidence to decision frameworks enabled structured and explicit development of healthcare recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify and describe the processes suggested for the formulation of healthcare recommendations in healthcare guidelines available in guidance documents. METHODS: We searched international databases in May 2020 to retrieve guidance documents published by organizations dedicated to guideline development. Pairs of researchers independently selected and extracted data about the characteristics of the guidance document, including explicit or implicit recommendation-related criteria and processes considered, as well as the use of evidence to decision (EtD) frameworks. RESULTS: We included 68 guidance documents. Most organizations reported a system for grading the strength of recommendations (88%), half of them being the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach. Two out of three guidance documents (66%) proposed the use of a framework to guide the EtD process. The GRADE-EtD framework was the most often reported framework (19 organizations, 42%), whereas 20 organizations (44%) proposed their own multicriteria frameworks. Using any EtD framework was related with a more comprehensive set of recommendation-related criteria compared to no framework, especially for criteria like values, equity, and acceptability. CONCLUSION: Although limited, the use of EtD frameworks was associated with the inclusion of relevant recommendation criteria. Among the EtD structured frameworks, the GRADE-EtD framework offers the most comprehensive perspective for evidence-informed decision-making processes.

Expected accuracy of proximal and distal temperature estimated by wireless sensors, in relation to their number and position on the skin.

A popular method to estimate proximal/distal temperature (TPROX and TDIST) consists in calculating a weighted average of nine wireless sensors placed on pre-defined skin locations. Specifically, TPROX is derived from five sensors placed on the infra-clavicular and mid-thigh area (left and right) and abdomen, and TDIST from four sensors located on the hands and feet. In clinical practice, the loss/removal of one or more sensors is a common occurrence, but limited information is available on how this affects the accuracy of temperature estimates. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of temperature estimates in relation to number/position of sensors removed. Thirteen healthy subjects wore all nine sensors for 24 hours and reference TPROX and TDIST time-courses were calculated using all sensors. Then, all possible combinations of reduced subsets of sensors were simulated and suitable weights for each sensor calculated. The accuracy of TPROX and TDIST estimates resulting from the reduced subsets of sensors, compared to reference values, was assessed by the mean squared error, the mean absolute error (MAE), the cross-validation error and the 25th and 75th percentiles of the reconstruction error. Tables of the accuracy and sensor weights for all possible combinations of sensors are provided. For instance, in relation to TPROX, a subset of three sensors placed in any combination of three non-homologous areas (abdominal, right or left infra-clavicular, right or left mid-thigh) produced an error of 0.13°C MAE, while the loss/removal of the abdominal sensor resulted in an error of 0.25°C MAE, with the greater impact on the quality of the reconstruction. This information may help researchers/clinicians: i) evaluate the expected goodness of their TPROX and TDIST estimates based on the number of available sensors; ii) select the most appropriate subset of sensors, depending on goals and operational constraints.

The role of D-serine in peripheral tissues.

A considerable level of D-serine (a free D-amino acid) was discovered, surprisingly, in the mammalian brain in the early 1990s. Since then, D-serine has been considered to be a co-agonist of glutamate at the glycine site of NMDA receptors. D-serine is synthetized by racemization of L-serine in most neural and non-neural cells, and modulates a variety of physiological functions in mammals. In addition to the central nervous system, NMDA receptors have an important function in the modulation of physiological processes in peripheral tissues. Thus, investigations on the functions of D-serine in the peripheral nervous system, as well as the visceral organs, have gained attention in recent years. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on the role of D-serine in the kidneys, skeletal system, skin as well as on the non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic transmission within the autonomic nervous system.