The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of self-reported measures in predicting periodontitis in a representative US adult population, based on 2009-2010 National Health and ...Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Self-reported gum health and treatment history, loose teeth, bone loss around teeth, tooth not looking right, and use of dental floss and mouthwash were obtained during in-home interviews and validated against full-mouth clinically assessed periodontitis in 3,743 US adults 30 years and older. All self-reported measures (> 95% item response rates) were associated with periodontitis, and bivariate correlations between responses to these questions were weak, indicating low redundancy. In multivariable logistic regression modeling, the combined effects of demographic measures and responses to 5 self-reported questions in predicting periodontitis of mild or greater severity were 85% sensitive and 58% specific and produced an ‘area under the receiver operator characteristic curve’ (AUROCC) of 0.81. Four questions were 95% sensitive and 30% specific, with an AUROCC of 0.82 in predicting prevalence of clinical attachment loss ≥ 3 mm at one or more sites. In conclusion, self-reported measures performed well in predicting periodontitis in US adults. Where preferred clinically based surveillance is unattainable, locally adapted variations of these self-reported measures may be a promising alternative for surveillance of periodontitis.
To validate the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire 2 (CEQ2) in the UK to see if it is an effective tool for evaluating labour experience.
The CEQ2 and part of the Care Quality Commission Maternity ...Survey (2010) was sent to 475 women one month and six weeks after birth. It was tested for face validity among 25 postnatal mothers. Demographic data and delivery data was used to establish construct validity using the method of known-groups validation. The results of the scored CEQ2 sent out twice were used to measure test-retest reliability by calculating the quadratic weighted index of agreement between the two scores. Criterion validity was measured by calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient for the CEQ2 and Maternity Survey scores.
Face validity of the CEQ2 in a UK population was demonstrated with all respondents stating it was easy to understand and complete. A statistically significantly higher CEQ2 score for subgroups of women known to report a better birth outcome demonstrated construct validity. A weighted kappa of 0.55 demonstrated test-retest reliability. A Pearson correlation co-efficient of 0.56 demonstrated a moderate correlation between the results of the CEQ2 and the results of the ‘gold standard’ assessment of childbirth experience in the UK: the Maternity Survey and hence criterion validity.
This study demonstrates that the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire version 2 (CEQ2) is a valid and reliable measure of childbirth experience in the UK population.
Health surveillance of wildlife populations is essential for conservation and reduction of the impacts of disease. Population declines and areas of overabundance of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) ...can disrupt the overall survival of the species as well as its habitat. This retrospective study was conducted to describe population distributions, identify areas which need increased surveillance and improve koala health surveillance methodology by Wildlife Health Victoria: Surveillance (WHV:S) at the Veterinary School of The University of Melbourne. Twelve years of Victorian koala observation data from the Atlas of Living Australia combined with surveillance data from WHV:S were used to create choropleth maps, using Quantum Geographic Information Systems of populations and surveillance events, visually representing hot spots. This data was further used to calculate health surveillance efforts between 2008 to the beginning of 2020. Analysis ranked postcodes throughout Victoria from low surveillance efforts to high, using standardised surveillance ratio's 95% confidence interval upper limits which were mapped using a colour gradient. This identified postcodes which need increased surveillance effort, corresponding to areas with high koala observations and low surveillance submissions. This analysis can guide surveillance for postcodes with koalas that were under‐represented and inform improved methodology of future surveillance by WHV:S. The specific advice for improvements to WHV:S includes utilisation of citizen science and syndromic surveillance, website improvement, increasing community awareness and more. The limitations of this study were discussed.
The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of periodontitis at state and local levels across the United States by using a novel, small area estimation (SAE) method. Extended multilevel ...regression and poststratification analyses were used to estimate the prevalence of periodontitis among adults aged 30 to 79 y at state, county, congressional district, and census tract levels by using periodontal data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009–2012, population counts from the 2010 US census, and smoking status estimates from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2012. The SAE method used age, race, gender, smoking, and poverty variables to estimate the prevalence of periodontitis as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology case definitions at the census block levels and aggregated to larger administrative and geographic areas of interest. Model-based SAEs were validated against national estimates directly from NHANES 2009–2012. Estimated prevalence of periodontitis ranged from 37.7% in Utah to 52.8% in New Mexico among the states (mean, 45.1%; median, 44.9%) and from 33.7% to 68% among counties (mean, 46.6%; median, 45.9%). Severe periodontitis ranged from 7.27% in New Hampshire to 10.26% in Louisiana among the states (mean, 8.9%; median, 8.8%) and from 5.2% to 17.9% among counties (mean, 9.2%; median, 8.8%). Overall, the predicted prevalence of periodontitis was highest for southeastern and southwestern states and for geographic areas in the Southeast along the Mississippi Delta, as well as along the US and Mexico border. Aggregated model-based SAEs were consistent with national prevalence estimates from NHANES 2009–2012. This study is the first-ever estimation of periodontitis prevalence at state and local levels in the United States, and this modeling approach complements public health surveillance efforts to identify areas with a high burden of periodontitis.
Summary Background Women with twin pregnancy are at high risk for spontaneous preterm delivery. Progesterone seems to be effective in reducing preterm birth in selected high-risk singleton ...pregnancies, albeit with no significant reduction in perinatal mortality and little evidence of neonatal benefit. We investigated the use of progesterone for prevention of preterm birth in twin pregnancy. Methods In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 500 women with twin pregnancy were recruited from nine UK National Health Service clinics specialising in the management of twin pregnancy. Women were randomised, by permuted blocks of randomly mixed sizes, either to daily vaginal progesterone gel 90 mg (n=250) or to placebo gel (n=250) for 10 weeks from 24 weeks' gestation. All study personnel and participants were masked to treatment assignment for the duration of the study. The primary outcome was delivery or intrauterine death before 34 weeks' gestation. Analysis was by intention to treat. Additionally we undertook a meta-analysis of published and unpublished data to establish the efficacy of progesterone in prevention of early (<34 weeks' gestation) preterm birth or intrauterine death in women with twin pregnancy. This study is registered, number ISRCTN35782581. Findings Three participants in each group were lost to follow-up, leaving 247 analysed per group. The combined proportion of intrauterine death or delivery before 34 weeks of pregnancy was 24·7% (61/247) in the progesterone group and 19·4% (48/247) in the placebo group (odds ratio OR 1·36, 95% CI 0·89–2·09; p=0·16). The rate of adverse events did not differ between the two groups. The meta-analysis confirmed that progesterone does not prevent early preterm birth in women with twin pregnancy (pooled OR 1·16, 95% CI 0·89–1·51). Interpretation Progesterone, administered vaginally, does not prevent preterm birth in women with twin pregnancy. Funding Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorate.
Non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP) is the most common diagnosis on discharge following admission for abdominal pain in childhood. Our aim was to determine the risk of subsequent hospital diagnosis of ...organic and functional gastroenterological conditions following a diagnosis of NSAP, and to assess the persistence of this risk.
An NSAP cohort of 268,623 children aged 0-16 years was constructed from linked English Hospital Episode Statistics from 1999 to 2011. The control cohort (1,684,923 children, 0-16 years old) comprised children hospitalised with unrelated conditions. Clinically relevant outcomes were selected and standardised rate ratios were calculated.
From the NSAP cohort, 15,515 (5.8%) were later hospitalised with bowel pathology and 13,301 (5%) with a specific functional disorder. Notably, there was a 4.84 (95% CI 4.45 to 5.27) times greater risk of Crohn's disease following NSAP and a 4.23 (4.13 to 4.33) greater risk of acute appendicitis than in the control cohort. The risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was 7.22 (6.65 to 7.85) times greater following NSAP. The risks of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), IBS and functional disorder (unspecified) were significantly increased in all age groups except <2-year-olds. The risk of underlying bowel pathology remained raised up to 10 years after first diagnosis with NSAP.
Only a small proportion of those with NSAP go on to be hospitalised with underlying bowel pathology. However, their risk is increased even at 10 years after the first hospital admission with NSAP. Diagnostic strategies need to be assessed and refined and active surveillance employed for children with NSAP.
Polarons in metal oxides are important in processes such as catalysis, high temperature superconductivity, and dielectric breakdown in nanoscale electronics. Here, we study the behavior of electron ...small polarons associated with oxygen vacancies at rutile TiO_{2}(110), using a combination of low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), density functional theory, and classical molecular dynamics calculations. We find that the electrons are symmetrically distributed around isolated vacancies at 78 K, but as the temperature is reduced, their distributions become increasingly asymmetric, confirming their polaronic nature. By manipulating isolated vacancies with the STM tip, we show that particular configurations of polarons are preferred for given locations of the vacancies, which we ascribe to small residual electric fields in the surface. We also form a series of vacancy complexes and manipulate the Ti ions surrounding them, both of which change the associated electronic distributions. Thus, we demonstrate that the configurations of polarons can be engineered, paving the way for the construction of conductive pathways relevant to resistive switching devices.
In 2000 the Term Breech Trial showed that a policy of elective caesarean section for those breech births judged most favourable for vaginal delivery, compared with aiming for a vaginal delivery, ...reduced a composite outcome of perinatal death or severe morbidity without increasing maternal mortality or serious morbidity. The reason is that some experts continue to cast doubt on the Term Breech Trial results. Some claim that as there was no difference in long-term outcomes, the short-term morbidity does not matter; essentially a claim that the trial was underpowered to test the effect on perinatal death.
Background
Fetal macrosomia is associated with an increased risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Objectives
To compare the accuracy of antenatal two‐dimensional (2D) ultrasound, ...three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting fetal macrosomia at birth.
Search strategy
Medline (1966–2013), Embase, the Cochrane Library and Web of Knowledge.
Selection criteria
Cohort or diagnostic accuracy studies of women with a singleton pregnancy, who had third‐trimester imaging to predict macrosomia (>4000 g, >4500 g or >90th or >95th centile).
Data collection and analysis
Two reviewers screened studies, performed data extraction and assessed methodological quality. The bivariate model was used to obtain summary sensitivities, specificities and likelihood ratios.
Main results
Fifty‐eight studies (34 367 pregnant women) were included. Most were poorly reported. Only one study assessed 3D ultrasound volumetry. For predicting birthweight >4000 g or >90th centile, the summary sensitivity for 2D ultrasound (Hadlock) estimated fetal weight (EFW) >90th centile or >4000 g (29 studies) was 0.56 (95% CI 0.49–0.61), 2D ultrasound abdominal circumference (AC) >35 cm (four studies) was 0.80 (95% confidence interval 95% CI 0.69–0.87) and MRI EFW (three studies) was 0.93 (95% CI 0.76–0.98). The summary specificities were 0.92 (95% CI 0.90–0.94), 0.86 (95% CI 0.74–0.93) and 0.95 (95% CI 0.92–0.97), respectively.
Conclusion
There is insufficient evidence to conclude that MRI EFW is more sensitive than 2D ultrasound AC (which is more sensitive than 2D EFW); although it was more specific. Further primary research is required before recommending MRI EFW for use in clinical practice.
Tweetable
Systematic review of antenatal imaging to predict macrosomia. MRI EFW is more sensitive than ultrasound EFW.
Tweetable
Systematic review of antenatal imaging to predict macrosomia. MRI EFW is more sensitive than ultrasound EFW.
To propose a checklist that can be used to assess trustworthiness of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
A screening tool was developed using the four-stage approach proposed by Moher et al. This ...included defining the scope, reviewing the evidence base, suggesting a list of items from piloting, and holding a consensus meeting. The initial checklist was set-up by a core group who had been involved in the assessment of problematic RCTs for several years. We piloted this in a consensus panel of several stakeholders, including health professionals, reviewers, journal editors, policymakers, researchers, and evidence-synthesis specialists. Each member was asked to score three articles with the checklist and the results were then discussed in consensus meetings.
The Trustworthiness in RAndomised Clinical Trials (TRACT) checklist includes 19 items organised into seven domains that are applicable to every RCT: 1) Governance, 2) Author Group, 3) Plausibility of Intervention Usage, 4) Timeframe, 5) Drop-out Rates, 6) Baseline Characteristics, and 7) Outcomes. Each item can be answered as either no concerns, some concerns/no information, or major concerns. If a study is assessed and found to have a majority of items rated at a major concern level, then editors, reviewers or evidence synthesizers should consider a more thorough investigation, including assessment of original individual participant data.
The TRACT checklist is the first checklist developed specifically to detect trustworthiness issues in RCTs. It might help editors, publishers and researchers to screen for such issues in submitted or published RCTs in a transparent and replicable manner.
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