Performance of Existing and Novel Symptom- and Antigen Testing–Based COVID-19 Case Definitions in a Community Setting

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Performance of Existing and Novel Symptom- and Antigen Testing–Based COVID-19 Case Definitions in a Community Setting via American Journal of Epidemiology - Advance Access Abstract Point-of-care antigen tests are an important tool for SARS-CoV-2 detection yet are less clinically sensitive than real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR), impacting their efficacy as screening procedures. Our goal in this analysis was to see whether we could improve this sensitivity by considering antigen test results in combination with other relevant information, namely exposure status and reported symptoms. In November of 2020, we collected 3,419 paired upper respiratory specimens tested by RT-PCR and the Abbott BinaxNOW antigen test at two community testing sites in Pima County, Arizona. We used symptom, exposure, and antigen testing data to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of various symptom definitions in predicting RT-PCR positivity. Our analysis yielded 6 novel multi-symptom case definitions with and without antigen test results, the best of which overall achieved a Youden's J index of 0.66, as compared with 0.53 for antige n testing alone. Using a random forest as a guide, we show that this definition, along with our others, does not lose the ability to generalize well to new data despite achieving optimal performance in our sample. Our methodology is broadly applicable, and our code is publicly available to aid public health practitioners in developing or fine-tuning their own case definitions. View on Web

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Evaluation of the transdentinal capability of the intrinsic antibacterial cetylpyridinium chloride/cholesterol sterosomes in vitro and in vivo

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Evaluation of the transdentinal capability of the intrinsic antibacterial cetylpyridinium chloride/cholesterol sterosomes in vitro and in vivo via International Endodontic Journal Abstract Abstract Aim Dentinal tubules serve as disease-causing channels for infiltration and penetration of bacteria and their by-products; which are regarded as the major driver of pathogenesis in pulpal inflammation and infection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the transdentinal potential of nanoscale cetylpyridinium chloride/cholesterol (CPC/Chol) sterosomes, which are a recently developed type of cationic non-phospholipid liposomal nanocarrier; as well as their intrinsic and universal antibacterial activity. Methodology CPC/Chol sterosomes were formulated, with a hydrodynamic diameter of 134 ± 4 nm, a low polydisperse index of 0.161 ± 0.007, and a positive zeta potential of 41 ± 3 mV at pH 7.4. Transdentinal diffusion ability of sterosomes was evaluated using human dentine blocks in vitro, and Wistar rat molar teeth in vivo. The intrinsic antibacterial activities of CPC/Chol sterosomes against E. faecalis, S. mutans, F. nucleatum, and P. gingivalis were further examined. Results CPC/Chol sterosomes successfully penetrated through the dentinal tubules, and diffused into the pulp, which could be internalized by dental pulp cells with a high efficiency. Additionally, they exhibited substantial levels of intrinsic antibacterial activity against these Gram-positive and Gram-negative endodontic bacteria and their biofilms. Conclusions Given its high penetration and diffusion ability through the dentine and pulp, great potential for multi-drug delivery, and distinct intrinsic antibacterial activity; sterosome-based nanocarriers might serve as a promising therapeutic strategy aimed at targeting various specific pathways associated with pulpal diseases. This will help determine and characterize the most appropriate prophylactic and therapeutic targets for early intervention in our future dentistry practice. View on Web

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Medical body modification in youth with gender dysphoria or body dysmorphic disorder – is current practice coherent and evidence‐based?

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Editorial Perspective: Medical body modification in youth with gender dysphoria or body dysmorphic disorder – is current practice coherent and evidence‐based? via Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry In recent decades, there has been a steady increase in the number of people, including adolescents, undergoing medical body modification (MBM) to alter their physically healthy bodies in invasive and nearly irreversible ways through medical treatment (e.g. surgery). While MBM is often recommended for youth with persisting gender dysphoria (GD), in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) it has been considered contraindicated. Here, we outline the current controversies surrounding MBM practice and recommendations in adolescents with GD versus those with BDD in order to better understand under what circumstances we may or may not support adolescents who want to change their bodies medically and often irreversibly. We compare the two disorders in terms of the overlap and uniqueness of their behavioural and psychological features. In doing so, we discuss limitations of the existing (often low-quality) evidence for and against MBM in young patients. We conclude that the c urrently available evidence is too preliminary and far from conclusive to make any robust recommendations in terms of benefits and harms of MBM in youth with persisting GD or BDD. However, we strongly recommend further urgent scientific discussions and systematic research efforts into more robust evaluations and the identification of more precise psychological characteristics that may serve as decision criteria for or against MBM – particularly in those adolescents who did not respond to non-MBM, that is, psychiatric/psychological treatment and psychosocial support, if available at all. This will greatly benefit youth healthcare professionals in their challenging clinical practice of making decisions regarding MBM today and in the future. View on Web

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Corticosteroid Nasal Irrigation as Early Treatment of Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID‐19: A prospective randomized controlled trial

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Corticosteroid Nasal Irrigation as Early Treatment of Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID‐19: A prospective randomized controlled trial via Clinical Otolaryngology Abstract Objective This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroid irrigation compared to saline to no nasal irrigation in COVID-19 patients with olfactory loss. Design and Setting A randomized controlled study was conducted at the Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Department, Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University. Participants Two hundred thirty-seven COVID-19 participants with a new-onset smell loss were recruited into the study. Two hundred twenty-two participants met the inclusion criteria and were randomized into three groups; corticosteroid irrigation, saline irrigation, and no treatment. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was the mean difference in the smell sensation score among the groups after treatment at 1, 2, and 6 weeks. The secondary outcomes measurements included 1)a self-rating quality of life(QOL)-related smell dysfunction score, 2)the change over time in smell sensation score and self-rating QOL-related smell dysfunction score, and 3)the median time to complete recovery of smell loss. Results The mean differences in smell sensation scores among the three groups were not statistically significant at any follow-up period. The mean score of self-rating QOL-related smell dysfunction in the corticosteroid group was significantly better than the other groups at one week. The change of outcome scores showed significant improvement over time, regardless of the treatments. The median time to complete smell recovery was similar: three weeks. Conclusion This study emphasized that corticosteroid nasal irrigation is not superior to saline or no nasal irrigation in restoring the sense of smell in COVID-19-associated olfactory loss. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Polygenic risk scores for prediction of breast cancer

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Polygenic risk scores for prediction of breast cancer in Korean women via International Journal of Epidemiology - Advance Access Abstract Background Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for breast cancer, developed using European and Asian genome-wide association studies (GWAS), have been shown to have good discrimination in Asian women. However, prospective calibration of absolute risk prediction models, based on a PRS or PRS combined with lifestyle, clinical and environmental factors, in Asian women is limited. Methods We consider several PRSs trained using European and/or Asian GWAS. For each PRS, we evaluate the discrimination and calibration of three absolute risk models among 41 031 women from the Korean Cancer Prevention Study (KCPS)-II Biobank: (i) a model using incidence, mortality and risk factor distributions (reference inputs) among US women and European relative risks; (ii) a recalibrated model, using Korean reference but European relative risks; and (iii) a fully Korean-based model using Korean reference and relative risk estimates from KCPS. Results< /div>All Asian and European PRS improved discrimination over lifestyle, clinical and environmental (Qx) factors in Korean women. US-based absolute risk models overestimated the risks for women aged ≥50 years, and this overestimation was larger for models that only included PRS (expected-to-observed ratio E/O = 1.2 for women <50, E/O = 2.7 for women ≥50). Recalibrated and Korean-based risk models had better calibration in the large, although the risk in the highest decile was consistently overestimated. Absolute risk projections suggest that risk-reducing lifestyle changes would lead to larger absolute risk reductions among women at higher PRS. Conclusions Absolute risk models incorporating PRS trained in European and Asian GWAS and population-appropriate average age-specific incidences may be useful for risk-stratified interventions in Korean women. View on Web

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