-
PloS One 2023The success of endodontic restoration of badly compromised teeth depends on the quality of post and core placement and the extra-coronal restoration. Ensuring that...
The success of endodontic restoration of badly compromised teeth depends on the quality of post and core placement and the extra-coronal restoration. Ensuring that students place posts to acceptable quality standards is therefore essential. The aim of this study was to radiographically evaluate post placement by final year undergraduate dental students and to identify any predictors of performance. Two hundred retrospectively and randomly selected posts placed by sixth year students were evaluated radiographically. Data on student gender; number and quality of radiographs; periapical pathology; tooth location; root canal treatment quality; amount of remaining gutta percha; gap between gutta percha and post; post-to-root width; crown-to-root ratio; and types of core material and crowns were recorded. Four criteria were used to grade post placement quality: (i) amount of remaining gutta percha; (ii) gap between gutta percha and post; (iii) post width to root ratio; and (iv) crown-to-root ratio. Assessments were scored to produce final grades. Data are presented using descriptive statistics and the chi-squared test was used to investigate whether student gender or tooth location were associated with final grade. Post and core quality was acceptable in most cases (97.5% were graded as adequate), with no differences in quality between male and female students nor according to tooth location (anterior, premolar, and molar). Just over half of radiographs were adequate quality (53.5%), while just under half were assessed as less than adequate (46.5%) due to cone cutting, overlap, shortening or elongation, although this did not affect formal assessment of post quality. General outcomes of post and core placement by undergraduate students were good, with few errors that might affect the prognosis and long-term survival of treated teeth. Providing undergraduate dental students with clear guidelines on when and how to take radiographs throughout the procedure may improve the quality of post and core treatment and reduce the risk of multiple unnecessary radiographic exposures. From the clinical perspective, although dental students generally place high quality posts and cores, it remains important to monitor the quality and performance of post placement as this determines the survival of compromised teeth.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Gutta-Percha; Students, Dental; Retrospective Studies; Root Canal Therapy; Crowns; Root Canal Filling Materials
PubMed: 37943743
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294073 -
Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and... Oct 2023Surgery for acetabular fractures involving both columns is difficult and traumatic, making it necessary to explore a minimally invasive and accurate surgical method.
BACKGROUND
Surgery for acetabular fractures involving both columns is difficult and traumatic, making it necessary to explore a minimally invasive and accurate surgical method.
METHODS
This retrospective case-control study analyzed the clinical data of 34 patients and divided them into two groups: a control group (9 males and 8 females) and a research group (11 males and 6 females) with acetabular fractures involving the anterior and posterior columns. All patients were placed in the supine position via the pararectus approach. A three-dimensional (3D) guide was placed at the position where the posterior column screw was inserted in the second window, and a posterior column screw was placed percutaneously on the medial side of the iliac spine in the research group. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and fracture union time of the two groups were recorded. Pelvic radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans were routinely performed before and after surgery to evaluate reduction and fixation. Residual gap and step displacement were measured using a standardized CT-based method after the surgery. Hip mobility was assessed according to the modified Merle, d'Aubigné, and Postel criteria.
RESULTS
All patients were followed up for 6-30 (16.941±6.571) months. The operation times of the two groups were 126 [interquartile range (IQR), 95-133] min (control group) and 110 (IQR, 85-124) min (research group), the intraoperative blood losses were 430 (IQR, 290-550) mL (control group) and 380 (IQR, 260-500) mL (research group). All patients achieved bone healing, with a union time of 15 (IQR, 12-17) weeks (control group) and 13 (IQR, 11.5-15) weeks (research group). According to the standardized CT-based method, the reduction after surgery was acceptable in 13 (control group) and 14 (research group) of these patients (defined as a gap <5 mm or a step-off <1 mm), and the anatomical reduction rates were 76.47% and 82.35%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of a single pararectus approach combined with 3D guide-assisted percutaneous anterograde posterior column screws can shorten the operation time and place effective posterior column screws precisely with minimal invasiveness. At the same time, the acetabular reduction and functional recovery are satisfactory, and there are fewer postoperative complications, which makes this procedure an ideal surgical option.
PubMed: 37869312
DOI: 10.21037/qims-23-548 -
Human Brain Mapping Feb 2024The recognition and perception of places has been linked to a network of scene-selective regions in the human brain. While previous studies have focussed on functional...
The recognition and perception of places has been linked to a network of scene-selective regions in the human brain. While previous studies have focussed on functional connectivity between scene-selective regions themselves, less is known about their connectivity with other cortical and subcortical regions in the brain. Here, we determine the functional and structural connectivity profile of the scene network. We used fMRI to examine functional connectivity between scene regions and across the whole brain during rest and movie-watching. Connectivity within the scene network revealed a bias between posterior and anterior scene regions implicated in perceptual and mnemonic aspects of scene perception respectively. Differences between posterior and anterior scene regions were also evident in the connectivity with cortical and subcortical regions across the brain. For example, the Occipital Place Area (OPA) and posterior Parahippocampal Place Area (PPA) showed greater connectivity with visual and dorsal attention networks, while anterior PPA and Retrosplenial Complex showed preferential connectivity with default mode and frontoparietal control networks and the hippocampus. We further measured the structural connectivity of the scene network using diffusion tractography. This indicated both similarities and differences with the functional connectivity, highlighting biases between posterior and anterior regions, but also between ventral and dorsal scene regions. Finally, we quantified the structural connectivity between the scene network and major white matter tracts throughout the brain. These findings provide a map of the functional and structural connectivity of scene-selective regions to each other and the rest of the brain.
Topics: Humans; Brain Mapping; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Memory; Neocortex
PubMed: 38376190
DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26628 -
BMC Public Health Jul 2023Pornography consumption is higher in men, but we do not know if this association can be modified by different variables, such as sexual attraction and place of origin....
BACKGROUND
Pornography consumption is higher in men, but we do not know if this association can be modified by different variables, such as sexual attraction and place of origin. Given the impact pornography has on minors, there are limited studies that analyze the use of pornography in representative samples of the adult population. The aim was analyze the prevalence and factors associated with using pornography in young adult men and women, living in Spain, with different sexual attractions and different places of birth.
METHODS
Cross-sectional study with an online survey conducted with 2515 men and women aged between 18 and 35 years of age. The prevalence of pornography consumption is described and analyzed in the total sample and stratified by sex, according to socio-demographic and sexual attraction variables. The association between covariates and pornography consumption at some point in life was estimated with prevalence ratios (PR) obtained with the Poisson models of robust variance.
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
voluntarily using pornography at some point in life. Socio-demographic variables were included in the analysis: age, sex, level of education, place of birth. Sexual attraction was also analyzed.
RESULTS
In Spain, 94.7% of men between 18 and 34 years and 74.6% of women have voluntarily used pornography at some point in their life. The mean age to start using it is earlier in men [Mean:14.2; Standard Deviation (SD):2.3]. Bisexual/homosexual attraction (reference: heterosexual) increases the probability of using pornography in women [(PR (95%CI): 1.30 (1.22; 1.38)]. Yet this is not observed in men. In both sexes, the probability of using pornography increases with age [(PR (95%CI): 1.01(1.00; 1.01)] and coming from abroad (reference: native), being the effect of country of birth significantly higher in women [(PR (95%CI): 1.17 (1.09; 1.26)] than in men [(PR (95%CI): 1.04 (1.01; 1.07).
CONCLUSIONS
Public health programmes aimed at improving affective-sexual health should consider the high use of pornography among young adults in Spain, as well as those variables that increase its use.
Topics: Male; Humans; Young Adult; Female; Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Erotica; Sexual Behavior; Gender Identity; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 37442986
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16216-3 -
The Science of the Total Environment Mar 2024Tropical oceans are among the first places to exhibit climate change signals, affecting the habitat distribution and abundance of marine fish. These changes to stocks,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Tropical oceans are among the first places to exhibit climate change signals, affecting the habitat distribution and abundance of marine fish. These changes to stocks, and subsequent impacts on fisheries production, may have considerable implications for coastal communities dependent on fisheries for food security and livelihoods. Understanding the impacts of climate change on tropical marine fisheries is therefore an important step towards developing sustainable, climate-ready fisheries management measures. We apply an established method of spatial meta-analysis to assess species distribution modelling datasets for key species targeted by the Philippines capture fisheries. We analysed datasets under two global emissions scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and varying degrees of fishing pressure to quantify potential climate vulnerability of the target community. We found widespread responses to climate change in pelagic species in particular, with abundances projected to decline across much of the case study area, highlighting the challenges of maintaining food security in the face of a rapidly changing climate. We argue that sustainable fisheries management in the Philippines in the face of climate change can only be achieved through management strategies that allow for the mitigation of, and adaptation to, pressures already locked into the climate system for the near term. Our analysis may support this, providing fisheries managers with the means to identify potential climate change hotspots, bright spots and refugia, thereby supporting the development of climate-ready management plans.
Topics: Animals; Fisheries; Ecosystem; Oceans and Seas; Climate Change; Hunting; Fishes
PubMed: 38320704
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170684 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024In contemporary society, people spend long periods under high stress, and tourism activities have gradually been internalized as a new means of stress release and...
INTRODUCTION
In contemporary society, people spend long periods under high stress, and tourism activities have gradually been internalized as a new means of stress release and self-recovery. Studies have found that the high-quality natural environment of rural tourism destinations has a higher restorative effect than other places, and the rural natural environment can provide psychological recovery to visitors on top of offering visual beauty and other experiences.
METHODS
This paper starts with the relationship between rural place perception and restorative experience evaluation. Based on theories such as the restorative environments theory, we investigates whether rural natural environmental factors have a restorative effect on recreationists through collecting 300 questionnaires and using SPSS 26.0 structural equation modeling for analysis.
RESULTS
The study found that there is a positive correlation between rural natural perception, place dependence, and restorative experience, forming a positive feedback loop dynamic system. The analysis suggests that enhancing the perception of the rural natural environment and place attachment can improve the restorative experience of recreationists in rural settings.
DISCUSSION
This research establishes a systematic research framework for the relationship between rural natural perception, place attachment, and restorative experience, to deeply understand the dynamic interaction between them. It reveals the relationship between rural natural perception and restorative experience, suggesting that enriching the perceptual elements in rural natural spaces can meet the diverse needs of recreationists, enhance the sense of dependence and identification with rural spaces, and thus promote the psychological well-being and restorative experience of recreationists. The study also finds that place dependence plays a mediating role between rural natural perception and restorative experience. Place attachment and place identity, as mediating variables, act as bridges and catalysts in the process of rural natural perception affecting restorative experience.
PubMed: 38845763
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1341956 -
BMJ Open Sep 2023The BRIGHTLIGHT cohort study was the national evaluation of cancer services for teenager and young adults (TYA). This was analysis of free-text survey data to better...
OBJECTIVES
The BRIGHTLIGHT cohort study was the national evaluation of cancer services for teenager and young adults (TYA). This was analysis of free-text survey data to better understand their experiences of cancer care.
DESIGN
Cohort study SETTING: National Health Service hospitals delivering cancer care in England PARTICIPANTS: 830 young people newly diagnosed with cancer.
INTERVENTIONS
Exposure to specialist care in the first 6 months after diagnosis defined as care in a TYA Principal Treatment Centre (PTC). This was categorised as follows: all care in a TYA-PTC (ALL-TYA-PTC), no care in a TYA-PTC (NO-TYA-PTC) so care delivered in a children/adult unit only and some care in a TYA-PTC with additional care in a children's/adult unit (SOME-TYA-PTC).
PRIMARY OUTCOME
Data were collected through the BRIGHTLIGHT survey included free-text questions which asked patients 'what was the best aspects of their experiences of care' and 'what aspects could be improved'. These comments were analysed using content analysis. Themes were compared between categories of care, then ranked in order of frequency, ranging from the most endorsed to the least.
RESULTS
Overall, young people were most positive about their healthcare team, while the area highlighted for improvement was diagnostic experience. Differences between the three groups suggested those who had some or all treatment in a TYA-PTC valued the place of care. Regardless of where TYA were treated their healthcare teams were favourably viewed. Age appropriate place of care was highlighted to be of value for those in PTCs.
CONCLUSIONS
These data show the value young people placed on the care they received in TYA specific wards. Young people who accessed some or all of their care in a TYA-PTC highly endorsed their place of care as one of the best elements of their care, and it is further emphasised by those who had shared care who experienced difficulty with lack of age-appropriate care when treated outside the TYA-PTC.
Topics: Child; Adolescent; Young Adult; Humans; Cohort Studies; State Medicine; Adult Children; England; Hospitals; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37730384
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069910 -
International Braz J Urol : Official... 2024The management of ureteral strictures longer than 1-2 cm must be treated by major surgery (1, 2). The strictures located at the distal part of the ureter can be managed...
INTRODUCTION
The management of ureteral strictures longer than 1-2 cm must be treated by major surgery (1, 2). The strictures located at the distal part of the ureter can be managed by a ureteral reimplantation using a psoas hitch or a Boari flap depending on its proximity to the bladder (3). Those located at the proximal ureter can be treated by a pyeloplasty (4). The ureteric strictures in the mid-ureter are the ones that pose a greater challenge for the urologist because a ureteral substitution is needed, either using a segment of the intestine or a buccal mucosa graft (5, 6). Our main objective is to present the management and results at 36 months of a patient with a right mid-ureter stricture.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A 63-year-old male with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and a right single functioning kidney was referred to our department with the diagnosis of a 3 cm stricture in the right mid-ureter. He had a long-term JJ-stent in place but in the last year we had to replace it three times precociously and he even needed the placement of a nephrostomy tube due to the obstruction of the JJ-stent. Accordingly, a permanent resolution was sought and a laparoscopic onlay-flap ureteroplasty using cecal appendix was performed.
RESULTS
The first step was to identify the cecal appendix. Then we identified and dissected the ureter. With the ureter dissected, we performed a ureteroscopy to pinpoint the stricture. Once we knew where the stricture was, we proceeded with the ureterotomy and preparation of the cecal appendix. The final step was to perform the ureteroplasty between the ureter and the cecal appendix placing a JJ-stent before the last stitches were done. Total operative time was 190 minutes without any intraoperative complication. The JJ-stent was removed 7 weeks later. The follow-up of the patient was done with regular blood test and ultrasound to rule out deterioration of the CKD and worsening of the residual hydronephrosis. With a follow-up of 36 months, the patient is stent free, he hasn't had any further intervention and neither the CKD nor the hydronephrosis haven't worsened.
CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopic onlay-flap ureteroplasty using cecal appendix is a feasible and well tolerated procedure for patients with right mid-ureter stricture. However, we must bear in mind the difficulty of these cases and they should be performed in expert centers.
Topics: Male; Humans; Middle Aged; Ureter; Constriction, Pathologic; Ureteral Obstruction; Laparoscopy; Hydronephrosis; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
PubMed: 38166229
DOI: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2023.0595 -
The Gerontologist Feb 2024This paper argues for a greater theorization of "place" within aging-in-place research. It extends calls for a relational conceptualization of place by demonstrating the...
This paper argues for a greater theorization of "place" within aging-in-place research. It extends calls for a relational conceptualization of place by demonstrating the need for aging-in-place researchers to also pay greater attention to territorial aspects of place. This complementary understanding will help establish a new spatial grammar within aging-in-place research, that not only would improve conceptual clarity to aging in place, but would also support a more critical engagement of aging in place in questions of inequality. The paper demonstrates this through a discussion of 2 forms of inequality pertinent to older people: the uneven capacity of places to support older people and experiences of social exclusion in relation to place attachment for older people from marginalized groups.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Independent Living; Aging
PubMed: 36655690
DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnad002 -
Nursing Open Aug 2023HIV remains a statistically significant issue for women of childbearing age in Ghana. Nurses and midwives form the backbone of care providers for the prevention of...
UNLABELLED
HIV remains a statistically significant issue for women of childbearing age in Ghana. Nurses and midwives form the backbone of care providers for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes. However, nurses and midwives receive little support to provide the emotional aspects of HIV/AIDS care.
AIM
Our aim was to build an understanding of how midwives currently embrace their experience of hope and hoping to support mothers living with HIV.
DESIGN
This is narrative inquiry study.
METHODS
We engaged in two to three conversations with five midwives in rural settings in Ghana to understand their experiences of hope and hoping in their interactions with mothers living with HIV. Using the narrative inquiry common places of temporality, the social and personal, and space/place, we wrote narrative accounts for each participant and then searched for resonances across the narrative accounts.
RESULTS
We highlight three emerging narrative threads that resonated across narrative accounts. The three emerging narrative threads were (1) sustaining hope by drawing on life experiences across time and place; (2) hope is sustained through a focus on relational engagement with mothers; (3) midwives embrace the possibility to learn more about hope-focused practices.
CONCLUSION
The midwives began, although tentatively, to shine light on the things and events that diminished their abilities to maintain a hopeful perspective. At the same time, they became more comfortable and familiar with the notion of making hope visible and accessible in their experiences.
IMPACT
Since the midwives welcomed additional support to cope with the challenges they were experiencing, we imagine one day being able to make sense of how nurses and midwives engage with a narrative pedagogy of hope. Including hope-focused practices in nursing and midwifery preservice and in-service opportunities is important.
PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
There was no direct patient or public involvement in this study.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Midwifery; Ghana; Qualitative Research; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; HIV Infections
PubMed: 37101353
DOI: 10.1002/nop2.1787