Reliability of Quality Assessments in Research Synthesis: Securing the Highest Quality Bioinformation for HIT.

Current trends in bio-medicine include research synthesis and dissemination of bioinformation by means of health (bio) information technology (H[b] IT). Research must secure the validity and reliability of assessment tools to quantify research quality in the pursuit of the best available evidence. Our concerted work in this domain led to the revision of three instruments for that purpose, including the stringent characterization of inter-rater reliability and coefficient of agreement. It is timely and critical to advance the methodological development of the science of research synthesis by strengthening the reliability of existing measure of research quality in order to ensure H[b] IT efficacy and effectiveness

Condylar degeneration in patients with dental open bite versus skeletal open bite utilizing CBCT

Idiopathic condylar resorption (ICR) is a condition in which either one or both condyles undergo degeneration. Bilateral TMJ involvement presents as a clockwise rotation of the mandible in the posterior-inferior direction, resulting in an anterior open bite. The purpose of the study was to assess TMJ condylar degeneration in dental open bites compared to skeletal open bites

Proteomic signature of periodontal disease in pregnancy: Predictive validity for adverse outcomes

The rate of preterm birth is a public health concern worldwide because it is increasing and efforts to prevent it have failed. We report a Clinically Relevant Complex Systematic Review (CSCSR) designed to identify and evaluate the best available evidence in support of the association between periodontal status in women and pregnancy outcome of preterm low birth weight. We hypothesize that the traditional limits of research synthesis must be expanded to incorporate a translational component. As a proof-of-concept model, we propose that this CSCSR can yield greater validity of efficacy and effectiveness through supplementing its recommendations with data of the proteomic signature of periodontal disease in pregnancy, which can contribute to addressing specifically the predictive validity for adverse outcomes. For this CRCSR, systematic reviews were identified through The National Library of MedicinePubmed, The Cochrane library, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and the American Dental Association web library. Independent reviewers quantified the relevance and quality of this literature with R-AMSTAR. Homogeneity and inter-rater reliability testing were supplemented with acceptable sampling analysis. Research synthesis outcomes were analyzed qualitatively toward a Bayesian inference, and converge to demonstrate a definite association between maternal periodontal disease and pregnancy outcome. This CRCSR limits heterogeneity in terms of periodontal disease, outcome measure, selection bias, uncontrolled confounders and effect modifiers. Taken together, the translational CRCSR model we propose suggests that further research is advocated to explore the fundamental mechanisms underlying this association, from a molecular and proteomic perspective

Osteoimmunopathology in HIV/AIDS: A Translational Evidence-Based Perspective

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) and the resulting acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) alter not only cellular immune regulation but also the bone metabolism. Since cellular immunity and bone metabolism are intimately intertwined in the osteoimmune network, it is to be expected that bone metabolism is also affected in patients with HIV/AIDS. The concerted evidence points convincingly toward impaired activity of osteoblasts and increased activity of osteoclasts in patients with HIV/AIDS, leading to a significant increase in the prevalence of osteoporosis. Research attributes these outcomes in part at least to the ART, PI, and HAART therapies endured by these patients. We review and discuss these lines of evidence from the perspective of translational clinically relevant complex systematic reviews for comparative effectiveness analysis and evidence-based intervention on a global scale

Expanding the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (Ex-GRADE) for Evidence-Based Clinical Recommendations: Validation Study

Clinicians use general practice guidelines as a source of support for their intervention, but how much confidence should they place on these recommendations? How much confidence should patients place on these recommendations? Various instruments are available to assess the quality of evidence of research, such as the revised Wong scale (R-Wong) which examines the quality of research design, methodology and data analysis, and the revision of the assessment of multiple systematic reviews (R-AMSTAR), which examines the quality of systematic reviews

Evaluation of Salivary Cytokines in Patients with Idiopathic Condylar Resorption of the Temporomandibular Joint

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the levels of various cytokines in patients with idiopathic condylar resorption (ICR) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Previous research has assessed the roles of cytokines in serum and synovial fluid of patients with autoimmune diseases resulting in joint degeneration. However, limited studies have assessed saliva as an alternative medium for detection of cytokine levels in ICR. Whole saliva was collected and compared between 10 ICR subjects and 10 control subjects. Using membrane-based protein assay, we found an increase in intensity in the following 12 proinflammatory cytokines: IL-18, IFN-γ, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-17E, GM-CSF, CXCL10, CCL5, and CCL2. A decrease in intensity was seen in the anti-inflammmatory cytokine IL-10. IL-18, IFN-γ, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-17E, and GM-CSF demonstrated statistical significance in our analysis (p < 0.05)

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Evidence-Based Dentistry: The Next Frontier in Translational and Trans-National Dental Practice

Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD) is a systematic approach for ob-taining the best available clini-cally relevant scientific evidence with the ultimate goal and intent of increasing effectiveness and efficacy in clinical decision-making. EBD pursues optimizing both the patient’s benefit through the best utilization of dentist’s experience and clinical expertise, and on making full use of the most reliable and va-lid research outcomes. EBD is initiated by the patient-dentist interaction, which is translated into a patient-centered P.I.C.O. question. The resulting literature bibliome is assessed and quantified for the level and quality of the evidence by means of fully validated and reli-able instruments based on common standard criteria of research methodology, design and statistical analysis. The outcomes are evaluated by acceptable sampling analysis, Such that studies, whose flaws have been identified to result potentially into misleading infor-mation to the patients and/or practitioner may be judiciously removed from further consideration". The research synthesis process tests for overarching statistical sig-nificance among non-heterogeneous outcomes, and yields a consensus of the best available evidence. The systematic nature of the re-search review and synthesis that characterizes EBD is reported in the literature as “systematic reviews”, “complex systematic reviews”, or “clinically relevant complex systematic reviews”. Thus the reported best available evidence ensures patient-centered clinical decision for interventions of the highest possible effectiveness and effi-cacy. EBD contrasts with traditional dentistry based on the evidence for its systematic stringency, coupled with its fundamental validity as a patient-centered optimization of clinical modes of interventions

Condylar degeneration in anterior open bite patients: A cone beam computed tomography study

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of condylar degeneration in patients with anterior open bites (AOB). Study design: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 194 patients with AOB (108 with skeletal open bites and 86 with dental open bites) and 100 patients serving as controls were included in this retrospective study. Two oral and maxillofacial radiologists categorized each of the 588 condyles as normal, degenerative-active, or degenerative-repair. The χ2 analysis with Bonferroni adjustment was used to evaluate the relationship of condylar status (normal vs degenerative) to anterior open bites. Results: Of the 103 degenerative condyles, there were 59 in the group with skeletal open bites, 14 in the group with dental open bites, and 30 in the control group. Condylar degeneration occurred twice as frequently in patients with skeletal open bites as it did in the control group (P \u3c .0001). Conversely, a greater frequency of normal condyles was found in the group of patients with dental open bites (P = .0002). The group with skeletal open bites also showed a significantly higher frequency of bilateral degenerative condyles (P = .0001). The frequency of condylar degeneration did not differ significantly between female and male individuals. Conclusions: Degenerative condylar change was significantly more likely in patients with skeletal open bites and less likely in patients with dental open bites