Is Library Database Searching a Language Learning Activity?

A qualitative research study that asked international students how they thought of words to enter into a library database to see if language learning was also involved.

Paths of Discovery: Comparing the Search effectiveness of EBSCO Discovery Service, Summon, Google Scholar, and Conventional Library Resources

In 2011, researchers at Bucknell University and Illinois Wesleyan University compared the search efficacy of Serial Solutions Summon, EBSCO Discovery Service, Google Scholar and conventional library databases. Using a mixed-methods approach, qualitative and quantitative data was gathered on students’ usage of these tools. Regardless of the search system, students exhibited a marked inability to effectively evaluate sources and a heavy reliance on default search settings. On the quantitative benchmarks measured by this study, the EBSCO Discovery Service tool outperformed the other search systems in almost every category. This article describes these results and makes recommendations for libraries considering these tools.

Sensory phenomena in obsessive-compulsive disorder and tic disorders: A review of the literature

Introduction: A variety of subjective experiences have been reported to be associated with the symptom expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette syndrome (TS). First described in TS patients, these subjective experiences have been defined in different ways. There is no consensus in the literature on how to best define subjective experiences. This lack of consensus may hinder the understanding of study results and prevents the possibility of including them in the search for etiological factors associated with OCD and TS. Methods: The objective of this article was to review the descriptions of subjective experiences in the English-language literature from 1980-2007. This meta-analytic review was carried out using the English-language literature from 1980-2007 available on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library databases using the following search terms: premonitory urges, sensory tics, ""just-right"" perceptions, sensory phenomena, sensory experiences, incompleteness, ""not just-right"" phenomena, obsessive-compulsive disorder and TS, including OCD and/or TS, in all combination searches. We also searched for the references cited in each article previously found that referred to the aforementioned terms. Thirty-one articles were included in the study. Results: Subjective experiences, in particular, the sensory phenomena, were important phenotypic variables in the characterization of the tic-related OCD subtype and were more frequent in the early-onset OCD subtype. There is a paucity of studies using structured interviews to assess sensory phenomena, their epidemiology and the etiological mechanisms associated with sensory phenomena. Conclusion: The current review provides some evidence that sensory phenomena can be useful to identify more homogenous subgroups of OCD and TS patients and should be included as important phenotypic variables in future clinical, genetic, neuroimaging, and treatment-response studies.

Does primary medical practitioner involvement with a specialist team improve patient outcomes? A systematic review.

Patients with chronic or complex medical or psychiatric conditions are treated by many practitioners, including general practitioners (GPs). Formal liaison between primary and specialist is often assumed to offer benefits to patients The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of formal liaison of GPs with specialist service providers on patient health outcomes, by conducting a systematic review of the published literature in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane Library databases using the following search terms family physicians': synonyms of 'patient care planning', 'patient discharge' and 'patient care team'; and synonyms of 'randomised controlled trials'. Seven studies were identified, involving 963 subjects and 899 controls. most health outcomes were unchanged, although some physical and functional health outcomes were improved by formal liaison between GPs and specialist services, particularly among chronic mental illness patients. Some health outcomes worsened during the intervention. Patient retention rates within treatment programmes improved with GP involvement, as did patient satisfaction. Doctor (GP and specialist) behaviour changed, with reports of more rational use of resources and diagnostic tests, improved clinical skills, more frequent use of appropriate treatment strategies, and more frequent clinical behaviours designed to detect disease complications Cost effectiveness could not be determined. In conclusion, formal liaison between GPs and specialist services leaves most physical health outcomes unchanged, but improves functional outcomes in chronically mentally ill patients. It may confer modest long-term health benefits through improvements in patient concordance with treatment programmes and more effective clinical practice.

Advances and challenges in oral health after a decade of the “Smiling Brazil” Program

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze oral health work changes in primary health care after Brazil’s National Oral Health Policy Guidelines were released. METHODS A literature review was conducted on Medline, LILACS, Embase, SciELO, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, and The Cochrane Library databases, from 2000 to 2013, on elements to analyze work changes. The descriptors used included: primary health care, family health care, work, health care policy, oral health care services, dentistry, oral health, and Brazil. Thirty-two studies were selected and analyzed, with a predominance of qualitative studies from the Northeast region with workers, especially dentists, focusing on completeness and quality of care. RESULTS Observed advances focused on educational and permanent education actions; on welcoming, bonding, and accountability. The main challenges were related to completeness; extension and improvement of care; integrated teamwork; working conditions; planning, monitoring, and evaluation of actions; stimulating people’s participation and social control; and intersectorial actions. CONCLUSIONS Despite the new regulatory environment, there are very few changes in oral health work. Professionals tend to reproduce the dominant biomedical model. Continuing efforts will be required in work management, training, and permanent education fields. Among the possibilities are the increased engagement of managers and professionals in a process to understand work dynamics and training in the perspective of building significant changes for local realities.

EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines: Wilson's disease.

This Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) has been developed to assist physicians and other healthcare providers in the diagnosis and management of patients with Wilson's disease. The goal is to describe a number of generally accepted approaches for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Wilson's disease. Recommendations are based on a systematic literature review in the Medline (PubMed version), Embase (Dialog version), and the Cochrane Library databases using entries from 1966 to 2011. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system used in other EASL CPGs was used and set against the somewhat different grading system used in the AASLD guidelines (Table 1A and B). Unfortunately, there is not a single randomized controlled trial conducted in Wilson's disease which has an optimal design. Thus, it is impossible to assign a high or even a moderate quality of evidence to any of the questions dealt with in these guidelines. The evaluation is mostly based on large case series which have been reported within the last decades.

Mutations in the HFE gene and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk: a meta-analysis of observational studies

Iron homeostasis dysregulation has been regarded as an important mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases. The H63D and C282Y polymorphisms in theHFE gene may be involved in the development of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through the disruption of iron homeostasis. However, studies investigating the relationship between ALS and these two polymorphisms have yielded contradictory outcomes. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the roles of the H63D and C282Y polymorphisms of HFEin ALS susceptibility. PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched to identify relevant studies. Strict selection criteria and exclusion criteria were applied. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of associations. A fixed- or random-effect model was selected, depending on the results of the heterogeneity test. Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analysis (six studies with 1692 cases and 8359 controls for C282Y; 14 studies with 5849 cases and 13,710 controls for H63D). For the C282Y polymorphism, significant associations were observed in the allele model (Y vs C: OR=0.76, 95%CI=0.62-0.92, P=0.005) and the dominant model (YY+CYvs CC: OR=0.75, 95%CI=0.61-0.92, P=0.006). No associations were found for any genetic model for the H63D polymorphism. The C282Y polymorphism in HFE could be a potential protective factor for ALS in Caucasians. However, the H63D polymorphism does not appear to be associated with ALS.

Contact force-guided catheter ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials

Contact force (CF) sensing technology allows real-time monitoring during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the effect of CF sensing technology on procedural parameters and clinical outcomes still needs clarification. Because of the inconsistent results thus far in this area, we performed a meta-analysis to determine whether CF sensing technology can improve procedural parameters and clinical outcomes for the treatment of AF. Studies examining the benefits of CF sensing technology were identified in English-language articles by searching the MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases (inception to May 2015). Ten randomized, controlled trials involving 1834 patients (1263 males, 571 females) were included in the meta-analysis (681 in the CF group, 1153 in the control group). Overall, the ablation time was significantly decreased by 7.34 min (95%CI=-12.21 to -2.46; P=0.003, Z test) in the CF group compared with the control group. CF sensing technology was associated with significantly improved freedom from AF after 12 months (OR=1.55, 95%CI=1.20 to 1.99; P=0.0007) and complications were significantly lower in the CF group than in the control group (OR=0.50, 95%CI=0.29 to 0.87; P=0.01). However, fluoroscopy time analysis showed no significantly decreased trend associated with CF-guided catheter ablation (weighted mean difference: -2.59; 95%CI=-9.06 to 3.88; P=0.43). The present meta-analysis shows improvement in ablation time and freedom from AF after 12 months in AF patients treated with CF-guided catheter ablation. However, CF-guided catheter ablation does not decrease fluoroscopy time.

Enfermedad tiroidea autoinmune en pacientes colombianos con lupus eritematoso sistémico

Objetivos: Determinar la prevalencia y los factores asociados con el desarrollo de hipotiroidismo autoinmune (HA) en una cohorte de pacientes con lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES), y analizar la información actual en cuanto a la prevalencia e impacto de la enfermedad tiroidea autoinmune y la autoinmunidad tiroidea en pacientes con LES. Métodos: Este fue un estudio realizado en dos pasos. Primero, un total de 376 pacientes con LES fueron evaluados sistemáticamente por la presencia de: 1) HA confirmado, 2) positividad para anticuerpos tiroperoxidasa/tiroglobulina (TPOAb/TgAb) sin hipotiroidismo, 3) hipotiroidismo no autoinmune, y 4) pacientes con LES sin hipotiroidismo ni positividad para TPOAb/TgAb. Se construyeron modelos multivariados y árboles de regresión y clasificación para analizar los datos. Segundo, la información actual fue evaluada a través de una revisión sistemática de la literatura (RLS). Se siguieron las guías PRISMA para la búsqueda en las bases de datos PubMed, Scopus, SciELO y Librería Virtual en Salud. Resultados: En nuestra cohorte, la prevalencia de HA confirmado fue de 12% (Grupo 1). Sin embargo, la frecuencia de positividad para TPOAb y TgAb fue de 21% y 10%, respectivamente (Grupo 2). Los pacientes con LES sin HA, hipotiroidismo no autoinmune ni positividad para TPOAb/TgAb constituyeron el 40% de la corhorte. Los pacientes con HA confirmada fueron estadísticamente significativo de mayor edad y tuvieron un inicio tardío de la enfermedad. El tabaquismo (ORA 6.93, IC 95% 1.98-28.54, p= 0.004), la presencia de Síndrome de Sjögren (SS) (ORA 23.2, IC 95% 1.89-359.53, p= 0.015) y la positividad para anticuerpos anti-péptido cíclico citrulinado (anti-CCP) (ORA 10.35, IC 95% 1.04-121.26, p= 0.047) se asociaron con la coexistencia de LES-HA, ajustado por género y duración de la enfermedad. El tabaquismo y el SS fueron confirmados como factores predictivos para LES-HA (AUC del modelo CART = 0.72). En la RSL, la prevalencia de ETA en LES varío entre 1% al 60%. Los factores asociados con esta poliautoinmunidad fueron el género femenino, edad avanzada, tabaquismo, positividad para algunos anticuerpos, SS y el compromiso articular y cutáneo. Conclusiones: La ETA es frecuente en pacientes con LES, y no afecta la severidad del LES. Los factores de riesgo identificados ayudarán a los clínicos en la búsqueda de ETA. Nuestros resultados deben estimular políticas para la suspensión del tabaquismo en pacientes con LES.

Eficacia de la limpieza corporal con clorhexidina en prevenir la sepsis neonatal en cuidado intensivo revisión sistemática

ANTECEDENTES. La mortalidad neonatal se debe principalmente a procesos infecciosos y a prematurez. Se ha sugerido que el lavado corporal total con clorhexidina podría reducir la mortalidad neonatal relacionada con infección. No existen revisiones sistemáticas que exploren la eficacia de esta intervención. Objetivo. Evaluar la eficacia y seguridad de la limpieza corporal total con clorhexidina en la prevención de las infecciones asociadas al cuidado de la salud en neonatos de alto riesgo hospitalizados en cuidado intensivo neonatal. Metodología. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura. La búsqueda se hizo a través de las bases de datos Medline, Embase, LilaCS, Cochrane library y el registro de ensayos clínicos del Instituto Nacional de Salud de Estados Unidos. Se incluyeron ensayos clínicos publicados en los últimos 15 años hasta el 30 de enero del 2015. Las variables cualitativas se estimaron mediante OR o RR con sus IC95%. Las variables cuantitativas mediante diferencias de promedios o diferencias estandarizadas de promedios con sus IC95%. Resultados: Se incluyeron 3 estudios en el análisis cualitativo y cuantitativo. No se encontró evidencia concluyente que permita recomendar el uso de la limpieza corporal total con clorhexidina en los recién nacidos hospitalizados en cuidado intensivo neonatal. Conclusión: No existe evidencia que permita concluir que la limpieza corporal total con clorhexidina al 0.25% es mejor respecto a otras intervenciones en la prevención de sepsis neonatal asociada al cuidado de la salud . Es una intervención segura sin efectos adversos significativos.

Implants in the zygomatic bone for maxillary prosthetic rehabilitation: a systematic review

The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate clinical studies on the follow-up survival of implants inserted in the zygomatic bone for maxillary rehabilitation. A comprehensive search of studies published from 2000 to July 2012 and listed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Relevant studies were selected according to predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The initial database search yielded 751 titles. After filtering, 313 abstracts were selected, culminating in 42 full text articles. Application of eligibility criteria led to the elimination of 17 articles. Hence 25 full-text articles were considered clinically relevant and were included. Calculations of the interval survival rates and cumulative survival rates of implants could be carried out on the data extracted from the final list of included studies for the different time intervals. These studies reported the insertion of a total of 1541 zygomatic implants and 33 implant failures. Failure generally occurred during the first year interval and was related to clinical complications, such as recurrent acute and chronic sinusitis. After a 36-month follow-up, the survival rate was 97.86%. Additional studies with longer follow-up periods, including the number of zygomatic implants inserted and details of the variations in the surgical techniques used and the impact of the maxillary morphology are still required.

Voice Disorders in Teachers. A Review

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeitos imediatos e tardios da imersão em água pós-exercício: uma revisão sistemática e um ensaio clínico randomizado

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeitos do treinamento resistido na síndrome metabólica: uma revisão sistemática com meta-análise e um ensaio clínico randomizado

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Efficacy of brief alcohol screening intervention for college students (BASICS): a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background: Many studies reported that brief interventions are effective in reducing excessive drinking. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a protocol of brief intervention for college students (BASICS), delivered face-to-face, to reduce risky alcohol consumption and negative consequences. Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed by searching for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Medline, PsycInfo, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases. A quality assessment of RCTs was made by using a validated scale. Combined mean effect sizes, using meta-analysis random-effects models, were calculated. Results: 18 studies were included in the review. The sample sizes ranged from 54 to 1275 (median = 212). All studies presented a good evaluation of methodological quality and four were found to have excellent quality. After approximately 12 months of follow-up, students receiving BASICS showed a significant reduction in alcohol consumption (difference between means = -1.50 drinks per week, 95% CI: -3.24 to -0.29) and alcohol-related problems (difference between means = -0.87, 95% CI: -1.58 to -0.20) compared to controls. Conclusions: Overall, BASICS lowered both alcohol consumption and negative consequences in college students. Gender and peer factors seem to play an important role as moderators of behavior change in college drinking. Characteristics of BASICS procedure have been evaluated as more favorable and acceptable by students in comparison with others interventions or control conditions. Considerations for future researches were discussed.