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Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is the major pathogen involved in caries development during the first few years of life. Prebiotics represent a breakthrough approach to maintaining oral health by utilizing naturally beneficial bacteria against harmful bacteria. Aim: To assess the effects of prebiotics supplements on salivary pH and salivary buffer capacity in children with early childhood caries (ECC). Materials and methods: This study was performed on 23 samples, aged 3-6 years who received prebiotics supplements for 14 days, followed up to 3 and 6 months. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected to assess salivary pH and salivary buffer capacity using salivary check buffer kit. Statistical analysis used: The data showed normal distribution; hence, parametric tests were applied. Repeated measures of analysis of variance were applied to compare the mean at the three different time intervals, followed by paired t-test for pairwise comparison. Results: There was a highly significant difference on comparing the different parameters. Salivary pH was lowest at baseline with a mean value of 6.65 which increased at the 3-6-month follow-up to 7.00 and 7.33. Similarly, salivary buffer capacity which was 4.73 at baseline, increased at 3 months to 8.17, and at 6 months to 10.34. Conclusion: It can be suggested that prebiotics supplements can be adopted as a novel approach in children with ECC as a form of preventive measure to facilitate a better lifestyle. Clinical significance: These prebiotics when taken for a period of 2 weeks increased the salivary pH as well as salivary buffer capacity when the data was compared at different time intervals emphasizing its importance, especially in children with ECC. How to cite this article: Fernandes VA, Mata DB, Nadig B, et al. Effect of Prebiotics Supplements on Salivary pH and Salivary Buffer Capacity in Children with Early Childhood Caries: An In Vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(1):54-58.

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Healthcare and educational practices changed due to COVID-19. Interprofessional education (IPE) events during the pandemic were canceled or presented through online platforms. Fortunately, IPE using online platforms had been growing during the decade prior to the pandemic. However, few publications document quantitative outcomes of online IPE, and most report qualitative outcomes of student reactions. The purpose of this study was to determine if student outcomes from an online IPE symposium were similar to the positive outcomes from prior in-person IPE symposia. A Community of Inquiry (CoI) model within a synchronous Zoom platform was developed with intentional design supporting cognitive, instructional, and social presence; interprofessional socialisation; and collaboration. Utilising a standardised instrument, student attitudes about healthcare teams were assessed comparing pretest and posttest. Students who participated in the online IPE displayed similar improvements in attitudes towards interprofessional teams at posttest. Hence, this study supports the use of a brief, synchronous, online IPE symposium.

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This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and utility of an e-learning training program to improve healthcare professionals' knowledge about providing appearance care to patients with cancer. Healthcare professionals who provide appearance support were invited to participate voluntarily and complete a survey before and after the program. Participation request letters were distributed to 133 individuals, including 75 from four facilities invited via professional connections, and agreed to participate in the study and 58 participated in the National Cancer Center's appearance care training and indicated an interest in participating in the study. The 100 participants (75.2%) included 96 females, with an average age of 40.5 years. The participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the program, where more than 90% responded "satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" and eager to use the content they learned in the program when they returned to their workplaces. However, the participants identified several barriers to applying their newly acquired knowledge including lack of knowledge (about 80%). Participant knowledge scores about appearance support were significantly higher after program participation. The survey results indicated the high feasibility of the e-learning program through improved knowledge about appearance care and high satisfaction with the program. The program needs further improvements for its practical utility.

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The two-wave mediation model is the most suitable model for examining mediation effects in a randomized intervention and includes measures taken at pretest and posttest. When using self-report measures, the meaning of responses may change for the treatment group over the course of the intervention and result in noninvariance across groups at posttest, a phenomenon referred to as response shift. We investigate how the mediated effect would be impacted by noninvariance when using sum scores (i.e., assuming invariance). In a Monte Carlo simulation study, the magnitude and proportion of items that had noninvariant intercepts, the direction of noninvariance, number of items, effect size of the mediated effect and sample size were varied. Results showed increased Type I and Type II errors due to a biased estimate of the intervention effect on the mediator resulting from noninvariance. Thus, measurement noninvariance could lead to erroneous conclusions about the process underlying the intervention.

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Researchers and prevention scientists often develop interventions to target intermediate variables (known as mediators) that are thought to be related to an outcome. When researchers target a mediating construct measured by self-report, the meaning of self-report measure could change from pretest to posttest for the individuals who received the intervention - which is a phenomenon referred to as response shift. As a result, any observed changes on the mediator measure across groups or across time might reflect a combination of true change on the construct and response shift. Although previous studies have focused on identifying the source and type of response shift in measures after an intervention, there has been limited research on how using sum scores in the presence of response shift affects the estimation of mediated effects via statistical mediation analysis, which is critical for explaining how the intervention worked. In this paper, we focus on recalibration response shift, which is a change in internal standards of measurement, which affects how respondents interpret the response scale. We provide background on the theory of response shift and the methodology used to detect response shift (i.e., tests of measurement invariance). Additionally, we use simulated datasets to provide an illustration of how recalibration in the mediator can bias estimates of the mediated effect and also impact type I error and power.

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PURPOSE: The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the efficacy of a collaborative care model in the reduction of depression severity and the improvement of quality of life (QOL) of older adults. METHODS: Individual participant encounters were conducted approximately every 2 weeks over 4 months with nineteen participants. Average participant age was 73 years. A pre-experimental single pretest-posttest group was conducted in which the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and Quality of Life Assessment (QOLA) scores respectively measured depression severity and QOL of participants. RESULTS: The average PHQ-9 score (0-27; higher indicates worse depression) decreased from 14 pre-intervention to 8.3 post-intervention (p < .001), while the average QOLA score (0-10; higher indicates better QOL) increased from 5.7 pre-intervention to 6.5 post-intervention (p = .342). CONCLUSION: The adapted collaborative care model provided an affordable, effective method of older adult depression management within the contexts of this clinical study.

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The currently available distribution-free confidence interval for a difference of medians in a within-subjects design requires an unrealistic assumption of identical distribution shapes. A confidence interval for a general linear function of medians is proposed for within-subjects designs that do not assume identical distribution shapes. The proposed method can be combined with a method for linear functions of independent medians to provide a confidence interval for a linear function of medians in mixed designs. Simulation results show that the proposed methods have good small-sample properties under a wide range of conditions. The proposed methods are illustrated with examples, and R functions that implement the new methods are provided.

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BACKGROUND: Studies have emphasized that the disclosure of a diagnosis and prognosis is the doctor's responsibility, but little attention has been given to the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, this study examined and compared the effectiveness of cancer communication skills training (CST) for doctors and interdisciplinary staff in Taiwan. METHODS: This study utilized a quasi-experimental design. The participants were 124 oncology professionals who participated in cancer CST. These 124 professionals included a group of 65 doctors and a group of 59 interdisciplinary professionals, both of which received the same CST. After the participants have received CST, the changes in their disease disclosure skills were evaluated. RESULTS: Significant pretest-posttest differences were observed in the overall truth-telling scores for both groups (doctors: t = 6.94, P < 0.001; interdisciplinary professionals: t = 7.71, P < 0.001) and in different constructs. However, in many items, the doctors demonstrated no progress after receiving the training (P > 0.05), whereas the interdisciplinary professionals demonstrated significant progress (P < 0.05). In particular, the doctors' scores for 'disclosing information in a monotonous tone' showed significant retrogression (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the overall truth-telling scores of the two groups with regard to pre- and post-CST (P > 0.05 and P > 0.05, respectively), and there were also no significant differences in the four sub-scales' scores. CONCLUSION: The CST for interdisciplinary professionals improved their cooperation and communication skills.

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INTRODUCTION: The "Dunkelfeld" project offers pharmacologic treatment and psychotherapy to self-referred pedophilic patients in an anonymous way. AIM: To provide a re-assessment focusing on the crucial time × group interaction (ie, the treatment effect). METHODS: A recent study reported on the effectiveness of the "Dunkelfeld" program based on intermediate data of a treatment group (TG; n = 53) and a waiting-list control group (CG; n = 22). With psychological indicators, it was concluded that the therapy program changed dynamic risk factors that are associated with sexually offending against children. Although based on an independent groups pre-post design, the original report includes within-group pre- and post-comparisons only, as well as between-group comparisons at the pre- and post-treatment stages. In the current study, an effect size index was computed that compares the change occurring in both groups (TG and CG) with each other (Morris d). Moreover, 95% CI of d were calculated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The analyses were limited to 12 dynamic risk factors pertaining to emotional dysfunction, offense-supportive attitudes, sexual dysregulation, impression management, and 2 types of delinquent behavior, including recent behavior related to sexual offenses against children and recent use of child sexual abuse images. RESULTS: All 14 indicators showed weak treatment effects at most, with a median d of 0.30. None of the effect sizes was statistically significant (ie, in every case the 95% CI included 0). Further methodologic concerns include a familywise error rate close to 1 and too little statistical power to identify potential effects. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: As far as dynamic risk factors are concerned, the data do not show that treatment within the "Dunkelfeld" program leads to any reduction of the proneness to commit sexual offenses against children. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: The current study adds crucial information lacking in the original analysis. Because the re-appraisal has the same limited statistical power as the original study, the current results are tentative in the sense that the possibility of the program being effective cannot be ruled out. A further limitation is that not all of the dynamic risk factors chosen as indicators of possible treatment success have been established as relevant for sexual (re-)offending in prior empirical studies. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome emphasizes the notion that independent groups pretest-posttest designs should be analyzed based on the treatment × time interaction. Mokros A, Banse R. The "Dunkelfeld" Project for Self-Identified Pedophiles: A Reappraisal of its Effectiveness. J Sex Med 2019;16:609-613.

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In this article, we review three innovative methods: multiform protocols, visual analog scaling, and the retrospective pretest-posttest design that can be used in evaluation research. These three techniques have been proposed for decades, but unfortunately, they are still not utilized readily in evaluation research. Our goal is to familiarize researchers with these underutilized research techniques that could reduce personnel effort and costs for data collection while producing better inferences for a study. We begin by discussing their applications and special unique features. We then discuss each technique's strengths and limitations and offer practical tips on how to better implement these methods in evaluation research. We then showcase two recent empirical studies that implement these methods in real-world evaluation research applications.

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This study describes an evaluation of a community-based psychoeducational intervention, called The Family Series Workshop, for caregivers of community-dwelling persons with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD). In a one-group pretest-posttest design, participants (n = 35) attended six weekly sessions. Caregiver stress, coping, and caregiving competence were evaluated along with demographic characteristics of participants. There was a significant improvement found for caregiving competence, and a marginally significant increase in coping with humor. Using regression analysis we also found that coping with humor, along with stress, were significant predictors of caregiving competence. These findings indicate that it is possible to increase caregiving competence utilizing a "grassroots" approach and that it is feasible to hold educational, group discussions on a plethora of challenging caregiving topics.

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With the growing awareness of the nature and scope of the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in the United States, a few state child welfare agencies have started to develop and implement training on CSEC for their social service staff. Since other state child welfare agencies may adopt a similar training model, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of these CSEC trainings. Therefore, in the present study, we used a randomized, control group design to evaluate the effectiveness of a CSEC webinar training program for child protective service (CPS) employees. We discuss our findings and make recommendations for child welfare agencies interested in providing CSEC training to their staff. Given the lack of sophisticated research evaluating the effectiveness of child welfare training programs, in general, and CSEC training programs, more specifically, this study fills a gap in the literature and offers a training model that could be replicated with child protection systems in other states.

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