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Author(s): Mikkel Zöllner Ankarfeldt 1,*, Janne Petersen 1,2, Jon Trærup Andersen 3,4, Hu Li 5, Stephen Paul Motsko 5, Thomas Fast 6, Simone Møller Hede 6, Espen Jimenez-Solem 1,3,4 Introduction [...], Background The prevalence of depression and the exposure to antidepressants are high among women of reproductive age and during pregnancy. Duloxetine is a selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) approved in the United States and Europe in 2004 for the treatment of depression. Fetal safety of duloxetine is not well established. The present study evaluates the association of exposure to duloxetine during pregnancy and the risk of major and minor congenital malformations and the risk of stillbirths. Methods and findings A population-based observational study was conducted based on data from registers in Sweden and Denmark. All registered births and stillbirths in the medical birth registers between 2004 and 2016 were included. Malformation diagnoses were identified up to 1 year after birth. Logistic regression analyses were used. Potential confounding was addressed through multiple regression, propensity score (PS) matching, and sensitivity analyses. Confounder variables included sociodemographic information (income, education, age, year of birth, and country), comorbidity and comedication, previous psychiatric contacts, and birth-related information (smoking during pregnancy and previous spontaneous abortions and stillbirths). Duloxetine-exposed women were compared with 4 comparators: (1) duloxetine-nonexposed women; (2) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-exposed women; (3) venlafaxine-exposed women; and (4) women exposed to duloxetine prior to, but not during, pregnancy. Exposure was defined as redemption of a prescription during the first trimester and throughout pregnancy for the analyses of malformations and stillbirths, respectively. Outcomes were major and minor malformations and stillbirths gathered from the national patient registers. The cohorts consisted of more than 2 million births with 1,512 duloxetine-exposed pregnancies. No increased risk for major malformations, minor malformations, or stillbirth was found across comparison groups in adjusted and PS-matched analyses. Duloxetine-exposed versus duloxetine-nonexposed PS-matched analyses showed odds ratio (OR) 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74 to 1.30, p = 0.909) for major malformations, OR 1.09 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.45, p = 0.570) for minor malformation, and 1.18 (95% CI 0.43 to 3.19, p = 0.749) for stillbirths. For the individual malformation subtypes, some findings were statistically significant but were associated with large statistical uncertainty due to the extremely small number of events. The main limitations for the study were that the indication for duloxetine and a direct measurement of depression severity were not available to include as covariates. Conclusions Based on this observational register-based nationwide study with data from Sweden and Denmark, no increased risk of major or minor congenital malformations or stillbirth was associated with exposure to duloxetine during pregnancy.

Introduction: Global estimates on numbers of persons in early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), including prodromal and preclinical, are lacking, yet are needed to inform policy decisions on preventive measures and planning for future therapies targeting AD pathology. Methods: We synthesized the literature on prevalence across the AD continuum and derived a model estimating the number of persons, stratified by 5‐year age groups, sex, and disease stage (AD dementia, prodromal AD, and preclinical AD). Results: The global number of persons with AD dementia, prodromal AD, and preclinical AD were estimated at 32, 69, and 315 million, respectively. Together they constituted 416 million across the AD continuum, or 22% of all persons aged 50 and above. Discussion: Considering predementia stages, the number of persons with AD is much larger than conveyed in available literature. Our estimates are uncertain, especially for predementia stages in low‐ and middle‐income regions where biomarker studies are missing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Story Circles is a methodology developed by Dr. Darla K. Deardorff (2020), originally as an UNESCO tool for helping people of diverse backgrounds to understand each other better. Story Circles help participants develop intercultural competences such as listening for understanding, cultural curiosity, critical thinking, empathy, self-expression and reflection. They can be utilized in a variety of settings, including ESL and EFL classes of varying ages and abilities. Story Circles have also proven during the COVID era, to be a successful method for collaborative, online international learning (COIL), particularly in the absence of pre pandemic opportunities such as study abroad. Story Circles provide language learners with a supportive structure to engage in deeply meaningful conversation and allow them to communicate otherwise hidden aspects of their lives to others and listen to people of other cultures tell their personal stories as well. After reviewing the literature on the importance of storytelling in intercultural contexts, the author will briefly introduce the Story Circle format and provide instructions with additional considerations for conducting Story Circles in a TESOL context. Readers will come away with a greater understanding of the importance of imparting students with storytelling skills in another language, as well as the knowledge to conduct in person or online Story Circles with their own students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thorough health history has assumed new importance as dentistry has grown more complex. Unlike a decade or so ago, dentists in the 1990s are faced with older patients, a more medically complex base of patients, and concerns regarding infectious diseases. These changes are requiring the dentist to assess each patient's ability to tolerate a particular treatment comfortably and safely. The content and format of health history forms used by general practitioners were compared with those used by dental schools in a study that involved 33 practitioners and 33 dental schools. There was a great difference between the health history forms dental schools use and those used by general practitioners. ADA-accredited training programs must include a health history as part of as proper physical evaluation. Suggestions are offered regarding how to improve the content and format of the form dentists use for health history.

A University of Florida College of Dentistry management system is described that uses a computer to assist in the matching of patients and dental students, the monitoring of patient care, and the tracking of student clinical progress in a teaching environment that emphasizes the comprehensive patient care approach. (Author/MLW)

The scope of an AADS-approved course in the management of medical emergencies at the predoctoral level is described. The dentist should have adequate training in detection of serious systemic emergencies and should be well-informed about the techniques for management of these problems both within and outside the dental office. (MLW)

One of the techniques of automated diagnostic classification, pattern recognition, was applied to the problem of classifying patients with craniofacial pain. Dental data relevant to the classification process and the automated classifier are presented. Classifier training and accuracy of the automated process are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Global estimates on numbers of persons in early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), including prodromal and preclinical, are lacking, yet are needed to inform policy decisions on preventive measures and planning for future therapies targeting AD pathology., Methods: We synthesized the literature on prevalence across the AD continuum and derived a model estimating the number of persons, stratified by 5-year age groups, sex, and disease stage (AD dementia, prodromal AD, and preclinical AD)., Results: The global number of persons with AD dementia, prodromal AD, and preclinical AD were estimated at 32, 69, and 315 million, respectively. Together they constituted 416 million across the AD continuum, or 22% of all persons aged 50 and above., Discussion: Considering predementia stages, the number of persons with AD is much larger than conveyed in available literature. Our estimates are uncertain, especially for predementia stages in low- and middle-income regions where biomarker studies are missing., (© 2022 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)