Tracking variations in daily questionable health behaviors and their psychological roots: a preregistered experience sampling study.

People resort to various questionable health practices to preserve or regain health - they intentionally do not adhere to medical recommendations (e.g. self-medicate or modify the prescribed therapies; iNAR), or use traditional/complementary/alternative (TCAM) medicine. As retrospective reports overestimate adherence and suffer from recall and desirability bias, we tracked the variations in daily questionable health behaviors and compared them to their retrospectively reported lifetime use. We also preregistered and explored their relations to a wide set of psychological predictors - distal (personality traits and basic thinking dispositions) and proximal (different unfounded beliefs and biases grouped under the term irrational mindset). A community sample (N = 224) tracked daily engagement in iNAR and TCAM use for 14 days, resulting in 3136 data points. We observed a high rate of questionable health practices over the 14 days; daily engagement rates roughly corresponded to lifetime ones. Both iNAR and TCAM were weakly, but robustly positively related. Independent of the assessment method, an irrational mindset was the most important predictor of TCAM use. For iNAR, however, psychological predictors emerged as relevant only when assessed retrospectively. Our study offers insight into questionable health behaviors from both a within and between-person perspective and highlights the importance of their psychological roots.

Covid-19-related stressors, mental disorders, depressive and anxiety symptoms: a cross-sectional, nationally-representative, face-to-face survey in Serbia.

AIM: The Covid-19 pandemic may be associated with an increase in mental disorders and mental distress. However, there are no representative studies testing the impact of stressors directly related to Covid-19. We aimed to determine whether Covid-19-related stressors were associated with mental disorders, depressive and anxiety symptoms in the second year of the pandemic. METHOD: This cross-sectional observational epidemiological survey was conducted from June to October 2021. We interviewed a representative sample of the adult population in Serbia (18-65 years) in the second year of the pandemic, at a time when large parts of the population had been affected by the pandemic in different ways. A multistage probabilistic household sampling of the adult population in 60 municipalities was used. Mental disorders were assessed by in-person interviews using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales. Covid-19-related stressors (Sars-CoV-2 infection, the infection of a close relative, self-isolation and lack of protective equipment at work), as well as other stressors during the pandemic (not directly related to the risk of the infection), were measured. The associations with mental disorders, depressive and anxiety symptoms were explored through univariable and multivariable regression analyses. RESULTS: In total, 1203 individuals (mean age 43.7 ± 13.6 years, 48.7% male) were interviewed. Most respondents (67.8%) of the sample had already experienced Covid-19-related stressors (20.1% had Sars-CoV-2 infection; 43.2% had a close relative member who had Covid-19; 28.2% reported lack of appropriate protection; 27.5% had been quarantined) and about 50% had already been vaccinated. The prevalence of any mental disorder was 15.2% (95% CI 13.2-17.2): mood disorders 4.6%, anxiety disorders 4.3% and substance use disorders 8.0%. Mean PHQ-9 was 3.2 ± 3.8 and GAD-7 was 2.1 ± 3.1. In this study, one Covid-19 stressor, i.e. lack of protective equipment, was weakly associated with a greater frequency of anxiety disorders (p = 0.023), while the other stressors had significant associations with several groups of mental disorders and symptom levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our study did not provide any evidence that the prevalence of mental disorders exceeds the range of pre-pandemic data reported in the literature. Covid-related stressors, although frequently reported, did not dramatically influence the prevalence of mental disorders. The provision of the appropriate equipment at workplaces might lead to the reduction of anxiety disorders.

Preoperative antiseptics in clean/contaminated maxillofacial and oral surgery: prospective randomized study.

In order to show the effectiveness of preoperative antiseptic mouthwash the authors undertook a prospective study in 120 patients who underwent elective surgery under general or local anesthesia. Patients were allocated toone of 4 groups, depending on whether the oral cavity was washed preoperatively with 1% cetrimide, chlorhexidine, povidon-iodine or sterilized normal saline solution (control group). Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial samples were taken from the inferior vestibulum mucosa before surgery, 5 min after the start of the operation and at the end of the procedure. The results show a statistically significant reduction in bacterial counts during procedures in which antiseptics are used to wash the oral cavity preoperatively. 1% cetrimide solution was the most successful in reducing intra-oral bacterial counts and produced the longest lasting antiseptic effect. Chlorhexidine is a good option for procedures longer than 1 hour, while povidon-iodine is recommended for procedures lasting up to 1 hour. Normal saline reduced bacterial counts in the specimen taken 5 min after washing but this short-lasting effect is due to mechanical cleansing rather than the antiseptic effect.

National character does not reflect mean personality trait levels in 49 cultures.

Most people hold beliefs about personality characteristics typical of members of their own and others' cultures. These perceptions of national character may be generalizations from personal experience, stereotypes with a "kernel of truth," or inaccurate stereotypes. We obtained national character ratings of 3989 people from 49 cultures and compared them with the average personality scores of culture members assessed by observer ratings and self-reports. National character ratings were reliable but did not converge with assessed traits. Perceptions of national character thus appear to be unfounded stereotypes that may serve the function of maintaining a national identity.

Glandular odontogenic cyst: a case report and clinicopathologic analysis of the relationship to central mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC), an unusual multilocular cystic lesion of jaws exhibiting the features of both botryoid odontogenic cyst and mucoepidermoid tumor has been reported recently as a new entity with uncertain histogenesis. The World Health Organization named GOC as an independent pathologic entity and classified it as a developmental odontogenic epithelial cyst. We report an additional case, describe its clinicopathologic features, and discuss the similarity to the central mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Maxillofacial war injuries in civilians and servicemen during the aggression against Croatia.

Although civilian populations have been heavily involved in most of the recent wars and conflicts throughout the world, most reports analyzed casualty data of military personnel, often leaving civilian casualties excluded or underestimated. A comparison of epidemiologic and medical data for maxillofacial injuries between civilians and servicemen (policemen, soldiers, and United Nations Protection Forces) during the aggression against Croatia is attempted. Of the 220 casualties admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery in Zagreb between August 1991 and December 1992, almost one-fourth were civilians. A significant difference between civilians and servicemen was noted in age and sex distribution. The incidence and severity of maxillofacial and associated injuries is almost equal, and the pattern of injuries is of the same type for civilian and military personnel.

Primary hyperparathyroidism: evaluation of different treatments of jaw lesions based on case reports.

On the basis of three case reports, different treatment modalities of primary hyperparathyroidism of the jaws are presented. Surgical intervention made as the result of misdiagnosis in the first case caused an unnecessary bone defect and delayed bone regeneration for several months. Two other cases showed spontaneous regeneration of bone after parathyroidectomy. The second case disproved the earlier opinion that regeneration of the bone lesions could last for several years, and that the normal morphology could be restored. Complete resolution of the central giant-cell lesion was found 6 months after removal of the parathyroid adenoma.

[Comparison of clinical and histopathological diagnosis in oral surgery]. / Usporedba klinicke i patohistoloske dijagnoze u oralnoj kirurgiji.

Only a successful cooperation of an oral surgeon and the pathologist can ensure a reliable diagnosis. The authors have analyzed operations performed during 1990 at outpatient clinic of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Zagreb, School of Dentistry. Clinical appearance of the disease and clinical diagnosis sometimes enable us to recognize the real nature of the disease. The clinical diagnosis in correlation with the histological diagnosis can be either denied or improved. The aim of this investigation was to correlate the clinical and the histological diagnosis and to find out the number of improvement. Material most often sent for histological examination was an operated cyst. Although the removed tissues were analyzed under different clinical diagnoses, approximately 70% of the clinical diagnoses corresponded to the histopathological findings. In one case the clinical diagnosis of benign lesion--hyperkeratosis-- was after histopathological examination find as carcinoma planocellulare. The authors recommend every part of the excised tissue to be sent for a histopathological examination.

[Postextraction complications and the choice of anesthesia]. / Utjecaj anestezije na pojavu postekstrakcijskih komplikacija.

The aim of the investigation is to evaluate the dependence of the most frequent postextraction complications (pain, hemorrhage, hematoma, swelling and dry socket) in relation to the choice of anesthesia. The total of 447 teeth was extracted in 319 male and female persons between 11 and 80 years of age. The most important conclusion of the investigations is that vasoconstrictor in local anesthetic solutions does not influence the incidence of postextraction complications. Clot disturbance, higher incidence of dry socket and unpredicted time of pain appearance were found in the local anesthetic group with lower concentration of vasoconstrictor. Statistically significant difference between local and general anesthesia does not exist in relation to blood clot disturbances, although a great number of clot fails is evident in local anesthetic group. The pain intensity is lower when teeth extraction were performed under general anesthesia.

[Ameloblastic fibroma--case report and discussion about relationship of mixed odontogenic tumors]. / Ameloblasticki fibrom--prikaz slucaja i prilog raspravi o medusobnoj vezi mjesovitih odontogenih tumora.

The authors have presented the case of ameloblastic fibroma of the upper jaw in 21 years old adult. Dimensions of the tumor, which were the result of long standing growth, and the occurring at the age when odontogenesis was practically completed, have supported the concept of distinct pathologic entity, but have not been agree with the theory of interrelationship of ameloblastic fibroma, ameloblastic fibro-odontoma and odontoma. In the context of those two studies the authors have discussed relationship of the mixed odontogenic tumors.

[Retention of resection prostheses using endosteal implants]. / Pokusaj retencije resekcionih proteza enosalnim implantatima.

Nine endosteal implants of Linkow, Sandhaus and Vitradent type and one transdental implant have been used in six patients for the retention of resection prostheses. The intention was to find out the efficiency of endosteal implants in prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with oncologic defects of jaws. Most implants were removed because of loosing and mucosa inflammation after the period of 46 to 139 days. The earliest extraction was performed in one case after eight days and the latest in the another case after two years. The results showed that there are no medical indications for endosteal implantation of such implants in resection prostheses retention.

An alternative method of fixation of alveolar ridge mucosa during the vestibuloplasty procedure.

The authors present a new design of splintage for fixation of the alveolar ridge mucosa following various vestibuloplasty procedures. From 1981-1987 50 acrylic buccal splints and 76 palatal splints were used, fixed by AO screws, in vestibuloplasty procedures. By using screws a controlled pressure equally distributed over the mucosa was achieved. The results demonstrate that screw fixation of the splints can avoid some of the common problems found especially with suture or nails. The acrylic buccal splint fixed by AO screws on to the alveolar bone is more convenient for the patient and produces a better operative result. The authors recommend it as the method of choice for submucosal and some modified submucosal vestibuloplasties.