Colombia has endured one of the world's longest internal displacement crises in recent history. Programs that address the practices and psychosocial wellbeing of the community of caregivers of young children in protracted crises are urgently needed. We developed and implemented a program aimed at strengthening the resilience and wellbeing of caregivers (parents, grandparents, and educators) of children enrolled in home-based and institutional centers for early childhood development in Colombia. The program, Conmigo, Contigo, Con Todos, or 3Cs, used purposive sampling across 14 municipalities disproportionately impacted by the armed conflict in Colombia. It consisted of two modules, a skills-building program (SBP) module and a psychotherapy intervention (PTI). The program content drew from cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness, and from inputs from local stakeholders. By applying a pragmatic evaluation strategy, we explored the pre-post intervention changes in parental resilience (the primary outcome of interest) through self-reports on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The analysis of the pre-post intervention outcomes showed statistically significant improvements in CD-RISC in both intervention arms (SBP and PTI). Caregivers in the PTI group started with lower CD-RISC scores than caregivers who did not receive the PTI, and they showed the most improvement over time. Caregivers who had lower than average participation in the SBP (M=1-3 sessions out of a total of 6) did not show significant changes in CD-RISC. Additionally, caregivers who had higher than average participation in the SBP showed significantly more improvement in CD-RISC scores than caregivers who did not attend any sessions. We discuss the implications of these findings for future applications of the program and substantiate the measurable impact of interventions for caregivers in conflict settings.
Introduction: These guidelines aim to provide evidence-based recommendations for the supplementation of Vitamin D in maintaining bone health. An unmet need persists in Latin American regarding the availability of clinical and real-world data for rationalizing the use of vitamin D supplementation. The objective of these guidelines is to establish clear and practical recommendations for healthcare practitioners from Latin American countries to address Vitamin D insufficiency in clinical practice. Methods: The guidelines were developed according to the GRADE-ADOLOPMENT methodology for the adaptation or adoption of CPGs or evidence-based recommendations. A search for high quality CPGs was complemented through a comprehensive review of recent literature, including randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews evaluating the effects of Vitamin D supplementation on bone health. The evidence to decision framework proposed by the GRADE Working Group was implemented by a panel of experts in endocrinology, bone health, and clinical research. Results: The guidelines recommend Vitamin D supplementation for individuals aged 18 and above, considering various populations, including healthy adults, individuals with osteopenia, osteoporosis patients, and institutionalized older adults. These recommendations offer dosing regimens depending on an individualized treatment plan, and monitoring intervals of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and adjustments based on individual results. Discussion: The guidelines highlight the role of Vitamin D in bone health and propose a standardized approach for healthcare practitioners to address Vitamin D insufficiency across Latin America. The panel underscored the necessity for generating local data and stressed the importance of considering regional geography, social dynamics, and cultural specificities when implementing these guidelines.
Accurate assessment of histological remission is a critical goal in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC); however, routine evaluation is hindered by the invasiveness of endoscopy and biopsy. Non-invasive alternatives like intestinal ultrasound (IUS) and faecal calprotectin (FC) show promise for monitoring mucosal inflammation, though their ability to predict histological healing remains underexplored. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of IUS, FC, and their combined use for detecting histologic remission in patients with UC. A comprehensive literature search identified two eligible studies comprising 72 patients. Pooled estimates for IUS demonstrated high sensitivity (0.84, 95% CI: 0.35–0.98) but variable specificity (0.78, 95% CI: 0.08–0.99), while FC alone exhibited high sensitivity (0.85, 95% CI: 0.72–0.92) with moderate specificity (0.60, 95% CI: 0.38–0.79). Notably, only one study assessed the combined diagnostic approach, reporting superior performance with sensitivity and specificity of 0.88 and 0.80, respectively. The certainty of the evidence was rated as moderate. These exploratory findings suggest that a multimodal, non-invasive approach combining IUS and FC may improve diagnostic accuracy in detecting histological remission in UC, potentially reducing reliance on invasive procedures. However, given the limited number of studies included and the high degree of heterogeneity, these results should be interpreted with caution. Further large-scale, methodologically robust studies are needed to validate these preliminary findings and establish standardized diagnostic protocols.
Objective: The variability in reports associating Enterococcus faecalis with endodontic treatment failure is due to its remarkable genetic plasticity and clonal diversity facilitating the adaptation to adverse microenvironments. Materials and Methods: Present study approximated the genetic diversity of Enterococcus faecalis isolates from oral cavity samples of endodontic origin; the detection involves genes Asa, Esp, EfaA, Ace, Asa373, GelE, and CylA, and mature biofilm formation. Results: On the other side, the genetic clusters were analysed based on the sequence alignment of the amplified product of a 16S rDNA PCR. Results showed that the genetic clustering of Enterococcus faecalis isolates was distinct between patients but with a high degree of similarity between samples from the same individual. Conclusion: The virulence genes presence and biofilm formation resulted independent of genetic clustering but related to sample origin.