JMIR Research Protocols

Enterococcus faecalis is a facultative anaerobic bacterium frequently associated with persistent root canal infections and endodontic treatment failures. Its resistance is primarily attributed to its ability to form robust biofilms, survive under harsh conditions, and penetrate deep into dentinal tubules. Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), commonly used as an intracanal medicament, exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity; however, its limited ability to eliminate biofilms, potential cytotoxicity, and restricted dentinal penetration pose significant drawbacks. In recent years, nanotechnology has introduced promising alternatives such as cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂-NPs), which exhibit unique redox properties, reactive oxygen species scavenging, and antimicrobial action due to their nanoscale size and surface chemistry.

Young people with mobility disabilities have limited options to maintain their cardiometabolic health and cardiorespiratory fitness. Active video gaming using extended reality head-mounted displays is becoming increasingly common for promoting serious exergaming. However, there is a need to identify dosing protocols that can potentially lead to meaningful improvements in cardiometabolic health and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Latino men who have sex with men (LMSM) account for a disproportionate and growing number of HIV diagnoses in the United States. Intersectional stigma remains a key driver of HIV inequities; however, most quantitative intersectional stigma measures are limited and do not consider the larger social context.

Although a high intake of plant foods is often considered healthy, some plant foods can be detrimental to health. Reliable dietary assessment is crucial to examine the relationship between diet and disease. Current dietary assessment methods rely on self-reported intake data, which are subject to bias. Objective measurement using biomarkers of food intake could mitigate this problem. However, single biomarkers of food intake have limitations as well. Combining several biomarkers of food intake into a multibiomarker panel could attenuate these limitations and allow for an accurate, objective dietary assessment.

Dental implants are a widely used therapeutic option for tooth replacement; however, biological and prosthetic complications may compromise implant success. While prior research has largely focused on academic or specialty settings, data on implant outcomes in community dental practices remain limited.

Individuals with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may exhibit thoracoabdominal asynchrony, which reduces ventilatory efficiency. A novel intervention using elastic tape (ET) applied to the chest wall has been shown to acutely reduce thoracoabdominal asynchrony and dyspnea during exercise among individuals with COPD. We hypothesize that using ET in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) may increase the benefits of PR in this population.

Patients with immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID), including autoimmunity, fared substantially worse than the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of infection outcomes and disruption to daily life. Despite this, COVID-19 vaccine uptake has not been universal in this population. The absence of patients with IMID from clinical trials and the subsequent lack of precision in vaccine safety profiling have resulted in vaccine hesitancy in this high-risk group.

Covered stents commercially available are frequently used off-label in conjunction with fenestrated and branched aortic stent grafts, but there is a lack of dedicated devices.

Sexual health is often underaddressed in cancer care, especially among survivors of breast and gynecological cancer. In Colombia, treatment side effects, cultural stigma, and limited training among health care providers affect well-being. Although international guidelines promote patient-centered and culturally sensitive approaches, few interventions have been implemented in low- and middle-income settings.

Humanoid robots are being used more frequently in health care: in geriatrics and pediatrics, robots such as “Pepper” and “Nao” have been shown to enhance communication, emotional well-being, and patient engagement. During the pandemic, their role expanded, for example, to include remote monitoring and reducing the risk of infection. Given these applications, our study examines the integration of 2 advanced humanoid robots, Pepper and Nao, within the reception area of a geriatric hospital.

Complications following abdominal surgery have a very significant negative impact on the patient and the health care system. Despite the spread of minimally invasive surgery, there is no automated way to use intraoperative video to predict complications. New developments in data storage capacity and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm creation now allow for this.

Low back pain (LBP) is a common and disabling condition that is costly for health systems and society. Interprofessional primary care models may improve care quality and reduce this burden.