基于数据挖掘技术的中医学隐性知识显性化分析

隐性知识是知识的核心,中医学隐性知识是中医学的重要组成部分。中医学隐性知识显性化是实现中医学知识有效交流与共享的必要条件,是促进中医学发展与创新的重要保障,但中医学隐性知识显性化过程会受诸多因素的影响。数据挖掘技术能够从大量的、不完全的、模糊的、随机的实际应用数据中,提取隐含在其中的、事先未知的、潜在的、有用的信息和知识。基于数据挖掘技术提取隐性知识的优势,本文围绕关联规则分析、复杂系统熵聚类分析、决策树分析、因子分析、贝叶斯网络分析等数据挖掘技术支持下的中医学隐性知识显性化进行了研究。通过文献分析与整理,以具体数据挖掘技术为分类标准和主线,研究对象涉及单个医家、古代医学典籍及现代临床研究等,研究内容涉及中医病因病机、治则治法、辨证规律、方剂使用规律、药对组方规律及其相关性等多个层面的中医学隐性知识。结果表明,针对研究内容的特点,选取针对性的数据挖掘技术能够实现中医学隐性知识的显性化,这有利于拓展中医学隐性知识显性化的渠道,有利于提高中医学隐性知识显性化的程度,有利于最大限度的实现中医学隐性知识显性化与共享。基于数据挖掘技术在中医学隐性知识显性化过程中的积极作用,具有中医特色的数据挖掘传承平台应加以推广、整合与优化,促进中医学的传承与创新。     

中医哮喘领域本体的构建

目的:利用本体的方式实现中医哮喘领域的知识的共建共享及推理。方法:通过对中医文献中"哮喘"相关知识的提取,基于斯坦福大学的七步法构建了"哮喘"的疾病本体,实现了哮喘相关知识的领域建模,建立了部分概念与概念间的关系约束及公理。结果:中医哮喘领域本体构建完成能够实现知识的共享以及简单的推理。共有类120个,实例425个,对象属性18个,其中反向属性6个,数值属性2个,等价类公理1个,子类公理138个,基本实现了对哮喘领域知识的语义化表达。结论:本体的构建在知识的共建、共享及未来知识库的语义检索、数据挖掘中具有一定的参考与应用价值。     

Patients' knowledge and opinions regarding osteoporosis,osteoporosis treatment,and oral health care

BackgroundIn this study, the authors assessed the knowledge and opinions of patients regarding osteoporosis and the associations among osteoporosis, osteoporosis treatments, and oral health care use.MethodsOutpatients with osteopenia or osteoporosis completed a questionnaire, including sociodemographic data, internet use, osteoporosis status, oral health care use status, and knowledge regarding the effect of osteoporosis pharmacotherapy on dental procedures.ResultsAmong 258 patients (mean [standard deviation] age, 68.5 [9.3] years; 93% female), 83.9% had osteoporosis, one-third had previous osteoporotic fracture, and 74.4% took osteoporosis medication, mostly antiresorptive agents. In addition, 66.3% had more than 12 years of education, and 53.9% used the internet daily. A total of 79.9% visited a dentist during the past year, and 29.0% had undergone an invasive procedure. Yet 46.5% estimated that their dentist did not know that they had osteoporosis. Approximately one-half of the participants responded that they did not know the answers to knowledge questions regarding associations between osteoporosis, its pharmacotherapy, and oral health care. Of the patients who answered questions about associations between osteoporosis and oral health care, 70% incorrectly believed osteoporosis increased gingival disease, and 30% incorrectly thought medications should be discontinued before caries restoration.ConclusionsOutpatients with osteoporosis or osteopenia who responded to a questionnaire had limited knowledge about associations among osteoporosis, osteoporotic treatment, and oral health care.Practice ImplicationsDentists should review previous and current medical treatments with their patients, including osteoporosis diagnoses. The medical community should make more efforts to provide balanced, accurate information to help patients prioritize health care treatment and avoid unnecessary interruptions in osteoporosis treatment.     

Sex differences in gingivitis relate to interaction of oral health behaviors in young people

Background: Although many epidemiologic surveys have shown that gingivitis is more prevalent in males than in females, few studies have clearly explained what causes this difference. The objective of the present study is to explain the sex difference in gingivitis based on the interaction between oral health behaviors and related factors, such as knowledge, attitude, and lifestyle, in young people. Methods: The study was comprised of 838 subjects (440 males and 398 females), aged 18 and 19 years. Gingivitis was assessed by the percentage of bleeding on probing (%BOP). Additional information was collected regarding oral hygiene status, oral health behaviors, and related factors. Structural equation modeling was used to test pathways from these factors to %BOP. Multiple‐group modeling was also conducted to test for sex differences. Results: Females had greater knowledge, a more positive attitude, a healthier lifestyle, and higher level of oral health behaviors than males. There were significant differences in the paths (i.e., from lifestyle, knowledge, and attitude to %BOP) through oral health behaviors and oral health status. Conclusions: Sex‐based differences in gingivitis in young people can be explained by oral health behaviors and hygiene status, which are influenced by lifestyle, knowledge, and attitude. To prevent gingivitis, different approaches to males and females may be useful.     

Factors related to utilization of dental services during pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to investigate factors related to utilization of dental services during pregnancy and to assess the extent of mothers' knowledge regarding oral health during pregnancy and its effect on pregnancy outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected from 625 women using a structured questionnaire mailed to mothers who had given birth in Johnson County, Iowa from August 2001 to March 2002. The survey assessed knowledge, behaviours, attitudes toward dental care during pregnancy, and personal, demographic and pregnancy-related factors. Variables which showed associations in bivariate analysis (p< or =0.1) were considered as candidates for building logistic regression models separately by domain (demographics, dental health care behaviours, lifestyle, financial variables, pregnancy-related variables, and knowledge of the possible association between oral health and pregnancy). Significant domain-specific regression results (p< or =0.05) were used to develop a final model using forward stepwise logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 69%. Dental visits during pregnancy were reported by 49% of respondents. Forty-three percent were aware of the possible connection between oral health and pregnancy outcomes. In the final logistic regression analysis, factors significantly associated with reporting dental visits during pregnancy were: (1) personal factors (being married, greater frequency of visiting the dentist when not pregnant and use of inter-proximal cleaning aids); (2) financial factors (dental insurance); and (3) knowledge of the possible connection between oral health and pregnancy outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: There was limited knowledge of the possible relationships between oral health and pregnancy outcomes in a fairly homogeneous population of women who were of relatively high socioeconomic standing. This study suggests that better education of the importance of dental care before and during pregnancy is needed.     

Acculturation and dental health among Vietnamese living in Melbourne, Australia

OBJECTIVES: To describe the relationship between acculturation and oral health status, oral health knowledge and frequency of dental visits in subjects of Vietnamese background, 18 years or older, living in Melbourne, Australia. METHODS: Oral health status was measured using the DMFS index. Oral health knowledge was estimated by responses to six specific oral preventive measures: brushing, flossing, use of fluorides, diet, and dental visits. Dental visits was measured by the number of visits in the 12 months prior to the survey. Acculturation was measured along two dimensions, psychological and behavioural, using the Psychological-Behavioural Acculturation Scale. Data were analysed using multivariate analysis to identify the combined effect of eight predictors (age, gender, occupational status, education, reason for migration, proportion of life in the host country, behavioural acculturation and psychological acculturation) against the dependent variables. RESULTS: The analysis was conducted on a sample of 147 subjects and showed significant interactions between the acculturation variables and three outcome measures: dental caries, knowledge of preventive measures and dental visits. Results indicated that acculturation was an important intervening variable. Psychological acculturation was strongly related to the three oral health outcomes, although the effect of behavioural acculturation was also apparent regarding dental status. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers several insights for understanding the mechanisms by which acculturation impacts oral health status. Interventions that simplify the cultural influence of immigrant groups by focusing on socio-demographic differences and even immigration variables to define risk groups might not produce predicted changes in oral health status.     

Dental patient awareness of smoking effects on oral health: Comparison of smokers and non-smokers

OBJECTIVES: The negative effects of cigarette smoking on oral health are well established, yet few studies assessed patient awareness of such effects. The aim of this study was to examine differences in dental patient knowledge and awareness of the effects of smoking on oral health between smokers and non-smokers. METHODS: Adult patients from 12 dental centers in Kuwait were asked to complete a 14-point self-administered structured questionnaire on the effects of smoking on oral health in this cross-sectional survey. Significant associations between oral health knowledge, smoking status, and sociodemographic variables were examined with univariate analysis and logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 1012 subjects participated (response rate = 84.3%). The prevalence of smoking was 29.3%. Fewer smokers than non-smokers thought that oral health and smoking are related (92.2% vs. 95.8%; P = 0.020), and that smoking affected oral cancer (52.4% vs. 66.8%; P < 0.001), periodontal health (72% vs. 78%; P = 0.040), or tooth staining (86.1% vs. 90.9%; P = 0.018). Logistic regression analysis showed smokers to be significantly less aware of the oral health effects of smoking than non-smoking patients (OR=1.51; 95% CI: 1.05-2.16; P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Smoking dental patients are significantly less aware of the oral health effects of smoking than non-smokers. Comparative studies in other populations may be warranted to ascertain the validity of these results.     

Children's dental health: British expatriate residents in Tokyo, Japan

AIM: To identify in expatriate British parents resident in Tokyo, Japan, their levels of dental health knowledge, patterns of dental health behaviour, and caries status of their children compared to Japanese children. METHODS: 223 parents with children at one school were asked to complete a structured questionnaire. Data were collected on: parental knowledge and behaviours with respect to caries prevention, and sweet consumption of the children. The caries status of the children was established by a clinical examination, using standard criteria. RESULTS: The questionnaire response rate was 66.8%. The mean age of the children was 7.6 years (range 3-11 years). The responses related to 51 British, 21 Japanese, and 20 children who had British and Japanese mixed parents. 33% of British and none of Japanese children had sweet foods frequently. Fluoridated toothpaste was used by 67% of British and 10% of Japanese children. British parents knew about dental caries more than Japanese. 13% of British and 38% of Japanese children were found in the higher caries experience group. CONCLUSION: Parental access to information in the UK and to fluoridated toothpaste in Japan could have helped to prevent dental caries in these expatriate British children.