Incidence of oral habits in children with mixed dentition

Recognition and elimination of an oral habit is of utmost importance in the treatment of periodontal disease. It is not probable that the influence of such a factor can lead to the alteration of gingival dimension, but a cofactor role of oral habits in the development of gingival recession has been acclaimed. The purpose of this study was to present cross-sectional data from an epidemiological study performed in two urban settlements in Zagreb, Croatia. The study was performed in 1025 children, in an attempt to try and discover the incidence of oral habits in children with mixed dentition, aged from 6 to 11 years. About 33.37% of the screened population exhibited oral habits, such as nail and object biting, non-nutritive sucking, simple tongue thrusting and lip or cheek biting. Chi-square test analysis showed no statistically significant differences between sex and age groups, a result that does not exclude the oral habits from aetiology of the periodontal pathology. We can conclude that oral habits are a frequent finding, although the cause relation to periodontitis has yet to be cleared completely.     

Antioxidant and Physicochemical Properties of Hydrogen Peroxide‐Treated Sugar Beet Dietary Fibre

The aim of the present work was to examine if hydrogen peroxide treatment of sugar beet fibre that aimed at improving its physicochemical properties would impair its antioxidant potential. Three different sugar beet fibres were obtained from sugar beet – non‐treated fibre (NTF) from sugar beet cossettes extracted with sulphurous acid, treated fibre (TF) from NTF treated with hydrogen peroxide in alkaline solution and commercially available Fibrex^®. The antioxidant activity of extractable and non‐extractable fibre fractions in ethanol/water mixture (80:20, v/v) of three fibre samples was estimated. Non‐extractable fractions obtained after alkaline treatment of investigated fibres were much higher in phenolic compounds and possessed higher antioxidant potential than extractable fractions. Ferulic acid was proven to be the dominant phenolic acid. Regarding both extractable and non‐extractable fractions, Fibrex^® had the highest antioxidant activity in chemical tests, while NTF was superior in comparison with TF. Based on the results of Caco‐2 cells‐based test, all non‐extractable fractions possessed potential for reactive oxygen species inhibition. Regarding the extractable fractions, only the TF manifested this effect.Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relative afferent pupillary defect in glaucoma: a pupillometric study

PURPOSE: To study the presence of relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) in patients with glaucoma with the help of a custom-built pupillometer. METHODS: Sixty-five participants were recruited (32 with open-angle glaucoma and 33 healthy subjects). All underwent standard clinical examination including perimetry and optic disc photography. Pupillary light reflexes were examined with a custom-built pupillometer. Three video sequences were recorded for each subject. Alternating light stimulation with a duration of 0.5 seconds was used, followed by a 1 second pause. Mean values of pupil area ratio (PAR), pupil contraction velocity ratio (PCVR), and pupil dilation velocity ratio (PDVR) were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for each of the three parameters. Intra-individual variability was estimated. RESULTS: PAR and PDVR differed significantly between the group with glaucoma and the control group (P < 0.0001). PAR was more sensitive for glaucoma detection than the other pupillometric parameters (PCVR and PDVR). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was largest for PAR. At a fixed specificity of 90%, sensitivity for PAR was 86.7%. CONCLUSION: Measuring RAPD with infrared computerized pupillometry can detect optic neuropathy in glaucoma with high sensitivity and specificity. The method is fast and objective. Pupil area amplitude measurements were superior to pupil velocity measurements for the detection of RAPD in glaucoma.     

Influence of tapping-time and atmospheric pressure on concentrations of monoamine metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid: A prospective study in female volunteers

Lumbar puncture was performed on 12 healthy female volunteers at the L4-5 level. CSF concentrations of 5-HIAA, HVA and HMPG were included in turn as dependent variables in repeated analyses of covariance with age, height, tapping-time, atmospheric pressure and the distance on the spine in the lying position as regressors. Use or non-use of oral contraceptives was included as a nominal variable. Results obtained were confirmed by nonparametric statistics. We found significant relationships between 5-HIAA and HVA, respectively, and height when the concentrations per minute of tapping-time (nM/min) were used as dependent variables. Hypothetically, the tapping-time mirrors the transport of concentrated CSF from the cranial to the caudal region when sitting up. We also found significant influences of atmospheric pressure and the use or non-use of oral contraceptives on HMPG. The role of atmospheric pressure is not clear but it might contribute to the transport of HMPG from the periphery to the CSF or affect the outflow of HMPG from the lumbar CSF compartment. The contribution of oral contraceptives might reflect interactions in the cerebral catecholamine metabolism.     

“Lifting More” is Associated with Lower Risks of Depression in University Students

Research on the population in western world showed that, MSE (muscle-strengthening exercise) is beneficial to the treatment of mental disorders. However, the situation in Chinese adults is little known. For this reason, the study is performed to understand the connection between depression and MSE among college and university students in China aged between 18 to 24.1793 college students have been recruited, and their average age is 20.67. A questionnaire has been developed and it is self-reported and designed to collect information about MSE and participants, including body mass index and sex and so on. Sleep and physical activity have been evaluated by introducing two scales, that is, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, respectively. Moreover, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 has been adopted to indicate the severity of depression of participants. The link between depression and MSE has been studied by introducing multilevel linear regression. Among all these study participants, just 24.87% of them met the MSE standards of World Health Organization, that is, more than 2 days every week. The average depression score was 6.80 (±5.19). Greater number of days for MSE shows negative association with the depression, with beta = −0.17, 95% CI: −0.31 to −0.03, p = 0.015). Those students failing to meet MSE standards are more susceptible to the depression risk (beta = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.09–0.19, p = 0.027). The results show that, there is a relationship between MSE participation and relieved status of depression among young adults in China. Interventions designed to relieve depression can be developed on the basis of MSE.     

Mental Health Service Use Before and After Diagnosis of Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder

To investigate patterns of mental health services, psychotropic treatments, and psychiatric diagnoses received by youth diagnosed with bipolar disorder, insurance claims of 323 youth (ages 6–18 years) were examined from the 2000–2001 Thomson/Medstat-MarketScan(c) database. Longitudinal patterns are assessed 6 months prior and following a new treatment episode of bipolar disorder. Youth subgroups (i.e., continuous, intermittent, and discontinuous services), defined by persistence of claims associated with a bipolar diagnosis, are compared by demographic and clinical characteristics. Virtually all youth had high rates of mental health service use and treatment immediately following initial bipolar diagnosis, but only half continued to receive services 6 months following diagnosis. A continuous pattern of claims associated with a bipolar diagnosis was associated with using more resources, receiving initial diagnosis from a mental health professional, being in a managed care plan, and having more psychiatric diagnoses following index bipolar diagnosis. Further research should examine how continuity of claims for bipolar is related to treatment quality and clinical outcomes.     

Flexible intramedullary nailing for radial neck fractures in children

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of treatment and the rate of complications in children treated with flexible intramedullary nailing (FIN) for radial neck fractures.MethodsThe study included 26 children (11 males and 15 females) with a median age of 9.5 years, treated with FIN for the radial neck fractures between May 2011 and May 2018. Immobilization after the surgery was not used. The median follow-up was 41 months. According to the Judet classification, 15 fractures were classified as type III and 11 as Type IV. For each patient, clinical, radiological, and disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) scores were calculated.ResultsAll patients achieved complete radiographic healing at a median of 5 weeks. The nails were removed at a median of 4 months. The rate of complications was 11.5%, including 1 radial head necrosis, 1 angulation of 15°, and 1 displacement of the radial head. Twenty patients (76.9%) achieved a perfect clinical healing, while 23 patients (88.5%) achieved a perfect radiological healing. The median DASH score was 1.25. No cases of delayed healing were recorded. After removing of the nails, all patients returned to full function of the extremity and all complications were resolved.ConclusionThe use of FIN for treating fractures of the radial neck in children shows very good functional and cosmetic results. It allows mobilization with rapid pain reduction. It is a minimally invasive, simple, and reproducible technique with a low rate of complication. Owing to excellent results, surgical stabilization of radial head and neck fractures using FIN is recommended in children and adolescents.Level of EvidenceLevel IV, Therapeutic study